How to Teach Preschool at Home

How to Teach Preschool at Home

      Preschool is often the first place where a child will begin to prepare for Kindergarten. It doesn't have to be at a physical building dedicated to a preschool curriculum, however. Any learning that takes place prior to schooling can take place anywhere, but most of the learning can occur right at home.

     Teaching preschool at home can be a fun learning experience for you and your child. Learn how to prepare your child for Kindergarten with fun preschool activities you can do from the comfort of your own home.

What Supplies You Need to Teach Preschool at Home ---
     You don't need to go crazy buying every possible preschool item you think to buy. Believe it or not, if you have a toddler or preschooler at home, chances are you already have some necessary items.

Here are some of the basics to have at home to teach preschool ---
      A table or area where activities can take place. Your kitchen table will work perfectly for many activities, but if you have a child sized table, that will be great as well. Also, if you have a little corner of the house, putting a comfy chair or bean bag chair there can be helpful for quiet activity times.
     Cards, magnets, or blocks with numbers and letters. These can be bought or handmade. They can be used for a variety of activities, so they're great to have on hand. Writing and Art Supplies. Pencils, paper, crayons, markers, paint, glue, and scissors are among some of the items you should have on hand for your preschooler. Most likely you already have many of those things, and so much more. You can reuse many items, like gift wrap, ribbon, tissue paper, plastic bottles, yarn, and much more, for art projects. Books. You probably have many of these. Yay! If not, books with simple words and colorful pictures are great. Nursery rhyme books also are great to have available.

Here are some optional items to have available in your home ---
      Easel. An easel is great for artwork or learning how to draw/write.
Instruments. Music is an important part of preschool learning. Having small instruments, like drums or a keyboard, makes learning music fun! Aquarium or terrarium. Having small animals or fish to take care of can provide learning experiences for your child. We have a turtle at home that my son likes to watch and help feed.

Preschool at Home Curriculum ---
       Deciding on a preschool curriculum, or what you're going to teach, doesn't have to be difficult. Since preschool prepares children for school, you need to determine what your child will need to know or do once he/she is in Kindergarten.

Here are some basic areas in which children should have practice before entering Kindergarten ---

Reading/writing
Speaking
Following directions
Being in a social/public environment
Completing simple routine tasks
Understanding the world, what is in it and how it works
Using numbers
Understanding patterns, opposites, and categories
Basically, preschoolers need to have experience in reading, writing, math, science and social studies. How can you incorporate these areas while teaching preschool at home? Chances are, you already are incorporating them without realizing it. Reading books, following bedtime routines, looking at bugs, putting together a puzzle, and singing nursery rhymes all incorporate the areas above.

The Beauty of Teaching Preschool Concepts at Home ---
         Learning can occur at anytime, so formal lessons aren't always necessary. Anytime your child seems interested in something, foster that interest by talking about the interest.
For example, if you're reading a book, ask questions prompting your preschooler to think about the story and what is going to happen next. If you're making dinner, talk about the process of measuring ingrdients. If you're doing laundry, talk about the colors and fabrics you encounter.