Helpful Tips for Parents

• Avoid academic pressure before age 5. Preschool children's brains are not developmentally ready for formal academic instruction, and premature pressure backfires.

• Use mathematical language all day: "more than," "less than," "half," "equal," "twice as much." Incidental math vocabulary builds the conceptual foundation formal math builds on.

• 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.

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.
• 😊 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.
• 🔢 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.
• 👂 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.

At the start of a new preschool school year, many preschoolers will be anxious and unsure what to expect. Even preschoolers who have attended a preschool program in the past may feel a bit nervous after a long summer being home with their family and may need some time to work into their new routine. As a preschool teacher, there are many things that you can do to welcome your new preschool class and help anxious preschoolers to feel comfortable in the preschool classroom.

Make Each Preschool Feel Like They Belong. Learn the names of each preschooler in your class as quickly as possible. Preschoolers want to feel like they are being cared for by someone who knows them. Names are such a huge part of our identity that simply knowing a preschoolers name can help them to feel more comfortable in the classroom.

Send a Personalized Letter Home Before Preschool Starts. Preschoolers feel so special when they get something in the mail just for them. A simple, handwritten note sent to each preschoolers home welcoming them to the preschool class can be the start of a wonderful relationship. Include a picture of yourself and any other teachers that will be working consistently with the preschoolers to help them to know what to expect when they start preschool.

Give each preschooler a place that belongs to them. Cubbies are ideal for this. They provide a place for preschoolers to keep their personal items and are a convenient way to make sure preschool projects and letters to preschool parents make it home. Label the cubbies with each preschoolers name and help them to understand that their cubby belongs to them.

Bulletin boards containing each preschool student's name and a colorful visual aid help preschoolers to understand that they are an important part of the preschool classroom. Preschoolers will be excited to see their name somewhere in the classroom and to realize that they belong to a special group of preschoolers. After preschool starts, you can begin to include each preschoolers own special artwork as part of your preschool bulletin board.

Post each preschooler's birthday somewhere in the preschool classroom. There are many pre-made posters available for listing preschooler's birthdays that are simple to fill out and attractive additions to your preschool classroom. A small portion of the bulletin board can be used for this purpose as well. Listing each preschooler's birthday helps them to feel included in the preschool classroom and makes it easy to quickly see if any preschoolers have upcoming birthdays throughout the preschool year.

Be a friendly face. Be genuinely interested in each preschooler and their individual interests. Preschoolers are masters at reading body language and they know when someone truly cares for them. It will take time to build a relationship with each preschooler but by conscientiously working to create a welcoming preschool classroom you will be off to a fantastic start.

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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.