Preschool Lesson Plan: What You Need to Know

Preschool is arguably one of the most critical periods in your little one’s journey through the Singapore education system. This is when they learn to make sense of their world and how to become good members of society. This is also the period they develop their foundation for future learning in school. Hence, knowing the curriculum in preschool and how it can help your child is important to you as a parent.

Fortunately, preschools in Singapore typically supply parents with newsletter updates that you can use to see what your child is scheduled to learn in school. In this article, we’ll look at what you can expect from preschool lesson plans and share some examples of what is taught in preschools so you can see how the lessons are structured and how relevant it is to your child’s development.

What’s a lesson plan, and why should you, as a parent, know about your child’s teacher’s lesson plan?

A lesson plan is a document that outlines the activities of a teacher for the school term. Early childhood educators can use a lesson plan to organise their lessons, while parents utilise them to acquire insights into what their child will be learning in school.

While such lesson plans will be different from a college syllabus, lesson plans in preschool classrooms are what keep the day-to-day schedule of students organised and structured so that they can learn and grow as much as possible.

It’s important to understand that not all preschools use lesson plans in the same way, but if you’re considering sending your child to a particular preschool, it’s good to know what goes on during a classroom lesson.

There are many different kinds of lesson plans, but they all have a similar structure. They typically begin with an objective or purpose statement that states what children will learn after completing the activity. This is followed by a list of materials needed for the lesson and any prerequisites (for example, if a child must know how to count before learning addition).

Some teachers like to map out the entire semester with a general lesson plan, while others prefer to plan for each week as it comes. The lesson will then describe what the children will do during their time in the classroom. This ranges from reading a book to participating in an art and craft activity.

How can you support your child through their preschool lesson plan?

Knowing that there’s a resource available for tracking what your child is learning at school can help you feel more prepared and involved in their education.
You can also use the lesson plan as a way to gauge how well your child is progressing and what areas they may need additional support with outside of school hours.

You can also use it to schedule your days around your child’s lessons to prepare yourself for the day by reading over the lesson plan and making sure you’re familiar with what your child will be learning. This can help you feel more prepared as a parent, and it can also help you engage in meaningful conversations with your child about their school day when they come home from preschool.

Here are other common ways you can use a lesson plan to support your child’s development:

Ask the right questions

You can use the lesson plan to ask your child specific questions about what they learned in preschool that day. This can help your child recall the information and reinforce their understanding of the lesson.

Use educational resources

You can support your child’s preschool learning with additional educational resources like books, apps, and videos. You can even try to bring them on an experiential trip that could complement the lessons, such as taking them to the zoo after learning about animal sounds. This can enhance what they learned in the classroom by reinforcing it with additional information from other sources.

Learn your child’s passions

Kids have different interests and learning styles. You can use the lesson plans to get to know your child better by observing how they react and respond to certain topics and subjects. If you know that today was maths and they came home excited and eager to talk about it, you will know that they like maths. You can then use this information to help them learn more about the topic in the future.

There are plenty of other ways parents can use lesson plans to benefit their child, but the most important thing is to find what works for your family.

What should you look for in your child’s preschool lesson plan?

So, what does a lesson plan look like? A preschool lesson plan will vary based on the class, teacher, and curriculum. Teachers can use their preferred format as long as it’s clear and organised. Usually, though, teachers break down their plans by subject matter: reading, writing, maths, science, and social studies are all common ones. However, there are several non-negotiables that you should look out for in a lesson plan. Here are some of them:

Age-appropriate Content

The content is the first thing you should consider in a preschool lesson plan.
Does it cover age-appropriate material? If you have an older child, this is especially important. Younger children around 3-5 years old are still learning to communicate. So, a good lesson plan will focus on communication and literacy. If your child is older (around 5), on the other hand, he or she may be ready for more advanced subjects like science or social studies.

Promotes Socialisation

Socialisation is one of the most important aspects of your little one’s early childhood education.

They are still learning how to interact with others and what is acceptable behaviour, such as being considerate of other people’s needs and feelings and how to cooperate with their peers.

This means that you should look for lesson plans that promote social skills through story-telling, role-playing, and other activities.

Adequate Attention to Motor Skills Development

Preschool lesson plans shouldn’t be all academics and mental development.
Motor skills development is also an important area to focus on when choosing your child’s early childhood education lessons. Motor skills include things like balance, coordination, and strength.

It is important to remember that these skills will not develop overnight—it takes time and practice.

Parting Thoughts

While it’s true that even the best parents might not be as hands-on in their child’s education as they’d like, this doesn’t mean that you can’t make a difference in their education. As long as you’re willing to put in the effort, there are plenty of ways to help your child learn and grow throughout their school years.

Getting in touch with their teachers once in a while and looking at their lesson plans is one of the best places to start.