Preschool-age children should learn to identify and describe objects, such as small toys or wooden blocks of various colors and shapes. Teachers can ask their students to sort colored blocks by color or shape. They can assign students to line up their toys in size order, from biggest to smallest. Asking students to describe the objects is another way for them to observe their surroundings and develop the skills to describe what they see.
Teachers can help students learn simple problem-solving skills by providing suggestions for how to end an argument. If two children are fighting over a toy, she can ask them to take turns to share it. As children repeatedly hear suggestions such as these, they will begin to implement on their own and independently solve problems with their peers. Some children have difficulty with the concepts of sharing and taking turns, while others enjoy policing their peers, siblings and parents to share. Such behavior, as long as it isn't bossy, should be rewarded to reinforce the idea that independent problem solving is good.
Preschool students can expand their logical-thinking processes by learning the principle of cause and effect. They may learn through observation that when they tip over a glass of water, they get wet, and therefore learn not to repeat the behavior because it results in unwanted consequences. They can use the same cognitive-thinking strategy to determine what shape or symbol comes next in a pattern if given a sequence of the first few symbols.
Understanding abstract concepts is usually very difficult for preschoolers, but that doesn't stop them from trying to understand them. Teachers should answer their questions about time, birth and death as honestly as possible. Students should learn that when a teacher says "in a few minutes," they have to patiently wait for her attention. Teachers and parents should keep in mind that a child's questions about birth and death are not serious inquiries (just show that the student is beginning to be curious about complex, abstract concepts).