If you are the parent of a little one in a therapeutic preschool program, you know that they are working on many different skills throughout the day. In a therapeutic preschool program, the teachers will work with children to build pivotal developmental skills, such as behavior, cognitive skills, speech and communication, feeding, play and social skills, and more. Children who are enrolled in a therapeutic preschool program are typically two to four years old, which is an important time in early childhood development. During this time, children begin to make significant developmental strides.
One of the most effective ways to help a child build positive behaviors during their early years is consistency! If a child is working on building their speech and language skills throughout the day in their therapeutic preschool program, for instance, it can be incredibly beneficial for their parents to implement the techniques that their teachers are using at home. This way, the child receives additional practice building these skills, even after they leave school. Parents also know their children best, so parents can also provide helpful information to the teachers to help the child excel in the therapeutic preschool program. Every child is a unique learner, so it is important for teachers and parents (or primary caregivers) to communicate regularly, in order to provide the most comprehensive care possible for children. Full family involvement is also a critical aspect of early childhood development, in order to provide consistent reinforcement of strategies and goals.
Use the same games and activities at home: If there is a specific game or activity that works very well for a child in their therapeutic preschool program to develop their expressive language, parents should consider engaging their child in that same activity at home.
Play skills: Many therapeutic preschool programs will emphasize the importance of building appropriate play skills. As children engage in play, they also develop cognitive, language, social, and motor skills (all of which are crucial!). As a result, it can be helpful for parents to spend time engaging in play with their free time.
Schedules and structure: Some children who experience developmental delays have challenges following a schedule and sequencing in their therapeutic preschool program. In order to reinforce the importance of following schedules and instructions in the school setting, parents should consider using visual schedules in the home. One example might be a ‘First, Then’ schedule board, which provides a concrete visual support to show the order of different tasks.
If you think that your child could benefit from a therapeutic preschool program in Chicago, click the purple button below of call 773-620-7800 to call CST Academy. We see children make incredible gains in their development in our therapeutic preschool program.
