A Family Guide to Preschool

A Family Guide to Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG) Child Development and Learning Reports

Your child is just starting their journey into school, and you may have a lot of questions. Families often wonder:

• Are they ready or prepared for kindergarten?
• How do the teachers find out what my child knows and can do?
• How will the teachers ensure my child learns and develops to towards their goals?
• How can I find out about my child’s progress?
• What can I do at home to help my child gain the skills and knowledge to be ready to succeed in school and in life?

As you and your child interact in their new school community, you can work closely with teachers to understand the skills, habits, and supports your child needs to learn and grow.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Helps Children:

• manage emotions and show empathy
• develop a healthy identity
• make responsible decisions
• have positive relationships
• contribute to their community

At school, students learn and practice SEL skills throughout the day as teachers support them in identifying feelings, cooperative play, and conflict resolution. Predictable rules and routines help children feel secure and understand what to expect, which supports emotional regulation and being in community.

At home, families can model healthy emotional expression and encourage children to talk about their feelings and experiences. Engaging in family games can strengthen relationships and teach teamwork and cooperation. Allowing children to make choices and solve small problems encourages independence and fosters confidence and negotiation skills. Consistent morning and bedtime routines encourage healthy habits and self-regulation.

The Importance of Physical Skills

Physical skills play a crucial role in the holistic development of preschoolers. Encouraging active play and movement not only supports their physical health but also contributes to their cognitive, social, and emotional development.

At school, students practice skills like “traveling” as they walk, run, skip, hop and dance during circle or outside time. Balancing and other large muscle (gross motor) skills grow through play with balls, large blocks, and more. Classroom areas for writing, drawing, cutting, coloring, and manipulatives like Lego, playdough, and more are available daily to encourage children’s fine motor skills, helping those small muscles grow stronger.

Physical Skill Building at Home

Promoting physical skills in preschoolers at home can be fun and engaging. Set aside time for outdoor play to encourage running, climbing, and jumping, or playing games like tag or hide and go seek.

Go for nature walks. Collecting leaves, rocks, or flowers can enhance physical skills while promoting curiosity and observation.

Incorporate movement into daily routines. Encourage your child to use their muscles by helping with household tasks. Stirring batter, putting clean silverware away or sweeping are a few examples. Afterwards, have a dance party!

Create an activity corner in your home where your child can express themselves through drawing, coloring, cutting, or building with blocks.

The Importance of Language

Language development lays the groundwork for effective communication, enabling children to express their thoughts, feelings, and needs clearly. As children learn new words and concepts, their ability to think critically and solve problems expands.

At school, teachers initiate and maintain conversations with children, encouraging them to express their thoughts and ideas. Regular read-alouds expose children to new vocabulary, storytelling, and language structures, enhancing comprehension. Singing songs and reciting rhymes promotes phonemic awareness and makes language learning enjoyable. Structured play activities provide opportunities for students to communicate, negotiate, and collaborate with peers. The Plan-Do-Review component of High Scope encourages kids to talk about activities in the future, present, and past.

Encouraging Language Development at Home

Building language skills at home is as simple as talking with your child!

Spend time each day discussing what your child did, who they played with, and what they learned. Promote emotional vocabulary by asking open-ended questions like, “How did that make you feel?”

Read together regularly, allowing your child to choose books they are interested in. Discuss the illustrations and characters as you go. Ask questions. For example, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why do you think the character did that?”

Play interactive games that involve language skills, such as “I Spy.

Cognitive Development in the Classroom

Cognitive skills are the mental processes that enable preschoolers to understand, learn, and interact with the world around them. Examples are problem-solving, persistence, the ability to form connections, and flexible/inventive thinking.

At school, the classroom environment and activities encourage these skills. Puzzles and building toys foster problem-solving and spatial awareness. Music and movement activities enhance coordination, language development, and comprehension. Matching or “What’s missing?” games develop memory and concentration skills. Dramatic play allows children to think symbolically. Sorting games and materials teach classification skills.

Encouraging Cognitive Development at Home

Play is essential for cognitive growth. Provide a variety of materials or toys that encourage problem-solving, creativity, and imagination, such as building blocks, puzzles, and art supplies.

• Encourage games that promote critical thinking, such as memory games, matching games, or simple board games that involve counting and strategy.
• Build a fort out of blankets, pillows, boxes, etc. As children construct their forts, they learn about space, dimensions, and balance.
• Incorporate learning in everyday situations. Talk about shapes and colors while grocery shopping or introduce concepts of measurement and science through cooking and baking together.

Literacy Development in the Classroom

Preschool sets the stage for strong readers and writers. Students are engaged in a print-rich environment that helps children understand that print conveys meaning. Diverse and engaging books are available for interactive storytelling and for children to explore independently. Rhyming, syllable clapping, and sound-matching games promote phonemic awareness. Targeted instruction focuses on specific skills like letter recognition, phonics, and comprehension.

Literacy Activities at Home

Literacy is all around us! Read recipes together, discussing the ingredients and steps as you cook. Involve children in creating shopping lists, allowing them to practice “writing” and recognizing words. Identify letters on signs and buildings while you’re out and about. Create a scavenger hunt where children find items around the house that begin with a letter of the alphabet.

Set up a comfortable area with pillows and blankets where children can enjoy reading independently or with family members. Visit the library for a never-ending supply of books that spark interest. Create a reading routine that works for your family and schedule.

Math Activities in the Classroom

Preschool math encompasses a variety of foundational skills and concepts that lay the groundwork for future mathematical understanding.

Hands-on materials such as blocks, counting bears, and number tiles promote learning as children discover patterning and sorting, talk about spatial relationships (above, below, next to), and use mathematical language (more, less, equal). They also support the development of number sense skills, including counting, one-to-one correspondence, and number recognition.

Encouraging Math Skills at Home

Promoting math skills at home can be easily integrated into your daily routine. Count the steps you take going up and down stairs or the number of apples you buy at the grocery store. Involve children in measuring ingredients together while discussing concepts like more, less, and equal.

Play board games that involve counting or number recognition such as Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders. Use everyday items like buttons or coins for sorting, counting, and basic addition or subtraction. Have fun!