3 Tips for Teaching Pre-K at Home

Even though preschoolers are constantly learning through everyday life, they will benefit from some structured learning time as well. Here are a few simple tips for teaching pre-K at home.

Stack of children's books on a table; text overlay reads "3 simple tips for teaching pre-K at home"

If you have a young child at home, you may be doing a lot of thinking about preschool. Should you send your child to preschool? Should you teach preschool at home? Is preschool REALLY even necessary?

The quick answer is that your child can learn wherever they are, whether at home or in a formal preschool. And while preschool isn’t strictly necessary, it can be very beneficial.

Close-up picture of a child's hand holding a colorfully illustrated book with a drawing of a green crocodile with its mouth open to catch 4 small fish

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Should You Consider Teaching Pre-K at Home?

In spite of what the American educational system may want you to think, you really CAN teach preschool at home–and you can do it just as well (or better!) than any formal preschool can.

Are you homeschooling your kids (or planning to)?

If you are a homeschooling family, you already know that you can teach your kids successfully at home. You may wonder, though, if teaching pre-K is actually important.

Yes, I believe it is!

Even though your child is learning a tremendous amount through everyday life, they will benefit from some structured learning time as well. Simple, engaging activities can help increase attention span, build fine motor skills, and lay a foundation for further learning.

Image of a smiling little girl sitting in a black chair and looking at a colorful book entitled Uncle Wiggily's Story Book

Are you planning to send your kids to public or private school?

You don’t have to be a homeschooler to teach pre-K at home! Even if you plan to send your child to public or private school for kindergarten and beyond, you can teach them valuable kindergarten readiness skills at home.

Your child will benefit from the individualized teaching, and you will be able to rest assured that he or she is well prepared for success in kindergarten.

Do you need something meaningful to do at home with your preschooler?

Every parent of a preschooler knows how busy and active they are. Sometimes it can be hard to come up with educational activities that will engage them and allow you to spend quality time with them.

A simple pre-K program can help you plan meaningful learning activities that you can enjoy with your child–and you’ll make memories together that will last for a lifetime.

Image of 2 children's books entitled Eric Carle's Animals, and The Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature

3 Tips for Teaching Pre-K at Home

1. Nurture a love of reading.

One of the most important gifts you can give to your preschooler is a love of reading. A child who loves to read will also love to learn!

One way you can help your child develop of love of reading is to spend plenty of time reading aloud to him or her. Kids love to hear stories read to them, and they can often comprehend and enjoy more advanced reading than we realize.

We’ve been using Sonlight’s literature-based curriculum this year, and I’ve found that it is the perfect way to encourage a love of reading in my daughter. (And as a mom, I love that I can spend meaningful time reading and learning with her.)

Sonlight’s Pre-Kindergarten Package: Exploring God’s World is especially designed to capture a young child’s interest. With books like The Berenstain Bears’ Big Book of Science and Nature and Usborne’s Stories from Around the World, this package will enthrall young learners while also teaching history, science, Bible, and more.

Image of a large stack of children's books on a schoolroom table

2. Incorporate hands-on learning.

Young children learn best when they are actively involved in some way. When we hear the term “hands-on learning,” we typically think of things like math manipulatives or science projects.

But true hands-on learning should also incorporate development of useful life skills, such as simple food prep activities, basic cleaning tasks, and more.

With Sonlight Pre-K, a variety of hands-on activities are incorporated in each week’s lesson plans. For example, in Week 1, preschoolers will:

  • use shape frames to learn about circles
  • trace letter B in a sand tray
  • use number tiles and math beads to review numbers 1-5
  • practice washing a bowl and cup

3. Practice kindergarten readiness skills.

Preschool is the perfect time to be sure that your child masters the basic skills he or she will need for kindergarten, such as:

  • recognizing their name in writing
  • saying the alphabet
  • recognizing and naming colors
  • counting to 10
  • holding a pencil properly
  • using scissors correctly
  • recognizing and naming basic shapes
Image of a children's science book with a drawing of 2 children and a panda bear in a wagon, with text discussing gravity

You really CAN teach pre-K at home, and you can do it WELL!

If you’d like to take the uncertainty and stress out of planning preschool for your child, check out Sonlight’s Pre-Kindergarten Package.

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