I've been taking my daughter to storytime at the library and I also take her to a Kindermusik class once a week; this helps her social development because that's very important prior to entering preschool. I also read books with her, do crafts, do prewriting skills, teach ABCs, numbers, colors, shapes. We've also been working on self-help skills and manners.

well i have a two year old. and i have been getting him started on. Reading daily, and coloring. And playing with playdough. And he plays with his toys. want else is good for a two year old. i need more suff to get him ready. Dallas

I use Smarty Crafts and it's awesome. It allows me to play with my 3 yr old daughter using crafts with kindergarten based lessons developed by a teacher. It's important for me that my daughter doesn't feel like I'm trying to teach her so this craft kit allows me to interact in a way that is fun & creative and she learns in the process. We both have fun and sometimes I learn something new too. Check it out. Their website is www.smartycrafts.com. Each month we get a new kit with new theme and new lessons like color, shape, letter, number and vocab. And, the company was started by two moms so they understand what works.

If you liked "Letter Factory", you will also love "Meet the Sight Words"DVD from www.preschoolprepco.com. It beats flash cards any day!

What I do to prepare my 4 year old son is I do the flash cards with him and I lay them all out, sometimes I mix them up and I ask him to show me what letter or what number it is. He is very smart and itelligent he suprises me all the time.

I've been looking online lately for my child who's going to be turing three early next month. I've been looking around what kind of activities that she can do to help her get ready for school. I usually have her and her little 18 mos old brother watch Sesame St by helping her count, her alphabet, opposites. And even reading books to her about sharing helping her to write, which is somewhat of a challenge cause she wants to learn how to write her name. I try to teach her as much as I can and that I remind her that she will meet a nice teacher and that she'll meet new friends to play with everyday. I even tell her that she'll do lots of coloring activities that I know she'll have a blast doing. Because she does it at home with me and boy does she get a little messy. What I do love most about her be artistic is that she tells me what she's drawing or trying to write. She is very expressive and I think that doing some of these just might get her or any child ready for preschool. I just can't wait for her to meet new friends.

I know that the Stanton Community Service Center in Stanton is offering a FREE preschool program called Readiness On The Road for the parent and child. It is offered on Friday mornings for ages 2 1/2 to 5 years old at 8:30am to 11:30am...you must sign up and space is limited...but if you are interested call 714.623.3009

I like the placemats. Thats a great idea.

I agree regarding reading. I read to my 3 year old every night. When she gets sleepy she will say "mom, lets read a book" She loves books. She will even go to her room and get a book and flip threw it on her own. I am guilty of not letting her get messy enough but we are working on that. Thanks for the infomation.

The biggest difference in kids that have never been in any organized setting I see is social. Cutting, letters, etc. is all secondary to being able to communicate thoughts well, share ideas with teachers and peers exhibit compassion and cooperate. Spend time assesing your kids stregths in those areas....the rest will come. Good luck!

My advice would be to visit the preschool a few times to let your child become acquainted with the teachers and the environment before your child attends. Be brave. Preschool teachers welcome parents. As far as getting your child ready, it sounds like you are doing that. She shouldn't have any separation issues since you have already been taking her to a daycare. ( Does she separate ok there). One of the things that I have learned as a preschool teacher is parents do not let their children get messy enough. Let her finger paint, play with playdoh, cut and paste, (watch closely with the scissors but let her cut), play in sand and water, measure things, put puzzles together, grow a plant together, stack blocks, count everything, bang pots and pans, and so much more but be patient and have fun. One of the most important things you can do for your child is read to them every night, and take them to your local library. They love this. Well, enough. Sorry, I love my job a little too much.......

hi! i take my kid to kid friendly websites such as pbs kids,mickeymouse clubhouse, and nick jr. most computers have a place u can go to to pull up games and type in the keywor "learning or education and they will let u try it for free. sometimes you have to download these games on your computer. if u dont own a computer its always the old fashion way such as watching pbs kids or any other kid friendly channel. the dollar stores also have flashcards, books, activite and coloring, etc.

I agree with so much of what Profmom says but...I'll be sending my little guy to preschool this fall. Just 2 mornings a week for 2 hours at a time. I stay home with him all the rest of the time and we do everything together- we play at the park, we visit zoos and museums, we take music and swim classes, we hang out, we have playdates at our house, and on and on. He's a happy and social little boy and I never considered daycare an option for me (or him). I do choose to send him to preschool because I feel he's ready for some adventures all his own in a "safe" environment (especially since the preschool is directly across from my house ;) I can't think of everything- I learn from other people like he learns from me. So- I will broaden his horizons by placing him in a new and exciting environment with new friends to play with 2x a week. This is not a way for me to "slack" or escape from him- I will miss him bunches! I guess I agree that every parent knows what is best for their own unique individual child. Go with your instincts- if you feel your child is ready for school at 3, 4, 5, 6- go with it. Hey- we have more important things to agonize over- such as where will they go for college!

Check the website of KidsFirstOntario.ning.com
View the profile

I'd like to meet Profmom. She spoke my heart and what I know to be true but the pressure from other parents had me doubting myself. Who doesn't want the best for their children.

Dear Mommy F5,
There is no need to send your daughter to school at all until she's ready for kindergarten if you are at home with her. All every child wants or needs is to be with her mom. Read to her, play make believe games-pretend you are a spoiled child in a restaurant and she is the Mommy and watch her take care of you, teach her manners and how to show the spoiled child the correct way to behave in a restaurant--make her laugh. Make her smart. Show her how to take a hike, ride a bike, roll down a hill. Get her a pet fish. Read about different fish. Go window shopping. Teach her how to make your favorite cookies and eat them while they're still hot. Take her to the library and get her her own Library card. Tell her to pick three books, read them to her and then get three more--some libraries have special Mommy and child reading times where you can tell her we're going to school.
There are other programs that you can send her to at three for 1 hour once a week so she's got a little lunch box and thinks she's in school.
The best program is the one where you're with her everyday. Take her to the zoo, to the botanical gardens, to the city to see the sights. Plan your trips and get her excited about them by reading about them in books for the library so she's really excited and looking forward to the special trip. Bring one of the cousins along on one of these special trips. She will get far more education from this type of activity than from being cooped up in a room with other children where little else besides babysitting and time-killing activities take place. That is what all these programs are.
It is a known fact by antone who is in contact with little children that those children who are in day care their entire developmental years are clingy and insecure because no one had time for them. As a result, their mothers are racked with guilt and to compensate, they buy, buy, buy. Time is the more valuable gift to give your child.
These days you have with her are priceless. Cherish every moment. Create a magical childhood for her that you could only dream was true. Then you will send a secure, happy well-rounded little person to kindergarten who is not afraid because she is secure in herself and your love.
I know. I've done it three times. And those years were the best years of my life--I created a phenomenol childhood for my kids and today, they are smart, rational, secure, relaxed in every situation and they are a pleasure to be around for everyone that comes in contact with them. They are now 15, 13 and 11.
Don't follow the crowd. Your child will say many things, she doesn't really know what she wants yet. Follow your heart and have fun.

Professor Mom

My daughter is turning 3 in May and I honestly had no intentions in ever sending her to preschool,but she is telling me she wants to go to school like her bigger cousins. This is killing me. I have only been away from her once since she has been born,and that was only because I almost lost my own life being pregnant w/my 2nd child {which I lost} when she was 10 months old. I was hospitalized for a week and could not be w/her. So im scared to away from her. Can someone please give me some advice on how to decide what to do? I want to do what is best for her but secure for me.

I have only reviewed about half of the posts on this board, so forgive if I'm repeating what others have said.

One key thing to do to prepare your child is to work on the basics, like sitting still (criss-cross, applesauce usually) for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. I bought a little pillow and we sat and watched a video together (I like the Letter Factory) or looked at flash cards, or traced letters with a pencil or even with her fingertip. It's hard for them to get used to sitting still and staying focused when the room is bright, cheery and full of fun things to play with.

I also like to use as many passive learning tools as I can. I work full-time outside the home, so I need as much help maximizing our time as possible. I use placemats with letters, or numbers, or shapes on them. I rotate the placemats every so often so they don't stop looking at them. I'm always surprised at how well this works. Even my older girl learns the shapes and locations of the states partially because of a map placemat that we have.

Good luck!

I bought a CD with ABC's on it, a puzzle with the alphabet as individual pieces, and the multiple puzzles where you can spell out short words such as cat and dog. It was easy to teach my 3-yr old daughter through play. She learned her ABCs through song but she was able to recognize the letters by me pointing the letters out on the puzzle as we sang them. The puzzles also let them get a feel for what the shape of the letters are through touch. For writing the letters, V-tech has this inexpensive toy that shows them how to draw and write out the letters.

Hi ,my daughters started the preK the last years,now they are in the middle of the year,in two months prepared them to start the school,don't fear for she because i understand you,all the moms feel the same thing when the kids start the school,we think so they aren't doing like we want.You only need start to prepare she ,talk with she ,say what she is going to do at the school,give to she pencils,crayons start to show the colors,give she paper and sccisor because she is going to need too,and help to writte his name and count from 1 to 10,but don't press the girl this is only the start she don't need know all this when start the school only need be familiarize with this topics and will be very helpfull because will be more easy for she and you.and now you're on time to start help she,do step by step,first learn how to holding a pen,after how to do colors,etc.With my daughters this was very helpfull
because they started to know all this in the house.

denna70,

Hello,
Your post touched me. I sincerely understand what you are feeling. So these are simple words of advice hoping it will help you. The hardest part for you is your own feelings of missing out during the first year, knowing this is your "baby" and maybe a tiny voice asking ...what's wrong with you...you have raised your older children..I don't want my little child feel my nervousness. Okay, now ...get over it:-) it is so much harder than said. When I find myself in a similar position, I decide to be an actress so to speak. Where I will think how I want to act and be around my child. It helps me not think about what is wrong with me.
Your little boy is only two and you are the coolest person to him. He is at the best age ready to learn, follow you around and looks at life with childlike eyes...that we forget. So in the morning go at your own pace, make a little breakfast, sing or put on some music, go for little walks, the library and just hang out in your home. Organize your home with his toys and books around your house. My son put a large box behind the sofa and in the fireplace,they don't use, is padded with toys and books in a basket. So he has fun finding what is his in your environment and soon will understand...what is mommy's is mommy's and vice versa.
I don't like videos. I would draw pictures and let him help. Put letters and numbers in the pictures. Soon he will be talking more and more. One way I taught my sons to read was like this; I got pencil or crayon with paper. I had him tell me a story in their own words. I wrote down exactly the way my sons told me their stories. Then we would make pictures for their book. Put it together, then read their story exactly as they expressed themselves and included their pictures.
The days were full of life and little stress. My sons were so proud of their books. Also some educators expressed this is an excellent way for children to understand the concept of reading. Also during the day, he can help you with laundry, dinners and having nice personal lunches at the home or at the park.
I have no idea if this is what you were looking for...it brought back memories when I was a young Mother without a car, TV and only a stereo that worked once in awhile. Take care, pepelephew

My daughter attended nursery school at age 2 in Hartsdale, NY. At that age she learned the Pledge of Allegiance and still remembers it to this day - she's 3 1/2 now. I built on her learning activities by purchasing Kumon books and other activity books found at Barnes & Noble which are catered by age. I was able to implement these activity books into her daily routine and we have practiced tracing, cutting, connect the dots, etc progressively until she was ready to move on to the next level. I think Kumon books are excellent and really help a parent pinpoint what a child should be doing at a certain age.

My child's preschool teacher in Hanford said that the basics for what a child should know before they get to kindergarten are to know their numbers to at least 10, know all the colors including the 'shades' of colors, know at least 5 shapes, know the alphabet by seeing it and recognizing each letter, and knowing most of the sounds of each letter is also helpful before they start kindergarten. Our preschool said they are more than happy to answer parents questions regarding what their child should know or general questions they may have about their preschooler, even if they don't attend. The teachers there are so sweet and wouldn't mind you calling them. You could either as for Bell or just any teacher there. Their phone number is 559-589-1277

My son just started preschool at 2.9 and before that was in a daycare. I think familiarity of colors, letters, numbers is age appropriate and that's what his daycare did with him. Mostly I think up until Kindergarten you want to focus on the social emotional development. If your child isn't ready to learn socially/emotionally then they're going to be behind. My goal is to raise a critical thinker so I'm trying to keep up with his curiosity. Provide lots of experiences at home to play with water, sand, cook, and problem solve. Also - talk, talk, talk! Actually we started this when he was an infant but talking to him and asking him questions really helped his vocabulary development. To prepare for the presschool transition specifically we worked on the emotional issue mostly - we picked out a lunchbox, we did several drive-bys, a walk-by to peek in the windows, a visit and talked about the new school "big boy" school a lot. I went for 2 hours with him the first 2 days - standard practice for the preschool. He cried when I left him on the 3rd day but didn't want to leave when I went to get him at the end of the day. It worked out except for the commute. We now take the bus to preschool instead of the train and he HATES it. I forgot to prepare him for it. It's crowded and he screams -it's a nightmare but getting better. We took a few weekend bus rides when it wasn't so crowded and he didn't mind those.

When teaching your child how to write their name remember not to do all capital letters. It is very difficult to teach a child lower case once they have learned all uppercase.

Wonderful ideas! I didn't think of using flash cards. My granddaughter loves her books. I was telling my son about the one book she wanted me to read over and over. All of the sudden, she gets up and picks out the book I was talking about. She just turned one. My son is teaching her Spanish along with English. He was good in language and was going to school during the ESl years...so he took Spanish in grammar school, middle school, high school and continued through college. I read a book years ago called School In The Home that was written in the late 1800's. There was a wonderfull suggestion; the author suggested that when your child is playing with dolls or trucks etc. help your child by giving their toys real names from history or the Bible. Kids love to make up stories so you give them real facts. It is still playing not forced.
I think that is what everyone is expressing. Just try something and see what happens. My eldest son loved cars and learned his ABC's from reading the letters of the tires and license plates. I was so surprised that I didn't force them and they learned. They wrote their letters by three and read by five. It didn't matter to me what age they did these things. We just didn't have much to do. We went to the library and the most exciting thing was getting their first library card.
Of course now I am a grandma and loving it. It is so much fun watching my son enjoy his daughter. He tells me ...leave her alone, Mom...she is just exploring...of course I just want to hug and kiss her...learning? oh yeah...this grandma loves this site...helping an old dog learn some new tricks and share some of her old ones. Pepelephew

My daughter started a preschool program at age 2 *more of a daycare than a preschool, but it goes to age 4/5 which is considered the preschool program* so fortunately she was already prepared for this specific preschool program.

But to help reinforce at home, we practice writing. A lot. When my daughter cooks with me, we spell out the ingredients. When we go out to eat, instead of coloring the pictures, we write everyone's name out *mommy, daddy, etc* and she spells out the words. In the car, we look for signs with letters or numbers on them. Make learning into a game or associate it with a fun activity.

Flashcards are a great idea; however, they don't work for us personally. Someone else mentioned counting stairs and whatnot, which I think is an excellent idea!

You should try to keep the communication lines open with her teachers when she starts so that they can keep you updated or ensure your awareness of any problems or achievements. Once you are aware, you will have a better understanding of what needs more focus and attention.

I think if you just show your daughter that school is fun, it is important, and you enjoy it as well, she will succeed =)

She is now 5yrs old.She was in Mexico and now she is back home.She will be starting school soon in one week.I'm nervous for her.She will be a full time student.She knows colors,ABCS and english and is learning with the leap frog to type on keyboard and knows how to play games on nickjr.com and preshool at home.She is so ready and being the ONLY CHILD.I don't blame her.I hope she comes out like a butterfly in her concoon.

I want to second the use of flashcards. At my daughter's daycare the children are enthralled when the teacher does flashcards. My daughter started recognizing letters and objects somewhere between 15 and 18 months because of all the time spent on flashcards at daycare.

I have a 22 month old son who already knows his numbers 1 thru 5, I use books with numbers and letters in which I go over it with him on a daily basis. I also use stair climbing as a format as well. Each step we climb we count starting from one. We sing songs together. He picks them up very quickly and enjoys it.

I am an early childhood educator and I have a 3-year old daughter. I am teaching her ABCs by using flashcards and having her glue yarn and peas or beads in the shape of the letter. I teach her numbers by showing her flashcards and by couting a variety of different objects. While reading a book, have your child count the number of birds, flowers, etc on the page. You may also want to begin to practice cutting. Just let your child cut up paper and practice holding scissors. Other things they should learn include recognizing and writing their name, working with puzzles, shapes, colors and gross and fine motor skills.

My daughter is 4 year old and attending 3 days preschool. They're doing color of the week then next week the alphabet. She's also taking Acro class and playing soccer. We practice writing her name, play board games, reading, coloring, painting(especially her pumpkin), etc. Pretty much, she's doing whatever her older siblings doing.

ive been teaching her abcs and to count to 10and her full name and her age and birthday and her colors my daughter is 3 and will be 4 in november shes on a waiting list so it will be about around august before she can go.

I am a preschool teacher. The students in my classroom are ages 2-5. The students have a structured time that consists of: Calendar, saying the days in the week, the 12 months, shapes, colors, letters, fingerplays, nursery rhymes, art, science, history, story time, sight words. I do the same letter, shape, color, and sight word for 2 weeks. This seems to work well so they remember it. I also print off worksheets from edhelper.com. I bought a child's dictionary and choose a new word each day and repeat what it means several times a day. The students also have a time for freeplay so they can socialize and explore. They can choose blocks, legos, housekeeping, sensory table, books, writing, coloring, painting, puzzles, ABC and number games. Let me know if you would like any other information.

My daughter is also three. She has been in daycare since 6 months. Her center provides daycare for kids under two then shifts to a preschool format for kids two and older. They work on a public school's academic calendar. In August the kids are all assigned into classrooms based on their age. As a two year old, she learned her colors, alphabet, numbers (to 20) and beginning phonics.

Right now the kids are contuning to work on writing their names and have started some reading skills. They have activities such as find something in the classroom that begins with the letter "D". They also have worksheets where they color all the items on the page (fine motor skills) then circle the words that begin with a certain letter (reading skills) or they draw lines between words that rhyme.

I would suggest working with her on the proper way to hold a pencil at home. That will be invaluable! There are some great pencil grips that will help a child learn the proper technique.

A good preschool will have a low student-teacher ratio so your daughter can get some extra help in areas that she has not been exposed to. Once she starts preschool, talk with her teacher about what is being done in the classroom then reinforce it at home. If kids are learning to write letters and your daughter hasn't learned the alphabet, you'll have a great opportunity to teach her! At that age, kids seem very eager to help one another so I wouldn't worry about skills that your daughter may not yet have. She'll pick them up quickly enough. Good luck!

I am a great fan of Baby Einstein products... i made sure i watch it with my babies so i can explain everyting that's going on... even if they dont know what im saying... also leapfrog's letter factory... my 2 1/2 y.o. son is very smart... he learned his alphabets by 16 months, learned some animal sounds before he turned one... he has great language skills... whenever we go up and down the stairs, i count out loud... he learned his numbers at 18 mos... now he's in preschool with 3 y.o. kids and enjoying school since he can already relate...

Hi Mom,

I had the same concerns for my 3 year old when he started school. As an Earky Childhood educator I wanted to make sure he was as ready as possible. You will be suprised to find out how much your daughter already know. The best way to teach her anything is to model it for her without a didactic approach. For instance if your balancing your checkbook give her a paper and a pen, and tell her to write down all of her money. Make sure you sit next to her in the same position. And if she a leftie try to use your left hand. (This is to affirm that it is okay to be a leftie). This will help learn the proper way of holding a pencil.

ALthough, I really dont favor electronic games for learning. I was amazed to discover my son had learned to identify a majority of the alphabets from his Letter factory Leapster toy. I usually give it to him on long car rides when he has read/looked at all of his books.

Manipulitives are great. Connecting pieces such as legos enhance mathematical and motor abilites. Play-doe is great to play with. plain woodblocks are also great. Once in school all learning is expected to be aquired through play.

Howver, Preschhols vary. Private preschools have loose standards, while Headstarts and school based programs have a more standardized appraoch.

I hope this is helpful.
Good Luck!

I HAVE A 6 YEARS OLD DOUGTHER AND A BABY 2 YEARS OLD, WHAT I'M DOING WHIT MY BABY IS THE SAME THING THAT I DID WHIT MY DOUGTHER. TEACHING HIM HOW TO COUNT, SHAPES, ALPHABET... THINGS LIKE THAT.

My daughter has a two and three year old. When the three year old was one or one and a half, she used every-day items to teach her colors and counting. For example; she would take out five or ten M & M's and name the colors. Her daughter would repeat the name. Later, she would hold them in her hand and tell her daughter she could have two red M & M's, for example, and then her daughter would take two red M & M's from her hand. This taught color recognition and counting to five and later to ten.
She later put her in a learning day care where she met her best friend Emily. She is socially adapted and a bright little girl who is prepared and ready to enter her pre-kindergarten class. Of course it is a small challenge when she wants to name the colors for her younger sister.
It is now the two year old's turn to enter the learning daycare.

When my daughter turn 2, I debated on sending her to a daycare. I work part-time and didn't think she needed to attend since I can be with her and teach her the fundamentals at home. We also attended mommy & me classes and she easily adapted but I noticed she yearned for a playmate since she was the only child at the time. With some research & recommendations I decided to put her in daycare/preschool part-time . She did great!! They taught her so much! She knew her colors, numbers, songs and she would come home everyday with an art project they did for that day. As she got older, I extended her stay. Now at the age of 4, she's very confident & out-going. On the first day of preschool at a new school, she was one of the few who didn't cry but gave me a hug & a kissed and said "See you later mommy. I need to go to school now!" I walked away knowing she'll be fine.....

What I learned from this experience was to do some research on daycares that incorporate preparing your child for preschool readiness at an early age in their program. Her preschool had a 2 year old, 3, 4, pre-K class to where they would gear their teaching to that age group. The children were never mixed in with different ages during their teaching. I believe that helped tremendously.

hi like yourself my three year old is starting pre-k this year. Actually next Wednesday. My mother fortunately for me has been watching my daughter at our home since day one. For the past year we been doin the abc's together and 123's. Flash cards are a good idea. Also, get her used to saying her name that will help her identify herself to teachers and all pre-k children. Another mom referred me to websites like www.pbs.org, www.nickjr.com. This sites are good lessons for kids getting for any grade. I use them frequently. I recently started reading books to her every other day. It's get her used to having to sit down and listen. I hope this helps you. Good luck and enjoy the little stuff while it's lasts.

I have a 3 year old at home and a 5 year old in kindergarten this year. I made each of them a three ring binder and Called it Ali's great big book of everything and Ili's great big book. Anything i see on line or that my daughter brings home i make copies so we can practice at home and it is all in one book for her to look at. We have sections for all subjects math, reading etc. She also loves getting on the computer herself and printing things she gets (a big plus she is learning how to use the computer) like awards when she dose good. we even have a section for healthy foods and she decides what healthy foods she likes and colors pictures to put in her folder.

Hello there! I have a 2 year old and since she was one I had purchased a some books with numbers, abc's and "first words". I also got books with shapes and colors. I try to sit with her everyday and read at least one or two of the books (depending on her attention span). Now sometimes she brings the books to me asking me to read them and play our "name that thing" game. I have NO idea if I am doing enough or too much but it seems to work.
Tina

My husband and I read at least 4 books a night to our son :) Also we the television we watch is mostly child centered... ie NOGGIN and PBS Sprout

My daughter is 3 and has also been in a daycare since she was 6 months old. I am fortunate that her daycare provider has implemented a pre-K curriculum in her daycare. However, I do buy her Pre-K work books they come in all their favorite characters Dora, Leap Frog, etc. Leap Frog has a great one which brings a CD with worksheets you can printout. Also, nickjr.com has great worksheets. My daughter has been writing her name for a year and she still doesn’t hold the pencil all that great but she gets it done. It takes time. Hope this helps.

Check out website www.starfall.com. Lots of fun for kids who like to be entertained while learning. Good Luck!

my child attended school for the first time at 4. he didn't know how to hold a pencil nor did he know how to write ,we just let him scribble scrabble. we did help him to recognize his alphabets and his numbers. i promise you when your child is in a good school and around other kids her age she will learn so many things with your help at home and the teacher at her school. my son can write everything ,spell,count,he writes everybody in the family's name.we bought him a writting board that he likes to write on from sun up to su down. i think your 3 year old will be just fine especially with you being concern right now

Give your child workbooks or print out from www.PBS.org, www.learningpages.com, www.nickjr.com and such. Also when you have play dates with your child give them review with flash cards.
I hope this helps. Take care.

I live in Palmdale, CA. and my daughter went to a fantastic government funded preschool she was 21/2 when she started and I learned very quickly that she need to know her ABC's ,numbers up to 50, colors, shapes, to be able to button, zip and if possible tie shoes before kindergarden. get Phonic flash cards and beginning sight words flash cards.
Practice with her writing her name and learning to know it by sight, anything you can think of can't hurt. before knidergarden teach her your phone # and address(I started with our street then taught her the #'s)We practiced our phone # in the car with area code on our way to school every morning.
I hope this helps.

Teach your child good manners and she'll be fine.

A few ideas for you from the school I once taught at to give you an idea of what we work on.

Introduce and practice recognition and identification of colors
Introduce and practice recognition and identification of shapes
Work at counting to ten
Introduce and practice recognition and identification of numerals 1-10
Work at recitation of alphabet
Introduce and practice recognition and identification of upper and lower case letters
Introduce phonetic sounds of each letter of the alphabet
Introduce basic science concepts such as hygiene, nutrition, nature, weather, etc.
Introduce and practice months and days of the week

Large Muscle Goals

Encourage large muscle development through group games, inside the mini-gym and outside at recess
Practice ball play to include rolling, catching, tossing, and kicking
Practice walking a 4"-6" balance beam
Practice hopping on one foot using either left or right foot
Practice jumping on 2 feet .Practice running
Introduce and practice left and right
Practice walking a straight line
Practice walking backwards
Practice skipping
Practice climbing stairs with alternating feet
Sharpen large muscle skills on various pieces of equipment on playground and inside school

Encourage development of small muscles through the use of manipulatives, finger plays, songs, and art projects. These activities strengthen fingers and hands and aid in coordination of hand and eye as well as reinforcing many cognitive skills.

Introduce and practice correct pencil grip
Introduce and practice cutting with a scissor
Work at cutting simple shapes
Work at using glue bottles
Work with play dough
Exercise with clay
Present wet and dry measurement of volume and space
Introduce and practice tracing
Work at coloring within designated lines
Acquaint students with various painting techniques
Present geoboards
Acquaint students with various types of puzzles
Introduce and practice buttoning, zipping, and snapping

Verbal Objectives
Introduce and practice the concept of opposites
Acquaint students with literature of noted children's authors
Introduce the concept of rhyme
Present, practice and memorize short poems
Acquaint and practice directions such as over, under, around, and through
Work at recounting story plots
Practice deductive reasoning
Present and practice singing songs

Introducing these skill to your child is the best thing you can do. Don't, however, push your child or think they must master any of these skills before they enter preschool. Don't worry about what other kids are learning or what other parents boast about what their child knows-everyone learns differnently and at their own pace. If your child can sit for 5-10 minutes for a story, while they are coloring and cutting ( they will teach kids how to properly hold a crayon and how to properly hold a pair of Fiskers) you're already in a good place. More emphises is placed on learning through play at this stage. Another step you should direct more of your attention on is Preparing your child that mommy and daddy cannot stay to play. Many kids and parents have a hard first couple of days when dropping the child off at school. I used matching stickers for parent and child to wear so they both know each is think of the other, there are so many things you can do in this area as a form of comfort. Ask the teacher what she accepts to bring in or uses for comfort tools.

And yes it's true, you may see your child cry as you walk out the door but know that the crying does stop and within a short amout of time they are having fun and learning. It is a real exciting time and milestone for you both so enjoy it as much as you can! They grow up too fast.

hi there,

I also have a 3 yr. old who is actually starting a catholic pre-k in september. As far as I was told she needed to be potty trained. As far as her being prepared. We have a little tykes easel. One side chalkboard the othe side magnetic and wipe off markers. Everyday she is using this to write her abc's and 123's. It also came with magnetic letters and numbers. So it was easy for her to learn quicker. From what i seen in the classroom. They are going to be learning it to get prepared for kindegarten. Along with shapes, colors, etc. I hope this helped. Also there is a dvd by rock n learn. They have everything from abc's and 123's to like highschool subjects. I would definitely look into them.

We attend as many different types of live musical events. Seeing music performed live is a great way to introduce children to music. The summer has so many live music opportunites, between the parades, and festivals. We try to get as close to the stage as possible so he can see the musicians and what they play. Music helps with math readiness and is a great entry to various cultures and traditions, and it is just plain fun. I want my son to engage in life, not just coast on by, so we stop and listen, dance and sing to the live music whenever we can. It's part of getting ready for life.

My 3-year-old starts pre-school in the fall (he'll be 4 in Oct). His older sister has taught him alot and his daycare center introduced alot of things. He can count 1-30, unassisted, and he knows all of his letter sounds (thanks to his sis and The Letter Factory by Leap Frog) and can identify both upper and lower cases. He is just beginning to sound out words that he sees - it is quite amazing to watch how his eyes light up when he realizes that all the sounds he knows can be put together to make actual words!

I haven't 'drilled' him at all, he has learned by playing and interacting with his sister. He can identify identify basic shapes (square, circle, star, triangle, rectangle, oval...plus he has recently added a pentagon and octagon to his library - which he recognizes by counting the sides).

So, I guess he is going into preschool fairly prepared. We are sending him to a Montessori (which my daughter attended through first grade).

I think making learning fun for your preschooler is most important - I would definitely recommend getting the Letter Factory (it makes the sounds into a song, that is pretty catchy....and quite helpful).

Lynne

Hello,
I schedule at least 30 minutes, 3 days a week, to work with my preschooler. My child learned the letters of the alphabet, numbers 1-10, basic shapes and colors at age 2. My child is now 4 years old (turned 4 in Feb of this year) and he knows how to write his first name (first letter capital, remaining lower case) and he is learning to write his last name. He counts to number 40, recognizes a pentagon, hexagon, and octagon, and we are working on letter sounds. He does have the ability to tell me words that began with letters A-D, U, T, Y, and Z. We play games, such as the memory game and games on the computer to recognize letter sounds and numbers 11-20. Making learning fun is the key. I taught him all he knows using games, pictures, and he watches Noggin.

The eye hand coordination from tracing is important. But the most important thing is to keep the learning fun. Drilling at age 3 is not going to make it fun. but using big paper and having a parent outline the child and then the child draw their own face and inside parts that they know - that is fun. We taped it up on the bathroom door for one he uses the most. He loves telling me what all the parts are he drew.

take a look at some Kumon activity books and materials? they have helped my son with holding up pencils and tracing.

Most good pre-school programs are ready to meet the cilld where they are and help them build on what they have learned so far. I would encourage you to make every day, even riding in the car, a learing opportunity. School is one place for a particular type of learning but a love of life-long learning is a wonderful gift to give your child.

Encourage our child to tell you about what they are doing, ask what happened next and stay with their story even when it gets silly. That's when it is fun.

Sorry if it didn't come out right.

What I was trying to say is that preschool is there to get our kids ready for Kindergarten and regular school in general, not to "teach" them 123s and ABCs, even if they do so at the same time (call it the cherry on the cake). So, they definitely don't need to have mastered those skills yet, and she might actually be bored if she's too advanced. My son could recognize and name 10 shapes before entering preschool. He's going into 3rd grade and he's even now barely using 5 at school. He's actually forgotten the others, which obviously doesn't matter since it'll quickly come back when he does use them!

Like you said, "how to prepare them for being in a room full of kids following a prescribed schedule", well, that's what preschool is for, since in a home environment, there are things we simply can't teach them.

to lilend:
i am not freaking out. i breath great, thanks -though- for the concern. i was asking what people do at home with their kids to prepare them for a pre-school enviroment. perhaps i didn't really articulate what wanted well enough. sorry! i was thinking about what games you can play at home to help them learn ABCs and 123s. (Like the suggestions of i spy and counting games) I was also looking for ideas on how to prepare them for being in a room full of kids following a prescribed schedule.

My daughter is in a home based daycare, and it's pretty freeflow. lunch and naptime are the only scheduled activities. they play and such all day.

Thanks! :)

First of all, breathe. This is preschool you're talking about. They don't expect ANYTHING other than the children can talk, walk, sit and are hopefully potty trained. My son was in a preschool on a college campus. Most of the moms there were teachers or child psychologists/psychiatrists. To develop a sense of the world, preschoolers need to play, they need to interact, they need to explore and create, and they need to be read to.

If you really want to teach your daughter, you can sing her songs, and read her books, including some about 123s and ABCs, and there are cute puzzles around too. As for holding a pencil, let her draw and paint, and develop fine motor skills by beading, and building with blocks and bricks.

Good luck, and relax so your little girl can get excited instead of worried.

I am on here trying to get ideas he is only 2 but I am involved in a program called "parents as teachers "((pats))...He is the baby after 10 years we have a 20 14 & 12 year old so I quit my job so I can be with him but I am having such a hard time with him Due to all the kids and daddy had him taking care of him while i was at work the first year of his life a lil longer so he still hates to be a way from me. Any info would be great thanks

i have been giving my 4 year old. a pencil & paper, & showing her how to write the alphabet & numbers. she's really excited about it. whenever i;m at home with my kids, we play i spy & that's how i'm teach her her colors. then when we cool off our food we count while the food is in the freezer getting cool.

I go over ABC's and numbers with my son. He also knows his full name and everyone elses first and last name. (you wouldn't belive how many 5/6 year olds don't know their parents names or their last name) He also traces shapes, names lots of shapes, and can write his first name. He knows his left from his right and things like "One foot, two feet." There are lots of fun ways to teach these things too. Sining is a good way. Just make up a silly song and they will follow along and learn at the same time.