What Should My Child Learn in Preschool?

If you want to design your own preschool curriculum for your homeschooled preschooler or are just curious about what your child should learn in preschool, read on. You'll learn about the areas of development a preschool curriculum focuses on and see a typical course of study for preschoolers that can also be used a tool to design your own preschool curriculum.

What Areas of Development Does a Preschool Curriculum Focus On?

If you've ever observed a class of preschoolers, it may look to you like a few hours of playtime punctuated by snacks, rest time and a few story hours. But in fact, a good preschool program is working developing your child's skills in the following areas:

- cognitive skills
- language development
- thinking and reasoning skills
- fine and gross motor skill development
- practicing positive social behaviors
- development of good habits in health care and nutrition

The trick to homeschooling a preschooler in these areas, and what a good preschool teacher understands, is to establish a balance between work and play. Preschoolers are a whole different breed and if you are trying to teach a three- or four year-old, they will typically shut down at the first hint of "work." But a good motivational curriculum with lots of play, hands-on activities and creative teaching, sets a great foundation of learning that your child will build on well into the future.

What Should my Child be able to do after Preschool?

To get an idea of what your kiddo should be able to do after they finish preschool, take a look at the following sample preschool curriculum, compiled from Worldbook.com, Scholastic.com, and other reputable educational sites:

Size, Colors, Shapes and Numbers

- Understand concepts like big and small, and long and short
- Begin learning primary colors
- Identify circles, rectangles, and triangles
- Group and match objects based on color, size or shape
- Begin drawing shapes
- Count out loud from 1-10
- Begin to count objects

Reading and Comprehension

- Remember objects from a picture
- Identify what a letter is
- Understand that printed words carry a message
- Pretend to read
- Understand that words on page are read from left to right
- Look at books and magazines
- Have own books
- Make up story based on pictures
- Have someone read to them daily
- Begin to learn nursery rhymes
- Answer simple questions about a story
- Can point out own name in print
- Learn to print first name
- Name common zoo and farm animals
- Identify parts of the body

Language

- Pronounce own first and last name correctly
- Express self verbally
- Call other children by name
- Explain meaning of simple words
- Repeat a 6-8 word sentence
- Complete sentence that's missing a word
- Know age and birthday

Listening

- Follow simple directions.
- Listen and pay attention to short stories
- Listen carefully
- Recognize common sounds
- Repeat a series of sounds
- Repeat a series of orally given numbers
- Retell a simple stories in correct order

Thinking and Reasoning

- Understand spatial orientation concepts, such as up/down, in/out, front/back, over/on/under, top/bottom/middle
- Understand opposites, like hot/cold, fast/slow
- Identify day and night
- Understand concepts like empty or full, more or less

Motor Skills

- Run
- Walk in a straight line
- Jump
- Hop
- Walk down stairs, alternating feet
- March
- Stand on one foot for 5-10 seconds
- Walk backward for at least five feet
- Throw a ball
- Glue objects
- Clap hands
- Match simple objects
- Touch fingers together
- Button a garment
- Build with blocks
- Complete simple puzzles of 5 pieces or less
- Draw and color beyond a scribble
- Zip a zipper
- Control pencil and crayon
- Cut simple shapes
- Handle safety scissors well

Social and Emotional Development

- Can be separated from parents for 2-3 hours without anxiety
- Use restroom and wash hands without help
- Be self-confident
- Does not fear school
- Take care of own belongings
- Know full name
- Get dressed without help
- Know how to use tissue
- Know whether male or female
- Brush teeth without help
- Understands how to cross residential street safely
- Want to go to school
- Know parents' names
- Know home address and phone number
- Participate in conversations
- Carry a plate of food without help
- Understand and practice age-appropriate self-control
- Play well with other children
- Recognize authority figures
- Share with others
- Like teachers
- Meet new people without being shy
- Put away toys without help
- Stay on task without help
- Work independently
- Help at home with family chores

If you are considering homeschool as an option for your little one or have already decided to homeschool and are interested in creating your own preschool curriculum, be sure to check out my article, "Design your own Homeschool Curriculum." There, you'll get tips on developing a fun and tailored educational program that will help you create a fun and effective preschool curriculum for your child.

Sources:
Worldbook.com
Scholastic.com
Parents.com
Universal Preschool
Personal experience