Preschool children are generally toddlers, ages 3 to 4 years old. According to the University of Illinois Extension office, preschool children are often eager to experience new activities and often display a desire to perform various duties by themselves. They are beginning an independent phase that helps them develop an identity and release their need to have parents and caregivers provide their security. Healthy children might develop fears and test limits and boundaries. At-risk preschoolers might overcompensate for lack of security at home by projecting a number of safeguarding behaviors and emotions.
Definition
The term "at risk" cannot be clearly defined, though it is widely used in academia and social service settings. According to Child Trends, the term generally identifies children who are at risk for developing poor emotional and social skills because of their home environment, poverty level and health. They are deemed to have a lower chance of succeeding in school than their peers. Preschool at-risk children typically are defined by their emotional readiness for school as gleaned from their reading skills, behavior and physical disabilities.
Considerations
In order to succeed in school, preschoolers should be prepared to get along with others, be able to control their emotions and reactions and have a basic understanding of their feelings and the feelings of others. According to the National Institute for Early Education Research, healthy emotional development depends on a child's ability to pay attention to directions, cooperate with other children and demonstrate they can control their behavior. Children often are labeled at risk when they have not mastered these basic social skills based on their emotional development.
Significance
Parents and caregivers play a significant role in preparing their children to enter school. When children do not live with positive role models that demonstrate self-control, cooperation and empathy, they often cannot interact successfully with teachers and groups of children. According to the National Institute for Early Education Research, as many as 30 percent of preschoolers living below the national poverty level do not have sufficient emotional development to succeed in a school setting by the time they enter kindergarten.
Warning
Children who are not prepared emotionally to enter school are at risk for developing anti-social behaviors. They typically are slower at learning and have developed additional barriers to success such as low self-esteem and depression. They are difficult to manage in a classroom setting and often get into fights on the playground. When the emotional development of preschoolers lacks the necessary progression required in school, they often are required to attend separate classes and schools because they are too disruptive to the general population and teachers must spend an inordinate amount of time with them.
Potential
According to Child Trends, preschool children identified as at-risk are not guaranteed to fail. The term merely points out potential for complications and failure, not certainty. With appropriate intervention, a nurturing mentor or teacher, opportunities for inclusion and success, at-risk preschoolers can overcome the obstacles that placed them in the predictive category in the first place.
