What Do Kids Learn in Preschool?

I may be dating myself, but when I graduated from kindergarten, I needed to be able to say all the letters of the alphabet and recite my address and phone number from memory.  Although I’m sure I learned other skills throughout the year, that was the final test.  My, how things have changed!  Kindergarten students are now reading, writing, doing addition and, sometimes, subtraction by the time they move on to first grade.  In fact, as crazy as it may sound, if a child doesn’t have some pre-K skills, he may start kindergarten behind his peers.

“Academics is a part of what we do, but they have to be able to do critical thinking, walk in a line, make good choices and self-regulate before kindergarten,” says Michele Isringhausen, director of Colonial Presbyterian Child Development Center in Overland Park. “When they get into kindergarten, they need to be able to hit the ground running. They no longer have the luxury of learning social skills in kindergarten; they have to be able to focus on academics.”

Isringhausen is a former kindergarten teacher who remembers juggling four young children with a husband who traveled frequently.  She says she tries to create a community to support the kids’ developmental needs, as well as the parents’ emotional needs.  “I wanted to be able to give parents the benefit and opportunity to build community. To know that I’m not in this by myself.   That there are others that can come along beside me and help me.” Early education can also give outside teachers an opportunity to notice when a child is struggling with speech, attention or sensory issues and to offer educated advice on how to move forward.

Minka Rudman, preschool lead teacher & early childhood coordinator at The Barstow School, notes that in addition to academics, in preschool children “are learning how to regulate their feelings, finding strategies that help solve problems, learning how to make friends and understanding their wants and needs. They practice their gross motor skills, develop an awareness of the world around them, learn what it means to be a good citizen, practice self-help skills and so much more.”

According to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), this is essential: “Play and academics are not an ‘either or.’ For children birth to 8, play is an essential element in learning.”  So is a positive learning experience. Often, we think that algebra and chemistry classes are the most important part of a child’s education, but it’s actually the reverse. The experiences a child has in early education lay the foundation for any future learning opportunities. The KSDE says, “Early childhood experiences, from birth through age 8, are necessary for school success and have a direct influence on future success.”

Setting a foundation for success is at the heart of early education. “Learning to get along with others, learning to make friends, learning to share, learning to wait, and the consequences of our actions.  We learn respect for others and authority,” Isringhausen says. “It’s important for kids to learn that at an early age, especially right now in our culture.  We teach that we don't all agree. We look different and think differently, and that’s okay.”

Now that kindergarten is a full day, which can equate to about 40 hours a week in school, giving children the opportunity to spend 10-16 hours in a structured environment gives them a leg up in handling the pressure and transition to a regular school day.

Isringhausen says that they do spend time on letters, numbers, sight words, STEM and STEAM activities and other academic concepts, but the most important skill they give to their students is a love of learning and a firm foundation to launch into an academic world that is getting harder each year. 

Creating a Preschool Environment on Your Own

For many parents, sending their kids to a preschool or development center is not feasible or desirable.  If that’s the case, you can still create an atmosphere of learning by being intentional about what you surround your children with and how you structure your day.

One of the most important things you can do as soon as your child is born is talk to her.  Even though she may not understand what you’re saying, by the time a child is 2, she will have a 200-to 300-word vocabulary. 

Reading to your child will also develop speaking and vocabulary skills, bumping his word pool up to the 2,000-word level by the time he is 5.  

Growing up in a larger family will help children develop their social-emotional needs simply because sharing, helping and caring for others is a part of their everyday lives.  But for those in smaller families, you may need to arrange playdates to give your kids the opportunities to practice these essential skills.  Pick one lesson, such as sharing, letting others go first or practicing kindness, and talk to your child about that thought before the playdate.  Work on one thing at a time, especially in young children, until it becomes a part of their regular routine. 

Homeschooler Carissa Jones says she finds she is able to teach her children best by including them in the everyday routines of life.  “When I’m making pancakes and we need a cup of flour, we look through the measuring cups together to find the cup.  When you’re out watering the garden and you talk to your kids about how the plants need sun and water, what bugs are eating the lettuce and how to stop that, they are learning about the world we live in and how it works.”  But Jones acknowledges that it can be hard to include young ones when you just want to get the job done. “It takes patience and time, but your kids will absorb what is around them.”

She has also gotten together with families and used the curriculum A Summer of Playing Skillfully by Kathy H. Lee and Lesli M. Richards, which lays out a fun, interactive curriculum of guided play for preschoolers.  “We would each take a month and plan the activities and host it once a week. The kids were learning, but they didn’t realize it because they were playing.  We had five young kids between us, and it worked because we were able to take turns so it wasn’t too much for either of us.”

The preschool age is a time for kids to adjust to the fact that they aren’t the center of the universe, to learn to care for others and to grow in independence. It’s an incredibly important time of growth and maturing for little ones that can take place inside a classroom or, with some extra effort, inside the home. 

Christian Barnes lives in Kansas City with her husband and two nearly grown sons. She’s fascinated by how children think and learn and enjoys sharing any information that she’s gathered with others.