Searching for the best preschool curriculum can be a daunting task. If you committed to thoroughly examining each and every preschool curriculum on the market before making a selection, your little one would graduate high school and you’d only just be getting a good start. So, to make your task a little less stressful, here are 5 tips to help you quickly narrow your search.
5 Tips to Help you Find the Best Preschool Curriculum
1. No Messes Please! A curriculum is suppose to organize and structure the learning process. If the curriculum looks like someone dumped a garbage bin on a table, took a picture, and labeled the photo “preschool curriculum,” don’t buy it! Let them clean up their own mess – you want structure!
2. No Craft Books! Crafts are fun and can really enhance your preschooler’s learning. However, many preschool curriculums are nothing more than glorified craft books. Before you decide to purchase a preschool curriculum that is heavily saturated in crafts, make sure that the curriculum actually covers all the basic preschool learning requirements. Then decide if you are comfortable spending loads of time and money on materials, preparation and clean up! We do crafts in our preschool, but definitely in moderation.
3. No Cartoons! Just because a “preschool curriculum” is endorsed by your little one’s favorite cartoon character does not guaranty it is a great match for your child. Elmo’s personal endorsement should have zero effect on your decision to purchase a curriculum. You need content – not characters.
Also, I have found that educational books that are loaded with cartoons are the hardest to teach from. Instead of enhancing the learning process, they often serve as insurmountable distractions from the essential information. Your children’s attention will immediately be drawn to the cartoon and you will have to fight tooth and nail to get their focus back on the actual lesson.
4. No Crazy Lesson Plans! It goes without saying, if you have a preschooler you are already extremely busy. The last thing you need is a curriculum that requires hours of lesson planning. You want something that you can open and immediately begin teaching from!
5. No Baby Books! Children as young as two-years-old are capable of reading, writing and basic arithmetic. So be careful not to select a curriculum that is loaded with coloring books and nursery rhymes – just because you can’t believe how fast your baby has grown up. Your little ones are super-natural sponges, so find them a preschool curriculum with lots of substance to absorb!
I hope that you find these tips helpful. If you are currently searching for a great preschool curriculum, be sure to check out my Christian Preschool Curriculum. Happy hunting!
Looks like a fun blog as I have 2 little ones of my own! I am a new follower from the mom’s mingle!
Jenn
http://www.couponcalimom.blogspot.com
I have the Blue Manor Education Preschool Curriculum, and it is the best preschool curriculum I’ve seen out there! It is very professional, organized, and easy to teach and learn from. We started using it with my son when he was under 2 years old, and he LOVES it! He asks to do “school” every day and has so much FUN learning. He never stops surprising my husband and I with how much he remembers. It is great how you can start teaching the more basic components of the curriculum to a child so young, yet we will still be able to use it for awhile as we incorporate more of the information included with each subject. Above all, the best part is that it is faith-based and teaches from a Biblical worldview. Definitely recommend this curriculum to anyone with preschool-aged children!!!
I love these tips. It’s so hard to find a nice preschool curriculum that doesn’t require a ton of preparation or a ton of supplement.
Oh dear…. just the thought of preschool makes my heart race.
Great tips! I’ve been trying to do some things with my daughter since she isn’t in a “preschool”, but I feel like I haven’t found the right fit yet. Thanks for linking up to tip-toe thru Tuesday.
I whole heartedly agree with your warning to not buy cluttered and disorganized hodge-podge ‘curriculum.’ It will stress yourself out trying to navigate it. And keeping it simple is also very important.
I would be careful not to disregard the benefit of nursery rhymes and books.
There is actually a lot of value in nursery rhymes and reading a lot to our children. The size of a child’s vocabulary when they start ‘traditional school age’ is a much stronger indicator of future academic success than prioritizing trying to get our toddlers to read or do math as older kids do it…
While messy, it is of far greater value to bring them into our world, let them cook with us, get their hands messy and have real experiences. We didn’t do a lot of structured crafts, but the benefits of open-ended crafting where the child can grow this imagination and have a rich sensory experience are huge. With that being said, I only did ‘messy crafts’ maybe once a week.
Hello, I am home teacher. I was searching for new Nursery Curriculum for children to make the education very interesting. Thanks for some great tips.
Good thinking. I agree with this blog but you told no Cartoons and No craft books. I think craft books are necessary to make preschool education interesting. Friendly environment should be maintained in preschool for kids. Otherwise you focus on all the important points in this blog.
Hi,
Great tips. These tips are very helpful to find a right preschool. Today online is the best place to choose a right preschool. Thanks to sharing these tips.
Thanks for the tips about finding a good preschool curriculum. I like how you mentioned being careful with the cartoon characters. Like you said, just because Elmo or Spongebob approves of a certain curriculum doesn’t make it right!
I liked what you said about our kids being able to absorb more difficult information than nursery rhymes and coloring books. I have been trying to teach my kids to read and write from an early age like my dad did. It would be nice to find a program where they can progress from where they are now.
I agree that you want to consider if a preschool will teach to your child’s age. It would be good to consider their curriculum because it would show that they are qualified. My husband and I are looking for a preschool for our daughter, so we’ll have to consider their curriculum first.
Hey,
I am glad to hear you are concerned with the child’s progress as well. Baby books are not a good fit for developed children. They need to be challenged on the right level for optimal development. However it is important to remember that they are still children and development takes time. We can’t push them too much.
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing these great tips on how to find a good preschool. My wife and I are hoping to find a good school for our daughter. We’re hoping to find a place that has a good adult to child ratios.
I ‘m planning to enroll my daughter in preschool, but I’m quite clueless regarding the curriculum. I’ll keep in mind not select a curriculum that is bombarded with coloring books and nursery rhymes. I hope I’ll be able to find the perfect school for my daughter.