Preparing our children for the start of school can be an overwhelming prospect. There is so much information available that we can be left asking what skills and knowledge preschoolers really need to prepare for kindergarten. Below we discuss some of the most important preschool activities for kindergarten prep.
Preschoolers absorb just about everything around them. They are like small sponges soaking up knowledge and new skills. This is the age where learning is accelerating at a rapid rate, and it is important that preschoolers have the very best environments to grow and learn all that they can.
The subjects young children will participate in, both in preschool and kindergarten, include color identification, counting, recognizing numbers, alphabet memorization, recognizing letters, socialization skills, and hand/eye coordination.
Much of this learning can take place in a home environment through both structured and unstructured learning time, but the benefits of attending a reputable preschool with a caring staff and children of the same ages should not be underestimated.
Let’s take a closer look at the preschool activities that will benefit children as they prepare for kindergarten:
- Colors are a favorite topic among small children. They love vibrant hues that they are surrounded with in their toys, room furnishings, and clothing. They quickly learn the primary colors of red, blue and yellow. Fun activities such as painting and coloring can help awaken an appreciation for art and other crafts. It will also help develop an artistic eye that can easily recognize and match many different shades.
- When a child learns how to count, one to ten seems very simple, but as they are introduced to higher numbers they have to work harder to memorize and recognize them. They can also be taught simple addition with the help of small household objects or toys. The use of flash cards can also be very effective especially if a rewards system is put in place. For the most part, subtraction and multiplication is out of their grasp at this early stage.
- Learning the alphabet may at first consist of just reciting the letters in sequence, but later on they will be able to recognize and even sound out individual vowels and consonants. These will be their first steps toward reading, and while the majority of children remain in the pre-reading stage at this age, some will grasp the concept of putting letters together and sounding them out to make simple words.
- Playing with blocks, puzzles, games and Legos will all assist with developing hand/eye coordination. The basic tasks of buttoning or zipping up jackets or coats, as well as tying shoe laces, will be new skills that these youngsters will learn. Introducing them to sports such as soccer, t-ball, and tennis will also help greatly with skill, dexterity, and speed.
- Social skills and group dynamics are also introduced to youngsters of this age group. They begin to learn how to share, work as a small team, and communicate their desires and needs to their teachers, parents, and peers. Group activities such as free play, group learning, and sports will assist children in learning how to get along with and help children of their own age group.
This time in a child’s life is one of tremendous growth and development. It lays the groundwork for success in elementary and high school both socially and academically. It helps form the basis for learning and social skills for a lifetime to come. The importance of this spurt of learning and growing should never be taken lightly.
Let Miss Humblebee’s Academy help prepare your preschooler for kindergarten success. Start your free kindergarten prep today.
