The Perfect Preschool Curriculum
Okay, I'm just going tell you how it is...whether you want to read it or not!
Anyone, I mean ANYONE, can teach preschool at home.
Because you care enough to research for "The Perfect Preschool Curriculum," you are most likely already implementing the right strategies and have the passion to make it happen.
Relax... You can do this!
Just in case you don't believe me, I've come up with a list of skills most children have acquired when their parents or caregivers create a nurturing environment at home without the use of worksheets and charts. In fact, most of you own the "tools" and "curriculum" already.
Living SkillsWhether you have an intellectually brilliant child or a child with special needs, living skills are required for a child to be successful academically, whether or not you intend to homeschool or enroll them in public school.
1. Character Training
The best way to bring out the best character in your child is to model it yourself. By actively listening, showing compassion, and respecting others you instill a lot of your own values in your children. Go further by reading books that show empathy and kindness.
2. "Please" and "Thank you"
Teaching your children manners may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many parents forget to teach their children these simple words. Intentionally modeling behavior you expect from your own children may sound like: "Please pass the butter." or "Thank you for handing me your spoon."
3. Using a Quiet Voice
There will be times when you want your child to use their quiet voice. You know...when you are standing behind someone in the grocery store and they pass gas and you have to evacuate quietly. (A wink wink nudge nudge kinda of opportunity.) Try carrying on an entire conversation using your quiet voice. You may be surprised how much better they "listen" when you whisper.
Some other places or times this skill might be handy: Church, library, and when you don't want to wake the baby.
4. Washing Hands with Soap
If you read my blog about Instilling a Love For Music, you would assume our family loves to sing. We are constantly making up new lyrics to classics. When washing our hands, we sing to the tune Are you Sleeping, using "Tops and bottom, tops and bottoms, in between, in between."
Sounds fun, literally. But our preschooler learns an important skill in keeping herself healthy.
5. What's your name, address, and phone number?
People often ask our children, "How old are you?," expecting to see them raise their little fingers and announce how they old they are. But most importantly, they should know their name (first and last), address, and phone number. In case of emergency, your child may need to know this information and who they can give this information to. They should be able to spell their name as well. This could take several days or several months to master. We personally have a last name that could stretch across a hockey player's entire back, so our daughter had to master it in chunks. Several letters at time. We even made up a rhyme to help her remember better.
6. Know your Community Helpers and Neighbors
I often ask my oldest, "Who would you go to if I was hurt and you needed help?"
I can't stress how important it is for your children to know who they can go to in the event of an emergency. If your 3-year old can turn on your phone, find an app they would like to play and play it.. They can dial 911. Enough said.
Here are some Community Helpers they should know: Firemen, Policemen, Librarians, Trusted Neighbors, Nurses, Veterinarians, Doctors, and Dentists. I highly recommend scheduling a tour with your local police, fire station, veterinarian, and/or dentist office. They provide great first hand experiences.
7. Make eye contact
Modeling good social skills, such as making eye contact, are a part of a healthy social life. Now some teenagers with their eyes glued to their phones (instead of carrying on a conversation with those they are with), probably wouldn't agree with me. But attentiveness is an important skill that shows others how important they are. In all honesty, I'm still working on this skill with my nine year old and from my research...I'm not alone.
8. Let your kids lose.
A recent study concluded: "In the real world, when children experience a great deal of success on a task -- mom or dad always letting them win at a game, for example -- they may become less aware of important information that they could use to learn about the world, because they see it as less relevant to their future success."-Palmquist
We live in a society where upon entering kindergarten we are handed a "My child is Terrific at blah blah Elementary." Let's give our kids a dose of reality early on, and teach them that we all have specific skills God wishes us to use. Chances are, your child will not be a professional athlete. So, let's all be realistic and challenge our children to a game of skill. Learning how to lose is just as important as winning.
9. Water Safety
According to the Florida Department of Children and Families," Florida loses more children under the age of five to drowning than any other state in the nation. These deaths were 100 percent preventable." Check their site for swimming programs in your area.
Whether you live in Florida or not, being able to swim is an emergency preparedness skill they should have experience in. Just practice holding their breath while water covers their head is an important first step. While I gave my newborn a bath, I counted to three then poured a large cup of water over her head. Some people believe the counting isn't necessary, but I preferred to give her a heads up. I still find myself counting, even though she is two, and she doesn't care if water is covering her head.
Academic SkillsAhhhh... The moment you've all been waiting for. Academic Skills. To be honest, there is criticism as to whether or not preschoolers even need to learn these skills before they enter kindergarten. Many people believe children at the preschool age should just be kids without a structured curriculum or course outline. None the less, many school districts ask parents to provide their children with some type of Kindergarten Readiness training. If you decide to enroll your child into a particular district or school, I recommend you research online to see if they have specific suggestions or checklists.
Leap Frog also has an enormous Kindergarten Readiness checklist broken down into categories I recommend, but it could be a bit overwhelming.
With that said, I created a basic list of Kindergarten Readiness skills most districts suggest with examples on how some moms are helping their children master them.
The Kindergarten Readiness List
Keep in mind...Some of these skills can be mastered with an "Interest Led", or unit approach.
For example, my daughter loved dinosaurs when she was three. We drew dinosaurs, counted dinosaur figures (manipulatives), read about dinosaurs, sang songs about dinosaurs, sorted our dinosaurs by color, studied the letter "D" in terms of sound and shape, drew the letter "D" in the mud using a dinosaur figure, made dinosaur eggs (Oat Meal) for breakfast, etc.
You get the point, right?
I strongly urge you to use your child's interests!
We learn more when we are passionate about what we are learning. And that's what makes your curriculum "Perfect" for you. You decide what is most important for them to know, or be able to do. Every child is different. It's okay to experiment and see what works best for your child.
Here is a list of suggested themes or units:
Trains
Dinosaurs
Farm Life
Monster Trucks or Transportation
Plants and Seeds
Animals
Insects
Family
Fairy Tales
Bible Stories
Weather and Seasons
Anyone, I mean ANYONE, can teach preschool at home.
Because you care enough to research for "The Perfect Preschool Curriculum," you are most likely already implementing the right strategies and have the passion to make it happen.
Relax... You can do this!
Just in case you don't believe me, I've come up with a list of skills most children have acquired when their parents or caregivers create a nurturing environment at home without the use of worksheets and charts. In fact, most of you own the "tools" and "curriculum" already.
Living SkillsWhether you have an intellectually brilliant child or a child with special needs, living skills are required for a child to be successful academically, whether or not you intend to homeschool or enroll them in public school.
1. Character Training
The best way to bring out the best character in your child is to model it yourself. By actively listening, showing compassion, and respecting others you instill a lot of your own values in your children. Go further by reading books that show empathy and kindness.
2. "Please" and "Thank you"
Teaching your children manners may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many parents forget to teach their children these simple words. Intentionally modeling behavior you expect from your own children may sound like: "Please pass the butter." or "Thank you for handing me your spoon."
3. Using a Quiet Voice
There will be times when you want your child to use their quiet voice. You know...when you are standing behind someone in the grocery store and they pass gas and you have to evacuate quietly. (A wink wink nudge nudge kinda of opportunity.) Try carrying on an entire conversation using your quiet voice. You may be surprised how much better they "listen" when you whisper.
Some other places or times this skill might be handy: Church, library, and when you don't want to wake the baby.
4. Washing Hands with Soap
If you read my blog about Instilling a Love For Music, you would assume our family loves to sing. We are constantly making up new lyrics to classics. When washing our hands, we sing to the tune Are you Sleeping, using "Tops and bottom, tops and bottoms, in between, in between."
Sounds fun, literally. But our preschooler learns an important skill in keeping herself healthy.
5. What's your name, address, and phone number?
People often ask our children, "How old are you?," expecting to see them raise their little fingers and announce how they old they are. But most importantly, they should know their name (first and last), address, and phone number. In case of emergency, your child may need to know this information and who they can give this information to. They should be able to spell their name as well. This could take several days or several months to master. We personally have a last name that could stretch across a hockey player's entire back, so our daughter had to master it in chunks. Several letters at time. We even made up a rhyme to help her remember better.
6. Know your Community Helpers and Neighbors
I often ask my oldest, "Who would you go to if I was hurt and you needed help?"
I can't stress how important it is for your children to know who they can go to in the event of an emergency. If your 3-year old can turn on your phone, find an app they would like to play and play it.. They can dial 911. Enough said.
Here are some Community Helpers they should know: Firemen, Policemen, Librarians, Trusted Neighbors, Nurses, Veterinarians, Doctors, and Dentists. I highly recommend scheduling a tour with your local police, fire station, veterinarian, and/or dentist office. They provide great first hand experiences.
7. Make eye contact
Modeling good social skills, such as making eye contact, are a part of a healthy social life. Now some teenagers with their eyes glued to their phones (instead of carrying on a conversation with those they are with), probably wouldn't agree with me. But attentiveness is an important skill that shows others how important they are. In all honesty, I'm still working on this skill with my nine year old and from my research...I'm not alone.
8. Let your kids lose.
A recent study concluded: "In the real world, when children experience a great deal of success on a task -- mom or dad always letting them win at a game, for example -- they may become less aware of important information that they could use to learn about the world, because they see it as less relevant to their future success."-Palmquist
We live in a society where upon entering kindergarten we are handed a "My child is Terrific at blah blah Elementary." Let's give our kids a dose of reality early on, and teach them that we all have specific skills God wishes us to use. Chances are, your child will not be a professional athlete. So, let's all be realistic and challenge our children to a game of skill. Learning how to lose is just as important as winning.
9. Water Safety
According to the Florida Department of Children and Families," Florida loses more children under the age of five to drowning than any other state in the nation. These deaths were 100 percent preventable." Check their site for swimming programs in your area.
Whether you live in Florida or not, being able to swim is an emergency preparedness skill they should have experience in. Just practice holding their breath while water covers their head is an important first step. While I gave my newborn a bath, I counted to three then poured a large cup of water over her head. Some people believe the counting isn't necessary, but I preferred to give her a heads up. I still find myself counting, even though she is two, and she doesn't care if water is covering her head.
Academic SkillsAhhhh... The moment you've all been waiting for. Academic Skills. To be honest, there is criticism as to whether or not preschoolers even need to learn these skills before they enter kindergarten. Many people believe children at the preschool age should just be kids without a structured curriculum or course outline. None the less, many school districts ask parents to provide their children with some type of Kindergarten Readiness training. If you decide to enroll your child into a particular district or school, I recommend you research online to see if they have specific suggestions or checklists.
Leap Frog also has an enormous Kindergarten Readiness checklist broken down into categories I recommend, but it could be a bit overwhelming.
With that said, I created a basic list of Kindergarten Readiness skills most districts suggest with examples on how some moms are helping their children master them.
The Kindergarten Readiness List
- Recognize and name basic shapes: square, circle, triangle, and rectangle
- Recognize and name numbers 1-10, even when they are out of order
- Count to 20
- Count 10 objects, pointing to each one as she counts
- Say or sing the alphabet
- Recognize the letters of the alphabet, both uppercase and lowercase (even out of order)
- Identify colors in an 8-ct crayon pack
- Recognize her first name
- Write her first name
- Sort items by size, color, or shape
- Hold a book and turn pages
- Tell if two words rhyme
- Identify some letter sounds
- Say his or her parents’ full names and one phone number
Keep in mind...Some of these skills can be mastered with an "Interest Led", or unit approach.
For example, my daughter loved dinosaurs when she was three. We drew dinosaurs, counted dinosaur figures (manipulatives), read about dinosaurs, sang songs about dinosaurs, sorted our dinosaurs by color, studied the letter "D" in terms of sound and shape, drew the letter "D" in the mud using a dinosaur figure, made dinosaur eggs (Oat Meal) for breakfast, etc.
You get the point, right?
I strongly urge you to use your child's interests!
We learn more when we are passionate about what we are learning. And that's what makes your curriculum "Perfect" for you. You decide what is most important for them to know, or be able to do. Every child is different. It's okay to experiment and see what works best for your child.
Here is a list of suggested themes or units:
Trains
Dinosaurs
Farm Life
Monster Trucks or Transportation
Plants and Seeds
Animals
Insects
Family
Fairy Tales
Bible Stories
Weather and Seasons