Home Preschool Curriculum Guide

By Frances Wisniewski and Diane Flynn Keith
With Contributions By Annette M. Hall

Position & Direction

Two of the key concepts that preschool educators think children ages 2-5 should understand in order to begin formal academic learning - in the school or homeschool environment - are Position and Direction.

Here are some activities you can do to help your preschooler learn these skills.

Understanding Up and Down

Use the words "up" and "down" as you talk with your child in everyday, normal conversations. Point to the clouds or stars and say they are up in the sky. Point to the grass and say it grows down on the ground. When you lift your child up off the ground, and put them back down on the ground, say out loud, "I'm lifting you up, and now I'm putting you down."
Play with a Busy Beads toy and talk about pushing the beads up and down and all around.
Beanbag Toss: Throw your beanbag up, and watch it come down.

Understanding In & Out

Talk about inside and outside when you are doing things together.
Talk about the things you do. For example say, "Let's go out to play", or, "Let's take a ride in the car."
Throw a ball in a box or laundry basket and then take it out.

Understanding Front and Back

When you are waiting in line at the bank, post office, or grocery store, talk to your child about where you are in the line. For example, "We are in back of the lady in the blue blouse and in front of the man with the red baseball hat."

Understanding Over, On, and Under

Read We Are Going On A Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
Before going on a nature walk talk about the things you are putting on such as shoes, a jacket, and binoculars. As you walk, talk about the things you find on the ground. When you get home, talk about all the wonderful things you've collected while walking and place them on a nature table!
Play a direction game with your child. Ask your child to stack blocks on top of one another, next to one another, then put two blocks close together and put another on top of or over the two blocks to form a bridge, ask your child to put a block under the "bridge".

Understanding Top, Bottom, Middle

Play with Stacking Rings - and talk about which one is on the bottom, in the middle, and on the top.
Talk about the body: Head is at the top, belly in the middle, and feet on the bottom.
Play Jenga with your child.

Knowing Their Age and Birthday

Talk to your child about his/her age. Make references to their age when you can. For example: "Jesse, is four years old and so are you!" "You were born on June 5th. Jesse was born on September 28th."
A week or more in advance of your child's birthday, do a birthday count down. Let your child mark off each day on a calendar until their birthday.
Make a "Birthday Wheel" to remember loved one's birthdays and compare how many more months/weeks/days until your child's birthday.

Identifying a Calendar

Make up your own calendar to keep track of the days and months:

Tip: If you print out a blank calendar and have it laminated you'll be able to use dry erase markers and reuse it!

Use a calendar with your child everyday to keep track of the days of the week and to count down to special events and outings.
Talk about the months of the year. Use this rhyme.

Do you want fun games and activities to learn the concepts of hot and cold, fast and slow, full and empty, and day and night? You'll find these and many other playful and educational ideas in our...