What are some good hands-on preschool materials that I can do at home with my 3-year-old?

Question

We're not doing preschool this year but I want to be sure she's learning abc's and 123's. Any suggestions for teaching materials? Thanks!

Answer 1

The best hands-on learning activites for preschoolers are real life activities and play, rather than artificial activities like worksheets. The best teaching materials are every day objects and toys that she plays with or interacts with.

Encourage her to explore topics she's interested in, like dinosaurs for example. You can do a project with her at home: learning about what they looked like, their size, what they ate, etc.

-cooking (learns counting and measuring)

-writing lettters to friends/family (have her dictate the letter to you and you write the words for her and then read it together at first. Later encourage her to write some of the words, especially her name. Talk about what sounds the letters make as you write.) Leave paper and pencil always available for her.

-spend lots of time at the library; read concept books about the abc's and counting

-play board games like Chutes and Ladders or Candy Land

-have and let her use a wide variety of art supplies; encourage her to write her own name on her work

Lots of great ideas (some refer to preschool programs, but you can adapt the information for home):

http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/conte...

http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/pages...

http://wwhttp://users.stargate.net/~cokids/Borden...

Answer 2

Why don't you have a letter of the week. In that week have a the letter - upper and lower case on your fridge. Then you can...

1.  Make a dish or cook something beginning with that letter. They can get some strong math skills out of this!

2.  Look through some magazines and find objects that begin with that letter.

3.  Create an alphabet book as you go through the alphabet an take a picture with an object and put in your book

4.  Get a tray of sugar / sand or flour and have your child practice making the letters.

5. Get a bunch of pastas and sort either by type or color.

6. I also think this is a prime time to build their fine motor skills. Encourage them to spoon beans from one bowl to another or polis a shoe or use tongs.

Answer 3

For my son, songs work wonderfully.  So we bought the Fisher Price CD's that they sell at Walmart in the infant and toddler section, which has ABC's, counting, and other preschool songs.

We also bought the interactive V-Tech alphabet learn to write pad, so he can practice writing and learning his alphabet at the same time (and it wipes off so no paper to buy).

Answer 4

http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/...

http://www.tempe.gov/youthlibrary/presch...

both of these links will give you multiple links to different websites with a variety of fun learning activities for preschoolers!

Answer 5

Check out http://www.Quality-Kids-Crafts.com.  We have lots of free printables from Alphabet Animal Puppets to kids gift crafts for Grandparents Day http://www.quality-kids-crafts.com/templ...

Have a fun time!

Answer 6

I don't think you should be 'teaching' a 3 year old letters and numbers. 3 year olds need to do lots of playing with real things, drawing, reading books, singing etc so they can achieve all the pre-reading, pre-math and pre-writing skills they need before they develop literacy and numeracy skills. While your child may memorize letters and numbers by rote, they will not necessarily develop an understanding of the concepts if they haven't had the real, concrete experiences beforehand.

You can't expect to bake a cake without all the correct ingredients- no different to a child's learning. They need to have all the basic skills and knowledge before they can really learn and UNDERSTAND the the concepts involved with numbers and letters. Any good preschool centre will say the same.

Answer 7

preschoolexpress

lessonSense

Starfall

ChildCareland

Answer 8

Take a walk let her feel the grass, trees, flowers.

Talk to her show her things.  I did this with my child and she has an amazing attention span.

Your dauhgter is lucky to have a wonderful mom to teach her.

Answer 9

I am in the same situation. My 3 y/o daughter was not able to attend preschool this year so I have been printing worsheets off line for her to practice with. I do hand writing;lines, tracing alphabets, and ABC's, also I have been working on numbers 1-5. I just goodled. Free Preschool Printable worksheets. Also here are a few that others I have been printing from.

www.abcteach.com

www.mes-english.com

www.enchantedlearning.com

www.first-school.ws

(this one I have used alot) I hope this helps!! Good luck my daughter has a lot of fun doing this stuff!

Answer 10

Get some  ABC & Number Magnets......you can use the fridge to  play.