A delightful preschool experience
Children’s names are usually the first written words that they learn. From a very early age, they may be able to recognize their first letter and will often announce, “Look! There’s my E!” We can support children’s literacy development by using their interest in this most important word as a springboard for other letter learning. Most…
Preschoolers love reading fairy tales! There’s something so exciting to a 4-year-old about having a “bad guy” in the story and they just can’t seem to get enough of it. We love to do an entire fairy tale unit where we study 1 fairy tale each week. I introduce it during circle time, and then…
Children who begin kindergarten with a solid foundation and knowledge base will have a much easier time adjusting. They don’t have to know everything, but knowing these 10 Important Things will help them make an easy transition. Starting kindergarten is such an exciting and important time! Parents naturally want their children to have a terrific first…
Beginning color theory is all about mixing colors to obtain new shades. As children are naturally attracted to bright colors, the light table is an exciting tool to help them understand color theory! It’s a bright and beautiful world, and children love bold colors. Recognizing the colors and identifying the color names is an important…
The dramatic play center is the perfect place for young children to “play to learn”. Our basic home living center is a kitchen, with play food, dishes, babies, dress-up clothes, and a phone. For a week or two each month we transform it into something extra special. This Sandwich Shop is a great one to…
These easy Foam Math Cards “hit the spot” when you want to add something new to your Math center! This activity invites students to take some time for independent, hands-on practice on one-to-one correspondence and other counting skills. It’s as Easy as 1, 2, 3! The Foam Math Cards are a snap to put together with…
Our preschoolers need lots of opportunities to practice writing in ways that are developmentally appropriate. Sometimes we practice writing the letters of the alphabet in salt trays and, of course, we always practice writing our names. Another way that our students like to practice is with dry erase markers. We made these Alphabet Practice pages to…
Behavior can be tricky in a preschool setting. When children come to preschool, they are learning more than just letters and numbers. They’re setting the foundation for behavioral skills that are important for success in a classroom setting. They are just starting to learn how to stand in line, share a popular toy, and in…
Classic fairy tales are an essential part of early childhood education. Children can learn so much from them, but imagine how much more they learn when they are exposed to different variations of the story. Why teach variations? It reinforces the original story Encourages creativity Teaches compare and contrast Encourages attention to detail Exposes children…
Dear Preschool Teacher, I am so excited for my first day of preschool! I can’t wait to make friends, to play with toys, and learn new things – I feel like a big kid now. But I’m also really scared. Because, well, I’m different. And I’m scared you won’t understand me. I have Sensory Processing…