Preschool Guide

Researches in child development have shown that play activities enhance every aspect of a child’s mental and physical growth. The play impulse has two essential characteristics: 1.The tendency to be experimental 2. Tthe tendency to be active. As Preschool and Parental Education  states, play "sends a child first to testing out his powers, and then to attacking experimentally his entire environment." A child can acquire vital problem-solving skills through proper playtime activities. Important social skills can also be developed in children while they play with their favorite toys. At pre-school age, children prefer concentrating on a particular activity for a longer span of time. Thus preschool toys are aimed at kids between the ages of three and five. Child development toys are wonderful means of attracting children to the world of learning. Toys designed especially for preschool toddlers focus on memory skills, patterns and matching activities. Creative skills and artistic...

When you think of preschool, what do you envision? Are you afraid that your child is still too small to be placed in a structured environment? Does it scare you how they might cope with the separation? Well, don’t be. Preschool can only help your child. Children gain a lot from going to preschool because they become exposed to numbers, letters, and shapes there. But, more importantly, they develop social and emotional skills and learn how to get along with other children, to share and to contribute. Findings show that children who attend high-quality preschool enter schools with better pre-reading skills, richer vocabularies, and stronger basic math skills than those who do not.  So why not insist on preschool education when it can only help; when preschool is good for your child? Know this: the 3-6-year olds are like little sponges at that age. They can take in so much; even more than you think. You as a parent should make use of this time to equip your little ones with the skill...

1. What's the difference between childcare and preschool? Childcare centers are generally an option for working parents who need their children to be taken care of during the day; centers accept babies as well as toddlers and are full-time, full-year programs. Preschool refers to an early-childhood educational class for 3- and 4-year-olds. Many offer a part-time schedule (for example, a few hours a day, two to five times a week) as well as full-day care, but only from September to May. Yet the terms are often used interchangeably. A childcare center with experienced, well-trained teachers and stimulating activities offers kids similar advantages to a preschool. "In fact, many preschools are part of childcare programs," says Linda Smith, executive director of the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies. (To learn more about high-quality childcare -- as well as preschool programs -- log on to naccrra.org and download a free copy of Is This the R...

All parents want their children to have a strong start in life, and preschool provides a solid foundation for a successful future in school. If you worry that your child might not be ready for preschool, rest assured that there are a number of ways to help your little one prepare for this important transition before she starts preschool. Encourage Independence Children learn from their successes as well as their missteps, so don't rush to rescue your child in every challenging situation. "Socially adept children learn from parents who have confidence in their child's ability to soothe themselves in a difficult situation and make appropriate choices when allowed to or, at the very least, [to] learn and grow from their mistakes," says Grace Geller, the preschool director of A Children's Carousel in Weston, Florida. Geller recommends encouraging your child to become independent with basic self-care skills, such as hand washing, nose wiping, opening lunch containers,...

The Basics In preschool, children learn about the world through play. Subject areas aren’t separate in their minds or in the classroom. The objects preschoolers find on a nature walk, like feathers, rocks and leaves, might help them figure out math concepts like “big, bigger, and biggest” or motivate them to visit the book corner to find out more about birds. Teachers may introduce children to basic concepts such as shapes, letters, and colors, but preschool is about learning much more than what a circle looks like. It’s where children first develop a relationship with learning. Language & Literacy Children spend most of the preschool day working together with classmates. Each conversation, whether talking about the class pet or deciding which color block to put on top of their tower, helps children develop their thoughts and language. Preschool teachers read aloud simple stories like “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault and “The Very Hungry Caterpill...

Preschool offers many benefits. It can be a great place for kids to interact with peers and learn valuable life lessons such as how to share, take turns, and follow rules. It also can prepare them academically for kindergarten and beyond. But going to preschool does come with some emotions, for both the parent and the child. For a child, entering a new preschool environment filled with unfamiliar teachers and kids can cause both anxiety and excitement. Parents might have mixed emotions about whether their child is ready for preschool. Getting comfortable with your decision and the preschool setting can help you and your child feel ready. Easing Your Child's Fears Spend time talking with your child about preschool before it starts. In the months and weeks before school, gradually introduce your child to activities that often take place in a classroom. A child who's used to scribbling with paper and crayons at home, for example, will find it comforting to discover the crayons an...

Sometimes, it may seem like your preschooler has the innate ability to push you to the outer edge of your patience. And that's on a good day. Fear not, moms and dads. You're not alone. Preschoolers want to own their newfound independence. But they also want the close attention and love of their caregivers. Here are eight common mistakes parents of preschoolers make and some smart fixes to help avoid or resolve problems. 1. Straying Too Much From Routines Consistency is key for preschoolers, says pediatrician Tanya Remer Altmann, author of Mommy Calls: Dr. Tanya Answers Parents' Top 101 Questions about Babies and Toddlers. When you're not being consistent with your routine, preschoolers get confused and may act out more or throw more temper tantrums. Altmann says, "If sometimes you let them do something and sometimes you don't, they don't understand." Your child probably wants to know why last time Mommy let her play on the playground for 10 minutes wh...

Starting preschool: what to expect Your child is probably feeling excited as well as a bit nervous about starting preschool. She might have already been to child care or playgroup and feels comfortable about joining a new group. Or preschool might be your child’s first experience of being away from family. You might be feeling a mixture of pride, excitement, loss and anxiety as your child becomes more independent, particularly if you’re doing this for the first or last time. multiplication learning toys Before your child starts preschool You can start getting your child ready for preschool in the months and weeks before the first day. Here are some tips. Many preschools offer orientation visits. During these visits, your child can see and experience what he’ll do at preschool, who he’ll meet, and what happens during the preschool day. With permission, you could take some photos of the preschool to show your child before he starts. Some preschools have a preparation or orientation ...

Pre-kindergarten classrooms are bright, welcoming, warm, and never dull! Whether you’re welcoming your first batch of 4-year-olds or are a seasoned veteran, here are 50 ideas, tricks, and tips for pre-K teachers from the WeAreTeachers Helpline and around the web to make your classroom shine. 1. Choose an appealing theme. We love this “Super”-themed classroom from one of our Facebook community members. 2. Stay crystal-clear with parent communication. This is most likely a parent’s first experience with school, so be clear with your expectations. Include information about the “schedule of the day, snacks, discipline, how to get in touch, and what to do if they get scared, have a tantrum, or are hurt” in your newsletter. 3. Use mascots. Give your classroom some additional energy with creative mascots at each center. “I teach pre-K and my classroom theme is superheroes. Each center has a ‘mascot’ and the Hulk and She-Hulk are the mascots for the dramatic play center because they change an...

Your child's first years of school are filled with many wondrous moments. It's a time of tremendous social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development, and it can come and go before you know it. The skills learned at this stage -- knowing what sounds the letter A makes or adding 2 + 2 -- may seem simple but they will set your child up for a lifetime of learning. Pre-K may look like all fun and games (music, storytime, dancing, art) but there's an intense amount of brainwork going on. Young children learn through play and creative activity, so your preschooler's building blocks and train tracks aren't just entertaining; they're teaching problem solving and physics. Preschool is also a time for developing good learning habits and positive self-esteem. "If they feel good about themselves and know how to feel proud even if they make a mistake, everything else will fall into place," says Josie Meade, a teacher at the Creative Kids preschool in Manha...

You wrestle for ten minutes with your 3-year-old to get his jacket on, yet his preschool teacher has ten kids (including yours) dressed for the playground in less than three. What's her secret? Partly, of course, the advantage of not being a parent—kids really are more inclined to behave for outsiders. But it's not only that. Teachers develop all sorts of tricks to help young kids learn, keep the classroom more efficient, and make their job more enjoyable. This is hardly surprising. Preschool teachers have year after year of experience with this challenging age group. Fortunately, they're more than willing to share the keys to their success with eager (and sometimes frustrated) parents: Secret #1: Preschoolers don't have to dawdle . Why does your child seem to thwart your attempts to get you both out the door each morning but promptly turns on her heels when her teacher announces it's time to head back in from the playground? The explanation is simple enough, says ...

Preschoolers learn “pre-skills,” which lay the groundwork for the future. Through their playing, singing and learning, preschoolers gain skills that ultimately help them learn to read, write, build their math and science skills, and become successful students. Preschoolers also learn “school readiness” skills, which help them understand the routines of school, how to work in groups, and how to be students. Preschool classrooms are often organized by centers or areas that are divided by different subjects and types of play. For example, a typical preschool classroom may have the following centers: reading, arts and crafts, water/sand table, building and math toys, and an area for pretend play. The school day is structured with both time for free play, during which children can choose which centers to play in, as well as structured scheduled devoted to each subject. Though it may seem like it, preschool is not all fun and games. In fact, preschoolers learn through the fun and games! Res...