Preschool activities,themes,curriculum,games

Does Your Child Need To Go To Preschool?

2009-02-12T21:54:00.000-08:00

Does Your Child Need To Go To Preschool?

There is a simple answer to this complex question. No.

Children don't need preschool to gain admission to kindergarten or to succeed in life. In fact, the wrong preschool experience could potentially set a child back by creating a negative perception of school, learning, and socializing. However the right preschool experience can give a child a head start academically and socially over peers without preschool.

In order to make the right choice for your child you need to look at what a preschool program should do for children. Ideally, preschool should help integrate children socially so they learn about the rules and structures of society in general and school society in particular. In addition, preschool helps students begin a foundation of academic knowledge including literacy, numbers, and culture.

The actual content, focus, and structure of preschool programs varies widely from community to community (and often even within communities) but most programs achieve these two primary goals for students. However a parent can easily accomplish similar goals without the confines of a specific preschool program.

Obviously many families need to arrange some type of day care for the preschool age children and if this is the case then it often makes sense to combine day care and preschool. Children who regularly attend day care programs with other children are less likely to need the social aspects of a preschool education. They likely learned how to play with others, the rules of sharing, and how to follow instructions and other key social lessons. Similarly children who belong to a large family or live in a neighborhood where a group of children regularly interact need less social education than children who do not regularly interact with their peers. Parents can replicate these social situations by seeking out play groups and community activities.

It is fairly easy to create a home preschool program for children. There are packaged curriculums available for purchase, materials available from local libraries, and information available on the internet. You can choose a program created entirely by someone else or create your own individual program to suit you and your child. Some television programs even offer additional material on the internet to supplement programming that would be suitable for a homeschooling project.

A motivated parent can certainly create a quality preschool program for their child that exceeds the results of any professional program. It is simply important to keep in mind your primary goals. What do you want your child to learn? What skills do you want your child to master? Do you simply want to prepare your child for kindergarten or do you have more advanced goals in mind?

The right preschool program can definitely give children a head start on long-term educational success, but not all programs are created equal and sometimes even a wonderful preschool program isn't right for certain children. Some children may benefit more from spending another year or two in a more nurturing atmosphere, such as home or a small day care. When making the preschool decision it is important to consider the individual child as well as the individual programs available. It is not a one-size-fits-all decision.

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Preschool Activities - Sensory Bottles

2009-02-12T21:53:00.000-08:00

Preschool Activities - Sensory Bottles

exploring visual and auditory senses. They used different materials in small plastic water bottles that children can shake, tip, roll, and watch. Use the smooth plastic water bottles- without the ridges- that are around 1/2 liter (the mouth of the bottle has to be big enough to get the items in). Here are some for you to try:

1. The Wave Pool- Fill half the bottle with water and put a few drops of blue food coloring. Fill one quarter of the bottle with baby oil. Drop in a few small plastic ocean animals and seal the lid with packaging tape. Let them shake up the bottle and see the oil and water mix and then separate.

2. The Sand Box- Fill a bottle half way with clean play sand. Drop in a few desert animals and seal with packaging tape.

3. Buttons, Buttons, Buttons- Drop in a bunch of old buttons that are different sizes and colors. Seal the bottle with packaging tape. Let them shake it and hear the noise and see the colors all move around.

4. Gooey Stars- Using a bottle of inexpensive dish soap that is a color. Add in star foil confetti. Seal with packaging tape. Tip this one up and down and watch the stars move slowly through the soap.

5. The Fire Bottle: Using gold metallic temper paint (it only works with metallic paints), fill the bottle about half way. Then add water to another quarter of the bottle. Shake and seal with packaging tape.

There are a lot of options for these sensory activities for preschoolers. You are only limited by your creativity. These bottles work at home or in the classroom. Make sure they are properly sealed so no materials escape. You can also ask your preschooler for more ideas.

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Preparing the Essentials For a Preschool Homeschool

2009-02-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

Preparing the Essentials For a Preschool Homeschool

So, you've decided your going to home school right from the beginning! But, what do you need? Where do you start? Well, to be honest, every homeschooler will say something a bit different when answering these questions. But, at the same time, there are some common ideas that many families agree were essential homeschooling supplies when they were at the preschool homeschool stage.

Books, Books, And More Books

Easy access to books helps develop a love of reading and is truly an essential of any preschool homeschool. If you haven't already, start creating your own home library and keep all the books within easy reach of your child.

If you need some ideas, take a look around online. There is a wide range of possibilities for excellent books for a preschool homeschool. Look for some reviews from other homeschoolers, and select what you think you and your child would enjoy.

Get Yourself (And Your Child) A Library Card

Along these same lines, make sure you patronize your local library frequently! Get to know the librarian's name(s), and come regularly. Help your child select books, and check out some for yourself too, involving your child in the process whenever possible. It's never too early for a homeschooler to learn how to use the library system!

Libraries also sometimes offer special events (that are usually free!) in addition to regular programs for young children like story hour. It's a great way learn about new things, and sometimes, you might even get to meet new friends there too!

Make Learning The Basics Fun With Board Games

Young children can learn a lot through games. Some board games are obviously educational, but others are just plain fun; and even they can teach preschoolers a lot. In addition to the subject matter of the game, a child can learn things like how to take turns, basic counting, following the game rules, and depending on the game, number recognition and a bit of reading. Not bad for a "game!" You can find some really unique games in homeschooling supply catalogues and online, but regular "old" games like Connect Four, Candy Land, and Checkers are perfect too.

Manipulatives For Math And More

Manipulatives are most often associated with teaching math, but are really any model, block, tile, etc. that can assist a student in working out a problem regardless of the subject. In addition to the wide array of manipulatives available for exploring math, there are also science, and phonics manipulatives that can make learning new skills more "hands on" and, for certain learning styles, easier.

Manipulatives are a great resource for the introduction of these concepts in the preschool homeschool, and are available online or anywhere else where you might find homeschooling supplies.

As you continue on your homeschooling journey, you'll surely find other homeschooling supplies that you would describe as essential. Products are always changing, and of course, our children are always changing.

Each year homeschooling you will also gain a better idea of your child's learning style, and interests, as well as your own homeschooling philosophy. But, if you start off with these tried and true homeschooling supplies for the preschool homeschool, you and your child will definitely enjoy your very first year of homeschooling!

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Preschool Science Experiments

2009-02-12T21:41:00.000-08:00

Preschool Science Experiments

There is nothing more fascinating and fun than helping small children conduct preschool science experiments. Watching their delighted little faces as these experiments show them that there may be a bit of "magic," after all, is so entertaining. There are many safe and educational experiments that can be done with the preschooler. They are not overly involved or difficult either.

One such experiment involves some raisins and a glass of Seven Up or Sprite. It is aptly named The Dancing Raisins. You simply take a glass of still fizzing Seven Up or Sprite and let the children drop a few raisins in the soda. The raisins seem to take on a life of their own. They jump around on top of the soda, then seem to dive to the bottom of the glass, only to rise up again. Children love preschool science experiments such as this one.

Another experiment can be used to teach about the parts of plants. For this one, you will need a stalk of celery, 2 cups of water and some food coloring. Add the food coloring to the water. Slice the celery in half long ways and put each end into the water. Within about 10 minutes the food coloring has been absorbed into the celery, outlining the veins of the celery stalk. Children are extremely fascinated with this one.

Now, if you don't mind messy preschool science experiments, you can try this one. The children get to make their very own slime to play with. You will need to get some liquid starch and mix it with a bottle of Elmer's glue. Once it has mixed together, it starts to make a totally different substance. The children can dig their hands in and start to pull out the "globs" to play with.

An easy and fun experiment that teaches about density requires first getting a glass. Next, you will take food coloring and add it to different substances such as water, oil, and salt water. These will be added to the glass one at a time, layering as they go. The different colors help identify each substance. This is one of the more fascinating preschool science experiments, as their little eyes just get bigger and bigger while watching these substances NOT mix.

Preschool is such an easy age to teach scientific things. They are delighted and thrilled by the simplest things. Not only that, you become a magician in their eyes, so you might let them guess at what has occurred just a little bit longer before explaining it to them. Then they will get to feel special that they can make these things happen, too.

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Preschool Learning - Outdoor Activities & Field Trips For Learning

2009-02-12T21:39:00.000-08:00

Preschool Learning - Outdoor Activities & Field Trips For Learning

Preschoolers, toddlers and young children are always learning. When they observe, touch, see and smell - they are learning. It is a never ending part of their young lives. This 'learning' fact is a big reason why it is important for children to experience new things and new environments.

As parents and teachers there are a variety of places or activities that we can provide our kids for our kids to learn from.

Field trips or nature walks create wonderful outdoor activities for children and preschoolers to learn new things. Field trips and nature walks etc do not have to be a hassle but can be simple places where children can observe and learn new things.

Possible Field Trip places where you can take your children or students:

*Police station: Children can learn about the police, what their function in the community is as well as details about the work they do to enforce the law etc.

*Fire Station: Preschoolers and toddlers can learn about fire fighters, their job details. They can learn about the fire trucks, how they help pump water and how firemen keep us all safe, plus learn about fire safety etc.

*SPCA or Humane Society: Children learn about the animals in the animal shelters. They learn how important it is to respect and care for animals properly. They can also learn about duties in the animal shelter etc. As a group you maybe able to walk a few dogs or play with a few small animals.

*Seniors Home or Retirement Home: Preschoolers and young children learn to respect the elderly and infirm. They can talk and socialize with the residents and put a smile on many of the faces of those who are confined to these senior's homes. This is a positive rewarding experience for all.

* Library: Children can learn about all the books. They learn why libraries are important, what librarians do and maybe even have a few stories read to them from the children's book section.

* Greenhouse: Preschoolers can learn about what grows and can be grown in greenhouses. How greenhouses work all year long. How to care for plants, flowers, trees etc. They also can learn about different colors found and different smells.

* Zoo: Preschoolers & children learn what zoo's do, what keepers are and their job duties and how they care for the animals. Children may also learn about different animals that are native to their country and those from other countries. The may also learn about different classes of animals like birds, reptiles, mammals etc.

* Garden Park: Children may learn about landscaping, gardening, different types if plants, flowers and shrubs. They may also learn about different colors and caring for the environment etc.

* Splash Park (Water Park for kids): Great for a hot day where kids can play and have fun cooling off. Remember to ALWAYS use appropriate sun block and SUPERVISE children when in the hot sun and around water.

* Walk in the Forest (nature walk): Children learn to observe nature. What they hear, what they see, smell etc. They can collect leaves, pine cones, acorns, chest nuts, pine needles and other things which can be examined using magnifying glasses in the classrooms as a kids science activity or use these things to create an art project of some sort with the children. (*Always stay on the trail unless you are familiar with different poisonous plants like poison ivy and other things that could make things unpleasant or unsafe for you and the children.)

* Conservation Area: Children can learn about taking care of lakes, rivers, swamps, marshes etc. They also learn different tree species, different types of animals that live in the forests. They may learn about animals that come during the day and one's that come out at night. There maybe opportunities to learn about sap producing trees and maple syrup etc.

* Go to a Children's Venue (Play or author): Children can watch a child's play or see a popular children's author when they come to town to read a story or sing music.

* Safety Village: Children learn about safety. They learn why it is important to be safe and various things related to laws and obeying rules and how they will benefit from respecting these things.

* Train Station: Preschoolers love trains! They can learn about trains, they can watch them come in to the station. They may even be lucky enough to hear a whistle, talk to a train operator or have a small tour on a train.

* Airport: Children and preschoolers can see all the small airplanes (maybe bigger ones) depending what size airport. They can learn about air traffic, how planes fly and how they communicate etc. They may get to talk with a pilot or other workers and learn about their job duties.

* Grocery Store: Children can learn about different foods. They can learn about food groups, how food is shipped to stores and learn about healthy food choices etc.

* Pet store: Children and preschoolers love pets. A local pet store may welcome a small tour and show off some of their birds, cats and puppies for the children. They can learn about caring for animals and feeding them etc.

**The list of places where field trips and preschool learning can take place is endless. Use your imagination to think outside the 'box'.

These places usually have some sort of tour, can arrange a tour or would just welcome a visit from some young children or preschoolers who are eager to learn some new things!

Outdoor Activities & Seasonal Activities For Kids:

Different seasons & weather present different field trip opportunities and outdoor activities for children.

For Example:

Winter time may allow for a different type of nature walk or a trip to a conservation area to learn about maple syrup. Spring time and autumn may create different focus on outdoor activities as well.

Summer time may allow more opportunities for recreation activities like splash parks, water parks; trip's to beaches or picnics etc.

Preschoolers love these outdoor activities and field trip activities. They always are eager to learn from the things around them, learn more about the people who make up the community they live in as well as learn about animals and nature.

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Gift Ideas for Pre School Teachers

2009-02-12T21:29:00.000-08:00

Gift Ideas for Pre School Teachers

I believe it is quite common for both parents and children to feel a special bond with preschool teachers. These are the men and women who work with our children teaching them the skills that will prepare them for elementary school.

The child teacher ratio is lower in preschool than in elementary school and so one on one attention with both the child and the parent is very common.

As parents, we often want to say thank you with more than words. When the teacher has a birthday, or in December and again at the end of the school year, it’s quite common for parents to look for an appropriate gift to give to the teacher.

I have found many gifts over the years that all teachers seem to enjoy:

• A one year subscription to a magazine you know the teacher reads and enjoys.

• A gift certificate to any local restaurant for a nice meal out.

• A day where parents take over for ninety minutes, so that the teachers can have lunch together. If the teachers can not leave the building, prepare a nice lunch for them to eat outside the classroom.

• A basket filled with either coffees or teas depending on which the teacher enjoys.

• A gift certificate to the local book store. I’ve actually not met a teacher who does not enjoy reading.

• If you know the teacher enjoys going to the movies, purchase a gift card to the local movie theater.

• When my own children were in preschool, all of the parents donated funds for a piece of furniture for the classrooms. We then had each child from that school year place their handprint on the piece of furniture. Both times I was involved in this, the teachers loved it.

Preschool teachers are indeed very special people and deserve those extra special thank-yous.

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Preschool Creative Activities - Fostering the Creative Spirit

2009-02-12T21:25:00.000-08:00

Preschool Creative Activities - Fostering the Creative Spirit

Preschool is the time when children are allowed to explore their creative sides through arts, crafts, games, and creative play. As an instructor, it's crucial to incorporate a wide variety of preschool creative activities to every theme so that there's an activity for each child. Some children may choose to explore their creative side through drawing or coloring, while others prefer more hands-on activities like building, while others might express themselves best through games of pretend or other types of creative play.

Try some of these preschool creative activities that focus on the letter "T". However, they are not just limited to the alphabet theme. Many can be used when learning about animals or teddy bears, transportation, or dental hygiene.

Teddy Bear Rank and File

Children love teddy bears, which can often lead to a week-long or month-long celebration of all things teddy, such as Octobear or Novembear. Have each child bring their favorite teddy bear to live in the classroom for a month and meet other teddy bears. This is when the preschool creative activities can begin!

First, assemble all the teddy bears together. Then, have one of the children rank the bears according to a criteria such as size, weight, cutest, funniest, etc. This teaches children to look at pieces of a whole and learn the concept of ranking things. Plus it allows allow them to apply creative criteria to a set of objects.

Taking a Train Ride

When learning about the letter "T", one of the most important categories to explore is transportation. Here's a fun little game called Taking a Train Ride. For this game, assemble all the chairs in the classroom two by two in a line. For each chair, write a number on a piece of paper and tape it to the back of the chair.

Give each child a ticket that corresponds with one of the seats on the train. At the sound of the whistle, each child is to take their place on the train. Then, appoint one of the children to be the engineer, and they go to each child and punch a hole in their ticket with a hole punch.

After each child has taken their place on the train, have each person describe what kind of trip they are taking, where they are going, what they will see, and who they are going with. This exercise allows the children to use their imaginations for planning the fictitious vacations, and shows them what travel on a train might be like.

Tooth Time!

Finally, here are some creative activities for exploring another aspect of the letter "T"- teeth. For the first activity, children make large teeth from plastic bottles and white tempra paint. Give each child a two-liter soft drink bottle that has the top part cut off. Paint the bottles with white tempra paint, and once the paint has dried, each child has a giant tooth that they can practice brushing on.

Next, have each child make their own toothbrush to use for brushing the giant tooth. First, cut a toothbrush shape from a piece of construction paper. Punch a few holes in the head side, and string short pieces of pipecleaners through the holes. Tape or glue the pipecleaners to the other side of the toothbrush. Have each child write their name on the toothbrush and decorate it to their liking. Now they have a toothbrush to brush the large models of the teeth!

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How to Choose the Best Preschool Curriculum for Your Child

2009-02-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

How to Choose the Best Preschool Curriculum for Your Child

So many mommies seek to find the most efficient preschool curriculum for teaching their precious preschooler.

I admit I was one of them. When my little girl was three years old, I began my quest. I wanted to be the best mommy ever, giving her a head start in academics. Especially reading!

A dear friend of mine, settled my anxious heart by simply saying, "take it easy, at her age there's no need to buy expensive curriculum, just go to a superstore and pick out a $7.99 preschool skill builder workbook, find free preschool activities online and make it fun!"

I took my friends advice, bought a few books, found some preschool websites and had lots-n-lots of fun building wonderful memories in which I want to share with you.

Our preschool schedule was easy and flexible. I used the skill builder activity book three days a week. In addition to that, we did lots of reading, singing, fun puzzles, educational videos, and explored several online websites together. I used it all as preschool curriculum. But really it was just time spent playing with her, guided by an educational purpose.

I planned two or three activities a day. The time that I spent in teaching was no more than 10 to 20 minute intervals. Just enough to keep her attention on the subject at hand, and then we moved on to "non-playing" tasks.

However, during our "non-playing" tasks, learning was taking place too. After all there was homemaking skills to acquire. (grin) When Jamie and I went to the grocery store I made it a learning experience for example: "Jamie, please count how many milk cartons we have in our buggy. You are right! 1-2-3-4-5 " - "What sound do you hear in the word egg?" eh, eh, eh,ggg? - "Will you get 5 round oranges for me and place them in this clear bag?"

When we did laundry, I had her sort the clothes by color. When she took a bath, we would play name that sound with a set of foam alphabet letters and so forth.

One thing I want to emphasize though, descriptive language is very important in teaching your preschooler. Talk to your child in such a way you would an adult using the proper names and descriptions for objects and experiences. Children have a natural affinity for learning. If you present them with intelligible words, their vocabulary and speech will grow abundantly. You can give your child a heads up in English class by simply starting now at the preschool age!

I learned very quickly in the early years of parenting, that a preschool child learns best in a relaxed atmosphere. When mommy smiles, speaks with a pleasant voice, and spends time playing with her child there is a special kind of bonding that takes place... the bond of love. So, let me gently remind you when irritation arises within, give yourself an attitude check and refocus your thoughts and lower your tone of voice. Your child will not only learn early academics from you but also godly character. (big smiles)

To sum it up... let me pass on the advice of which my friend gave me, take it easy during the preschool age. Buy some skill builder books, bookmark a few websites and make the learning atmosphere relaxed and fun!

Your preschooler will love being read to, seeing things, making things, creating things, talking about everything, asking questions and playing outdoors. Remember... enjoy this bonding time with them for it truly a blessing!

Listed below are a few items I've used with my first born. Please don't spend too much money on preschool curriculum you can get creative and find good resources for very little money online or at your local superstore. Don't forget to use the library too; their books are free but only for a little while!

Suggestive Preschool Resources to Used

Preschool Skill Builder/Activity Books

Preschool Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills - From School Specialty Children's Publishing. We used this workbook a lot. The pictures are rich in color, and perforated. Subjects include reading, mathematics, language arts, and writing. You can find this workbook at Amazon.com which you can find them as low as $2.00 a workbook. ISBN 1-56189-374-9

My Heavenly Helper Preschool Skill Builder and Activity Guide - McGraw Hill Children's Publisher offers a skill builder activity book that I found very helpful in teaching Bible lessons to my preschooler. This particular workbook focuses on concepts such as the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, sequencing, same and difference. Pages are perforated black and white. ISBN 0-7696-2907-5

A Must Have Preschool Educational Video

Letter Factory Video by Leap Frog - This particular pre-reading video is a must have for preschoolers. I recently noticed our local library with a copy. But I suggest you buy a copy for your family library. Your preschooler will learn letters, phonics and listening skills in no time. Creative production to say the least. ISBN 0-7907-8894-2

Free Preschool Curriculum Found Online

Starfall.com - An "absolutely" free website that teaches children to read. Perfect for preschooler too. You can put your preschooler in your lap and click through the alphabet shows. Be sure to let them click your mouse, they'll love discovering they can interact with the show! FREE printables too.

LetteroftheWeek.com - Letter of the Week was written and compiled by Katrina Lybbert. She created this site from her experiences teaching her 4 children at home. She offers free preschool curriculum. If you have children younger than preschool, you'll find her website very useful too.

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Preschool Learning Games As Part Of A Preschool Curriculum

2009-02-12T21:17:00.000-08:00

Preschool Learning Games As Part Of A Preschool Curriculum

Preschool offers an introduction to a learning environment for children who are not yet old enough for Kindergarten. Children sometimes as young as 2 ½ and up until the age of five or the start of Kindergarten, meet several mornings or afternoons a week where they participate in organized activities designed to increase socialization and introduce educational fundamentals. Often included as part of these preschool curriculums are preschool learning games.

As we know, young children learn best through play. During the course of play, they learn social skills such as taking turns and working together, as well as absorbing the fundamentals of the lesson without even realizing that they are doing so. Further, this particular age group is most receptive to learning new skills; their brains are like sponges, eager to soak up all that they see, hear, and experience. It is for this reason that preschool programs are generally play based.

Preschool learning games are built into the curriculum to help foster these important lessons that will help children have a successful Kindergarten experience and, ultimately, a successful school career. Today’s preschool learning games include a number of activities such as ball play that fosters hand-eye coordination, writing games that further fine motor skills, physical games that help promote gross motor skills, card games to help encourage memory retention, and games focused on books to instill a love of reading and language. Many teachers will find creative ways to teach the basics such as ABC’s, mathematics, social science, and history through preschool learning games and fun play.

Additionally, the modern preschool environment will often utilize computers to incorporate preschool learning games. A host of computer programs geared to the preschool age teach a variety of essential lessons with the assistance of color graphics, lighthearted music, and recognizable characters to spark the interest of children.

When choosing a preschool, look for a curriculum that incorporates preschool learning games into daily activity. This first foray into a learning environment should be one that includes nurturing, fun, and activity. Research has shown us time and again that children respond to this type of environment and will retain a love for school and of learning that will follow them for a lifetime.

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Choosing A Private Preschool

2009-02-12T21:05:00.000-08:00

Choosing A Private Preschool

Choosing a preschool for your youngster can be challenging; and the first decision of many to come regarding their education. Determining the program that will best meet your child’s needs is by far the most important thing. Whether this can be accomplished by sending your child to a private preschool is something that only you can research and decide.

In many cases, private preschool is the only choice available to parents. Preschool programs that are offered through the school district are often only available to children who are in need of special services in order to prepare them for Kindergarten. Children can receive speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and specialized learning environments through programs such as these.

Towns that offer district funded preschool programs for the general population are few and far between. But certainly, if they are offered, this can be a wonderful way to introduce your pre-Kindergarten child to school in a much less formal environment where they can learn to socialize and follow the directions of teachers, as well as mastering skills necessary to be successful in Kindergarten.

However, as is most often the case, a choice to send a child to preschool means the choice between a variety of private preschool programs. Deciding between them depends largely on curriculum, schedule, and price.

There are a number of private preschool programs that are offered through churches and synagogues that offer both religious based and non-denominational programs. For a family who is already involved with a particular church program, this may be the perfect fit for private preschool as it offers the child a level of familiarity. Most often, private preschool programs of this nature are less expensive then their competitors.

Other private preschool programs are independent programs that offer a variety of experiences. It is most important that you and your child feel comfortable within the school and that you, as a parent, are satisfied with the school’s safety measures, curriculum quality, diversity, teacher qualifications, and school accreditation. The schedule should also meet your family’s needs, as should the price.

A private preschool program can offer your child an educational and social head start, equipping them with the tools necessary to be successful in Kindergarten and, hopefully, instilling in them a love for learning that lasts throughout their lives.

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Layout of Preschool Day Care Classroom - Setting Up the Classroom

2009-02-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

Layout of Preschool Day Care Classroom - Setting Up the Classroom

One of the most important things to consider at the beginning of the school year is the layout of the preschool day care classroom. Since preschool is often a child's introduction to the world of school, it must be an environment where they experience the fun of learning. This allows children an opportunity to develop a set of positive feelings and associations with the classroom that they'll carry with them throughout the remainder of their educational days.

The layout of the preschool day care classroom must be conducive to learning and play while keeping the children safe. Preschoolers are constantly on the move, so organizing this chaotic environment can sometimes be a bit of a challenge.

Child-Sized Fun

Many educational experts have written theories on the layout of the preschool day care classroom. Of these experts, one of the most credible and commonly read is Maria Montessori, who insists that everything in a preschool classroom such as the chairs, tables, shelves, and cubbies should be appropriately sized for its pint-sized students. As an instructor setting up their own preschool classroom, try looking at everything while kneeling down to gain the child's eye view.

When developing the layout of a preschool classroom, divide the room up into the necessary sections. These include, but are not limited to, art, blocks, dramatic play, manipulative, music, library, and science. Some instructors also include a writing area near the library, and others are lucky enough to have an indoor playground as a part of the classroom experience.

Remember that certain areas require more space than others, such as dramatic play and blocks. These areas tend to be noisier than others, and as such, they should be grouped together in the classroom. Quieter activities like art and reading should also be placed together on the opposite side of the room, if possible. To mark the boundaries between the areas, use shelving units or colored duct tape on the floor.

It's important to keep the center of the classroom free from large objects as that's where the children assemble in a large circle for story time or show-and-tell. The walls of the preschool classroom can be decorated with seasonal decorations, samples of the children's art, a large wall calendar labeled with important dates and activities, a weather chart, and an attendance chart with a picture of each child.

Get out the Label Maker

Though most preschoolers are not yet able to read, it's important to label everything in the classroom. This will teach children some basic words, and within the course of the year, they should be able to recognize and read these words, forming an excellent foundation for learning to read.

Each section of the classroom should also be labeled with a sign hanging on the wall above the center. Graphics can be added to these signs to help show children what is performed in each center. For example, on the "Art Center" sign above the art area cut out pictures of a paint brush, paint, crayon or pair of scissors.

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Preschool Activities: Use Snacks And Crafts To Teach ABCs

2009-02-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

Preschool Activities: Use Snacks And Crafts To Teach ABCs

Everyone knows that it is important to teach children the letters of the alphabet. After all, it is clearly an important building block for learning to read and other early education milestones.

Even children who know their alphabet need to be regularly reminded and challenged with the letters in various order.

The challenge is finding a way to teach preschoolers that is both effective and fun. Most early childhood educators do not recommend buying flashcards or expensive educational tools. Effective preschool education makes learning fun and friendly.

There are three simple methods you need to employ for effective preschool learning and these can be done with things you already have in your own home. Young children learn best if you use these three simple methods: see it, say it, experience it.

This means that in order to teach your preschooler the alphabet you need to let them see the letters -- both in order and out of order. Then you must say the letter and the child must also say it. Finally, in order for the child to really understand the letters of the alphabet he must also experience it. This means employing the senses.

You can use food and crafts to help your child experience the letters of the alphabet by seeing the shape and creating the shape in three-dimensions as well as eating food that either starts with the chosen "letter" or is in the shape of the letter.

For example, why not have your child munch on carrots and candy corn while gluing cotton balls into the shape of the letter "C"? Or perhaps blow bubbles, glue beans in the shape of a "B", and then eat banana splits?

Some other ideas include:

W snacks like waffles, whipped cream, and watermelon; Y snacks like yogurt, yellow cake, and yeast rolls; and Z snacks like zucchini bread, Zesta crackers, and zwieback toast.

Making three dimensional art projects using kite strings and kidney beans for "K"; leaves, lace, lima beans, lids, letter stamps, and shoe laces for "L"; and play money, material, macaroni, and moon shapes for "M".

Be creative and let your child's imagination roam free in your kitchen and with your craft supplies. Once you start looking around your home (and grocery store) for alphabet teaching "tools" you might be surprised at how many ways you can teach your child the alphabet.

While teaching your child the alphabet is an important part of teaching your child to read and preparing for their education, it does not need to be difficult, boring, or expensive for you or your child. It can be fun and easy if you use the world around you and foods and crafts you have in your home.

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Preschool Valentine's Day Activity - How the Heart Really Works

2009-02-11T23:04:00.000-08:00

Preschool Valentine's Day Activity - How the Heart Really Works

Young preschoolers often think their hearts are valentine-shaped decorations filled with love. Here is a fun and easy activity to help your child understand the importance of her heart and how it really works.

What Does My Heart Look Like?

Most young children will be surprised to learn that their hearts look nothing like the ones they give to their friends on Valentine's Day. The heart is actually a ball-shaped muscle about the size of a fist.

Have your child make his hand into a fist to get an idea of the heart's size and shape.

What Does My Heart Do?

Explain that the heart is a pump that moves blood to every part of the body. If you have a small pump in your home, you may want to demonstrate what a pump does.

How Does My Heart Work?

Now that your child knows what her heart looks like and what its job is, you can show your child how the heart works.

Fill a sink or basin with water and follow these steps with your child. It may take some time to get it right, but this demonstration will give your child an accurate picture of what the heart does. This is also a fun game to play in the bathtub or swimming pool.

1. Put your hands together, with one hand over top the other.

2. Shape your hands into a hollow ball with no open edges.

3. Squeeze your palms together. Keep the edges and the thumb-hole tightly closed.

4. Lower both hands into the water until the wrists are underwater.

5. Spread your palms open wide.

6. Water should fill the ball through the hole in between your wrists.

7. Close the wrist-hole and open the thumb-hole slightly.

8. Squeeze your palms together again.

9. Water should squirt out of your hands.

10. Have fun practicing together until both of you get it right!

How This Activity is Like Your Heart

Explain to your child that this is how her heart works. She made her hands suck in and squeeze out water. TIn the same way, the heart sucks in and squeezes out blood.

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Preschool Printable Calendars - An Easy Way to Preserve Your Child's Memories

2009-02-11T23:02:00.000-08:00

Preschool Printable Calendars - An Easy Way to Preserve Your Child's Memories

If you have a little guy or gal at home you know how valuable simple tools like preschool printable calendars can be. You can use these convenient and widely available resources to help your preschooler learn about the passage of time, the flow of the seasons, numbers, the alphabet and so much more. A decorated preschool calendar is a very fun and easy teaching device for a parent to incorporate into every day life.

However, with a little creativity, you can use these calendars to do so much more. One excellent idea is to use your preschool calendars to develop a written log of your child's life. By simply being intentional with the usage of your calendars, you can have a long term written and visual record of your child's preschool years.

Here's how it works.

1. Keep track of the basics.

Every parent loves to remember the milestones in their child's life and rightly so. Growth patterns such as height, weight, etc., doctor's appointments, and that first dental visit all can be documented on the preschool calendar. Why keep track of these things twice - once on your personal calendar and then rewritten in a baby book? Print out a preschool calendar each month, fill it out and decorate it together with your child according to the month or season and keep track of all monthly events concerning your preschooler in one place.

2. Developmental growth.

Hang your preschool calendar in a convenient place where you can use it everyday, first of all to teach your child about the date and days of the week, secondly to jot down developmental notes in real time.

Who are your preschooler's friends at this stage of life? What parties did your child attend (or give)? Make notes on outings, weather, favorite toys, new vocabulary; all of those precious, sweet moments that will tug at your heart forever. This is the official written record of your child's life. Use it everyday and be generous with your notes. These will be your memory joggers in future years. Your words are priceless!

3. Assemble and enjoy.

As the months roll along, keep each of your preschool printable calendars in a scrapbook. Add scrap booking pages for additional material and pictures, if you like. Setting aside just one morning or afternoon a month to assemble pictures and pop them onto pages for your book is all it will take to keep your child's life book current, accurate and satisfying. The key to this whole idea is that you are going to do most of this 'work' anyway, as a course of daily life, so simply do it in such a way as to preserve it easily.

Believe me, your preschooler will be delighted as she watches 'her' book grow and grow. This will also help her understand difficult concepts such as time passage and help her put her seasonal experiences into a context she can muse over again and again.

This method is an easy and fun way to record all the details in your young child's life with very little hassle. You can do a search on the web for preschool printable calendars or see my resource box below for free ones. Get started today preserving your preschooler's daily fun!

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Preschool Kids - "When I Grow Up, I Want To Be"

2009-02-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

Preschool Kids - "When I Grow Up, I Want To Be"

For preschool kids, one of the biggest open-ended questions they can be asked is "what do you want to be when you grow up?" When asked this question, many preschool kids tend to shoot for the stars. However, this question can be an easy way to introduce a unit on occupations and community helpers, two subjects that can be explored though games, activities, crafts and even guest speakers.

The Helpers in the Community

It's important to teach preschool kids about the many tasks of community helpers, such as doctors, dentists, nurses, teachers, mail carriers, and police officers. Start by asking the children if they know any adults with these professions to see how much children know about the tasks associated with these various occupations.

When learning about doctors and nurses, try this fun craft called "Fix my Wound". For this craft, trace the outline of the child's arm or leg on a piece of paper. The children are to color or paint their limb including a small wound. Once the paint has dried, distribute band-aids to the children for them to place over the wounds on their crafts. Then, have each child present a story to the class as to how they got hurt and who helped them fix it.

Here's a craft where children make police badges that's perfect for learning about safety and the police. To begin the craft, cut out a number of badges from cardboard, and cover each badge with aluminum foil. Use stickers to decorate the badges, or try etching patterns into the foil with the stubby end of a paintbrush.

There are also a number of fun games for preschool kids to learn about the objects and tasks associated with various community helpers. First, cut out a number of pictures from magazines that are associated with community helpers, such as letters, stethoscopes, toothbrushes, or fire hydrants. Next, place a picture of each community helper on the wall and have the children match the objects to the corresponding person from the community.

"Special Delivery!"

Here's another fun matching game that's perfect for practicing what it might be like to deliver mail. Cut out a large number of different colored shapes, like triangles, circles, stars, and squares. Gather an equal number of mailboxes to the number of shapes, and label each mailbox with a picture of one of the shapes. Give the shapes to the children to place in the corresponding mailboxes. After all the shapes have been delivered, try the exercises again by sorting the deliveries by color instead of by shape.

Finally, here's a matching game that teaches children good nutritional habits, which can be played in conjunction with learning about oral hygiene and dentists. Place two large teeth on the wall. One tooth should be white and sparkling clean while the other is covered with dirt and plaque.

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Planning the Preschool Birthday Party: 12 Ideas for Children Ages 5 and Under

2009-02-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

Planning the Preschool Birthday Party: 12 Ideas for Children Ages 5 and Under

One day, a friend of mine saw me in line at the grocery store. I was balancing boxes of Capri Suns, cheap plastic goodie bag paraphernalia, and a super tall cake with a Barbie thrust through the middle. I was running late, and I was fearing my child’s guests would arrive before I did, so I was probably sweating and out of breath. I was tired of the birthday party already, and it hadn’t started yet.

Figuring she could commiserate, I said, “Birthday parties wear me out.” And she said, “But they are so joyous.”

Ah, spoken like someone who has a really good nanny.

Preschool birthday parties are joyous, but, the truth is, when my kids were younger, I tended to lose sight of what a successful birthday party is: a memorable event that makes your child feel treasured. I invested way too much into the vision of what I wanted the birthday party experience to be, without thinking enough about the experience from the point of view of my child. I stressed about not leaving out siblings, of having age-appropriate goodie bags for a range of children that was way, way too wide. Somewhere along the line, the magic of the experience was lost.

Now that my kids are a little older, and I have a few more parties under my belt, I do it differently.

Here are some tips for throwing a birthday party for children ages 5 and under.

Start early.
It’s much easier to get everything done when you plan ahead.

Keep it short.
A two-hour party is plenty long for children age 3 and under. Children ages 4 and 5 can generally handle an hour or two longer, but you don’t need to go nuts. Birthday parties are tremendously stimulating for a small child. Throw in some sugar, and tantrums are inevitable.

Keep it small.
The rule of thumb is to keep the number of guests equal to the age of the child. Too many guests take the attention away from the child who is being honored. If you have a large extended family (especially if your family includes cousins with a great variation in ages) you may want to consider having a family celebration separate from the celebration with friends. We have started having our family over for pizza the night before or the night after the children’s party.

Keep it simple.
Ask your child for ideas on activities, games, crafts, or food to have at your party. Kids are surprisingly imaginative and often know exactly how they would like their birthday party to be. Plus, their ideas are often surprisingly simple. Asking your children to describe the type of party they would like to have is a good starting point. If it’s over the top, you can simplify from there. For example, if your child longs for a grand princess tea party, ask everyone to come in their favorite dress up outfit and decorate paper or plastic mugs as your activity. The birthday girl can be responsible for pouring apple juice and handing out the finger sandwiches.

Ask for help.
Ask family members, older siblings, and friends to stick around. If there is a child who you worry about how to handle behaviorally, invite the parent to stay for the party.

Make each guest feel special as they arrive.
Young children can feel tentative at first in a festive, noisy atmosphere, so make sure to make them feel welcome. One really popular idea that we have done in the past: Enlist an older sibling or a parent to do simple face painting for each guest as they arrive.

Give the wee ones something to do.
You don’t need to go overboard, but having a plan is important, and will help the party go more smoothly. This age will engage in free play for quite some time. And then you can have a simple craft station, followed by a simple game, if you are feeling ambitious. Simple crafts can include making photo frames (Orientaltrading.com is great for simple ideas such as these.) All you need is some stickers and squares of cardstock with a 4x6 square cut into the center. Then you can take a photo of the child with the birthday boy or girl and print it immediately (if you have a digital camera kit equipped to do so) or send the photo in the thank you note. If there’s time, you might play some games. Kids love simple party games, such as Duck, Duck, Goose and Ring Around The Rosy. But beware that once a group of children gets riled up, it can be hard to bring them back down.

Use music to help with crowd control.
Fun, lively kids’ tunes can get the party started. When everyone starts to get a little wild and crazy, switch the music to soft classical. The kids probably won’t consciously notice a difference, but you are bound to see a change in their behavior.

Maintain order at gift giving time.
Too often, the children are feeling wild and a bit out of control by the time it’s time to open gifts, and it’s hard to regain control once the gift wrap starts flying. Start in an orderly fashion by placing two chairs side by side. (Kid sized chairs are best.) The child who is opening gifts sits in one chair and the giver sits in the other while their present is opened. This way, the giver feels singled out and special as she watches her present being opened. This also sets up a perfect photo opportunity, when you are guaranteed to have just the guest and the giver in the photo.

Make the birthday girl or boy feel special.
One tradition that we’ve been doing for our children once they turn four is to give the birthday child an inexpensive single use disposable camera (if you look for these on sale, you can get them for under $5.) Tell them that the camera is theirs to document their birthday and birthday party in whatever way they like. When the photos are developed, they can put the prints in an inexpensive plastic mini photo book. Kids take such pride in photos they take themselves.

Goodie Bags.
Go for quality rather than quantity. Young kids love anything with their name on it. Here’s a popular idea that we’ve used: Find inexpensive little sketchbooks and use rubber stamps to spell each guest’s name on the front. Tie a ribbon around the front so it looks extra fancy to young eyes, pair it with a couple of crayons or markers and a lollipop, and you’re all set. Kids also love to unwrap things, so instead of filling a goodie bag with small items, you might gift wrap a more meaningful item and send it home with them.

Some more ideas: My 5-year-old recently came home from a party with a full-size Hershey’s bar, and she was the envy of the entire neighborhood. Another big hit: My sister-in-law once had a spring garden party for her 5-year-old with mini terra cotta pots tied with ribbons and a tiny silk flower. Each child got to plant a seed during the party and take the pot home as a party favor.

Quick and Easy Thank You Notes.
An easy way to do thank you notes is to save up all of the artwork your child creates on any given day, cut the page down the middle, and fold each half into a card. Ask your child what he or she would like to say to each of the guests, in turn. Write them up and ask your child to sign their name, if they are able. If not, they can draw a little picture (or not, depending on the time you want to spend and the patience level of you and your child). Insert a photo of the birthday child and the guest enjoying themselves, and you’re done till next year.

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Preschool Nutrition

2009-02-11T22:57:00.000-08:00

Preschool Nutrition

The guidelines that are set by the USDA "MyPyramid" provide a detailed nutrition program for preschool aged children. This nutrition program emphasize the importance of healthy eating by combining all food groups in a daily menu plan. Teaching children the value of a healthy eating plan early in their life will insure that they acquire good eating habits that will last a lifetime.

Establishing healthy eating habits for preschoolers includes modeling their eating habits at home so that when they enter the school environment, they can make healthy choices.

The guidelines for a nutritious healthy eating plan for toddlers include the 5 major food groups as part of a daily diet. Each food group contributes specific nutrients to the diet. These nutrients are necessary for children’s growth and development.

1) Bread and Grains: 6 servings a day

These foods provide energy for activity and growth. Children should consume some whole grain products. At least half of the grains consumed should be in the form of whole-grain cereals and sandwiches made with whole wheat bread. Check the ingredients on the product label to insure that the product is in fact made with "whole wheat."

2) Milk & Milk Products: 3-4 servings a day

These products provide needed calcium for strong teeth and bones. Children from 2 to 8 years of age should consume 2 cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk or an equivalent in milk products.

3) Fruits - 2 servings per day

The number of fruits children should eat is determined by their calorie needs. But the base requirement as outlined in the food pyramid for this age group is at least 2 fruit servings per day.

4) Vegetables – 3 servings a day

Vegetables provide the important vitamins and minerals to protect eyesight and the body's immune system.

5) Meats, Beans & Nuts: 2 servings per day

Meats, beans & nuts provide protein and iron to form muscles.

Parents should limit the intake of high saturated fats or salt (sodium) in the toddler's diet to reduce the risk of high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Total fat intake should be limited to 30 and 35 percent of calories for children ages 2 to 3 years, and between 25 and 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents from the age of 4 to 18.

Most fats should come from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.

Help the toddler make smart choices: replace sugary snacks with healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

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3 Great Preschool 'Roof Over Your Head Day' Activities

2009-02-11T22:35:00.000-08:00

3 Great Preschool 'Roof Over Your Head Day' Activities

Roof over your head day is December 3. This is a great time to expose children to the different types of homes people live in, both here and around the world. Talk about the homes your children live in, such as single family homes, town homes, apartments and trailers. Consider including unusual homes such as houseboats, teepees and homes built into the side of mountains. Read and talk about homes around the world. Your students will have fun learning with these preschool Roof Over Your Head Day activities.

Shapes Houses

Your children will get to design their own houses with this fun craft. Provide a variety of construction paper in different colors. Make templates in the following shapes: a large square, a large rectangle, small squares, small rectangles and large triangles. The larger shapes will be used to make the building and roof of the home. The smaller shapes will be used to make windows, doors and chimneys.

The children will trace and cut the pieces needed for the home they want to design. They will glue the shapes together on paper to make a unique home. Provide a variety of colors for them to choose from. Once the house is finished, they can use markers or crayons to create scenery around the house such as the sky, trees, sun, flowers or any other scenery they want.

Homes Collage

Once the students have read about and seen pictures of a variety of homes, they can make a homes collage. The children will look for pictures of places people live in a variety of magazines. Home decor magazines and catalogs are a good source of pictures. National Geographic magazines are a good source of pictures of homes from around the world.

The kids will cut out pictures of homes and glue them on a large sheet of paper to make a collage. When they have finished, bring them into a large group. Let them show their collages to each other. Talk about the different homes that are shown on the collages. How are all these homes alike? How are they different?

Shoe Box Homes

The children will enjoy making their own home from a shoe box. For this craft, you will need a shoe box for each child. Ask the parents in advance to bring in a shoe box for the craft. You will also need: construction paper, scissors, glue, crayons, markers and pipe cleaners. Any other craft materials you have available can be used to decorate the homes.

The children will make a home from the shoe box. This can be a small house, apartment, trailer or house boat. Cover the shoe box with construction paper in the colors the child wants to use. Features can be added, based on the type of home. Add details with construction paper or markers. Make people with pipe cleaners for more fun.

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Build Your Own Preschool Curriculum

2009-02-11T22:33:00.000-08:00

Build Your Own Preschool Curriculum

Putting together your own preschool curriculum can be accomplished in a variety of ways. In the broad sense there is the option of purchasing a homeschool preschool program from one of the many preschool curriculum providers.

Take on the approach of an everyday life experience with your preschooler. This is accomplished in a much less structured avenue. Lots of reading to your preschooler and exploring life and their world together emphasizing what they enjoy doing while they are learning. If you’re a bit stuck in the middle with what you prefer being a bit more on the structured side of a packaged preschool curriculum but your budget is definitely more in line with the latter, then why not design your own preschool curriculum!

Start with a rough outline of what your learning goals are for your preschooler. There are websites available with criteria that will help you with evaluating your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Just do a bit of searching on early childhood educational development evaluation criteria and you’ll find checklists that you can use.

After you have determined your learning objectives for your preschooler it is now time to search the web for some ideas for the upcoming school year. At this young age a great tool to use for your topics and focus is right on the calendar! Use the various seasons and holidays to develop broad theme type of learning material. At this age the learning is much more fun for the child and easy for you if you keep the overall environment colorful and relevant to what is going on in their life.

Outside the calendar or even in conjunction with it, plan on and set up a few topical field trips around your community. Learning by experiencing life at the preschool age is extremely important and it is a great way to keep your preschooler’s attention.

As you work with your calendar and do a little brainstorming as you check out each month and the topical days or seasons they have to offer, begin making a rough draft or list(s) of all the materials that will need to support your preschool educational goals that you have established. You can refine the list later.

As you begin to stockpile your material that has come from your lists, don’t forget to use any and all of the items that you can around the house. Save boxes, plastic jars, lids, cans, anything colorful that you think you might use. Don’t limit your imagination. There are ideas galore out on the web! Use it. Have fun and enjoy the journey.

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Preschool Learning Activities-Emotional Development & Fine Motor Skills Activities

2009-02-11T22:32:00.000-08:00

Preschool Learning Activities-Emotional Development & Fine Motor Skills Activities

Preschool learning activities are varied and just involve a little creativity. Emotional Development activities for kids as well as Fine Motor Skills Development are very important areas to develop in your child or preschooler.

Having your preschool child cut out various shapes and objects is a great way to help develop fine motor skills. Of course if you are going to allow your children or preschoolers to do this activity you need to ensure they are using the proper 'child safe' scissors when doing ANY cutting in any material.

Here is a fun preschool learning activity that you can use with your preschool child to help develop them in these specific areas of growth. Keep a collection of old magazines, newspapers or flyers that are full of images of people with different expressions etc.

Instruct the children to pick a magazine or newspaper etc. to look through and find images of people's faces showing different expressions. They may find pictures of happy faces, sad faces, surprised faces, angry faces, scared faces and many more.

Your preschool child can then 'cut out' all the faces they find using 'child safe' scissors of course, and they can discuss each different image with the parent or teacher and discuss what they see in the person's expression. You could even just have children find and cut out a certain expression, or what 'they' see as a certain expression. For example, you could tell them to find any pictures of 'happy faces' and see what they come up with, you may be surprised what they find!

It is good to keep these images and glue them to a piece of Bristol Board or construction paper, and then to laminate it. You can then cut them all out and save them in a box or envelope! This will make the images last for years so they may be used again and again in many different ways to teach children. You could even use these different faces and expressions and have children 'GROUP' all similar expressions together in a pile.

Another Great learning activity for children becoming familiar with spelling and simple reading or word recognition would be to have a few different images (4-6) out. You could then have the names of the expressions written on a piece of paper or a label (example) Happy, Sad, Angry etc. You could have the child(ren) match the image to the word. This is excellent for simple reading and recognition of every day words that express emotion.

Marisa Robinson E.C.E is a Professional childcare educator working with children all having a variety of different educational and behavioural needs.

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Preschool Activity Ideas

2009-02-11T22:19:00.000-08:00

Preschool Activity Ideas

One of the better approaches, when trying to think of preschool activities or preschool lessons for you and your child to do for home school activities, is that you don’t get bogged down trying to be too structured. There is plenty of fun, educational, and informal preschool activities that you and your child can get involved in.

The top of the list when it comes to preschool activities and child learning would be reading. Getting the child involved early in learning to read, establishes good reading habits and a foundation that the child can learn from for a lifetime.

Learning to read for the child certainly doesn’t have to limited to books. You should also include poetry, songs (while singing together); reading the boxes of their favorite toys, or anything that they are drawn to could be included in their homeschool preschool activities. Just be creative.

Preschool age is a wonderful learning time for the child. They are naturally full of wonderment and curiosity at the preschool age. Take advantage of this trait. Use everyday tasks around the house for learning activities. Sorting clothes by color for laundry, dishes by color or size, if you are doing some organizing around the house, use this opportunity to relate different shapes and sizes to your preschooler. When you’re out and about in the world, always use this time as an educational moment. All the shapes sizes and colors you come across just at the grocery store alone make for a wonderful preschool activity. Its homeschooling and you’re not in your home!

If, you run across a question you are unable to answer, don’t just say that you aren’t sure or that you don’t know and leave it at that. Take the opportunity to begin to instill another great learning skill into your child. That of looking something up for an answer to which you don’t know. Even though the child can’t search for the answer yet, they can, witness and be a part of this valuable information seeking procedure. I can’t tell you what a valuable skill you will be instilling into your preschooler if you help them in developing this type of problem solving skill and attitude if you incorporate this into their daily preschool activities.

Preschool activities are limited only by your imagination.....child education is a wonderful experience, just relax, be informal, be creative.

Learning activities are indeed everywhere

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Science Experiments - Kid's Preschool Science Activity

2009-02-11T22:11:00.000-08:00

Science Experiments - Kid's Preschool Science Activity

Science experiments for kids do not always have to be complicated experiments. Fact is that science is all around us in simple and complex forms, from our weather, to nature to simple chemical reactions from regular household or everyday items. Science activities and learning can be fun for adults and for children as well. Science allows children to learn by doing and by observing. Senses like touch, hearing, sight, smell and taste may all be part of learning about science, depending on the purpose of the science experiment itself.

*Always exercise 'CAUTION' and have proper Supervision with any new science experiments where uncertain reactions may occur.

What you will need for this science experiment:

2 large bowls or bins
2 large chunks of ice or snow
Coarse Salt or industrial salt for melting outdoor ice
Chart Paper
Marker
What to do for this science experiment:

Fill the two bins with the snow or ice. Ask the children who thinks the ice alone will melt more quickly, and how many children think the ice with the salt will melt more quickly. Document their answers on chart paper. Dump a handful or two of salt onto the ice in one of the bins and wait to see what happens. Document the end result and compare it with the children's answers.

How does salt make ice melt more quickly?

Answer: When the ice starts to dissolve it changes the temperature in the ice slightly, causing it to start melting faster than ice just sitting on its own. (Same answer if using snow instead of ice).

Preschool Learning Online.com has a variety of preschool activities & preschool science activities for your use.

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2 Great Preschool Polar Bear Activities

2009-02-11T05:36:00.000-08:00

2 Great Preschool Polar Bear Activities

In the United States, Polar Bears have become synonymous with Coca-Cola advertisements. We watch cute polar bears have parties and fun while drinking Coca-Cola soda in the Arctic. Preschool children need to understand that there is much more to polar bears and that they don't actually drink Coca-Cola!

This article provides two preschool polar bear activities that will encourage preschool children to learn more about polar bears which include the facts and not the creative advertisements of Madison Avenue.

Art Activity

The first activity is an art activity that will have preschool children create a polar bear picture of their own. This activity is great for a rainy day or winter activity when it is simply too cold to go outside. Preschoolers will develop their fine motor skills in completing this activity. At the same time having a lot of fun exploring their creativity!

You will need the following:

Materials:

* white and black construction paper,

* scissors,

* glue, and

* colorful crayons.

Advanced preparation for this activity involves cutting the white construction paper into several different size circles which will comprise the body of the polar bear. Cut the white construction paper into one large circle for the body, one medium circle for the head, and two small circles for the paws.

Cut a small circle in half to create two semicircles for the feet. Cut another small circle in half to create two semicircles for the ears.

Begin this activity by asking the preschool children what they know about polar bears. Where do polar bears live? What do they eat? Explain that they are going to make polar bears of their own. Demonstrate how to glue the white construction paper circles onto the black construction paper background to create a polar bear.

Be sure to tell preschool children to not use too much glue when they are pasting on the circles as this will become a mess! Demonstrate how to take black crayons and draw distinction in the polar bear face, paws, belly, and ears. Encourage the children to draw other items that are in a polar bear habitat such as ice, snow, and fish. Display the artwork in the classroom or at home.

Learning More About Polar Bears Through Creating a Polar Bear Habitat. The second activity is to learn more about polar bears through creating a polar bear habitat. Preschoolers will find this a very exciting activity to participate in! Preschoolers love group activities, and this activity will enhance their social skills.

Materials:

* A large refrigerator box.

* A large sheet of white and blue art paper.

* Scissors,

* Masking tape.

* Cotton or White packing peanuts.

* You will also need the book, "Polar Bear Night" by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Stephen Savage.

Advanced preparation for this activity includes cutting the large cardboard box along one of the long edges. This will allow you to flatten the cardboard box along the wall. The cardboard box will act as a polar bear house of snow and ice. (Polar bears create dens in snowbanks.)

Begin the activity by reading the book, "Polar Bear Night". Discuss the habitat of polar bears with the preschool children. Explain that polar bears have white fur so they can protect themselves by blending in with the snow. In addition, polar bears have water resistant fur that allows them to swim in the icy waters.

Tell the children that you are going to make a polar bear snow den. Have them help you tape the large white art paper to the cardboard box. Place a large piece of blue art paper on the floor near the polar bear snow den to represent water. Lastly, place cotton or package peanuts around the snow den to represent snow and ice. Allow the children to explore more about polar bears while sitting in the polar bear den.

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Preschool Writing Activities - Fun Ways to Teach Your Child to Write

2009-02-11T05:33:00.000-08:00

Preschool Writing Activities - Fun Ways to Teach Your Child to Write

Put down those boring worksheets! The best way to teach your preschooler to write is to use simple preschool writing activities that make learning fun. To be ready for kindergarten, your child needs to know how to cut and paste, copy simple shapes, trace vertical and horizontal lines, trace his or her name, and hold crayons, pencils and scissors correctly.

The first step to teaching the above is strengthening the small muscles in the hands and wrists that are used in handwriting. This process is often referred to as building fine motor skills. You can encourage fine motor development by having your child use art supplies like crayons, paints, markers, glue and scissors. Lacing activities, stringing beads and cheerios, playing with playdoh, scooping sand or rice, and activities like pouring and stirring are also great fine motor activities.

When you feel your child is physically ready to write, have your child use a stick or finger to draw in sand, rice, pudding, shaving cream, paint or oatmeal. Make simple lines and shapes and ask your child to copy them. Next, let your child practice writing on a dry erase board, chalk board or Magnadoodle. Preschoolers also tend to have fun with special crayons and markers designed for use on windows and in the tub. Take care not to rush this process. Let your child move through these stages at his or her own pace.

When your child is ready, move on to pencil and paper. Build confidence by letting your preschooler trace simple lines and shapes, then proceed to letters. You can eventually teach your child to write his name by letting him trace or copy it daily. If your child needs help remembering how to spell her name, practice with fridge magnets, letter tiles or alphabet blocks.

Keep preschool writing activities relaxed and fun. Don't expect or require perfection. Learning to write is a fun process that will give your preschooler a boost in confidence and solid foundation for future studies.

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Free Preschool Activity Ideas

2009-02-11T05:31:00.001-08:00

Free Preschool Activity Ideas

If you work or live with preschool children, you're always on the lookout for ideas that will help you build in some daily physical activity. Just what type of activities are most beneficial to preschool children? What types of things should you be careful of? And where can you find some free preschool activities that really work. Below are some great activity generators and suggestions for how to keep it safe.

Warm up. Preschool children need to warm up before they exercise just like adults do. Make sure you move them around gently for several minutes before instructing them to run, jump or do any type of strenuous movement.

Balance. Good balance is important for almost all athletic activities. Keeping in mind the age of the preschool children, they should be able to balance on one foot from 3-10 seconds. Don't limit yourself to only standing balance exercises. Children love to get down on the ground and balance on hands and legs and then lift one or even two limbs in the air.

Sports Skills. Have all the children use plastic coffee can lids as Frisbees or wadded up balls of paper with mini-brooms as hockey sticks. You can create a number of sports items from common household supplies. Preschool children need practice with basic sports skills early in life to become competent and proficient enough to enjoy these activities later on. Make sure all children have their own prop so that they can get the most amount of hands-on time practicing.

Aerobic Exercise. Anything that gets preschool children to move quickly and use the large muscle groups in their legs will help provide much needed aerobic exercise. It's the aerobic exercise that helps burn fat and strengthen their heart and lungs. Relays, obstacle courses, races, dancing and gross motor locomotion around the room are all excellent preschool aerobic activities. Just make sure children take active rests (like walking or moving at a slower pace) between strenuous bursts of activities as they won't have the endurance an adult has.

Strengthening. Resistance exercise will help prevent childhood obesity by developing muscle mass which burns much more calories than an equal amount of fat. Children can do simple calisthenics like modified push ups, squats, lunges and crunches using their own body weight for resistance or have fun with props such as tug-of-war ropes, weighted bean bags, elastic bands, and water bottles.

Stretching. Preschool children's muscles need regular stretching which should be done after the exercise session, not before. Any stretches performed should be held still while counting from 5-10 instead of bouncing while stretching. Bouncing stretches or ballistic stretching can tear muscles and lead to a shortening of the muscles instead of elongation.

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Preschool Activities - How to Make Simple Musical Instruments Your Kids Will Love

2009-02-11T05:20:00.000-08:00

Preschool Activities - How to Make Simple Musical Instruments Your Kids Will Love

Preschool Activities: How To Make Musical Instruments In The Household

Preschool activities can be limitless. Often times there are several great preschool activities ideas and fun right in your own home. Using preschool activities help children and preschoolers to learn and explore new areas of development through creating and through participation. It's no surprise that children love music. As a result of this well known fact, a fitting child activity for kids would be to make some musical instruments for them to make their own 'music' or to play along with music that may be playing at home or in the classroom. Music helps kids to learn to keep rhythm. They may dance and move to the beat of the music or at least try to. Music can also help stimulate their minds, physical & mental development and co-ordination skills. Below are a few great preschool activities & kids activities for preschoolers and kindergarteners.

How To Make a Musical Shaker: Musical instruments are fun to make for your children or preschoolers. Kids will love to make their own special musical instrument. This activity makes it fun for kids to play along with music and learn about keeping beat, or rhythm. Requirements For This Preschool/Kindergarten Activity include the following items below.

1 small or medium sized plastic bottle (*do not use glass for safety reasons) A variety of small containers could be used. Some Rice, soy beans or other similar non-perishable type of beans or rice. A glue gun (*always supervise when working with hot appliances like this), Colored construction paper, (Optional) some glitter

PreK/Kindergarten Musical Instrument Activity: What to Do: Take the water bottle, strip off any old labeling etc. Take a small amount of rice or soybeans and use a funnel or pour carefully into the bottle for your desired sound. Take the hot glue gun and glue on the cap with a few dabs of hot glue on the 'threading' of the cap. Twist cap on tight and let dry. You can then use the construction paper to cut out small stars and shapes etc.to glue on the bottle to decorate. You may also want to use glitter or other things to decorate the bottle or have the children decorate their bottle shakers.

** Keep in mind, different sized containers, different types of plastic and different contents will produce different sounds. Have Fun with Your Water Bottle Shaker: Play some fun kids music and let your children shake their new musical bottle shaker to the beat. You can help to tell kids when to shake their musical shakers. Try to explain to them when the beat takes place or let them just 'shake' away!

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How To Build A Reading Environment At Home For Your Child

2009-02-11T05:17:00.000-08:00

How To Build A Reading Environment At Home For Your Child

We've all heard the importance of teaching our children to read while they are young. All of the shows on television for young children promote reading (Sesame Street, Between the Lions, Reading Is Fundamental). How many of you remember Captain Kangaroo? Even the Captain or Mr. Greenjeans, read stories to the children. For years we have been exposing children to reading through various television programs specifically for children. Yet, too many parents are not exposing their children to reading in the home.

The National Early Literacy Panel has outline several skills which predicate reading achievement. They are as follows:

Alphabetical Knowledge - knowledge of names and sounds associated with printed letters.

Phonological Awareness - detecting, manipulating or analyzing parts of words.

Rapid/Automatic Naming of Letters/Digits - naming a sequence of random letters or numbers.

Rapid/Automatic Naming of Objects/Colors - naming a sequence of random sets of pictures or objects.

Writing or Writing Name - writing letters in isolation or one's own name.

Phonological Memory - remembering spoken information for a short period of time.

If your child has these abilities then they show a strong development of literacy.

How does one help your child to develop these abilities? First, your home should reflect the use of reading and writing materials. Subscribe to some children's magazines. As your child grows, find those magazines that most interest them. Purchase small books that they can sit and learn to read. Young children will mimic what they have heard when rereading a book. Eventually, they will recognize the words and be able to read the book themselves.

Set up a corner of a room (does not have to be the child's room, could be the living room) with a bookshelf for your child's books and magazines. Make a daily event of reading books to one another. As you read, ask probing questions. What do you think will happen next? What is the name of the main character? Etc.

Many stores have writing pads for children. Some of these writing pads will illustrate how to write the letters of the alphabet and the numbers 0 to 9. Spend time with your child in writing letters and numbers. The more practice they have, the more skills they will develop. I have found books that are called "Everything You Need to Know for 1st Grade". These are written for grades kindergarten through I believe fifth grade. Check them out. Go to a bookstore and you will find even more grade level books to help your child get ahead in schools. I know there are many activity books written for preschool level.

The important thing in setting up a reading environment in your home is to have access to the materials everyday. The more you exposure your child to reading and writing, the more they will learn. Make it fun. Do hands on activities in which your child experiences the fun part of learning. Post your child's writings around the house (not just on the refrigerator). I even started a scrape book for my students when I taught Elementary. They loved that.

Anything you can do as a parent to prepare your child for his/her academic life, will help your child to do better in school. Remember that you are your child's first teacher. Be an active parent and participate in every aspect of your child's academic life.

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Different Activities You Can Do With Your Kids To Improve Their Fine Motor Skills

2009-02-11T05:15:00.000-08:00

Different Activities You Can Do With Your Kids To Improve Their Fine Motor Skills

There are many different activities you can do with your kids to improve their fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are an essential component of physical development – especially when it comes to children that are in the preschool age group. These skills involve strengthening the use of the small muscles that are in various areas of the body – specifically the hands – so that several basic functions can be achieved. These functions include that of being able to grasp items that are relatively small, fastening buttons, zipping zippers, and even handwriting! Here, I will share with you different activities that you can do with your kids to improve their fine motor skills.

One of the most effective means of developing fine motor skills, in my opinion, is sitting down with your kids and playing games that include writing and even drawing. You will want to have several different types of art utensils available when you do this. This includes items like colored pencils, pens, thin markers, chunky markers, regular sized crayons, chunky crayons, and even finger paints. You may even elect to use watercolor paints and different size paintbrushes as well. You can play games like “Draw like the Leader”, where each of you draws or writes something, and then the other person copies it. You can practice drawing something in the home, like a ball. All of these activities assist in the overall development of fine motor skills.

The next method that you can use to assist your child in developing fine motor skills is to allow them the opportunity to cut out shapes and designs with scissors. This is a great exercise for strengthening all of those small muscles in the hands, and the wrists. It is also beneficial in developing the overall hand/eye coordination. Allowing children to engage in activities like “Connect the Dots” and tracing different types of pictures is another fun and exciting way to fine tune the skills when it comes to fine motor skills. In order to encourage your child’s success in these areas, it may be beneficial to create a “wall” in the home where their arts and crafts can be hung for display. Not only will they enjoy the work that they have completed, but you will be able to see an improvement in their ability to cut, connect dots, and trace over time.

Many parents enjoy helping their child put together puzzles. There are a great deal of puzzles sold for children that are in the preschool age group. If you are working on fine motor skills, assembling puzzles as a team can be a great way to encourage development. There are also many toys sold that focus on allowing a child learn to tie a shoe, button, zip, wrap, and other types of similar activities. Purchasing these types of products, and then playing with your child while they attempt to face the challenges posed by the various products can prove to be extremely beneficial when it comes to the overall development of fine motor skills in your child. Any type of activity that allows a child to carefully manipulate an item that is relatively small, like a button, zipper, or puzzle piece is typically great when it comes to the development of motor skills. These are just a few great ideas on different activities you can do with your kids to improve their fine motor skills.

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Tips For Evaluating Daycare Programs

2009-02-11T05:13:00.000-08:00

Tips For Evaluating Daycare Programs

Are you a parent who is thinking about sending your Brookline infant or toddler to a daycare program? If so, here are some tips for evaluating daycare programs in Brookline--whether it’s a preschool in Brookline, Brookline family daycare, or Brookline daycare center.

1. Choose a Licensed Facility.
An important consideration for many parents when choosing a preschool in Brookline, Brookline family daycare facility, or Brookline daycare center for their Brookline infant is whether it is licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. While licensing is not mandatory, it may give parents peace of mind knowing that the day care in Brookline they have chosen meets certain standards of quality.

2. Programs and Policies
Call the teacher or director of the Brookline daycare center or preschool in Brookline that you are interested in and ask about the focus of their program. Is it mostly free play or is there some organized curriculum such as practicing writing letters or their names, drawing pictures, or learning shapes and colors? Parents looking at day care in Brookline should also find out what the hours of operation are, when school holidays occur, and whether there is an after school program (if you need one).

3. Schedule a Visit
Prospective parents should schedule a day to visit the classroom and facilities of the Brookline preschool or Brookline daycare center they are considering. In addition to talking to the teacher and staff members, take a look at the physical premises. Is the building or home well maintained? Are the bathrooms, floors or carpets clean and the classroom area neat and tidy? Is the outdoor play area safe and secure? Does each child have a cubby or place for her personal belongings? If you have doubts, you might want to make a surprise unannounced visit.

4. Staff Members
Observe how the staff or childcare provider interact with the children. Does she seem fully engaged with the children? Is she warm and caring, taking a personal interest in each student? Does she have any teaching certifications or experience at another day care in Brookline? Consider how the provider’s style of interaction would fit with your child’s personality and needs.

5. Activities and Learning
Talk to the teacher and observe what educational materials are used. Find out if there is a set routine or if the curriculum scheduling is flexible. If there is an educational focus to the program, then classroom materials should be up to date and age appropriate.

If everything appears satisfactory, you may have found just the right facility for day care in Brookline for your child.

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Homeschooling Preschoolers - What Your Child Needs To Know

2009-02-11T05:05:00.000-08:00

Homeschooling Preschoolers - What Your Child Needs To Know

Although many parents feel overwhelmed at the thought of teaching their own children, homeschooling preschoolers is as easy as 1, 2, 3. If you read to your child daily, teach basic math concepts like grouping and counting, and plan simple activities that build fine and gross motor skills, your child will know everything he or she needs to be ready for kindergarten. Here are some guidelines for teaching preschool reading, math, writing.

Preschool Math - In order to be ready for kindergarten, your preschooler should know how to count to 10, identify colors and shapes, identify numbers through 10, group items by shape or color, use mathematical words that describe distance and size, and complete patterns.

Preschool Writing - Get your child ready to write by using activities that strengthen fine motor skills. Teach your child to hold crayons and scissors correctly, trace lines, cut and paste, draw basic shapes, and write his or her name.

Preschool Reading - To be ready to read, your child needs to know how to hold books correctly, listen to stories, tell familiar stories, make rhymes and identify some letters and their sounds.

In addition to the above, your child should know his or her full name, parents' names, address and telephone number. You will also want to make sure your preschooler is mature enough to dress himself, use the bathroom by himself, obey the adult in charge, and interact well with peers.

When homeschooling preschoolers, make sure you stay on your child's level by moving forward or slowing down as needed. Put away the curriculum if it becomes frustrating or overwhelming, and let your child learn by helping you with chores, errands and other responsibilities.

Make time to talk to your child and answer questions thoroughly and patiently. You don't need a degree to successfully homeschool preschool. All you need is a few good books, time and a lot of love!

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Preschool Readiness: Tips To Ensure Your Child Is Prepared

2009-02-11T05:02:00.001-08:00

Preschool Readiness: Tips To Ensure Your Child Is Prepared

Is your child ready for preschool? If your child has been attending daycare, you may think that he or she will automatically be ready for the preschool environment, however this may not be the case. Here are some ways that you can help prepare your child for preschool.

Preschool Idea #1- Encourage your Child to Spend time with Others
Before you can expect your child to play with other children, you must first expose him or her to other playmates. This is the best training to introduce your child to concepts such as sharing and taking turns. Many preschoolers are isolated from other children and this can make integration into the preschool more traumatic. By simply arranging for your child to have play dates with friends, or by enrolling him or her in a social gathering, you can ensure that your child will have the exposure needed to feel confident in a social setting.

Preschool Idea #2- Acknowledge Your Child’s Fears

It is very important that if your child tells you that he or she is fearful about starting preschool, that you acknowledge their fears and don’t dismiss them. Many times, well-meaning parents shrug off their children’s fears and in turn reply with upbeat and positive replies. However, it is crucial to your child’s emotional development that they express their fears and insecurities and feel that they are acknowledged. To help them overcome their nervousness, try watching a video together that pertains to starting school, or even read a book together that discusses it. The Franklin series, by Paulette Bourgeois, has a great book called, “Franklin goes to School”. You can also browse for more titles at your local library.

By taking the time to prepare your child, instilling routines or rituals, and planning on more activities for your child that involve other children, you can ensure that your little one will be well prepared when it is time for him or her to start preschool.

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Is Using Home-school Or Preschool Techniques To Your Childs Advantage?

2009-02-11T04:56:00.000-08:00

Is Using Home-school Or Preschool Techniques To Your Childs Advantage?

The idea of Home school is growing incredibly, and today they begin with preschool. Amongst the many reasons are transportation, cost, effective time management, special needs, religion and a lack of confidence in the conventional schooling system. When considering home school preschool you want to ask yourself a number of select questions relating to both you and your child.

Personality Appraisal
Standing back and appraising the personality of your child is a tremendous factor in preschool home school. This can go a far way to deciphering their greatest preschool goals. Are they outgoing and integrate and communicate well in social interactions, or are they the loner? Are they constantly looking for playmates or are they content with the contact they have with neighbors and siblings? All of these are questions you will need to ask yourself.

The flip side of the coin to this is you, the parent in the roll of teacher. Do you have the patience to repeat the same thing time and time again before your student thoroughly understands the various aspects they will learn in home school preschool? Naturally, you love your child unconditionally; though evaluate yourself realistically at this level of patience. Are you home schooling for the convenience, or for another reason?

Time And Commitment

Are you prepared to spend 2-3 hours for 2-3 days a week providing home school preschool for your child? There are numerous activities you will have to be part of during this time. This is an area you will need to be extremely honest with yourself on. Will you be able to dedicate this time without exception or distraction to teach your child? Be sure you will complete this important task before you begin.

Curriculum and Materials

As with all home school there are many sources for preschool supplies, and there are as many resources from other 'home-scholars'. Upon looking them over online and offline; will you enjoy these activities on a steady basis with your child, and can you keep with them for the whole preschool year? Can you afford them? You will need at least some materials that aren't likely to be free, and potentially a well prepared professional curriculum may cost you much more.

Group Relations And Interaction

Part of preschool, home school or otherwise is getting your child started interacting with other children. When you take on the home school preschool task, you will need to bring this to your activities as well. Often 'home-schoolers' in a community can work together to have things to fill this conventional schooling gap. This is where the children learn to wait in line, and taking turns.

Child Care Needs

Home school preschool will require thorough and dedicated attention to your preschooler. Do you have the necessary arrangements for childcare for your other children during times when you need to focus on the one that is in home school preschool? While at times you may manage to accomplish both roles, there will be times where that might not be feasible.

After Everything Being Said And Done

Overall, home school preschool may be the best preschool experience you can give your child. Think carefully to be very certain of this. If after careful thought you feel it won't work out, it's wise to choose other methods. Though if you are sure of the task, do your very best and you stand to give your child a better experience since you care.

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What To Look For In Preschool Curriculum Resources

2009-02-11T04:40:00.000-08:00

What To Look For In Preschool Curriculum Resources

Imagine a four year old running through the house, jumping on the bed, and getting into stuff. Meanwhile, a three year old adds to the chaos with his relentless pestering. With a tried patience and seeming like nothing has been accomplished, parents can easily throw up their hands in frustration and begin to raise their voices. Parents of young children can easily imagine this scene, and they would hope to stay calm and collected in this situation. On days like this, parents begin to realize the need for creative ways to channel their child’s limitless energy and curiosity. One creative way parents can turn chaos into constructive learning is through preschool curriculum resources. Preschool is an effective tool to teach children life skills, while keeping them entertained. However, the success of teaching and entertaining preschool children depends upon the instruction and curriculum. So, what should parents and teachers look for in preschool curriculum resources to ensure success and fun? Consider these important questions:

Does the curriculum promote Christian values?
Curriculum resources should reflect the values desired to be instilled within the child. If the values deviate from those standards, the material should not be taught. Parents know that instilling Christian values at an early age is crucial because they teach children acceptable behavior expected of them. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” However, it is important to note that this proverb is not an invariable rule or binding promise from God. Proverbs merely explains how life generally works. Ideally, good parents will raise godly children, and good teachers will produce successful students.

Is the curriculum engaging and instructive?
In searching for preschool curriculum resources, parents should pay special attention to the “engaging and instructive” aspects of the material. Is the material bright, inviting, imaginative, and fun? Does the material use engaging images to teach children lessons in basic skills? Young children thrive on bright colors, hands-on activities, and do-it-themselves tasks. If a curriculum does not provide these aspects, children will quickly lose interest and not benefit from the lessons being taught. Most curriculum materials highlight goals for cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development, but it is important to make sure the curriculum resources are child-friendly and helpful to parents as well.

Is the curriculum child-directed?
Some parents prefer child-directed curriculum for preschool. Child-directed curriculum uses toys or objects a child is playing with to teach a life lesson. For instance, if a child is playing with a fire truck, parents can utilize that time to teach the child about fire safety. If a child is playing with a teddy bear, parents can talk about bears and animals. Even though a child is playing, he is learning without having his playtime interrupted. In this teaching technique, parents should look for curriculum resources that condense important facts about a certain subject into a short lesson. A child’s attention span is very limited, so key facts should be taught within a short time. If parents use this curriculum, they’ll learn that just looking at their child’s toys will create limitless ideas for lesson plans.

What support services does the curriculum offer?
When beginning a preschool curriculum, parents should take special note of what support services the curriculum has available. For example, most curriculum materials provide web pages where additional ideas and techniques are outlined. Some curriculum even offers on-call support to assist parents with the material. Parents should also try to attend preschool seminars and workshops to gain information. Preschool magazines are always helpful, too. The more curriculum resources that are available often means more support is available and more success will be experienced.

By asking these noteworthy questions, parents can make the days of chaos in their homes disappear, and employ well-chosen preschool lesson plans with projects, crafts, games, and songs to transform craziness into creativity!

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Homeschool Preschool Curriculum - Which One Should I Choose?

2009-02-11T04:38:00.000-08:00

Homeschool Preschool Curriculum - Which One Should I Choose?

One of the most difficult aspects of homeschooling preschool is deciding what homeschool preschool curriculum to use. Before looking at the many programs on the market, think about your family's needs. How much time do have to spend preparing for lessons and teaching your child? How much money do you want to spend? Is your child ready for structured, formal lessons? What type of activities does your child enjoy?

If you have a busy schedule or have multiple children to teach, you may want to use a program that has a pre-planned schedule, and requires little preparation and teaching time. Consider using a more traditional program like A beka or Horizons, that comes with lesson plans and workbooks. Rod and Staff sells a set of preschool workbooks that are christian-based and easy to use.

Little Hands to Heaven also comes with a pre planned schedule. This Christian program teaches essential preschool skills using 33 units that are centered around stories from the Bible. Although the program is structured, it is flexible enough to be used with children of multiple ages at the same time.

If your preschooler enjoys reading, consider using a literature-based homeschool preschool curriculum. Programs like Sonlight, Winter Promise and Five in a Row center their lessons around classic children's literature. As you read to and discuss stories with your children, they learn everything they need to know for preschool and beyond.

So what do you do with the wiggly ones? Lapbooks! Hands of a Child and Homeschool Share provide hands-on lapbooking activities you can use to teach those kinesthetic learners we all love. If your child still doesn't want to participate, skip the lessons!

Preschoolers can learn everything they need to know by helping us with household chores and errands. Talk to your child about numbers, patterns, shapes, and letters and their sounds. Read picture books and make up your own stories. Make cards and pictures for loved ones. Take trips to the zoo and library story times.

Real-life interaction is the BEST curriculum for your preschooler. Everything else is just a supplement.

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Teaching Preschool Curriculum At Home

2009-02-11T04:33:00.000-08:00

Teaching Preschool Curriculum At Home

Did you know that only 40 years ago it used to be the “norm” to teach your preschooler at home? Not only did parents teach their little ones moral values of right and wrong, manners, and socialization skills, they also naturally developed their own preschool curriculum to teach their child how to recognize shapes, colors, numbers, and the alphabet. Parents didn’t see themselves as incapable of teaching and rarely considered sending their child to a preschool program to be taught by “experts.” In fact, in 1965, fewer than two in ten four-year-olds attended preschool. Providing a rich, nurturing environment with learning opportunities and work responsibilities, parents taught their children through their examples, conversations, and experiences.

Although today’s society may dictate otherwise, the combination of parents and home is still the best option for giving a child a quality preschool education. Children are happier and more content learning at home, as they have an opportunity to grow and develop physically, mentally, and spiritually at their own pace. Plus, teaching a preschooler at home forms a lasting family bond between parent and child that is irreplaceable. Parents who homeschool a preschooler enjoy the benefit of saving time and money over expensive day care or preschool costs. What’s more, today’s affordable, easy-to-use preschool curriculum resources make discovering, experimenting, and exploring God’s world with children more exciting and easier than ever. Michael Smith, President of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, said it best: “Young children are better off at home. We are in danger of over-institutionalizing them. A child will develop naturally if the parents give the child what he or she needs most in the formative years--plenty of love and attention. In this way, the brain can develop freely.”

Not sure you have what it takes to teach your child at home? Debating if you should send your child to preschool to prepare him for kindergarten? Consider this. For the past several years, you’ve already been teaching your child. He’s learned thousands of important lessons about the world and himself through ordinary activities that also include academic significance. For example, when you’ve read books or sang songs together, you’ve created a lasting impact on your child’s literacy. Add to these teachable moments an engaging and flexible, hands-on preschool curriculum, and you’ll have everything you need to help your preschooler easily learn what he needs to know before entering kindergarten.

Can all parents with time, love, and motivation create a quality preschool program to teach their child at home? The resounding answer is “Yes!” Don’t let the fear of your child falling behind cause you to miss the greatest blessing you can enjoy as a parent. Like past generations before you, teaching your preschooler at home is easy. Simply keep in mind your primary goals of what you want your child to learn and what skills you want him to master. Enjoy the awesome adventure of preparing your little one for future academic success.

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Choosing A Preschool Homeschool Curriculum

2009-02-11T04:20:00.000-08:00

Choosing A Preschool Homeschool Curriculum
Children are always eager to learn, and they yearn for ways to express and explore their independence. In order to satisfy their children’s inquisitiveness, parents should begin looking for the best preschool homeschool curriculum, as a means to educate and develop their children’s creativity. At an early age, children develop a strong sense of curiosity and wonder. They love seeing, engaging in, and interpreting the world around them. So, what should parents look for when choosing a preschool homeschool curriculum, and how can they find a curriculum that’s both easy to teach and implement? Because each child has different needs and interests, there are no easy answers to finding the appropriate curriculum; however, here are some of the most important aspects parents should look for when choosing a preschool curriculum:

Includes Activities for Learning
Four-year-olds have a limited attention span and many haven’t mastered sitting still, so parents need to find a curriculum that integrates activities and learning. The curriculum should provide supplies, as well as ideas, for parents to use in instructing their child. For instance, if the curriculum teaches the recognition of various shapes, it should provide an activity for the child to stimulate learning. The activity could be as simple as matching shapes on a piece of paper or putting cut-out shapes in designated boxes. While the child performs the activity, parents can constantly name the shape and request the child to repeat the name. Even though the child is having fun, he is also learning and developing memorization. If a preschool homeschool curriculum doesn’t provide activities, it will be difficult to keep the child engaged and enthused about learning.

Centers the Curriculum around Books
Books are the key to unlocking a whole new world of wonder in a child’s life! Therefore, when parents choose a preschool curriculum, they should make sure the materials are book-centered and the curriculum promotes an early development of literacy. For example, the curriculum should offer books about letters, numbers, colors, and shapes. These books are not only instructive but also entertaining. With this enhanced focus on books, parents will help their homeschoolers develop an appreciation for literacy. Because books are an important element in expanding a child’s vocabulary, imagination, and comprehension, parents should also research whether or not there are additional resources available with the curriculum. A preschool homeschool curriculum that doesn’t utilize books requires parents to instill the appreciation of literacy without curriculum assistance.

Promotes Creative Thinking
Young children have a very active and creative imagination. In a child’s mind a box is transformed into a castle, a can becomes a telephone, and an umbrella becomes a means of transportation. In order to provide a foundation to teach their children about the amazing world around them, parents need to look for preschool curriculum that stimulates and nurtures creative thinking. As children grow, this creative thinking will help them solve problems and be an active member within a community. Creativity is always a useful and indispensable resource!

Develops Respect and Values
Because young children are very impressionable, a preschool homeschool curriculum should focus on developing respect and Christian values. Parents should look for curriculum that engages children, but also teaches them manners, promotes a proper attitude, and honors others. These are the same values that are important to a family, and a homeschool curriculum needs to support and emphasize those same characteristics. By creating an early development of respect and values, parents will provide their children with a solid foundation that will last a lifetime.

Choosing the most appropriate preschool homeschool curriculum is an important decision parents make for their children, and because of each child’s unique abilities, interests, and gifts, it’s not an easy choice. However, by looking for a curriculum that includes stimulating activities for learning, is book-centered, promotes creative thinking, and develops respect and values, parents can be assured they are adequately preparing their children for kindergarten and the rest of their education. More importantly, they are supporting their children’s natural desire to learn, while also giving them the necessary foundations for a successful life.

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