A child’s first encounters with academic learning should be positive, as initial impressions can set the stage for years to come. That’s one of the many reasons that The Gardner School intentionally chooses curriculums that emphasize playful discovery in important academic areas.
Through the Learning Without Tears curriculum, our Pre-K and kindergarten learners explore literacy, handwriting, social studies, and S.T.E.A.M (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) concepts. We believe that by bringing joy to a child’s first experiences with academics, TGS establishes positive associations with the learning process. In the same spirit that Learning Without Tears introduces our young learners to reading, writing, and numbers in fun and engaging ways at school, we wanted to share a few tips for how you can apply some of the same positive concepts for learning at home.
Writing
Confidence in writing starts with letter familiarity. To build awareness of letters, use fun physical materials to help preschoolers create and learn letter shapes. Try providing a sensory table with shaving cream or sand to practice making letter shapes. Keep the activity fun and low pressure. Children naturally draw designs when presented with these materials. Provide plastic or wooden letter shapes in the sensory bin and encourage kids to imitate the shapes of the letters around them.
Reading
A preschooler’s first experience with reading usually occurs while sitting on the lap of a loved one looking at the pictures within books to help bring stories to life. And, by the time they enter preschool, many children have favorite stories that they love to read again and again. One of the best ways to introduce children to reading is by making a recording of one of their favorite people reading their favorite book. After all, multiple studies show that the dual input of audio and visual stimuli can help children recognize words and letters earlier. Combining the voice of a loved one with a favorite story encourages a child to replay the story, further solidifying their grasp of early phonemic concepts.
Math
To help introduce little ones to S.T.E.A.M. concepts, early exposure to numbers is a key component of math literacy. One way to create excitement about number learning is through a simple connect-the dots activity. Using a piece of colored paper or a whiteboard, draw a series of dots in the shape of a number. Encourage your preschooler to connect the dots to draw the number. The two of you can identify the number by saying it out loud. To reinforce the concept, have your preschooler hold up the correct number of fingers indicated by the number.
Making Learning Fun for Preschoolers
Learning Without Tears is based on an experiential, scaffolded approach to learning skills. Kids can feel confident and supported as they encounter academic subjects for the very first time. The Gardner School is committed to creating a positive, exploratory environment for preschoolers to learn. To discover more about why parents choose The Gardner School, contact us to schedule a virtual tour.