How to Choose the Best Preschool Curriculum for Your Child

So many mommies seek to find the most efficient preschool curriculum for teaching their precious preschooler.

I admit I was one of them. When my little girl was three years old, I began my quest. I wanted to be the best mommy ever, giving her a head start in academics. Especially reading!

A dear friend of mine, settled my anxious heart by simply saying, "take it easy, at her age there's no need to buy expensive curriculum, just go to a superstore and pick out a $7.99 preschool skill builder workbook, find free preschool activities online and make it fun!"

I took my friends advice, bought a few books, found some preschool websites and had lots-n-lots of fun building wonderful memories in which I want to share with you.

Our preschool schedule was easy and flexible. I used the skill builder activity book three days a week. In addition to that, we did lots of reading, singing, fun puzzles, educational videos, and explored several sites online together. I have them all as a pre-school curriculum. But in reality it was just time with her, played by an educational purpose.

I was thinking two or three activities a day. The time I spent in teaching was no more than 10 to 20 minutes. Just enough to keep their attention on the issue at hand, and then we went to "not play" assignments.

But while our non-game tasks, learning has taken place as well. Finally, there arewas homemaking skills to acquire. (grin) When Jamie and I went to the grocery store I made it a learning experience for example: "Jamie, please count how many milk cartons we have in our buggy. You are right! 1-2-3-4-5 " - "What sound do you hear in the word egg?" eh, eh, eh,ggg? - "Will you get 5 round oranges for me and place them in this clear bag?"

When we did laundry, I had her sort the clothes by color. When she took a bath, we would play name that sound with a set of foam alphabet letters and so forth.

One thing I want to emphasize though, descriptive language is very important in teaching your preschooler. Talk to your child in such a way you would an adult using the proper names and descriptions for objects and experiences. Children have a natural affinity for learning. If you present them with intelligible words, their vocabulary and speech will grow abundantly. You can give your child a heads up in English class by simply starting now at the preschool age!

I learned very quickly in the early years of parenting, that a preschool child learns best in a relaxed atmosphere. When mommy smiles, speaks with a pleasant voice, and spends time playing with her child there is a special kind of bonding that takes place... the bond of love. So, let me gently remind you when irritation arises within, give yourself an attitude check and refocus your thoughts and lower your tone of voice. Your child will not only learn early academics from you but also godly character. (big smiles)

To sum it up... let me pass on the advice of which my friend gave me, take it easy during the preschool age. Buy some skill builder books, bookmark a few websites and make the learning atmosphere relaxed and fun!

Your preschooler will love being read to, seeing things, making things, creating things, talking about everything, asking questions and playing outdoors. Remember... enjoy this bonding time with them for it truly a blessing!

Listed below are a few items I've used with my first born. Please don't spend too much money on preschool curriculum you can get creative and find good resources for very little money online or at your local superstore. Don't forget to use the library too; their books are free but only for a little while!

Suggestive Preschool Resources to Used

Preschool Skill Builder/Activity Books

Preschool Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills - From School Specialty Children's Publishing. We used this workbook a lot. The pictures are rich in color, and perforated. Subjects include reading, mathematics, language arts, and writing. You can find this workbook at Amazon.com which you can find them as low as $2.00 a workbook. ISBN 1-56189-374-9

My Heavenly Helper Preschool Skill Builder and Activity Guide - McGraw Hill Children's Publisher offers a skill builder activity book that I found very helpful in teaching Bible lessons to my preschooler. This particular workbook focuses on concepts such as the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, sequencing, same and difference. Pages are perforated black and white. ISBN 0-7696-2907-5

A Must Have Preschool Educational Video

Letter Factory Video by Leap Frog - This particular pre-reading video is a must have for preschoolers. I recently noticed our local library with a copy. But I suggest you buy a copy for your family library. Your preschooler will learn letters, phonics and listening skills in no time. Creative production to say the least. ISBN 0-7907-8894-2

Free Preschool Curriculum Found Online

Starfall.com - An "absolutely" free website that teaches children to read. Perfect for preschooler too. You can put your preschooler in your lap and click through the alphabet shows. Be sure to let them click your mouse, they'll love discovering they can interact with the show! FREE printables too.

LetteroftheWeek.com - Letter of the Week was written and compiled by Katrina Lybbert. She created this site from her experiences teaching her 4 children at home. She offers free preschool curriculum. If you have children younger than preschool, you'll find her website very useful too.

Choose a good toy for children

And 'the day before the birthday of your child and you still chose not to make the perfect gift. Want something fun to play with this will last, but must be safe. Oh, and educational institutions. And popular!

So here are some ways for you to think:

Shape Sorter

This is a great choice to help with hand-eye coordination of your child. Hours of fun where the kids dump all the blocks and then formed a bloc with the correct slot in the match slides. TheJoy you and your child have if the block fits right makes this gift a winner every time. Prices range from $ 9 and $ 15 and are widespread.

Toddler's Books

This joy is often seen as fun for parents as they are for children to enjoy, and built mostly of thick cardboard to withstand the rigors of child overturned. They are rich in a variety of topics suitable for children from the "About page" is available Peeking "Going to Bed Book," which preparesthe children to bed. Prices range from $ 6 to $ 10, and are also widely available.

Musical instruments for children

Kids enjoy this noise as much as the unhappy parents, offering to start them. Mini bells, drums and maracas at the top of the bill, but look the same electronic instruments, notes when keys are pressed to play, are very popular. Prices start at $ 10 and above $ 30 for the most durable.

Alphabet Toys

Great for preschoolers learnAlphabet toys in the form of blocks of classical letters, alphabet letters magnetic and interactive electronics. If you are in an electronic version, sure to be one that your child learning the correct pronunciation and phonetics with positive learning process, if the wrong options are selected. lower models you can start your child learn the alphabet on the wrong foot. Prices from $ 15 to $ 60.

This short list shouldFor a good start in choosing the "right toy for your child. What are the toys you choose, be sure there is one for you and your child can enjoy together.

How to choose a book for children, Part 3 - The themes of a book

This is the third in a series of articles about how to choose a book for children. Last time, I advocated the crucial importance of choosing books with appeal subjective, ie books that a child, not just the books that are good for a child in any way. In this article I want to begin the discussion of the considerations that make a book a subjective interest. In particular, I will present the role of a book on topics that make them more attractive to a child, and try to give somespecific guidance on what to look for in a children's book issues.

What I mean by "issues" from a children's book? With "themes" I mean the specific content of the book, or what the book is about. For example, in a science book snakes, the problem may just be snakes. Or, in a book like The Invention of Hugo Cabret could be the subject dealing with the loss, or finding a purpose in the world. In a book like Martin Big words could, the issues are justice,Equality and love.

The key to choosing a book with arguments that the book is interesting to take a child there, those who choose a direct reference to the experiences of the child. Some aspects of the experience of the child with almost every other child his age or category of developmental disorders are divided.

For example, many each child in the class-to-two year old child to acquire language and basic concepts, you learn to control their bodies in various other types of base, and comes to recognizesome of the objects in the world. As most any subject experience a toddler-2-year-old actions of this nature, books with topics that will be directly linked to these experiences is age appropriate.

Thus, the child of two years of class, age-appropriate topics could include the colors and numbers (like One Red Sun: a counting book, by Ezra Jack Keats), the alphabet (eg, Dr. Seuss's ABC, by Dr.. Seuss) noise (eg, Clap Hands by Helen Oxenbury), dogs (egFollow Carl!, By Alexandra Day), vases (like Once Upon a Potty, Alona Frankel through) and go to bed (eg, Grandfather Twilight, Barbara Helen Berger).

children learn in the class of three to five years, to do more things myself, continue to receive more understanding of how the world works, are to acquire mastery of instincts and emotions work, started the relationship with parents to navigate, and brothers friends, and start acquiring the basicValues. Sun subjects adapted to their age could do things, "By Myself" (eg Hey, Little Baby From Nola Buck), go to the zoo (for example, when we went to the zoo, by Jan Ormerod), for example angry ("When Sophie gets angry really, really bad ..., by Molly Bang), or friendship (like the frog and toad are friends, by Arnold Lobel).

Themes could include age-appropriate children in the class six to eight years, reports in the school (eg, Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes), Pets(For example, Comet Nine Lives by Jan Brett) moral character (for example, even a mouse ..., by Marcia Brown) and family relations (Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig). topics suitable for children of this category in nine of twelve years may also friendships, conflicts between good and evil (for example, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by JK Rowling), and the search for a place in the world (for example the invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.) These lists of appropriate ageProblems are only a beginning and should not be regarded as exhaustive.

Finally, while topics such appropriate age to connect with a child in a particular age or category of developmental disorders, there are some issues that the special child in your mind, simply because their interests will appeal. For example, my daughter eight years has always been fascinated by all things scientific, and especially the science of living things. When they were five or was an auntBook of plant anatomy and function, and have devoured. She says it is still "stomata," and "Stamp" years later! In my opinion first, this type of book would be dead boring for a period of five years (and many would be five years old to be boring). But my little scientist, was fascinating, because he had a particular interest in the subject of the book.

The bottom line is this: when you select a book for a child, consider the themes of the book and if the connection is withthe real-life experiences of the child, given his age and interests. Arguments of this kind will help the book appeal to girl for choosing to contribute. In fact, sometimes an interesting topic by itself for an interesting book to make a baby.

In the next post in this series will go to specific factors that contribute to a book to discuss the subjective interest. In particular, I'll Take That important issue of quality artwork.