Transcript

Welcome to module 1 – understanding preschool. The goal here is to fully understand all the components of preschool. I want you to feel incredibly prepared to teach preschool at home to your little one so this course is designed to give you all the tools and resources you need to help this year to be a success. ‘ Sounds good, right?! Then let’s dive in!

This module is essentially preschool 101 and here’s what you will learn:

1. the main components of preschool

2. the skills your child will develop in preschool

3. why sensory play is important

4. the importance of music and movement

5. how to develop social skills and life skills

Teaching preschool at home to your child is EXCITING. YOU get to be their first teacher! You may be feeling a little bit nervous or apprehensive, but trust me….you can do this! After this course, you will feel more confident and ready to start teaching your little one! You may even be so excited you’ll start right away!

Since you’ve signed up for this course, I’m sure you believe preschool is important. I am so proud of you for investing in this course and taking teaching preschool seriously.  

Did you know that the brain develops most rapidly between the ages of 0-5?! That makes the preschool years a crucial time for learning. If you think about it, so many changes happen during those years. 

Not only can preschool be great for learning letters and numbers, it’s great for working on motor skills, social skills, and fine arts. Preschool is a time of discovery, exploring, and diving into topics that interest your child. I simply love this age because preschoolers love learning and are full of great questions!

While preschool is so fun and a time of discovery, the skills preschoolers need to develop before kindergarten are more rigorous. The standard for kindergarten is much higher than it used to be. In fact, many people call kindergarten the new first grade! That means there’s more to work on during the preschool years so they are fully prepared for kindergarten.

Here are a few changes researchers have found:

• Teachers in 2010 were about 33 percent more likely than teachers in 1998 to say they thought kids should start kindergarten already prepared with two of the basics: their ABCs, and how to properly handle a pencil.

• In 1998, 31 percent of teachers said that by the time a kid leaves kindergarten, she should know how to read. In 2010, that figure had increased to 80 percent.

• In 2010, classrooms were 20 percent less likely to have “discovery or play areas” as compared to classrooms in 1998.

All this to say is that kindergarten is a big deal and your child needs to be prepared for it! I know some of you will homeschool your child past preschool, but I also know some of you will send your child to kindergarten. This time in preschool, from ages 3-5 is a great time to work on the basics in a fun, hands-on way!

I hope you see the importance of teaching preschool and that you’re fired up to be the best teacher to your child! I am excited to share more in the upcoming modules. 

Okay, all you need to do now is move on to the next lesson, where I’ll address the main components of preschool. I’ll see you there!