Build lessons around the intrinsic motivations of the children. When developing a lesson plan for a group of young children, keep the children in mind. Lessons should have a sense of intrinsic, or personal, value for the children. They are interested in their world around them, both indoors and out. Create lesson plans that involve interaction with the world of the child. Teach lessons about bugs, plants, cars, pets and other areas where the children show an interest.
Create a thematic unit that involves something of interest to the toddlers. Use the theme to teach the children in every subject. For example, in September, you could teach a lesson about trees. Use trees to teach about nutrition by visiting an apple orchard and then making applesauce. Learn about the bark on the trees by making crayon rubbings from different kinds of trees. Learn about autumn by collecting the leaves and making an art project.
Make the lessons hands-on. Allowing the children to touch and manipulate items helps their minds build connections that are more likely to form long-term memories. Letters and numbers can be taught with the help of Play-Doh, a sand box or sandpaper letters. Activities like lacing, painting and building with blocks, as well as large muscle skills like bouncing and throwing balls, activate learning for toddlers.
Keep the attention span of the toddlers in mind. With each year, the length of the attention span grows but, throughout preschool, it is limited. Develop lessons that can be completed in a short period of time; however, if something captivates the attention of your students, be willing to continue with the lesson a little longer.
Develop lesson plans that use simple stories, song and actions to stimulate the child. Read books to the children, showing the big colorful pictures as you read. Create questions you can ask the children as you read the story. Comprehension is learned through activities that teach children to think as they listen. Music and movement help the brain form different pathways for the same information.