public or private school - what's best for your child?

What is your child learning in her preschool child care program? Maybe more than you think. Even though child care centers provide supervision and care while the parents are away, they also offer young children the chance to learn, grow, and develop. This all due to a carefully prepared curriculum that takes the children's ages, developmental levels, current abilities, and future abilities into account. Check out what top content areas you'll find in most early learning centers' education plans.

Science

Physics? Animal biology? Chemistry? Yes, these are all subjects that pre-k kids tackle. Of course, you won't find a high school or college-level curriculum in place. But, you will see age-appropriate science content in the classroom. This might include a class science center, along with specific lessons and activities. The science center is an area where the students can explore and make discoveries without taking part in a lesson. You might see children looking at slides through a microscope, playing with prisms, or investigating a collection of rocks and leaves with a magnifying glass.

Math

An early math education creates a foundation for future learning. Preschool programs tackle this subject with activity plans that include number recognition, geometry, measurement, and patterning. Instead of sitting at a desk, doing worksheet after worksheet, pre-k math activities are hands-on and playful. Children might count small toys, build with blocks, draw shapes, or paint patterns.

Reading and Writing

The first few years of life are crucial when it comes to early literacy development. With that in mind, preschool-aged children are exposed to books (and other reading materials) regularly. This includes using a classroom reading center (an easily accessible bookshelf that children can choose from) and a writing center (a table and chairs with a variety of writing tools and paper). Along with reading and writing on their own, classroom teachers often read books throughout the day, take every opportunity to talk to and question the children, and may also introduce art-making. Creating art allows the children to practice the fine motor skills that they'll need to write, provides practice problem-solving, and helps build critical-thinking skills.

Social Studies

In the preschool child care classroom social studies includes learning about other people's cultures and places. This content area also covers the child's own community. Social studies lessons might help the children learn about historical places in their own communities or discover what community helpers do.

The Arts

Music, visual arts, drama and creative movement—these are all arts areas that children in preschool learn about. These activities include making music (using child-sized or homemade instruments), drawing, sculpting with clay, painting, cutting with scissors, dancing, and pretend play experiences.

From exploring scientific concepts to dancing around the room, children in preschools are learning all day long. Covering a variety of content areas lets educators help these young students to develop new skills that they'll use later on in elementary, middle, and high school. Contact a preschool like Wooden Shoe Pre-School & Pre-Kindergarten for more information.