Reference

Heschong Mahone Group - http://www.h-m-g.com/projects/daylighting/projects-PIER.htm

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Helpful Tips for Parents

• Learning is most durable when it's embedded in play. Don't pull children away from play to "do learning" — find the learning inside the play they're already doing.

• Read aloud daily for at least 15 minutes. This single habit is the strongest predictor of kindergarten reading readiness and long-term academic success.

• Answer "why" questions fully and honestly. A child who gets real answers to their questions develops deeper curiosity than one whose questions are dismissed or oversimplified.

• Screen learning (educational apps and videos) supplements but never replaces human interaction as a teaching medium. Learning happens most efficiently in social, conversational contexts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the role of technology in preschool education?

High-quality educational apps and programs (PBS Kids, Khan Academy Kids, Starfall) used in limited, adult-co-viewed sessions can supplement preschool learning. However, interactive human experiences (conversation, shared book reading, hands-on experimentation, social play) remain far superior as primary learning modes. Screen-based learning is most effective when it is: co-viewed with an adult, limited to 30–60 minutes per day, followed by extension activities in the real world (after a nature app, go outside), and consistently educational rather than commercial.

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

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🔢 Early Numeracy — Hands-on counting, sorting, measuring, and pattern work develops the number sense and mathematical reasoning that formal arithmetic will later build on — and preschool numeracy is one of the strongest predictors of later math achievement.
• 🌐 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.
• 😊 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.
• 🧠 Memory & Recall — Remembering rules, retelling a story in sequence, and practicing skills to automaticity builds working memory and long-term recall — the cognitive foundation that learning in every subject depends on.

Natural light may not be one of your primary concerns when planning your preschool classroom but recent studies by Heschong Mahone Group, an energy consulting firm for the California Board for Energy Efficiency and the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, shows that natural light can increase the ability of students to learn.

The study found a strong correlation between student success and lots of natural light and interesting outside views that were available. Many teachers believe that seeing what is going on outside a window is distracting to students but the opposite was actually found to be true. Natural light, provided there was no glare in the room, was able to help students learn more effectively and maintain a more positive mood.

In the preschool classroom, there is just as much of a need for natural light and interesting outside views. Preschoolers learn best when they are having fun, alert, and in a good mood. Including natural light in the preschool classroom can help preschoolers to learn more effectively and enjoy what they are learning.

Preschoolers benefit from a healthy balance between active and quiet play. Even if a preschoolers inside learning environment does not permit them to be exposed to much natural light, plenty of outside play time can help them to get the educational and health benefits that they will get from exposure to natural sunlight. Outside learning centers can easily be added as part of a well balanced preschool curriculum. Sand tables or sandboxes can have elements from the current preschool theme incorporated into them. Playground equipment that encourages pretend play makes an excellent active play center. An outside art center can be made using a weatherproof easel, sidewalk chalk, and outdoor paints.

Preschool teachers have many opportunities to incorporate natural light into their preschool program even if the classroom itself is not idea. Preschoolers love to go on nature walks and explore the world around them. Weather does not have to be an issue if you plan in advanced. Parents can be asked to send weather appropriate clothing each day that will protect their preschooler from the elements. Outside time during the winter months may be for shorter periods of time than during the warmer months but preschoolers will still receive all of the wonderful benefits of exposure to natural light.

Natural light in preschool classrooms that can be maximized by adjusting the window coverings throughout the day to get the ideal amount of natural light without causing glare. Work stations can be strategically located near natural light sources so that preschoolers and spending their time working in an area that is well lit.

Adding natural light to the preschool classroom helps preschoolers to learn more effectively and can be a simple addition to your regular preschool curriculum. Whether you increase the natural light that preschoolers are exposed to by altering your classroom arrangement or spending more time outside, the preschoolers in your care will benefit.