Grab our free, clickable Mega List of Themes and Skills for Pre-K & Kindergarten Lesson Plans to see what themes/skills I cover in my classroom all year!
A comprehensive list of skills taught in Pre-K. This list will give you a better idea of what to look for in a good Pre-K curriculum.
Whether you are doing a homeschool preschool program or are a teacher in a preschool, having a plan is essential. Every year, I begin with an outline for what I plan to teach throughout the school year. I created this resourceful, editable preschool curriculum to keep organized and easily change what I teach from year
When I moved to Pre-K, I completely changed how I ran my classroom. I went to a more center based, student led system, as opposed to a teacher led classroom. The biggest thing I had to adjust to, was I let the STUDENTS CHOOSE what center they go to, I let STUDENTS CHOOSE when they change centers. And do you know what? It was NOT mad chaos like I expected! Once we set expectations and taught them the appropriate social skills to communicate, it was so easy! This post does contain links, both affiliate and regular. Use them to find some great centers for your classroom, and help keep this blog running J Center Management Each of my centers has a card on it with two Velcro dots, and each of my children has a name tag, with a Velcro dot on the back. When my kids aren’t at centers, on the wall is a list of all our names and another Velcro dot. So, if we transition to centers after a whole group lesson, it is easy to call names and they go get their names and pick a center. If we are working in small groups, half of my kids can go grab their names. Another way I managed changing centers, was using clothes pins. If there were two dots open, that meant there is room for two kids. If both dots are full, the kiddos must wait until someone leaves. At first there were lots of tears and begging to get into a specific center (usually it was Magnatiles!) But all we had to do what teach them Social Skills. Being patient is a big skill we must learn. I also, don’t make friends leave a center because they have been there too long. Once we get past the bumps that come along with any center time, it is smooth sailing. Center Options So, a big question I get asked frequently is “What center options do you have in your classroom?” So, a quick reminder, I teach Pre-K, so my centers are free play centers. The first set of centers, that are a must have in our room, are building centers. Our number one pick, that is always full is our block center. They love seeing how tall of a wall they can build! They also love using these houses and cars from Lakeshore Learning. When they are by my desk I can hear them making sirens and pretending to be Officer Hofficer! (In which he is usually arresting someone for some silly crime, like not picking up their mess!) Another one of their favorite building centers is Legos. They LOVE to make things with Legos. I am adding little Legos this year to our centers. I really want them working those fine motor skills. I just love this table I made! I asked on my Facebook if anyone had an old two leveled side table, and a wonderful friend just happened to be getting rid of TWO! So, she gave them to me, I painted them, and added a Lego brick plate. This gives them a place to be stationed. A place for our Legos to live, so they aren’t spread all out across the classroom! Right now, our Magnetic Center is looking a little weak. Since it is the beginning of the year, they are exploring our center. We have magnetic letters, name with their picture, and those cute magnetic numbers and shapes that I found at the Target Dollar Spot! Eventually I put STEM activities in the magnetic center! They love playing with gears and funnels! Another one of the centers that is always full, is my train table! This table is the best thing since sliced bread let me tell you! Again, it gives the center a place to live. The train tracks are not running all around the room. However; it does give it a better ramp for them to go flying across the room (no matter how many times I tell the kiddos that trains stay on tracks and airplanes fly through the air!) I bought the train tracks and trains from Ikea, and they are super durable! I inherited this big sturdy storage system (again, from Ikea!) I use as our main center storage system. I bought these great containers from Sterilite, you can get a 6 pack for about $31 from Amazon, and they fit perfect in them. In these center tubs, they put their name on the center cards, pull the tubs out, and find a place in the room to work. In these tubs I have Pattern Blocks, Lite Brites, Bristle Blocks, Unifix Cubes, Mr. Potato Head, and Mega Blocks. Also in this station, I have all my puzzles. The puzzle center card is on the side of the storage system. You can read about what I use to store my puzzles HERE. I also got tired of searching for the “lost pieces”. As a result, I bought ANOTHER Sterilite container with a snap lid, added some vinyl, and the kids now know if they find an extra piece to put in the lost pieces container. Also, if they are missing a piece, they know exactly where to look. One of my favorite centers in my classroom, is our library. I store my books thematically. I put only a few books out at a time. They also have a tub of puppets to act out what they are “reading”. You can read HERE all about my classroom library. Another popular center is the Art Center. Yes. There is paint. We are going to try something new this year! But our art center typically has construction paper, crayons, stickers, markers, daubers, and pencils. We also added composition books to our Art Center this year. They will be labeled with a name, so each child has an art portfolio to take home at the end of the year. We are testing out a type of light table this year. I found an old overhead projector in our surplus pile. I took off the arm, and will be placing some contact paper over the screen to dim the light just a little bit. Now we have a light table, that didn’t cost me an arm and a leg. This is also one of my found treasures. The same table as my Lego center. Underneath the second level, is a basket of light table goodies. They will change as the year progresses. Right now, they have stacking cups, refreezeable ice cubs, and our Magnatiles. And last but certainly not least, is our dramatic play center. Right now, it is set up as a kitchen. We have baby dolls, baby beds, vests, community helper hats, pots and pans, food, plates, silver wear, and most important of all, the actual kitchen. This is right next to our sensory table. As the year progresses it will turn into an auto shop, grocery store, doctors office, and flower shop! I hope you found something that can help you with your classroom and centers! Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram, where I share ideas all the time! You can make the center cards yourself, but to save you the time and energy, I have these listen at TpT. They are editable too! So you can call the centers whatever you want.
Check out my top tips for Easy to Manage Community Supplies for Pre-K & Kindergarten to make using them stress-free and easy to do!
How to set up and organize a writing center in your pre-k, preschool, or kindergarten classroom. See pictures of my writing center and material suggestions.
Curriculum Map for Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten for the whole year! Year plan, month plans, and week plans by theme.
This preschool curriculum covers everything your kids need to know before kindergarten PLUS it is super easy for you to follow and implement as a parent!
Components of classroom setup that are key to play-based learning; learning environment for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten; setting up pre-k classroom.
Grab our free, clickable Mega List of Themes and Skills for Pre-K & Kindergarten Lesson Plans to see what themes/skills I cover in my classroom all year!
Let's chat about the hardest thing in the classroom. Classroom management. Implementing a behavior management system that has a day-to-day structure and addresses challenging student behaviors is imperative for success. Creating a caring classroom environment with visual supports, classroom routines, intentionally teaching social skills, and effective planning are critical to effective classroom management. Then the learning can occur.
Welcome back to my blog! In this post I am going to share how I organize all of my Creative Curriculum materials. I get asked about this a lot when I post on my Instagram stories so I thought that this would be a good place for me to explain it all in detail and […]
Small group ideas, tips, and tricks to make small group time meaningful in your preschool, pre=k, or kindergarten classroom and a giant FREE idea list too.
A comprehensive preschool curriculum featuring research-based best practices in early childhood education. Create a high-quality learning environment.
I want to start off by staying that my classroom is ALWAYS a work in progress. I am always adding new activities, taking out the old, putting up new student work, taking down the old, and organizing.
Must have teaching tools to help you organize your preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten classroom. A list of must have organization tools to help you organize your teacher life.
This preschool curriculum covers everything your kids need to know before kindergarten PLUS it is super easy for you to follow and implement as a parent!
Are wondering what your preschooler can be learning? Here is a checklist to help you have a successful preschool at home.
These resources for organization in the classroom, including a free daily schedule and newsletter template, are sure to help you save time and stress less!
Looking for the best preschool themes? This collection is filled with playful learning activities! Printable list included!
This preschool curriculum covers everything your kids need to know before kindergarten PLUS it is super easy for you to follow and implement as a parent!
Label your entire classroom for students with HUGE set of 471 classroom labels with REAL PHOTOGRAPHS! This will save you hours and hours of time. Just print, laminate, and tape to the shelf. Three Sets Included: English word with photo Spanish (red text) and English (black text) word with photo French (blue text) and English (black text) word with photo Editable (blank page with NO photos, you add your own photos) These labels were created for early childhood classrooms (toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, and 1st grade) who believe in play based learning. Included Photos in the areas of: (471 labels - 35 new labels were added July 2020) - art - music - sensory - fine motor - literacy/library center - pretend/dramatic play - blocks center -STEM - math - science - teacher supplies There are also blank editable labels so if you have special activities or toys you can make your own that match. The editable labels have NO photos on them. You will need to add your own photographs to the editable page. ***I took most of these photos so they are not perfect. I used fancy lighting and edited the photos. If you want to see the quality, print one of the thumbnails BEFORE you purchase. Why use labels in your classroom? - Best practice - Creates a rich print classroom - As a visual support to help students clean up the classroom - Gives everything a place in the classroom so students can easily find and clean up classroom materials as needed independently
Are you looking for free preschool printables? These printables are perfect for homeschool preschool and are all free for you to download and print.
This preschool curriculum covers everything your kids need to know before kindergarten PLUS it is super easy for you to follow and implement as a parent!
Small group ideas, tips, and tricks to make small group time meaningful in your preschool, pre=k, or kindergarten classroom and a giant FREE idea list too.
More than 125 free Pre K worksheets for Pre-K and Kindergarten. Use these free printables in your preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten classroom.
Label your entire classroom for students with HUGE set of 471 classroom labels with REAL PHOTOGRAPHS! This will save you hours and hours of time. Just print, laminate, and tape to the shelf. Three Sets Included: English word with photo Spanish (red text) and English (black text) word with photo French (blue text) and English (black text) word with photo Editable (blank page with NO photos, you add your own photos) These labels were created for early childhood classrooms (toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, and 1st grade) who believe in play based learning. Included Photos in the areas of: (471 labels - 35 new labels were added July 2020) - art - music - sensory - fine motor - literacy/library center - pretend/dramatic play - blocks center -STEM - math - science - teacher supplies There are also blank editable labels so if you have special activities or toys you can make your own that match. The editable labels have NO photos on them. You will need to add your own photographs to the editable page. ***I took most of these photos so they are not perfect. I used fancy lighting and edited the photos. If you want to see the quality, print one of the thumbnails BEFORE you purchase. Why use labels in your classroom? - Best practice - Creates a rich print classroom - As a visual support to help students clean up the classroom - Gives everything a place in the classroom so students can easily find and clean up classroom materials as needed independently
You could walk into any classroom, in any Pre-K program, in any state, and find that Center Time is different from one class to the next. Center Time
Two Points: This is MY method, and not necessarily right for you, your teaching or care philosophy, your set-up, or your students. Curriculum participation by my students is VOLUNTARY. I invite them to participate, but if they choose not to, then that is fine. I usually offer them a choice of a few of the activities and let them decide where we start and where we go. An engaged child learns, a dis-engaged child rebels. The 3-year rotating curriculum is theme based. Some times we stick to the plan, but usually I observe what they are interested in learning about, what they are asking questions about, and suggest up to three different themes they can choose from for us to study. I make my own 3-year rotating curriculum for many reasons: Packaged curriculum is often only one year. Since I teach for 3 years, this would be redundant. Most packaged curriculum focuses on skills my students master early. My 2s count to 20, know 11 colors, know most of their phonics, uppercase and lowercase letters, 10 shapes and some of their numbers and I still have 3 years of curriculum to teach them. They often are worksheet intensive. My students usually are cognitively advanced from their fine motor skills. I have 4 year olds that still can't write well. If I had relied on worksheets for the last 2 years, there is no way they would have the skill sets they have. Worksheets are also not considered Developmentally Appropriate Practice [DAP] for children under the age of 8. We use them here for writing practice starting at age 4. [Yes, worksheet-intensive public schools are not using DAP for kindy through 3rd grade!] They can be expensive. If you are purchasing worksheets, why would you spend even $1 a week/$52 a year when you can purchase a 400 page Scholastic preschool workbook from Sam's Club for $8 that covers probably more material, is most likely aligned with the public school expectations, and is colorful. Colored copies are NOT affordable to make from packaged curriculum. Most [ALL!] preschool learning should be interactive. Pinterest is a better source for ideas. My students change every time I do a theme. I have to be able to tweak it to the interests and capabilities of those currently in my care. Plus, I'll find more interesting activities on Pinterest, have an idea for a new game, etc. It's a constant evolution to keep my curriculum relevant to our current group, situation and resources. However, curriculum planning and creation is very time consuming. Even with older curriculum I spend several hours going over it prior to teaching - updating, creating new materials, purchasing and setting new classroom decorations. While I have had my 3 year curriculum, this year I found myself wanting a more specific schedule to focus on specific skill sets for this particular group of children. Most of these skills can be incorporated into our themed curriculum, or they take 5 minute sessions to pop into our day. I have two groups, the younger preschoolers are 2-3 years old and the older ones are 4-5 years old, all at the same developmental and skill set level within their group. This makes it easier, as I can tailor everything to just 2 groups. If I were to have additional levels of children, then it would be tailored to each level. Children here are taught at their developmental level, not age. Asychronastic development is normal, so I may be teaching a child at various levels depending upon the subject matter. For the younger preschoolers, I came up with this structure. For the older pre-k students, I came up with this one. For instance, both of them have Measurement & Comparison on Friday for Reasoning. However, for the younger students, this would be a more/less, longer/shorter, big/little, etc. activity, while the older students would be measuring with rulers, yardsticks, tape measures, measuring cups, unit blocks, foot steps or themed units, and graphing the measurements to compare. Same skill set, differentiated at vastly different levels. Even this needs conditional tweaking. All the pre-k's know how to spell their last names now, so that is no longer a relevant skill activity for music and will be changed out. In another post I'll get into the curriculum components and the importance of each. For instance, how counting on Friday teaches 1-to-1 correspondence and creating method processes for counting groups of objects. CLICK PICTURES TO VIEW LARGER I use this MS Word template, available for FREE on TPT, for curriculum planning. Often, the daily skill sets above are either already incorporated, or can easily be incorporated, into the theme planning. For an example of a completed curriculum unit, check out our Owls Theme. Each monthly theme is broken down into 4 sub-themes. For instance: SPACE Astronauts & Rockets The Universe Our Solar System Aliens & Robots We also have a musical component, often classical, and an art component, often a master, and Spanish vocabulary component that we incorporate. This planning form may not include all games, file folder games, manipulatives, room-set up, etc. that I utilize. For those of you trained in curriculum creation, I do NOT do a full curriculum development for each activity. With having these children usually from infant to school-age, I keep an internal evaluation of progression and plan out only weekly learning objectives. Since I am creating the activities for my personal use, I do not need to create written procedures and evaluations. My curriculum is stored currently in file folders in a large office bookcase unit. I would like to get it into boxes so that I could have EVERY theme-related item, including dress-up, room set-up, manipulatives, etc. together for an easy pull. File boxes will most likely be the easiest, but they do take up a lot of space. In each file some of the things I probably have: Completed planning sheets All the books I own for that theme Flannel board Sentence and word walls File folder games Samples of previous crafts DVDs CDs Coloring pages Mini-book(s) Build-a-[theme item] game Curriculum creation is one of my great joys. I love the research and compilation, the creativity and excitement of bringing something fun and educational to my students. Learning is rarely linear. Children take developmental leaps, sometimes in odd directions. As a teacher, it is important that I keep each one challenged without pushing or inhibiting their growth, and that takes constant evaluation and a good eye for when those leaps happen so that we can move on to a higher level of instruction. When we do an activity, I constantly question if they WANT to do another round, another activity, and I usually cut them off while they are still engaged. I want them wanting more, and they will usually ask if they can continue. One of the most important desires and abilities I can instill in them is that of self-directed learning. So as they choose to go off with their rulers after we've spent several minutes doing a measuring activity, conferring between themselves as to procedures and what to measure next, I step back and let them. They know I am here as a resource, rather than an intrusive director. It is my job to ensure that when I invite my students to learn, they glow with excitement and anticipation of a fun, interactive, playful time. The results, so far, have been astounding. A few of my complete curriculum units are available through my TPT store. Apples Dental Ice Cream Penguins Rainbows St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Follow Connie -'s board Classroom on Pinterest. Tags: preschool, child care, pre-k, curriculum, development, teaching, education, homeschooling, homeschool, home, school, preschool curriculum development, planning
Grab our free, clickable Mega List of Themes and Skills for Pre-K & Kindergarten Lesson Plans to see what themes/skills I cover in my classroom all year!
Best science tools and toys for your preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten classroom science center. A list of my favorite science tools for kids.
Get your students up and moving with this year long count the room resource! This engaging activity not only promotes number recognition and counting skills but also allow movement in the classroom. Included in the bundle 10 low prep count the room activities with accompanying worksheets that are super easy to differentiate within your classroom! What is Included in the Count the Room Bundle: You will find 10 different count the room activities the the perfect low prep activity for a year long center that you can easily swap out, with he monthly themes still staying new and engaging for students. Back to School (August/ September) Halloween (October) Fall (November) Christmas (December) Winter (January) Valentine's Day (February) St Patrick's Day (March) Easter (April) Spring (May) Summer (June) What Will You Find In Back to School Count the Room (and for each month) This resource is perfect for you kindergarten classroom, with each month following the same format. Simply print and laminate for a resource that can be used year after year. It is not only easy prep, but also easy to differentiation based on the needs of your students. This resource contains counting task cards and a recording sheet for numbers 1-10. Each picture card has a different back to school themed picture for your students to practice counting. (You can find the Back to School count to 10 resource as a freebie at the end of this post.) If your students are ready, also includes recording sheets and count the room cards for numbers 1-20. As well as the task cards included in a black and white printing option. You will also find a variety of supplemental worksheets for counting 1-10, which work perfect for independent practice. As well as back to school themed worksheets for counting 1-20, which work perfect for independent practice. Your students will love the excitement of searching the room for the picture cards and counting how many. You can find the Year Long Kindergarten Count the Room Bundle here: You can find the Back to School Count to 10 Freebie here:
Printable school supply list for preschool or Pre-K classrooms. Includes a free printable checklist you can use to keep track of school supplies in your classroom.
Small group ideas, tips, and tricks to make small group time meaningful in your preschool, pre=k, or kindergarten classroom and a giant FREE idea list too.
A weekly outline of our Montessori at home preschool plans (2.5-6 years). Plus, links to practical life skills, Montessori materials list, and free printables! These unit studies can be used for homeschool or after school fun activities to supplement learning.
Click Here for Curriculum Map What should Pre-K children learn? These are typical concepts that Pre-K children explore in school, but should not be
A comprehensive list of skills taught in Pre-K. This list will give you a better idea of what to look for in a good Pre-K curriculum.
Curriculum Map for Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten for the whole year! Year plan, month plans, and week plans by theme.
