Active children require the best preschool curriculum to suit their needs. All children have sensory needs, but especially for active children, a structure that incorporates plenty of exercise and playtime and routine is recommended to improve academic performance. As a parent, it’s important to find the best structure for your child in order to guarantee academic progress in a well-suited curriculum.
Most children in preschool battle to sit still or pay attention for long periods of time, but for active learners this can be a challenge even for a short period of time. Having a short attention span means that active learners get easily distracted, and therefore need to be suitably engaged in what they’re being taught in order to learn properly. This is common in children, especially boys.
Children are energetic, so it’s necessary that they have a program that has outdoor play space. Children process information through their senses differently, and how it’s processed can interfere with behavior or lifestyle. Therefore a curriculum with a focus on exercise or one that includes move-while-you-learn type games can make the process more engaging and valuable. Singing songs and chants can always be valuable. Active learners will benefit from a dynamic, age-appropriate, hands-on curriculum that incorporates auditory, visual and kinesthetic learning.
Other factors that can benefit your active learner
- Predictability and structure of classroom activities with a well-maintained routine
- Work periods that are short (but productive)
- An interesting and engaging curriculum
- A small teacher to student ratio allowing for more individual attention
- Positive reinforcement from the teacher
When choosing a preschool for your child, you want one that offers a structured program with enough time spent outdoors. It’s important to take the time to research each school thoroughly and find out as much as you can about the curriculum. It’s worth visiting each school so that you can get a better feel for the place and how it works.
When visiting schools make sure to find out what the daily schedule entails, and how much time is spent outdoors. Classroom size is also a factor, as your child needs space to move around. A clear division between work and play time helps to enforce routine and distinguish between the two, making it easier for your child to follow the structure. Also important to consider is how much time is spent in circle time as well as how much free time/play time your child will have. You want your child to have enough playtime to keep them stimulated, without it being too unstructured. When meeting the teachers, observe how energetic and engaged they are, especially when interacting with your child.
If you can sit in on a class, observe how the teacher interacts with the children and how they respond to the teacher. Pay attention to any active learners and observe how they stay focused. To find the best preschool for your child, the classroom and surroundings are significant, but the teaching style and personality of the teacher are most important. Above anything else, the teacher needs to be patient. Having experience in teaching active learners can be beneficial but it’s not vital. A teacher who is willing to discuss ideas and listen to and provide recommendations for your child can make the process smoother.
Other beneficial characteristics to look for in the teacher
- Positive academic expectations
- Hands on approach that includes frequenting monitoring of work
- Conciseness and clarity when giving instructions
- Consistency and firmness
- Warmth and a sense of humor
- Talks to the children in a simple, calm and easy to understand manner