PRESCHOOL TIPS

• Caregivers provide affection, comfort children when they cry, and reassure them when fearful.
• Caregivers support 3-year-olds’ play and developing independence, helping when needed, but allowing them to do what they are capable of doing.
• Preschoolers may revert to toddler/babyish behavior when feeling shy or upset.
• Opportunities are provided for preschoolers to practice and develop newly develop self-help skills. Provider remains patient with occasional accidents.
• Caregivers provide opportunities for different types of play (alone, parallel play, with one or two others). Caregivers read stories or play music allowing children to enter and leave the group at will.
• Provider encourages sharing and taking turns, but doesn’t expect children to give up favorite items.
• Large amount of uninterrupted time provided for self-chosen tasks and activities.

Preschooler Functions  

1. Throwing – balls, Frisbees, ring toss, horseshoes
2. Jumping – hula hoops, jump ropes, basketball, hopscotch, etc.
3. Hitting – bats, tennis racquets, ping-pong
4. Hanging – monkey bars, jungle gym, rings, etc.
5. Climbing – climbers, tree houses, forts, etc.
6. Balancing – balance beam, board, painted lines, etc.
7. Sorting/Classifying – items that can be sorted or classified by color, shape, lotto games, file folder games
8. Matching – objects that can be matched by characteristics, pegs and peg boards, puzzles, file folder games, card games, etc
9. Math readiness – beads and laces, sequence puzzles or boards, patterning activities, file folder games, measuring cups and spoons with things to measure, carpentry, etc.
10. Eye/hand coordination – peg and peg boards, puzzles, lacing sets, blocks, tracking mazes, sewing, etc.
11. Stacking/nesting – items that can be stacked or that nest inside one another, etc.
12. Reading exploration – big books, quality literature books, children’s story books, provider made books, books made by the children, etc.
13. Talking – puppets, flannel board w/accessories, records/tapes with record/tape player, etc.
14. Writing experimentation – writing materials that encourage scribbling drawing, copying, invented spelling, etc.
15. Reading readiness – file folder games, sequencing puzzles, patterning activities, story sequencing, shape sequencing, computers with appropriate software, etc.
16. Observing – magnifying glass and things to look at, pets, natural substances such shells, rocks, gourds, or pine cones, mirrors, etc.
17. Exploring – fluid play such as sand, water, rice, etc. w/ appropriate accessories, etc.
18. Sensory - items that you can smell, touch, taste, hear, etc.
19. Problem solving – simple experiments such as sink/float, magnets with things to pick up, scale with things to weigh, nesting cups, counting frames/experiences, etc.
20. Creative (stroking) – items/experiences that support the stroking motion, such as easel painting with appropriate sized brushes and paper, easel drawing w/crayons, chalk, markers, etc.
21. Creative (smearing) – non-toxic shaving cream, paint, paste/glue, finger-paint, etc.
22. Creative (molding/squishing) – play dough and accessories, non-toxic shaving cream, sponges, finger-paints, goop, etc.
23. Creative (tearing/cutting) – scissors, magazines, newspaper, wallpaper, tissue paper, etc.
24. Creative (crafting) – collage items w/paste/glue and appropriately sized paper, etc.
25. Imaginative/dramatic play – kitchen area (stove, sink, refrigerator, picnic basket, play food, etc.) table and chairs, telephones, cleaning items, iron/ironing board, doll furniture, multi-cultural dolls, doll clothes, accessories for care taking, feeding, diapering, sleeping, etc. dress-up clothes for men and women (hats, ties, purses, shoes, costumes, etc.)
26. Self-help skills – items that encourage such skills as lacing, buckling snapping, zipping, buttoning boards, etc.