10 Tips for the New Home Preschool Mom
I know some of you might be feeling a little overwhelmed right now—especially if it’s your first year teaching preschool at home. But don’t worry, I’m here to help! I hope this post gives you some encouragement and makes things feel a bit more manageable. I’ve been teaching preschool at home for five years with my three boys, and I absolutely love this age! To make things easier, I’ve put together my top 10 tips for teaching preschool at home. Let’s dive in!
Set a Schedule
I recommend setting up a schedule for the day. This does not mean you have to follow a rigid schedule, but set up a flow to your day so your preschooler will know how the day will go. But start slow! Begin with short, simple lessons and gradually build up as you and your child get into a routine.
9:00 – Circle Time (weather, songs, calendar)
9:15 – Read Aloud
9:30 – Literacy Activity
10:00 – Snack & Break
10:30 – Sensory Play
11:00 – Math Activity
11:30 – Lunch and Play Time
1:00 – Quiet Rest Time
And the rest of the day is not very structured and there’s lots of play time!
Focus on Play
Play is a huge part of learning at this age. Encourage hands-on activities like building with blocks, pretend play, and outdoor exploration—they help develop important skills without feeling like formal “schoolwork.”
Read Every Day
Reading aloud is one of the most important things you can do at this stage. Build a love for books by reading daily, and don’t be afraid to read the same stories over and over—kids love repetition!
Follow Their Interests
Pay attention to what your child is curious about and incorporate that into your lessons. If they love frogs, for example, find books, games, or art activities around that theme to keep them engaged. They will love learning when you follow their interests.
Incorporate Movement
Little ones have energy to burn, so mix learning with movement. You can do counting games with jumping, practice letters while hopping, or go for a nature walk to talk about the world around them.
Sing & Make Music
I haven’t met a preschooler that doesn’t like music. Sing lots of songs when you’re starting the preschool day, transitioning to new activities, celebrating holidays, or really any time!
Keep Lessons Short
Preschoolers have short attention spans, so keep lessons brief—around 10-15 minutes for focused activities. You’ll be surprised how much they learn in those short bursts!
Hands-On Activities
I’m a big advocate for hands-on learning activities. Preschoolers don’t need worksheets, they need hands-on learning tasks. They learn best this way!
Learn From Others
There’s no need to re-invent the wheel. Learn tips and tricks from other preschool moms. I’d love for you to join my preschool moms facebook group to connect with other homeschool moms!
Don’t Worry!
Don’t sweat about all the little details about home preschool. I don’t believe you can mess up preschool. As long as you’re reading, playing, and doing hands-on learning activities you will be good!
Have a wonderful first year of homeschooling!
If you’re looking for tools to effectively teach preschool at home, check out my curriculum, Home Preschool Made Easy. I even offer a course that teaches you everything you need to know about home preschool! Check it out here.
Our little guy is just turning 3. He is not a sitter downer We learn through play and talk.I do use worksheets on the wall (my form of bulletin board)and the pocket chart as a focus point. He is just discovering the file folder games which I am turning into a busy book. Love the teachingmoma.org seems to follow my philosophy of education.
thanks