Helpful Tips for Parents

• Expose children to multiple languages early if possible. The preschool window is the most efficient period for language acquisition the brain will ever have.

• Learning environments matter. A space with accessible books, puzzles, art supplies, and natural materials at child height encourages more learning than a child-proofed empty room.

• Curiosity is more valuable than knowledge. A curious child who doesn't know the answer will find it. A knowledgeable child who has lost curiosity will stop learning.

• Sleep is educational. Memory consolidation — the process of moving learning from short-term to long-term memory — happens during sleep. Well-rested children learn more effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much learning time should a preschooler have per day?

All of it — because preschoolers learn continuously through every interaction with their environment. The question of "learning time" implies that learning is separate from living, which it isn't at this age. A preschooler who plays freely, has rich conversations, is read to, helps in the kitchen, plays outdoors, and is exposed to music and art is having the richest possible educational experience. Formal, scheduled "learning time" is less productive than a generally enriched daily environment.

Related reading: See also our alphabet activities and our read-aloud guide for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🌐 World Knowledge — Background knowledge about the world dramatically accelerates reading comprehension — children who know more understand more of what they read — making every content-area learning experience a literacy investment.
• 📚 Pre-Reading Skills — Activities that involve letters, sounds, rhymes, and print directly build the phonological awareness and letter knowledge that are the two strongest predictors of successful reading development.
• 😊 Love of Learning — Positive early learning experiences build a child's identity as a learner — and children who see themselves as curious, capable learners approach school with the engagement and resilience that matter more than any specific skill.
• 👂 Listening & Attention — Activities that require children to listen carefully and follow directions build the voluntary auditory attention that classroom learning, reading comprehension, and conversation all require.

1. Use physical contact to express emotion as you read. Forget being politically correct. Preschoolers need physical touch and the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touch in the preschool classroom is clear. With larger groups of preschoolers, choose a different child each time to sit on your lap.

2. Have preschoolers be an active part of the story. If the character in the book jumps, have the preschoolers jump. If there is a cow in the story, have the preschoolers moo like a cow. Preschoolers have short attention spans and constantly need new movement or sound to keep them interested in a story. If they are sitting still the entire time it makes it harder for them to concentrate.

3. Use a transition activity to calm preschoolers before reading. Preschoolers involved in an active activity are going to struggle to sit still and behave if there is no transition. A slow song or finger play beforehand will change the tone of the class and help children to focus on the story.

4. Allow interruptions. Children love to discuss the stories that they hear. If they are not allowed to voice their thoughts they will be forgotten before the end of the story. Make story time an active discussion that involves all children. Have them share experiences that are similar to the action in the story.

5. Use an appealing voice. Change your tone and volume to coincide with the action in the story. If you are excited about the story, your preschoolers will be also. Story time is the opportunity to develop a life long love of learning in preschoolers.

6. Make music a part of the story. Some books lend themselves to being sung rather than read. This changes things up for the preschoolers and adds a whole new dimension to story time.

7. Follow the story with a related activity. Preschoolers learn in a variety of ways. By adding an activity after reading a story you will appeal to the different learning styles of more preschoolers.

8. Discuss what characters in the book are feeling. Emotional education is a very important part of a preschool experience. Preschoolers are learning how to identify and feel empathy with others outside of themselves. Bringing attention to the emotions that characters are feeling will make them more aware of others emotions in their lives.

9. Ask questions. You may bring up things that your preschoolers have not thought of. Questioning the world is a wonderful way to learn. If you can develop a habit of asking questions, your preschoolers will be more open to future educational opportunities.

10. Have preschoolers "read" you the story. After you have read the book as a group, have preschoolers go through the story page by page and "read" you the story. Retelling the story in their own words will help to improve their vocabulary and communication skills. Hearing their thoughts and feelings about the book will also give you clues about your preschooler's personal interests and provide wonderful ideas for future classroom themes.

Hi! I'm Rachel Lister, the Preschool Education writer at PreschoolRock.com. I live in Utah with my husband and two beautiful boys. When my oldest son was born, I quit my teaching job and opened a home daycare and preschool. I love to help preschoolers learn about the world around them. They make life interesting and I can't imagine doing anything different. If you have any ideas, suggestions or comments, feel free to contact me.