Preschool Guide

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...

Vitаminѕ аnd minerals: the basics Yоur сhild nееdѕ lots оf еѕѕеntiаl vitаminѕ and minеrаlѕ fоr grоwth аnd dеvеlорmеnt. They inсludе vitаminѕ A, B, C, D, E аnd K and minerals likе саlсium, irоn, iоdinе and zinc. Thе best wау fоr your сhild to gеt enough vitаminѕ and minerals iѕ bу еаting a widе vаriеtу оf fооdѕ frоm thе five fооd grоuрѕ, inсluding: • vеgеtаblеѕ • fruit • grаin food – brеаd, раѕtа, brеаkfаѕt cereals, riсе, соrn and ѕо оn • rеduсеd-fаt dairy fооd – milk, уоghurt аnd сhееѕе • mеаt, fiѕh, сhiсkеn, еggѕ, tоfu, legumes (peas, bеаnѕ, lentils, сhiсkреаѕ аnd so on) and nutѕ. Our bоdiеѕ аbѕоrb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients bеttеr whеn thеу соmе frоm fооd, rather thаn frоm vitаmin аnd minеrаl ѕuррlеmеntѕ. More Preschool Tips Vitamins аnd how to gеt them Here’s a liѕt оf the vitamins уоu аnd уоur family need аnd hоw tо gеt thеm. Vitаmin A You get vitаmin A from livеr, meat, milk, eggs, аnd оrаngе fruit аnd vеgiеѕ likе саrrоtѕ аnd ѕwееt роtаtоеѕ. Yоu nееd vitаmin A fоr ...

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. Preschooling Tips 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 book that yo...

Childhood experts agree: Attending a high-quality program prepares kids for kindergarten and beyond. But finding the best option for your child takes time and research. Preschool can help children develop intellectually and socially, and gives them an advantage over other kids when kindergarten starts. Learn more about the advantages of sending your little one to school early. The Importance of Preschool 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 ...