According to the New Jersey State Department of Education, preschool children must learn to cooperate and enter into play with peers. Sharing toys and taking turns are important social skills for children to learn during preschool. By the time they graduate from preschool, children should have learned how to express their feelings in an appropriate manner and be able to demonstrate problem-solving skills.
Preschoolers learn academic skills through play and classroom activities. Children learn to recognize their name in print and work on writing letters. Students learn early math concepts such as shapes, colors, counting and patterns. Preschool helps children learn beginning literacy skills, expand vocabulary and learn the alphabet. According to an article on the PBS Teachers website, “Learning and Teaching in Preschool,” children have to learn pre-emergent literacy skills to build a foundation to learn to read.
According to the National Institute for Early Education Research, preschool children should learn to show empathy for others and to manage their emotions. Children must learn self-confidence and self-control. In preschool they will learn to separate easily from their parents or caregivers and to form a secure, trusting connection with a teacher.
Preschool children learn to be more independent. According to the article, "Appropriate Preschool Goals," published on the Education.com website, preschoolers learn how to take care of their bathroom needs, wash their hands, wipe their own noses and hang up their coats and backpacks. They should also learn how to open their own lunches and clean up after themselves.