Lessons in language are most commonly included in early learning standards. Interactive alphabet and letter games help children learn, and games that incorporate song and sound will engage them. Games that incorporate colors, patterns and rhymes, such as alphabet songs, picture dictionary and nursery rhyme games, will grab children's attention. Lessons that build each child's vocabulary and encourage critical thinking will get results.
Lessons encouraging children to count to 10 or 20 are good for pre-kindergarten students. Interactive counting games that relate numbers to objects help children apply numbers to the world around them. Shape recognition is also important and lessons can include color, shapes and number matching, and finding shapes in pictures. To develop sorting skills, teach children how to sort by size and category, or play games that ask children to identify what is the odd one out in pictures.
Try to make pre-kindergarten lessons as creative and interactive as possible by incorporating music, movement and art. Music and dance lessons teach children to move their body and identify sounds and musical instruments. Craft and coloring is great for visual learners and creative children, and you can find elementary art lessons online that are suited to pre-kindergartners. Lessons on the computer will improve children's mouse skills, which, in turn, develop their fine motor skills. Teach pre-kindergarten children lessons that reflect the child's development at the preschool age; don't simplify lessons developed for older children.
Children's development in pre-kindergarten is influenced dramatically by their environment. Children's home and community environments can differ greatly, which means that the children in one class can be at various stages of development. Lessons taught in pre-kindergarten should cater to children with a range of development levels. Also, one child's development may be uneven in various areas -- he may be fantastic at numeracy but have poor knowledge of the alphabet. A child also can make a huge step in development almost overnight.