What should a 3 year old be learning in preschool and how do you teach them?

Question

What should a 3 year old be learning in preschool and how do you teach them?

Answer 1

A good three year old preschool class is not about "teaching". It's about helping kids adjust to being in a group and learning to get along with others. It's about sharing and waiting your turn. It's being exposed to lots of hands- on experiences with lots of different materials such as paint, fingerpaint, blocks, puzzles, trucks, animals, a toy kitchen , sand and water etc. It's about being read to and having opportunities to read to themselves. It's about learning lots of songs and moving to music. It's about having access to writing materials such as paper, pencils. stationery, envelopes and stickers to use for stamps. It's about being encouraged to use their imaginations through play. It's about being given lots of materials to explore the things that interest them. from trucks to trains and from dinosaurs to cooking. It should not be about formal academic instruction. They are not ready and have many years of that ahead of them. Kids should come out ready and eager to learn.

Answer 2

at the age of 3, you should start teaching your child 2 different languages by reading, watching the TV in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Latin etc. This way, your child would be able to pick up the other 3rd language when he or she is in elementary school.

Answer 3

Three year old babies should be at home, playing, napping, and just plain being a child.

They should not be taught "school", they lean by watching, and playing naturally.

If you feel the need to have a play group find one, or organize one with other parents.

If you need time with other adults, look into MOPS (mothers of pre-schoolers).

Answer 4

routine, self help skills, and playtime.  Check out some books by Dorothy Moore and Raymond Moore .  And maybe "Reading Magic" by Mem Fox.

Answer 5

I teach a 3 year old preschool class. We teach letters, numbers, colors and shapes. We do a lot of hands on learning with games. You can also use songs. Preschoolers love to sing and dance. But you have to remember ever child learns at a different pace and not all learn the same way. Even though some children are "preschool" age doesn't mean they are ready for preschool. You have to use your own discretion.

Answer 6

routines, how to sit still for approx. 20 minutes, how to clean up after themselves when playing, colors, some letters and sounds, how to correctly hold pencils, crayons & scissors, etc.

Answer 7

School is not for learning.In school you are educated.There is a difference.At age 3 you should just play with your kid.Do fun things together.Read to him/her.

Answer 8

Three year olds should not be in school yet. Kids should start preschool at age four so that they have the same number of school years like all the others.

Answer 9

i started to go to school when i was 2 ithink you should let them enjoy their young lives first but monitor them and let them watch some classic fairytales or movies it will expand their imagination

Answer 10

At age 3 they should be directing some of their learning....in that I mean you should really hone in on what they are interested in.  If they like books you need to really do a lot of things around books.  

To explain myself a little more....if this is a little boy and he really likes trains you should have books about trains...go see real trains, count trains and do a lot of active learning experiences around trains.  Children tend to learn more if it is about something they are interested in.  You can not sit a three year old down and tell them it is time to learn numbers or letters because this is too constructive.  You need to begin with some abstract kinds of things.  Children love to use all their senses while learning, they need to be actively engaged.  My classrooms use the High/Scope approach to early learning and our three year olds really respond very positively.  They learn very fast when they are having fun with it.

Answer 11

Kids this age learn best by exploring, so you should give them lots of materials, different textures, things like silly-putty or moon sand, water toys, sand, just things they can touch, feel, and explore with. I teach preschool at a daycare center, and we have lots of different toys and materials out for the kids to play and build and explore with.