What Preschoolers Should Learn: Navigating the Wild World of Tiny Humans
Preschool is fun for kids and parents! It’s the first big step into the world of learning and growing outside the home.
We know it can be a little scary, but don’t worry – we’ve got you covered on what to expect.
In preschool your little one will learn so much more than ABCs and 123s. They’ll make friends, find new interests and gain important skills for life.
From finger painting to story time, everything is learning.
Preschoolers and children learn through play and hands-on experiences.
They’ll develop social and communication skills, like sharing and taking turns.
They’ll work on early reading and math, science and nature, and art and music.
It’s all about instilling a love of learning that will last a lifetime!
Takeaways
Preschool is social skills, early academics and creativity through play
Kids develop sharing, problem solving and self expression
Preschool prepares kids for kindergarten and beyond
What to Expect in Preschool
Preschool is a big adventure full of new things and learning. Kids will have fun, make friends and start building skills through play and activities.
Preschooling
We know sending your little one to preschool can be scary but it’s so cool! Your kiddo is about to go on a fun journey.
Preschool is an opportunity for kids to learn through play in a safe space.
They’ll get to do art, music, stories and more.
Don’t be surprised if your preschooler comes home singing new songs or showing off their art work. It’s all part of the fun!
Preschool also helps kids develop social skills.
They’ll practice sharing, taking turns and making friends. These are life skills that will serve them well.
Daily Routines and Activities
Preschool days are action packed!
A day might start with circle time where kids gather to sing songs or hear stories. Then they’ll move on to activity stations.
Kids might play dress up in the dramatic play area, build with blocks or create at the art table.
Outdoor play is part of the physical activities throughout the day too. Running, climbing and playing games help develop those physical skills.
Snack and rest time are also part of the day.
Preschool teachers work hard to create a balanced day that’s fun and educational.
Social Skills
Preschool is a great time for kids to learn how to make friends and play with others. We’ll look at some of the ways preschoolers develop social skills that will serve them for life.
Making Friends and Playing Nice
Getting along with others is a big part of typical preschool curriculum.
Kids learn to introduce themselves and join in group activities. They practice taking turns and following rules during games.
We love seeing little ones use their words to express feelings.
“I don’t like that” or “Can I play too?” are huge steps! Role playing different social situations can help kids practice.
Preschool teachers often set up activities that encourage teamwork.
Building block towers together or putting on a puppet show teaches cooperation. These group activities let kids practice working together.
Sharing and Cooperating
Sharing toys and supplies is a big ask for many preschoolers. But it’s an important skill to learn!
Teachers use games and activities to encourage children make sharing fun.
We love seeing kids learn to compromise.
“You can have the red crayon for 5 minutes then it’s my turn!” Solving conflicts peacefully is part of social-emotional development.
Preschool offers many opportunities to practice cooperation.
From cleaning up toys together to passing out snacks, kids learn to work as a team.
These early lessons in encouraging children, in sharing and helping others will serve them well for future friendships.
Cognitive Development and Thinking Skills
Preschool is when little brains start to really fire up! Kids learn to think in new ways and solve problems like mini geniuses. Let’s look at how their minds grow during these fun years.
Problem Solving Strategies
We love seeing other children and preschoolers figure things out!
They start using trial and error to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles. It’s like they’re tiny scientists testing the world around them.
Kids this age start to plan and execute strategies to achieve their goals.
They might try different ways of stacking blocks to build a taller tower or different ways of zipping up their jacket.
Preschoolers also start to use symbols in their thinking.
They can use objects to represent other things during pretend play. A cardboard box is a spaceship and a stick is a magic wand!
Logical Thinking and Problem Solving
Our little ones are thinking big!
They start to understand cause and effect. If they push a toy car it will roll across the floor. If they water a plant it will grow.
Preschoolers start to get more detail about basic concepts like shapes, colors and numbers.
They can sort objects by different attributes and understand simple patterns.
We see them using logic to solve everyday situations.
They might figure out they need to put on socks before shoes or that it’s time for lunch when their tummy rumbles.
Their memory improves too!
Preschoolers can remember and follow 2-3 step instructions. They also love to retell stories and events from their day.
Language and Literacy Foundations
Let’s get into the world of language and other literacy skills for preschoolers! We’re about to look at how little ones become chatterboxes and start their reading journey.
Chit Chat to Chatterboxes: Language Development
Preschoolers are like little sponges when it comes to language!
They’re learning new words faster than we can keep up. It’s amazing to see them go from single sentences to telling whole stories.
We love seeing kids use their words to make friends and share their big ideas.
They’re learning to take turns in conversations and use their voice to solve problems.
Preschool teachers are experts at both education and language development.
They use fun games, songs and even playtime to teach new words and how to use them.
Show and tell
Puppet play
Storytime discussions
These activities aren’t just fun – they’re foundation building for future learning!
Rhymes and Rhythms: The Fun of Early Literacy
Get ready for silly sounds and giggles! Early literacy is all about playing with language and preschoolers are loving it.
We love nursery rhymes and songs.
They’re not just fun – they’re teaching kids about sounds and how they fit together.
This is called phonological awareness and it’s super important for reading later on.
Check out these pre-reading skills preschoolers are learning:
Recognising letters
Understanding that print has meaning
Holding books the right way
Pretending to read
And don’t forget about writing!
Scribbles might look like a mess to us but they’re the first steps to becoming authors.
Finger painting, playdough and drawing all help build those little hand muscles for writing.
Numbers and Math Skills
Math in the preschool classroom is so much fun! Kids learn about numbers, shapes and patterns through play and everyday activities. Let’s get into the math skills your little one will learn.
Counting, Sorting and Patterns
Counting is big in the preschool curriculum. Your child will count objects and learn to match numbers to quantities. They’ll count to 10 and maybe even 20!
It’s like a mini game of “which one doesn’t belong?”
Patterns are everywhere! Your own child’s teacher will find them in nature, music and even in their snacks.
They might make necklaces with colourful beads or line up blocks in repeating patterns.
Shapes, Measures and More: Space and Quantity
Shapes are the foundation of math. Your preschooler will learn to recognise circles, squares, triangles and more.
They’ll find these shapes in the world around them and maybe even create art with them.
Measuring is all about comparing. How tall is this tower? Which cup has more juice?
These fun activities help kids understand size and quantity.
Space skills are important too. Your child will learn words like “under”, “over” and “next to”.
They’ll work out how objects fit together like when building with blocks or doing puzzles.
We love how math concepts come up in everyday activities.
Sharing snacks, building towers and even setting the table all involve math and language skills too.
How much learning happens through play!
Science and the World Around
Preschool is all about igniting curiosity and wonder in our little ones. We’ll get into fun experiments and nature activities that will have your child excited to learn about the world around them.
Little Scientists: Experiments and Discovery
Get ready for some messy fun! Preschoolers love to explore and ask “why?” about everything.
We encourage this natural curiosity through simple science experiments.
Mixing colors, making slime or watching plants grow are all fun ways to learn.
We might make a mini-volcano with baking soda and vinegar or explore magnets to see what sticks.
These hands-on activities help kids understand cause and effect. They’ll also make children learn to make predictions and observations – just like real scientists!
Don’t worry if things get a bit messy. That’s all part of the learning process.
We’ll guide our little explorers as they discover the magic of science.
Nature and Environment: A Preschooler’s Playground
Nature is the ultimate classroom for preschoolers. We love taking our curious children outside to explore the world right in our own backyard.
From collecting leaves to watching bugs, there’s so much to see and learn.
We might go on nature walks to observe the changes of the seasons or create a small garden to learn about plant growth.
These activities help children develop an appreciation for the environment and their place in it.
Bringing nature indoors is fun too! We could set up a science centre with rocks, shells or leaves for kids to explore.
Simple tools like magnifying glasses make this even more exciting.
Remember, it’s all about nurturing that natural curiosity and love for learning!
Creative Arts and Expression
Preschool is where kids start to show off their creativity! The arts help little ones express themselves and learn new skills. Let’s get into the fun and messy world of preschool art and music.
Crafts, Colours and Creativity
Get ready for paint covered fingers and glue stick masterpieces! Preschoolers love to explore their artistic side.
They’ll draw, paint and sculpt with play dough.
We love watching kids develop their fine motor skills as they learn to hold crayons and cut with safety scissors.
Your fridge might become a revolving art gallery!
Preschool art time isn’t just about making pretty pictures. It’s an opportunity for kids to express their feelings and ideas.
They might paint a purple cat or draw a family of stick figures with really long arms.
Music and Movement: Get Groovy and Grow
Time to get those wiggles out! Preschool music activities are fun for little ones.
They’ll sing songs, play instruments and dance.
We love how music helps with language development.
Kids learn new words through songs and rhymes. And dancing and moving to the beat is great for gross motor skills.
Don’t be surprised if your child comes home singing new songs or asking to have dance parties in the living room.
Join in the noise and have fun! Music time in many preschools is all about fun and self expression.
Physical Development and Motor Skills
Preschool is a great time for kids to grow and develop physically. They’ll be working on big movements and small hand skills.
Hop, Skip and a Jump: Gross Motor Mastery
We love watching preschoolers zoom around the playground! This is when kids really start to get the big body movements.
They’ll be running, jumping and climbing with more confidence. Many can hop on one foot and catch a big ball.
Tricycle riding is a big milestone too.
Don’t worry if your child isn’t quite there yet – every child develops at their own pace.
Just give them lots of opportunities to move their bodies.
Outdoor play is the key to building these skills. We recommend at least an hour of active play a day.
It doesn’t have to be all at once – even short bursts help!
Pencils, Paints and Puzzles: Fine Motor Fun
Now for the small stuff! Preschoolers are working on hand control.
They’re learning to use scissors, hold pencils and manipulate small objects.
Drawing and early writing attempts are big at this age. Don’t expect perfection – squiggles and scribbles are totally normal!
Just have fun while building hand strength and control.
Puzzles, playdough and building blocks are great for fine motor practice.
Even everyday tasks like getting dressed or using utensils help. We love to sneak in skill-building through play!
Emotional Intelligence and Self-Regulation
Preschool is a time for our little ones to learn about feelings and how to manage them. We’ll explore how kids can make friends and solve problems while growing their emotional intelligence.
Feelings and Friendships: Emotional Learning
Let’s talk about the feeling’s! Preschool is where our kiddos start to do social emotional learning to identify and understand feelings – their own and others’.
Teachers help by:
Labelling emotions (happy, sad, mad)
Reading stories about feelings
Using puppets for role-play
Kids learn to:
Use their words instead of tantrums (most of the time!)
Share toys (it’s hard, but they try)
Take turns (patience is a superpower)
We love watching our little ones become good friends.
They might offer a hug to a sad classmate or share a toy with someone who’s feeling left out. These are big emotional milestones!
Patience, Persistence and Problem-Solving
Preschool is where the magic happens for those super important life skills.
Our kids learn to wait their turn (hello, patience!) and keep going even when things get tricky.
Teachers use cool tricks like:
Counting or singing while waiting
Breaking tasks into smaller steps
Praising effort, not just results
When conflicts arise (and they will!) teachers guide kids to:
Use their words
Listen to each other
Come up with solutions together
We love our little problem-solvers.
They might offer to take turns with a favorite toy or find a way to include everyone in a game.
These are skills for life!
Kindergarten Bound
We’re about to start our preschool to kindergarten journey! Let’s look at the skills your little one should have and how to make this big transition to preschool education a breeze.
Pre-K Checklist
Is your kiddo ready for the big time? Here’s what they should be doing before kindergarten:
Listening skills – Following instructions and understanding what’s being taught is key.
Social skills – Sharing toys and being kind to others is a must!
Basic counting – 1, 2, 3… you get the idea!
Recognising shapes and colours – Circles, squares, red, blue… oh my!
Fine motor skills – Holding a pencil and using scissors like a boss.
The Transition: Preschool to Big Kid School
Moving from preschool to kindergarten is a big deal but we’ve got you covered!
Here’s what you need to know:
Go to the new school together. It’s like a preview of the fun!
Read books about starting kindergarten. Story time is always a good idea!
Practice daily routines. Getting dressed, packing bags – let’s make it a challenge!
Talk about feelings. It’s okay to be scared and excited.
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