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What Your Child Should Learn in Preschool

By Denise Schipani and Ilisa Cohen


Find out what skills you can expect your child to master at 2, 3, and 4 years old.
Pages in this story

* 2-Year-Olds
* What Kids Learn All Around the Pre-K Room


* 3-Year-Olds
* The Parent-Teacher Conference


* 4-Year-Olds


2-Year-Olds


Preschool is getting plenty of play these days. When most of today's parents were tots, school for the under-5 set was fairly rare, but now you can tote your 2- to 4-year-old to daycare (many of which have preschool-appropriate curricula), Head Start programs, private or parochial preschools, even pre-K programs within the public school system. But what is your child likely to learn (beyond what he'd pick up anyway)? A lot. Here, a snapshot of what you can expect your preschooler to master at ages 2, 3, and 4.

2-Year-Olds

You would think "academics" and "2-year-olds" are terms that rarely meet. And you'd mostly be right. School at this age is less about worksheets and lessons than "getting experience with becoming part of a group," says Ann Gorelow, preschool director of the Cliff Valley School, in Atlanta. "Kids should be introduced to sharing and taking turns, making friends, and developing language." That said, there is plenty more the littlest preschoolers can learn. No, your child won't be reading or penning her name, but later literacy has its roots in toddlerhood, says Ashlee Murphree, owner of Carpe Diem preschools in Dallas. Coloring and painting strengthen the muscles she'll later use to write. Exposure to printed material gets her ready to read. And it's not just books; twos love to see their own words written down -- such as when teachers ask a child to narrate what's happening in a picture. "That teaches them the constancy of the written word," a crucial foundation for reading, Gorelow says.


Talk to me: Practicing the art of conversation -- what preschool experts call "cycles of conversation" -- is another goal for the year. Taking turns to talk is about a growing sense of respect for others -- an important piece of the school-preparation puzzle. Same goes for asking for permission before taking that red crayon.


Physical gains: The biggie now is no surprise: toilet training! A preschool teacher's aim this year should be guiding each child, depending on her potty readiness, toward independent self-care (pulling up pants, washing hands). Meanwhile, fine motor skills still need lots of work; most twos use their whole fist to grab a crayon and move their whole arm to make marks on paper.


3-Year-Olds

Continue at: http://www.parents.com/preschoolers/learning/preparing-preschool/what-your-child-should-learn-in-preschool/?sssdmh=dm17.330952&esrc=nwpce08_09&email=201779094

The Skills Kids Need for School

By Diane Debrovner
Rated by 8 people
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With a classroom full of students, teachers don't have enough hands to help all of the children get their coat on or open their lunch box. Here are ways to help your child learn skills he needs to be more independent.
Pages in this story

* The Jacket Flip
* Get Ready for Lunch


* Tying Shoelaces
* Zippers, Buttons, and Snaps


The Jacket Flip

1.

Lay the unzipped jacket on its back on the floor with sleeves spread out a bit. Have your child stand behind the top of the jacket.
2.

Show her how to bend or kneel down and put her hands in the armholes.
3.

Have her lift her arms straight up over her head, and they'll naturally slip down into the sleeves -- and the jacket will be on.


* Tying Shoelaces

Continue

PRESCHOOL

From making new friends and taming tantrums to writing those first letters, your preschooler will learn a lot from 2 to 4. Find out more about the physical, social and emotional, and language developmental milestones of a preschooler, and get great ideas for discipline strategies, potty training, sleep solutions, feeding picky eaters, choosing a preschool, and more.

Development & Behavior Health & Safety Caring For Your Child Learning & School Activities & Entertainment

Development & Behavior
Behavior
Behavior Problems
Discipline Strategies
Development
Age-by-age
Physical Development
Social & Emotional Development
Speech & Language Development
Milestones

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Health & Safety
Safety & Childproofing
Car Safety
Childproofing
Safety Hazards at Home
Safety Hazards Out & About
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A-to-Z Guide to Illnesses & Injuries
Symptom Guide
Injuries & Accidents
Bites & Stings
Bumps, Falls & Broken Bones
Burns
Child Abuse
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Poisoning
Sprains & Strains
Illnesses & Conditions
Allergies & Asthma
Chronic Conditions
Cold, Cough & Flu
Constipation & Diarrhea
Ear Infections & Other Ear Conditions
Eye Conditions
Emotional & Mental Health
Fever
Foot Conditions
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Head & Hair Conditions
Rashes & Other Skin Conditions
Throat & Mouth Conditions
Vomiting & Other Stomach Conditions
Weight Problems
Treatments & Healthcare
Drugs & Remedies
First Aid
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Vaccines

Editor's Picks7 medicines your shouldn't give your child Symptom guide How to give your child a healthier, longer life


Caring For Your Child
Nutrition & Food
Food Safety
Nutrition Guide
Quick & Healthy Meals
Weight Issues
Winning the Food Wars
Sleep Basics
Bedtime Battles
Sleep Problems & Concerns
Toilet Training
Toilet Training 101
Parenting Strategies
Talking About Difficult Subjects
Teaching Values

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Learning & School
Learning
Building Math Skills
Building Reading Skills
Building Speaking & Listening Skills
Building Writing Skills
Learning Styles
School
Finding a Great School
School Readiness
Working With Teachers
Special Needs Kids
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Gifted Children
Learning Disabilities

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TV
Editor's PicksActivity planner Five ways to get your child moving Playdate primer

Preschool Activities

Are you looking for a way to introduce education to your preschooler? If so, I have found a unique website that you will find beneficial. It is a listing of kid safe websites for preschoolers with educational activities, games, and stories from their favorite character (ie Dragon Tales, Thomas the Tank Engine, along with many more). There is an assortment of activities that you and your preschooler can do together a double reward...spending quality time together while teaching your preschooler!

http://www.kidgrid.com/preschool.htm

Helping Your Preschool Child

With activities for children from infancy through age 5

PDF (759 KB)
en Español
Table of Contents
1.
Title Page
2.
Foreword
3.
Introduction
4.
Ready to Learn
5.
Activities
6.
Babies
7.
Toddlers
8.
Preschoolers
9.
What About Kindergarten?
10.
Taking Charge of TV
11.
Choosing Childcare
12.
Bibliography
13.
Acknowledgements
14.
Ready-for-School Checklist
15.
No Child Left Behind

Teaching Our Youngest

A Guide for Preschool Teachers and Child Care and Family Providers
This is the index page for the publication, "Teaching Our Youngest: A Guide for Preschool Teachers, Childcare, and Family Providers". It draws from scientifically based research about what pre-school teachers and childcare providers can do to help children develop their language abilities, increase their knowledge, become familiar with books and other printed materials, learn letters and sounds, recognize numbers and learn to count.