How To Make Preschool Learning At Home Work For You

How To Create Preschool At Home

planning preschool learning in a book

You picked up the construction paper, the workbook, and a fresh box of crayons over the weekend; you are ready to start at on page 1 of Preschool learning at 8am Monday with the plan you devised. 

Is your preschooler on the same page as you?

I swear there is a switch that flips as a parent where you start stressing out about your kid not being able to write their name or count to 10. Take a breath. If your preschooler is more interested in digging holes in your backyard or dancing, don’t fret. Your child will learn basic skills. They will start being interested in learning.

First Things First: Create a Small Routine

Build a routine with your preschooler. This can be as simple as when we wake up in the morning the first thing that you do is brush your teeth. Make this routine work for you and your schedule. So if afternoons are when your child has a chunk of time that you want to start doing home preschool in- first establish get a snack and then read a book. When your child is able to complete that two step process for about a week- then incorporate a list.

A morning list or afternoon list should include images that show your child what they should do. It can also include a place for them to check off the completed steps. Add your child into the decision making when you create the list so their voice is being heard as well. A list can include morning tasks like making beds, brushing teeth, feeding pets, etc. It can also include afternoon tasks like clean up your room, eat a snack, play outside, etc.

Then, Incorporate Play-Based Learning

Remember to go with your child’s interest when planning preschool activities. So, if your child is all about dancing- maybe you are counting how many times they can twirl in a row to introduce counting. If your child loves drawing and crafting, ask them to tell you about their picture and add labels to their work (if they are okay with it). Maybe your child is deeply interested in being a dinosaur; stomp over to the library and find books about dinosaurs to read together. Provide your child opportunities to play with “open-ended” toys like blocks, tiles, play dough, and pretend play. These items allow your child to do endless activities and are easy to integrate learning concepts into.

children playing with clay
  • Create and name shapes out of play dough
  •  Be a chef in your play dough kitchen and make a menu
  •  Build towers, buildings, vehicles out of tiles and blocks
  •  Build a stage out of blocks and put on a puppet show
  •  Pretend to be a favorite animal or character from a book
  •  Pretend to be a community helper like a firefighter or nurse

HOW Long should Preschool Learning Be?

Research supports learning activities the length of time of how old the child is. Yes. If your child is 3, a specific learning activity should be about 3 minutes. The range goes all the way up to 12 minutes.

Create a FLEXIBLE Routine for Preschool Learning

Meet your child where they are at in interest and energy levels. Many parents find getting outside or undirected play for a big chunk of the morning is better, putting aside time to cover a few structured learning activities afterwards.

Preschool Learning: Get Outside

If possible, get outside as much as possible. Being outside allows your child to interact and learn about the world. Try going on a weekly nature walk on a nearby forest trail or botanical garden. Add outdoor scavenger hunts for different colors or shapes around your neighborhood. (I can not explain how long my child pointed out houses with chimneys because of this!) If you have space, try gardening together in your yard or pots. These preschool activities will foster curiosity and observation that will bloom into a greater connection to the natural world.

Learn Together

Remember that you don’t have to have everything figured and penciled out to support your child’s learning. (Or really in parenting.)You will know if your child is interested or not. Furthermore, you will know if your child is better able to focus on a short preschool activity right after breakfast or before a mid day snack. (I swear everything revolves around food at 3.) If something is not working, don’t push it- return to it later. Most importantly, enjoy seeing the amazement at the world around you again as you see through your child’s eyes.

Want to save yourself time and make sure your child is ready for Kindergarten?
Check out these lessons.

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