Preschool lesson plans are a necessity for any preschool teacher. Preschools today are not like the schools of yesterday where toddlers went to simply play with other children, eat snacks, take naps, and hear stories read to them while their parents were at work. Today’s preschools are actual centers of learning and the people who work with the children are real teachers, not just glorified babysitters. By starting out each school year with solid lesson plans, you can give the toddlers in your charge an excellent start for their Kindergarten year and beyond, and make their time in preschool productive as well as fun.
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lesson plans help the school year run smoothly, plain and simple. You need a good schedule for your students to follow, as all children, and toddlers in particular, thrive on a schedule. You also need interesting and engaging activities and learning projects for the children that will hold their attention while capturing their interest in the subject at hand. Here are a few things to consider when creating your preschool lesson plans.
First of all, good lesson plans for the toddler set consist of objectives. You want to know exactly what your students should be learning and what milestones they should reach to indicate they’ve learned the objective. You then need to plan how you will present each learning objective as a lesson. Remember, these are toddlers you’re dealing with, so material that would be appropriate for a second or third grader simply won’t do.
You’ll need to make sure your lesson plans consist of lots of discussions where your students can actively ask questions and present their own ideas. You’ll also need educational as well as recreational toys (as toddlers need frequent breaks from learning during the day in order to stay motivated and focused). Snacks are an important part of lesson planning, since young children need good nutrition to keep from being irritable and to be able to concentrate. Finally, you’ll want to include exercise, art, simple workbooks with fun activities, and a nice selection of field trips throughout the year to make sure your students get a well-rounded education.
One more thing to consider when making your preschool lesson plans is to write them out in a simple, easy to understand way so that a substitute teacher can easily follow them if you have to be out of the classroom for any reason. You don’t want to leave an unsuspecting substitute with no plans or confusing plans that will disrupt the preschoolers’ regular schedule. This is a recipe for chaos!
Keep your classroom and students in order even when you’re not there by having comprehensive, fun, and easy to follow lesson plans, and you’ll always have a happy class. Further, you’ll have happy co-workers and a happy school district, as you will be showing that you have a good command over what you do and that you approach your job with a caring, yet professional, attitude. This will benefit both your students and you.