'In addition to finding preschools in your area, you'll want to understand their educational approaches, evaluate the differences between programs, and spend time visiting the schools to determine which ones you want to apply to.' Once you've narrowed down possible preschools, take tours of a few to see if they'd be a good fit for your child. Jenifer Wana, author of How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child, warns that selecting a preschool isn't an easy job. What is the ratio of children to teachers? Do the children have enough time to play or is it strictly academic? Is the tuition affordable? Do you agree with the educational approach? Some preschools follow certain educational methods, such as Montessori or Waldorf, so you should also learn about these approaches. If you do enroll in a nursery school or child-care center, there are many factors to consider. Preschool isn't required by law, so you can put off school until your child is old enough for kindergarten. There are many options for school environments and it's possible that no school is the best option for your family. Note: Individuals interested in the kindergarten entry age for a specific town should also call the superintendent's office in that town to be certain the date is still accurate. Meeker continues, kids should be able to count, draw a person with the arms, legs, and body in the right places, exhibit imaginary and pretend play (sometimes with an imaginary friend), ride a two-wheel bicycle with training wheels, and articulate well enough to be understood. By age 4, a child should be able to dress and undress himself, cut basic figures out of paper and paste them on another piece of paper, draw little stick figures, name four or five colors, understand your jokes, and joke with you. Kids at 3 should be asking deeper questions and be inquisitive about their environment,' Dr. Compared 2, a child is more interested in interactive play rather than parallel play. 'At 3, he should have the fine motor skills to dress himself and the gross motor skills to pedal a tricycle.

Don't worry about small differentiations from the norm, but if you have concerns about the overall development, consult your pediatrician. Though these are the major skills to look out for, be aware that every child develops differently, and yours might accomplish one skill earlier than others. Meg Meeker, M.D., a pediatrician in Traverse City, Michigan, and the best-selling author of six parenting books, breaks down what your preschooler should be able to do below. Preschoolers are learning many new skills and stretching their cognitive abilities.

Kindergarten age