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What Your Child Should Learn in Preschool
Preschool is getting plenty of play these days. When most of today's parents were tots, school for the under-5 set was fairly rare, but now you can tote your 2- to 4-year-old to daycare (many of which have preschool-appropriate curricula), Head Start programs, private or parochial preschools, even pre-K programs within the public school system. But what is your child likely to learn (beyond what he'd pick up anyway)? A lot. Here, a snapshot of what you can expect your preschooler to master at ages 2, 3, and 4.
2-Year-OldsYou would think "academics" and "2-year-olds" are terms that rarely meet. And you'd mostly be right. School at this age is less about worksheets and lessons than "getting experience with becoming part of a group," says Ann Gorelow, preschool director of the Cliff Valley School, in Atlanta. "Kids should be introduced to sharing and taking turns, making friends, and developing language." That said, there is plenty more the littlest preschoolers can learn. No, your child won't be reading or penning her name, but later literacy has its roots in toddlerhood, says Ashlee Murphree, owner of Carpe Diem preschools in Dallas. Coloring and painting strengthen the muscles she'll later use to write. Exposure to printed material gets her ready to read. And it's not just books; twos love to see their own words written down -- such as when teachers ask a child to narrate what's happening in a picture. "That teaches them the constancy of the written word," a crucial foundation for reading, Gorelow says.
- Talk to me: Practicing the art of conversation -- what preschool experts call "cycles of conversation" -- is another goal for the year. Taking turns to talk is about a growing sense of respect for others -- an important piece of the school-preparation puzzle. Same goes for asking for permission before taking that red crayon.
- Physical gains: The biggie now is no surprise: toilet training! A preschool teacher's aim this year should be guiding each child, depending on her potty readiness, toward independent self-care (pulling up pants, washing hands). Meanwhile, fine motor skills still need lots of work; most twos use their whole fist to grab a crayon and move their whole arm to make marks on paper.
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My three year old is the CEO of a major corporation
11/15/2011 01:45:33 PM Report AbuseYou bitches are FUNNY!
11/6/2011 05:08:08 PM Report AbuseAre you parents really being this catty? Go back to preschool and learn how to socialize without putting others down. Why is spanish important? Because it helps children create more connections in their brain. Any language can achieve this. It isn't an immigration issue. It's mostly just parents voicing that time well spent with their children really pays off. You dont have to be super strict about learning, it can be done through playing and games.
10/25/2011 10:19:49 AM Report AbuseI agree with Holy, I am a homeschooling mother and unlike traditional homeschoolers I will be using a sattelite program with Christian Liberty Academy...so I have no intentions on trying to reivent the wheel! I believe the rigors of preschool is just too much. At 4 years old, Christopher, is in his play-discover-and-do-your-own-thing schooling with a little guidance from me.
10/19/2011 11:09:13 AM Report AbuseTwo to four year olds can learn all these great skills at home with parents who love them. Parents magazine should encourage family bonding by offering the information in a 'parents teach this' style, instead of a 'pay for someone else to raise your child' style.
10/16/2011 08:31:18 PM Report AbuseMy child has thrived under a montessori school (it took 3 schools to find the perfect fit). I found a site called http://www.preschoolpilot.com that gave parent reviews that I found helpful. Good luck
10/4/2011 11:20:46 PM Report AbuseHead Start programs are good because if a child does not have the privilege of being around other children, this will help him/her do that, which helps with communication skills. I am all for it. Why not let them mingle with the other kids? You can't do that at the park because most parents don't want their kids around other "strange" kids. Some parents are very prejudice and don't want their children around certain races (speaking from experience).
8/30/2011 06:44:14 PM Report Abusethis is why our world is so screwed up, while all these parents are super educating their kids, nobody is just listening to their hearts. we are all beautifully and wonderfully made. you can not teach a kid how to feel, but you can teach him how to understand and cope with how he feels.by your words, and actions and reactions. when a kid leaves for college, all those exterior lessons get cracked, and if there is nothing underneath, the body of your child will not survive the crushing.
8/30/2011 11:07:57 AM Report AbuseIf there are any moms out there who are really sersious about making some extra income at home without selling a single thing or touching any kind of inventory, then I highly suggest going to www.athome4kids.awugreen.com This company will treat you like family and you won't get laid of..it is amazing.
8/19/2011 09:05:42 AM Report AbuseWhy are all you parents so concerned with Spanish? I find it quite odd that we are expected to teach our children Spanish yet those children who speak mainly Spanish are not forced to learn, English. We are in America, correct? Thought so.
8/14/2011 11:15:33 PM Report Abuse@silverasrai Amen.
8/2/2011 01:22:50 PM Report AbuseWell, I certainly hope these smarty-pants kids you're bragging about learn better grammar/spelling/writing skills than most of you moms have.
8/2/2011 03:34:51 AM Report AbuseMy Son is two years old,he can count to 50 in spanish and to 30 in English, recognize number 1-30,knows shapes & colors both in english and spanish at age of 18 months he read at least 30 words know that he is 2 he can read up to 120 words, he knows all the 50 states of USA, he know where are each state located he knows the days of the week and the months of the year in english and spanish, ect ect ect He just turn 2 last week and amazes me every day with diferent things
1/11/2011 12:03:47 AM Report Abusemrs.stroller gave a website in her comment for prima princess is there a website for boys like that, if so could you please email it to me at waker@att.net thank you
10/13/2010 01:07:24 PM Report AbuseMy kids are 5 thru 11 and all of them love learning thru playing games. They love the board game ZINGO (like bingo but you learn simple words), and also love preschool games sites like http://primaprincessa.com/preschool-games-page/ which has beautiful connect the dot games for learning abc's, numbers 1-10, 1-20 etc. that all end in ballerina pictures to print out. Another great one is www.abcya.com it's not very high tech but my kids love the educational games.
10/6/2010 04:09:34 PM Report AbuseWhen should a child go thru the night without wetting his/her pants?
9/15/2010 08:09:51 PM Report AbuseMy 5 year old kid laughs, plays, pretends, asks questions and enjoys swimming, tumbling, guitar, music and singing...has tantrums sometimes, plays well with others, uses reason to negotiate and says the darndest things. We aren't putting her in college or 5th grade, nor have we insisted that she get a teaching job this year so I would say that she's doing a fine job of being a five year old who's not expected to be anything but a happy, normal child.
9/15/2010 11:27:18 AM Report AbuseI HAVE A TWO YEAR OLD AS WELL, SHE CAN COUNT TO TEN, RECOGNIZE NUMBERS 1 -10 ,KNOWS BASIC SHAPES,PRIMARY COLORS AND CAN READ AT LEAST 12 WORDS, SO FAR, I BOUGHT THIS AMAZING PROGRAM CALLED YOUR BABY CAN READ AND WOW ,IT REALLY WORKS, MY DAUGHTER AMAZES ME EVERY DAY WITH SOMETHING NEW
9/15/2010 10:48:00 AM Report Abusemy child is smart and can walk,talk,and read.onetime i saw him reading a book at 2.i taught him math,LA,history,science,and more math.he knows more than the average 5th grader
11/3/2009 07:51:53 PM Report Abuse