From the outside, our preschool looks like fun and games. And it is! Through play, our preschoolers establish solid foundations for literacy, numeracy, and healthy social interaction. If you’ve ever wondered what you can do as a parent to reinforce what they learn during the day, keep reading. We share some insider info on the preschool curriculum and offer tips for you to help your child.
Writing And Saying Their ABCs
Preschoolers learn to recognize, name, and sound out all 26 letters of the alphabet. Typically, they start with big letters as they’re easier and add small letters as they progress. Much to their delight, they also learn to recognize and write their name, as well as other important words such as mom, dad, and love.
Preschool Literacy Help At Home
Surrounding your child with the letters of the alphabet helps them become more familiar with the symbols. Alphabet fridge magnets are popular as they are easy to rearrange to spell out words. When you’re out with your child, point out shop names and let them tell you which letters they recognize. Everyday objects, such as a brush, cat, or mat are handy for letting them practice sounding out what each word starts with.
Knowing Numbers And Counting
Preschoolers get to know what the numbers 0 to 9 look like and what their names are. Learning to count starts with memorizing the order of numbers. You might find them ‘counting’ everything at home during this stage! Knowing numbers and counting are two different skills that preschoolers often only connect when they’re more advanced.
Preschool Numeracy Help At Home
Ask your child to point out any numbers they see while driving to the shop and name them. They can identify numbers they see on the TV, on the packaging of their snacks, or house numbers as you walk around the neighborhood together. Counting with a preschooler is also an easy skill to incorporate into everyday life. Encourage them to count how many steps from the fridge to the oven, how many wax crayons are in a box, or how many spoons of cereal it takes to finish their breakfast.
Recognizing Shapes, Colors, And Objects
Preschoolers keep adding to their knowledge of basic shapes and colors. Learning shapes teaches a child to identify and organize visual information, laying a foundation for future learning, such as reading, science, and math. Similarly, color identification helps them sort, compare, categorize, and organize objects. Preschoolers also learn about objects, such as body parts.
Preschool Shapes, Colors, And Objects At Home
Shapes, colors, and objects are all around us! As you walk around, ask your child what shapes and colors they can see in the objects around them. When it comes to learning body parts, play a game by asking, “Where is my leg? Where are your toes?” See if they can tell you what each body part does. For example, their elbows help them bend their arms.
Cutting, Drawing, And Tearing
Learning to cut with scissors is a skill preschoolers master before going to kindergarten. It teaches them independent movements of each finger. Cutting strengthens hand muscles and increases finger dexterity. Holding the paper in one and cutting with the other promotes bilateral coordination skills.
Drawing develops hand-eye coordination. As your preschooler develops, their drawings will become more refined and realistic. Not to be overlooked, tearing paper is an excellent exercise for preschoolers as it builds hand strength, fine motor control, and hand-eye coordination.
Preschool Dexterity Skills At Home
Stock up on wax crayons, safety scissors, jumbo sidewalk chalk, and paper. Give your child plenty of opportunity to express themselves, and be sure to stick their hard work up on the fridge for all to see!
Social skills that a preschooler takes to kindergarten include how to share and work in a group setting. School is a wonderful place to learn how to take turns, participate in group activities, and follow simple instructions. As part of their growing independence, they become more confident in communicating their wants and needs.
Preschoolers learn from what’s modeled to them by their families as they pick up on interactions between family members. Arranging play-dates and visiting public play areas gives them opportunities to practice their skills. It’s also good training to give them simple responsibilities at home, such as packing their toys away or making their bed each morning.
5 Simple Tips To Support A Preschool Curriculum At Home
Building on what your child is learning at school doesn’t take much extra effort or any special equipment. Here are five simple ways to add another layer to what they learn at school:
1. Ask Questions And Listen
Asking questions is one of the best ways to find out what your child is learning at school and whether they are comfortable with the subject matter. Ask them what they find hard to do or what they’ve loved the most. Showing an interest in what your child is learning often makes them more interested in their work too.
2. Find The Fun
Preschoolers are naturally curious, and their brains are like sponges that absorb knowledge and skills. Keeping learning fun creates a love for knowledge that stays with them throughout their lives. Baking together, tackling a craft, or singing silly songs creates plenty of opportunities for them to practice their new skills.
3. Step Outside
Nature provides a rich classroom for reinforcing all the concepts they are learning in preschool. When they’re learning about colors, send them on a scavenger hunt for something pink (or whatever color flowers are in your garden), something green, and something brown. Practice number skills by counting the pavers in the driveway, how many cars drive past, or how many trees they see while sitting in one spot.
4. Enjoy Books Together
Reading with your child is one of the best things you can do together. As you read, they start recognizing words and learn to pronounce letters. Once you’ve read their favorite book multiple times, let them tell you the story using the pictures as a prompt.
Apart from honing their literacy skills, reading together is a wonderful bonding time and creates a love of reading and books. If your child is reluctant to read together, let them choose the next book you buy, borrow, or read. Having the power of choice can sometimes sway them.
5. Create Brain Rest Time
Rest time is so good for your preschooler’s busy brain. It allows time for all the knowledge they’ve taken in to be processed and committed to memory. Allowing downtime has the additional benefit of teaching them how important it is to have a balance between work and rest.
Providence Preschool And Our Parents – A Perfect Team
Here at Providence Preschool, we provide a preschool curriculum built on a foundation of fun that instills a love of learning in each child. When you build on this foundation at home, your child is set for a bright future! Never underestimate the powerful, positive influence you have on your child. We love working with you to see them grow and thrive! Our doors are open; you’re welcome to discuss any concerns or ideas you have. Contact us at (954) 570-6914, and we’ll set aside a time to meet with you.