One of the simplest ways to encourage preschool learning at home is to make it musical. Learning the alphabet song and making up number songs are both great fun for preschoolers. Children love to sing, and the act of singing will help young kids remember the educational lesson that is being taught.
For example, do you remember the Mickey Mouse Club theme? The tune of this iconic, catchy song can be used to teach children how to count to 10. Use the part of the song in which Mickey Mouse's name is spelled out, except replace "M-I-C, K-E-Y, M-O-U-S-E" with "One-two-three, Four-five-six, Sev-en-eight-nine-ten". Kids will love it and remember their single-digit numbers in no time.
Once a preschooler has mastered her alphabet, it is time to encourage her to learn some simple, common sight words. You can accomplish this at home by using flash cards with pictures and/or story books in which pictures and short words are paired. Remember that kids must see and practice sight words over and over before they can learn them.
Another way to make sure that children see their sight words often is to label common items around the house. For example, underneath the kitchen clock place a large label with the word "CLOCK" written on it, and point it out to your child as often as possible until she recognizes the word. How will you know when your preschooler can read the word? Test her with a non-illustrated flash card.
Parents can also use wooden letter blocks or scrabble tiles to teach children how to spell words and how to combine words into very simple sentences. Several words can be formed (such as "dog," "cat," "spots," "has," "brown," "black," "the") and children can be asked to rearrange the words into a sentence that makes sense. When funny words are used, this word game will be really enjoyable for preschoolers!
Don't ever miss a night of reading with your preschooler. Daily reading is one of the most educationally beneficial activities that parents can do for their children. Pick colorful, fun books filled with descriptions and action. Pay attention to a child's interests, and pick books about those subjects. For instance, if a child really loves animals, read stories with animals as main characters. If a preschooler is interested in the weather, read some books about storms.
Most children will have their favorite stories and want parents to read them repetitively. As a consequence, parents may begin to read these books with less enthusiasm. A way to keep stories fresh and interesting for the reader as well as the child is to change a word or character's name. See if your child will realize that a word has been changed, and how he or she will react. This can be a fun way to challenge your child's memory and be playful while reading.
Kids love to play games. Preschoolers will benefit from learning activities at home, especially if those learning activities involve fun game play. The games do not have to be complex or expensive. You can use a pair of dice, a deck of cards, or a simple board game such as Chutes and Ladders.
Parents can make their own educational games and activities using craft items. Make a number or alphabet puzzle with a piece of paper and markers. Cut it up into triangles or squares and have your preschooler put it back together. For the passionate artist, print out color-by-number worksheets and have her spend time coloring a picture. She will be learning her numbers and color words at the same time.
Play war with a deck of cards and teach your child how to compare numbers and determine which is greater and which is less. You can do a similar number comparison game with dice. A game that can combine number order with sequence-of-event order would be to cut up a simple comic strip and see if your child can put the story back in the sequential order that makes sense. You can number the squares for younger children, and they can use the numbers as clues.
There are many ways to encourage learning in preschool children at home. Parents who engage their youngsters in educational games, reading and playful learning will find that they will be more willing and enthusiastic learners throughout their lives.