There are certain basic concepts that are valuable for your preschooler to know. These concepts will not only prepare her for Kindergarten level work, but will also help her to get along in the world.
These basic concepts are listed below. Many of them can be taught through daily interactions with your child. You’ll find that you probably use many of the words and phrases associated with them in your daily conversations. Others can be learned or reinforced through play or the use of some fun preschool packs.
Keep in mind that every child is unique and will learn at a different rate from other children. So you need not worry if your child doesn’t learn all of these concepts before she starts Kindergarten. Also, the list below is merely a guideline. Nothing in it is set in stone.
Lastly, remember that at this age, your child should be spending most of her day playing and exploring. That is how she learns best at this stage of her development. There is no need to spend hours and hours a day doing formal lessons.
Basic Concepts You Can Teach Your Preschooler
Here are the basic concepts your preschooler can learn.
- Shapes
- Colors
- Same and different
- Does not belong
- One-to-one correspondence
- Numbers 1-10
- First, next, and last
- In and out
- Pattern recognition
- What comes next in a sequence
- Up and down
- Above, below, and beside
- Front and back
- In front of and behind
- Over, under, and in the middle
- Backward and forward
- Slow and fast
- Closed and open
- Before and after
- Top and bottom
- Low and high
- Long and short
- Big and little
- Smallest and largest
- Tall and short
- Wide and narrow
- Medium sized
- Same size
- Basic emotions such as happy, sad, and mad
- Full and empty
- Many and few
- More and less
- Whole and parts
- On and off
- Loud and soft
- Hot and cold
- Soft and hard
- Old and new
- Early and late
- Day and night
- Times of the day such as morning and evening
- Weather and seasons
- Simple categories of items such as food, clothes, and animals
- Family members
- Stranger safety
- Parts of the body
- Full name and names of family members
- Home phone number
- Birthday
- God and other important religious concepts
If you’d like a free printable color-recognition game that you can play with your child today, you can get the Bears and Bunnies Spring Colors Game here.