#preschool

At some point in parenting, the question of schooling will come up, and you’ll need to decide what your child’s education path will be. Our child’s learning starts in the womb, and they never stop learning. However, when it comes time to take the steps to better education, you may be left wondering what the best way is. Are you a parent with a child starting preschool soon? Then you’ve come to the right place. I will provide you with some useful tips and tricks when starting preschool.

Maybe you’re worried you will not be able to provide what your child needs to be successful in their education. What program should you use? What skills should your child be learning? How can you ensure they are getting what they need? To be sure, I understand entirely that you are a busy parent, and in this crazy, busy world we live in, you likely are working a full-time job and juggling a million things at a time just to keep your head above water. You may be wondering, “Is starting preschool at home even a good idea?”

There is no judgment here if you are sending your child to a preschool facility, or are contemplating it. Trust me, I get it! It’s overwhelming, and sometimes we just need to pick our battles.

Not everyone can homeschool. And Not everyone has the desire to homeschool. Not everyone has the circumstances to homeschool. That’s ok. The fact that you are reading this post tells me you’re at least interested in the idea of starting preschool at home. If you are thinking about taking on this task at home there are many questions. What will you need to know? How can you make sure you’re on the right track?

What Is Required When Starting Preschool?

I should say what is not required. Preschool is not required in the United States. Even Kindergarten is only required in 19 states plus Washington D.C. If your child meets the standards to be able to start in first grade, they can! Now, I am an advocate that your child’s education should start with at least Kindergarten. However, I was surprised to learn that Kindergarten isn’t required.

What Is Included In Starting a Preschool Education?

Have you ever seen your child really studying a leaf, an interesting bug, or feeling the textures of a stick or other objects? These are very simple things to us, but they are so powerful to our children! They learn through play. Curiosity is what builds their minds. Asking questions, singing songs, skipping, running, and climbing, just to name a few, are all things included in preschool education!

Let’s be real though…Great scholars do not become great only by running and skipping, but this is where they start! Great foundations start with you, the parent or otherwise guardian of the amazing child you take care of.

I know that preschool learning at home is nothing new to you. However, you may be wondering if you can do it with your crazy schedule! As stated above, children really learn through play, so try to integrate this every day! Here are some ideas for you to try today!

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Starting Preschool At Home: Tips and Tricks

Sorting:

• Grab some Matchbox cars or other colored toys, and various colors of construction paper, and have your child sort the colors of toys to the colors of paper!
• Sort shapes using Tangram pieces. We use these and have enjoyed them beyond the preschool level!
• Have magnet letters? Sort them by letter or color.
• Grab these “counting bears” and sort them in a muffin tin or cups. These bears have been great beyond preschool!

Play Games:

• Playing Candy Land and Sorry are games that were great for our boys to learn to count, as well as helpful with color recognition.
• Play Go Fish with regular playing cards with numbers. It’s a great way to learn and match numbers and letters.
• Play Memory. My 5 year old beats me at Memory every time! Play with cards that have numbers, letters, shapes animals, or colors on them.

Get in the Kitchen:

I know this one is a bit difficult for some of us, myself included. I do not like messes in my kitchen, and I find it hard sometimes to allow my kids to help. My boys love to crack eggs, and just this morning we had a whole egg all over the kitchen table. But you know what? That is all part of learning. Will he get it right every single time? No. But that is ok because that is what it’s all about…practice is learning.

Allow your toddler to count the eggs before you crack them. Count the yolks after you crack them. (Hey, sometimes you may just get a surprise if you find a double yolk.) If your toddler knows their numbers, point out the number of specific ingredients and ask them to tell you the number.

Let them get messy. I know, I know. Trust me. This one is great fun for kids and allows them to feel different textures of foods. My son enjoyed sticking his hands into the flour and feeling the softness on his hands…just put out an extra bowlful and let them at it.

Allow them to stir the ingredients together, feeling how the mixture changes and becomes easier or harder to mix. (It’ll give your tired arms a break, too…bonus!) You may find that your child develops a love for cooking and baking, as I have. My 8-year-old loves to experiment in the kitchen with little projects. I have found that I need to stop telling him, “No, don’t add that in there…” because it turns out better than I expected, and tastes great. (Except for the time he added waaaay too much salt to our eggs and I just couldn’t do it.)

Take a Hike:

Get outside and take a nature walk. Become nature spies. Count the number of birds you see. How many purple flowers can you spot? How many green trees can you find in the winter, when most trees are “asleep”? Make up your own silly games, and just have fun! Stop and listen to the birds chirping. What could they be “talking” about? How does one bird sound different from another bird? Stop and feel the bark on the trees, or pick flowers and compare the smells. I am sure you get the picture. You and your children will be making precious memories that they will remember for years to come!

Read, Read, Read!

Do not underestimate reading to your child starting at a young age. Reading stirs a child’s imagination, helps them build problem-solving skills, promotes deeper thinking, and can help them become more empathetic.

Make up silly voices for the characters in the story. Ask questions about the story. Look at the front cover, and ask your child what they think will happen in the story based on the pictures. Before you reach the climax of the story, ask them what they think will happen next. Whenever you reach the end, you can discuss whether their predictions were right.

Talk about the lessons in the story or morals you can pull from them to teach. “How would you feel if you were this character…” Ask them how the character feels in the story, and mimic those feelings through facial expressions. Why not play out funny parts of their favorite books? It’s fun to see what they come up with! The options are endless. Get in there and use your imagination!

Can You Do It?

The answer is YES! As we discussed earlier, everyday activities are learning opportunities. Get out the cards and board games, and crafting supplies, or just let them help you make dinner. As long as you’re having fun, that is the most important thing! You got this!

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