Across the country there are dozens, even hundreds of school districts that have decided to establish a 4K kindergarten program—a kindergarten for four-year-olds. Kindergarten schools, which crop up with the focus on 4K and 5K kindergarten programs, are also popping up. Some districts make it mandatory to enroll your four-year-old in 4K, while other school districts make it optional. As a parent, you may be wondering if enrolling your four-year-old in a 4K program. Here are the benefits to doing so.

Your Child Acclimates to the 5K Classroom and Elementary School Quicker

Children who have never attended preschool or daycare programs find it difficult to follow the rules and expectations of standard kindergarten. Even if your child did spend time in a preschool or daycare, it is nothing like what he or she will experience in kindergarten within a larger school filled with older children and teachers. Enrolling your child in a 4K program gets your child used to the daily routines, rules, and expectations of the school that they will attend for the next five to seven years.

Your Child Can Receive Closer Attention If He/She Is Behind

Many at-risk children are already behind when they enter 5K kindergarten. If your child is recognized as an at-risk child, whether socio-economically, intellectually, or developmentally, 4K can really help your child catch up to his/her peers in the areas where he/she is behind and get on the same footing. Most 4K programs are smaller in size, too, allowing teachers to work more closely with children who need more help.

Your Child Attends 4K with Many of the Neighborhood Children

When you enroll your child in a public school-sponsored 4K program, he/she goes to school (for free!) with many of the neighborhood children. This allows your child to become familiar with many of the same children he/she will attend school with for the next few years. Barring your moving out of the neighborhood, your child will make lasting friends with many of these children, and you will become more familiar with many of your neighbors because they are the parents of your child's friends.

You Get an Extra Break Five Days a Week 

Let's face it--parenting is hard. Even if you have a dedicated partner who is a really good parent with the kids, things can still get a little hairy when you still have a four-year-old at home. Rather than pay for daycare or feel frustrated and stressed everyday, you could enroll him/her in 4K with the neighborhood school and get a an extra break (that does not cost you anything) five days a week.

To learn more, contact a school such as Carden Academy.