The first five years of a child’s life are filled with rapid growth and learning, and it’s during this crucial time that children lay the foundation for their future success. At Stepping Stone School, we recognize the importance of equipping children with a blend of academic, social, emotional, and physical skills that are essential for success in elementary school and beyond. While our nurturing environment and Future Strong™ approach provides a solid foundation at school, parents play an invaluable role in extending this learning at home. Here are key skills parents can help their children develop to ensure they thrive in the early years.

Academic Skills

Parents often prioritize literacy and numeracy when thinking about education. These skills are critical and form the foundation for future learning. At Stepping Stone School, we emphasize helping children:

• Build vocabulary by pairing sounds with letters, reading together, and encouraging conversations.
• Begin identifying letters, recognizing sight words, and sounding out new words.
• Practice basic math skills, like counting objects and understanding the concept of numbers (e.g., connecting the number “3” with three items).

Parents can support this growth at home by engaging children in everyday learning opportunities—counting objects while playing, reading bedtime stories, and using descriptive language to enhance their vocabulary skills. 

Social and Emotional Skills

A child’s ability to navigate social situations, understand emotions, and practice self-regulation is just as important as academic achievement. At Stepping Stone School, we focus on helping children:

• Identify and express their emotions and recognize emotions in others.
• Practice making friends, entering new social situations, and resolving conflicts with their peers.
• Develop independence in tasks like eating, dressing, and following routines.

Parents can reinforce these skills by encouraging their children to talk about their feelings, modeling healthy emotional responses, and creating opportunities for social play with peers.

Physical Development

Fine and gross motor skills are vital for a child’s overall growth and development. Simple tasks, like using scissors, gripping a pencil, or balancing, play a significant role in building physical coordination and dexterity. Parents can promote these skills at home by providing hands-on activities like drawing, cutting paper, building with blocks, or even practicing sports to refine balance and coordination.

Hands On Learning: Curiosity as a Path to Knowledge

At Stepping Stone School, we believe children learn best when they’re engaged in hands-on learning—an approach that fosters their natural curiosity and encourages exploration. By allowing children to ask questions, investigate new ideas, and explore topics that interest them, we maximize their engagement and deepen their understanding.

Parents can bring inquiry-based learning into the home by:

• Narrating daily activities, encouraging children to reflect on their experiences, and verbalizing emotions.
• Asking open-ended questions, like “What makes you curious?” or “Why do you think that happens?”
• Offering choices in safe situations, like picking out their clothes or snacks, which builds confidence and decision-making skills.

By following their child’s lead and allowing curiosity to guide their learning, parents help children build critical thinking skills that will serve them for a lifetime.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

The skills your child develops in their early years—both in school and at home—are the foundation for future success. At Stepping Stone School, we work in partnership with parents to foster children’s love for learning, ensuring they enter elementary school with a well-rounded set of skills, ready to tackle new challenges with confidence and joy.

By creating an environment where curiosity is encouraged and learning is fun, we help children develop the essential academic, social, emotional, and physical skills they need to become Future Strong™. Parents can continue this support at home, setting their child up for success, not just in school, but in life.