The Preschool at Home Podcast

Have you ever wanted your preschooler to create a Pinterest-Perfect craft?

But instead, you ended up with an epic fail?

Okay, it might not have been that dramatic, but it probably wasn't the perfect addition to your art collection.

Preschoolers LOVE to participate in art and have so much fun engaging all of their senses in the process.

Art for preschoolers is much more about the process than the product and allows your child to explore new mediums and construct new ideas.

Understanding creative arts at the preschool level means that you allow your child to use his/her imagination, make choices, and bring their own ideas to life.

Have you ever looked at something your preschooler wrote and thought to yourself...

My preschooler has the worst handwriting!

Okay, maybe you didn't say those exact words, but you've thought:

• My child writes SO big.
• I can't read my child's letters.
• Are these just scribbles?

In order to write well, and do lots of other really important skills, preschoolers need to develop the tiny muscles in their hands.

In education circles, you'll hear "fine motor skills".

Fine motor skills all revolve around your child's ability to control those small muscles in his/her hands.

And while they may not seem EXCEPTIONALLY important, they actually are.

When you type, zip your coat, tie your shoes, and sign your name, you are using your own fine motor skills.

When you snap to music, open a milk jug, and squeeze an eyedropper, you are using your fine motor skills AGAIN.

Often, we use these skills and don't even recognize them.  It's like we are on auto-pilot.

And that is EXACTLY what we want for our preschoolers.

Listen and learn more about fine motor skills and how you can support fine motor development in your preschooler. 

Most preschool parents try to carve out some time to get in some kind of exercise, even if it is just a walk around the block.

Sometimes, I get all motivated and end up looking a hot mess. 

But whether I'm taking a walk, riding a stationary bike, or doing a full Beachbody workout,  I recognize the benefits of moving my large muscle groups.

And just like there are benefits to adults moving their large muscle groups, there are also LOTS of benefits to preschoolers moving their large muscles.

The development of large muscles can sometimes be overlooked by preschool parents because there is often SO much focus on literacy and early math skills.

But the truth of the matter is, your preschooler NEEDS to develop his/her large muscles in order to maximize his/her kindergarten success.

Listen to learn more!

Have you ever wondered...

How can he continue to cry for so long?

Isn't she wearing herself out?

He has so many toys, does he really want the ONE toy (that he doesn't even like) that his brother is playing with?

Well, preschool parents, we can have better answers to these questions when we have a better understanding of social/emotional development in preschoolers.

So....

This episode of the Preschool at Home Podcast is ALL ABOUT social/emotional development in preschoolers.

My special guest Chloe Crosby and I will be answering questions like...

• How do I help my child share?
• I noticed that my child doesn't seem to know how to play with other kids.  What do I do?
• How can I encourage my child to clean up her toys after playtime?

Yep, all of those questions fall into the category of social and emotional development.  Listen and find out more. 

In this episode, you will learn what teachers mean when they say "preschool math and science".  You'll also learn:

• How to make math fun for young learners.
• Ideas for easy science experiments.
• Different ways to incorporate counting.
• How to begin adding and subtracting with your preschooler. 
• Plus so much more. 

Here is another Preschool at Home Q & A Session that is available as a podcast.  In this session, we talk about pencil grip, letter name and sounds association, and the use of flashcards.  I'd love for you to join my Q & A Sessions live on Instagram or FB.  But if you can't make it live, you can now get answers to your questions here on the Preschool at Home podcast.

This is the first Preschool at Home Q & A Session that is available as a podcast.  I'd love for you to join my Q & A Sessions live on Instagram or FB.  But if you can't make it live, you can now get answers to your questions here on the Preschool at Home podcast.   

Want to learn how to take advantage of all that your preschooler can learn in the fall?  Here are ten of my most favorite fall-themed activities.  I've even included five extra activities that I found on the internet and couldn't help but to share.  You'll find that many of these activities include natural materials.  There are many opportunities during the fall to incorporate elements of the natural and physical world into your preschooler's learning experiences.  Have fun and let me know which activity your preschooler liked the most.  

In this episode we discuss the developmental milestones presented on the 48-month Ages and Stages Questionaire as a guide when we answer the question, "what should my 4-year old be able to do?"  Parents also learn many ways that they can support the development of their 4-year old across five different categories:  Communication, Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Problem Solving, and Personal-Social.  

In this episode we discuss the developmental milestones presented on the 36 month ASQ as a guide when we answer the question, “what should my 3 year old be able to do?”  The Ages and Stages Questionnaire is used across the country in many early-education programs as a tool to provide parents with feedback on their child’s development.  The ASQ is designed to be completed by parents so there is no need for specialized knowledge.  Parents learn five ways that they can support the development of their 3-year-old across all domains of learning.  

Parents want to give their best to their children and do whatever they can to ensure that they are prepared and successful in kindergarten.  But we should all take advantage of the preschool years and give our children the freedom of play.  Allowing for play doesn’t mean that we aren’t teaching our children, it just means that we allow play to dominate the way that they learn.  You will learn the benefits of play, research-supported strategies for encouraging your child to learn through play, and a few activities you can use right now to start playing with your child.  

This one strategy will make the MOST difference is teaching your child at home--shared control.

What is shared control?

Shared control is just that…sharing control with your child.  Parents who share control with their children provide choices, listen to their children, and allow for flexibility in activities.

You will learn five strategies to use to start sharing control with your preschooler right away.  

In this episode, we learn about interest-based learning and its importance in teaching your preschooler at home.  We also dig deep into the four steps to capitalize on your preschooler's interest.   

The Preschool at Home podcast is bootcamp for parents who have jumped into teaching their preschooler at home...and even those who are still on the fence.  You'll learn how to create fun and engaging preschool experiences, develop confidence if your role as your child's first and most influential teacher, and most importantly realize that your knowledge, uniqueness, and love for your child is something that no preschool can offer--that's your secret sauce.