Preschool Sequence or Course of Study

Below is the course of study I developed to use with my son Connor. You will notice that I didn't include art or music as specific topics to be covered. That is because I incorporate art and music into all his other learning and playing. When learning about seasons he made a collage to represent each season. We sing alot of Bible songs together and also do "creative movement" type activities when talking about concepts like how plants grow or feelings.

I started having a "school-time" with Connor several months before his 4th birthday and he loves it! School-time is during his sister's naptime and we work on things that require concentration, like the letter sounds and tracing work. Other things are covered during the course of the day. That way the activities benefit his sister also.

Connor's Preschool Course of Study

Reading/Listening

• Learn letters and sounds
• Sound out simple words
• Complete a sentence orally
• Tell meaning of a word
• Answer questions about a story
• Tell a story from pictures
• Recognize his name in print
• Identify rhyming words

Math

• Count orally and one-to-one to 20
• Recognize numbers 0-10
• Understand idea of adding and subtracting

Bible/Faith

• Memorize key verses
  • Gen. 1:1
  • Gen. 1:31
  • Ex. 20:12
• Understand key concepts about God & Jesus
• He made the whole universe, including us
• He made everything with a purpose
• He loves us no matter what
• He wants us to obey Him
• He sent Jesus to save us from sin(disobeying)
• The Bible is God's word
• Know the real meanings of Christmas and Easter
• Pray and give thanks

Science/Social Studies

• Seasons & their characteristics
• Identify wild animals common to our area
• Identify different common species of birds and plants in our area
• Understand what a field guide is and its basic use
• Other cultures and how they are different & the same as ours
• Jobs people do
• Understand concepts of long ago and today

Fine Motor Skills

• Button/zip/snap/hook/tie etc.
• Cut out simple shapes with scissors
• Trace some letters, numbers and shapes
• Copy simple shapes freehand
• Put together puzzles
• Lacing and stringing beads

Social/Personal Skills

• Dress/undress himself
• Know home address and phone number
• Know parent's names
• How to cross a street safely
• Be able to ask for help in a library or store
• What to do if lost or separated
• Basic manners
  • holding fork and spoon properly
  • saying please, thank-you and excuse me
  • addressing adults as sir or ma'am
• Play a simple board game properly
  • Candyland
  • Chutes and Ladders
• Play group games
  • Duck, Duck Goose
  • Musical Chairs
• Does household tasks
  • put away toys
  • put dirty clothes in hamper
  • help put away clean silverware and utensils
  • set table properly
  • clean up his own spills
  • take his dirty dishes to the kitchen

Other Concepts

• Opposites
  • empty/full
  • more/less
  • long/short
  • in/out
  • first/last
• Beginning, Middle and End
• Repeat a sequence of sounds or numbers
• Past, Present, Future or Then/Now
• Clap in rhythm with a song
• Repeat a rhythm using clapping or rhythm instrument
• Which colors mix to form green, orange and purple

This outline reflects the areas I feel are important, and also what my son needs to develop. There are other areas like gross motor and "school skills" (like sitting still and not speaking out of turn) that I either know my son has mastered, or I don't feel are necessary. You may think other wise. Please look at the following sites for other preschool courses of study. I referred to these while creating my own. You will find they cover many additional skills.

Introduction & Skills Checklists for 2,3 & 4yo's
World Book's Preschool Sequence
Core Knowledge's Preschool Sequence and other information

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