WEBVTT
00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:07.360
Hey friend! Welcome to the Pre-K Learning Club podcast.
00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:18.079
I'm V, a former kindergarten and current pre-K teacher with nearly 20 years in the classroom, and I'm here to help you teach your preschooler at home without the overwhelm.
00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:22.239
Think simple activities, real life learning, and lots of encouragement.
00:00:22.399 --> 00:00:24.399
I'm so glad you're here.
00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:43.439
Okay, I am going to apologize in advance for the fact that my house is quiet, but my neighborhood is a new part of the subdivision, and there's so much construction going on and banging and hammering, and I just I don't have any control over that.
00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:47.679
So I'm hoping that's not too distracting for you if you do hear it.
00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.399
Okay, now let's get to it.
00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:58.799
Today I want to talk directly to the parents who are searching for a pre-K or kindergarten readiness curriculum for next year.
00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:04.719
Maybe your child is getting closer to kindergarten and you're starting to think, what should we even be working on?
00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:06.640
How do I know if I'm doing enough?
00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:08.959
Do I need a full curriculum?
00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:16.319
Or maybe you've already started searching online and now you feel completely overwhelmed because there are so many options.
00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:20.719
Huge programs, giant bundles, hundreds of pages.
00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:26.079
And honestly, sometimes that can make things feel more stressful instead of more helpful.
00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:36.319
So today I want to talk about what I personally believe actually matters in a pre-K curriculum and why I created the Pre-K Learning Club the way that I did.
00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:45.120
One of the biggest things I want parents to understand is that pre-K is not about rushing children ahead academically.
00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:48.079
It's about building a strong foundation.
00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:59.519
We want children to become confident learners, familiar with letters and numbers, comfortable with routines, able to focus for short periods, and excited about learning.
00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:00.959
That one's really important.
00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:06.000
And we want to do that in a way that is developmentally appropriate.
00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:08.240
That is really important to me.
00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:16.159
Over the years, both teaching in classrooms and talking to lots of parents, I kept seeing the same problem.
00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:18.719
Parents were overwhelmed.
00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:24.240
They were spending hours searching Pinterest trying to piece together activities.
00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:30.800
Or they were buying giant curriculum bundles with so much content that they didn't even know where to start.
00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:33.840
And honestly, I understand that feeling.
00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:38.639
As a mom myself, I don't want to spend hours trying to figure everything out either.
00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:44.000
I want someone to say, here's the plan, here's what matters, here's what to focus on.
00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:50.560
That appeals to me both in like what I eat, what my workout routine looks like, everything.
00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:55.120
I kind of want it simple because I know I can implement simple.
00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:00.159
That's exactly what I wanted to create for the pre-K space.
00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:21.680
To me, a good pre-K curriculum should be simple to use, realistic for families, families that are busy or maybe have many different age, you know, age ranges, developmentally appropriate, balanced between play and academics, and focused on the foundational skills.
00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:32.560
Young children do not need hours of worksheets, but they also benefit from some exposure to tracing, handwriting, cutting, counting, letter recognition.
00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:34.319
The key is balance.
00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:42.479
And I think that's really a benefit of doing preschool at home is that you get to have that balance.
00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:52.960
Inside the Pre-K Learning Club, I focus on the foundational skills I've seen that matter the most over my nearly 20 years in early childhood education.
00:03:53.199 --> 00:04:04.879
We work on things like letters and sounds, phonemic awareness, counting and number sense, patterns and sequencing, fine motor skills, name writing, hands-on learning activities.
00:04:05.039 --> 00:04:07.840
And everything is designed to be manageable.
00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:13.439
Most activities only take about five to seven minutes each.
00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:21.839
Because that's what fits preschool attention spans best in my experience.
00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:26.399
Another thing that's very important to me is that learning stays playful.
00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:34.879
Young children learn best through repetition, movement, games, hands-on activities, and real life experiences.
00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:43.040
That's why my learning packs include a blend of simple paper activities, games, hands-on learning, and fine motor practice.
00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:45.680
Because all of those things work together.
00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:50.800
This is something I really want parents to hear.
00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:55.759
You do not need to recreate a full school day at home.
00:04:56.079 --> 00:04:59.439
You do not need hours of structured learning.
00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:04.959
Most families can complete the activities in about 15 to 25 minutes per day.
00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:06.560
That is enough.
00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:12.480
Consistency over time matters so much more than trying to do everything perfectly.
00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:36.639
That's a goal.
00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:44.800
The reason I created the Pre-K Learning Club is because I truly wanted to make this stage feel simpler for parents.
00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:55.920
I wanted families to have a plan, guidance, realistic expectations, and activities that actually fit this age group without feeling overwhelmed.
00:05:56.399 --> 00:06:04.959
If you've been searching for a pre-K curriculum or wondering where to even begin, I hope this episode helped give you some clarity and encouragement.
00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:08.560
Pre K learning does not have to be complicated.
00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:12.959
Simple, consistent, playful learning really does go a long way.
00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:16.560
Thanks so much for listening.
00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:21.120
If this episode was helpful, be sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss a thing.
00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:25.199
Until next time, you're doing a great job.
00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:07.360
Hey friend! Welcome to the Pre-K Learning Club podcast.
00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:18.079
I'm V, a former kindergarten and current pre-K teacher with nearly 20 years in the classroom, and I'm here to help you teach your preschooler at home without the overwhelm.
00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:22.239
Think simple activities, real life learning, and lots of encouragement.
00:00:22.399 --> 00:00:24.399
I'm so glad you're here.
00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:43.439
Okay, I am going to apologize in advance for the fact that my house is quiet, but my neighborhood is a new part of the subdivision, and there's so much construction going on and banging and hammering, and I just I don't have any control over that.
00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:47.679
So I'm hoping that's not too distracting for you if you do hear it.
00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.399
Okay, now let's get to it.
00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:58.799
Today I want to talk directly to the parents who are searching for a pre-K or kindergarten readiness curriculum for next year.
00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:04.719
Maybe your child is getting closer to kindergarten and you're starting to think, what should we even be working on?
00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:06.640
How do I know if I'm doing enough?
00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:08.959
Do I need a full curriculum?
00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:16.319
Or maybe you've already started searching online and now you feel completely overwhelmed because there are so many options.
00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:20.719
Huge programs, giant bundles, hundreds of pages.
00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:26.079
And honestly, sometimes that can make things feel more stressful instead of more helpful.
00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:36.319
So today I want to talk about what I personally believe actually matters in a pre-K curriculum and why I created the Pre-K Learning Club the way that I did.
00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:45.120
One of the biggest things I want parents to understand is that pre-K is not about rushing children ahead academically.
00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:48.079
It's about building a strong foundation.
00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:59.519
We want children to become confident learners, familiar with letters and numbers, comfortable with routines, able to focus for short periods, and excited about learning.
00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:00.959
That one's really important.
00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:06.000
And we want to do that in a way that is developmentally appropriate.
00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:08.240
That is really important to me.
00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:16.159
Over the years, both teaching in classrooms and talking to lots of parents, I kept seeing the same problem.
00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:18.719
Parents were overwhelmed.
00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:24.240
They were spending hours searching Pinterest trying to piece together activities.
00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:30.800
Or they were buying giant curriculum bundles with so much content that they didn't even know where to start.
00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:33.840
And honestly, I understand that feeling.
00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:38.639
As a mom myself, I don't want to spend hours trying to figure everything out either.
00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:44.000
I want someone to say, here's the plan, here's what matters, here's what to focus on.
00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:50.560
That appeals to me both in like what I eat, what my workout routine looks like, everything.
00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:55.120
I kind of want it simple because I know I can implement simple.
00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:00.159
That's exactly what I wanted to create for the pre-K space.
00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:21.680
To me, a good pre-K curriculum should be simple to use, realistic for families, families that are busy or maybe have many different age, you know, age ranges, developmentally appropriate, balanced between play and academics, and focused on the foundational skills.
00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:32.560
Young children do not need hours of worksheets, but they also benefit from some exposure to tracing, handwriting, cutting, counting, letter recognition.
00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:34.319
The key is balance.
00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:42.479
And I think that's really a benefit of doing preschool at home is that you get to have that balance.
00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:52.960
Inside the Pre-K Learning Club, I focus on the foundational skills I've seen that matter the most over my nearly 20 years in early childhood education.
00:03:53.199 --> 00:04:04.879
We work on things like letters and sounds, phonemic awareness, counting and number sense, patterns and sequencing, fine motor skills, name writing, hands-on learning activities.
00:04:05.039 --> 00:04:07.840
And everything is designed to be manageable.
00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:13.439
Most activities only take about five to seven minutes each.
00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:21.839
Because that's what fits preschool attention spans best in my experience.
00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:26.399
Another thing that's very important to me is that learning stays playful.
00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:34.879
Young children learn best through repetition, movement, games, hands-on activities, and real life experiences.
00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:43.040
That's why my learning packs include a blend of simple paper activities, games, hands-on learning, and fine motor practice.
00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:45.680
Because all of those things work together.
00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:50.800
This is something I really want parents to hear.
00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:55.759
You do not need to recreate a full school day at home.
00:04:56.079 --> 00:04:59.439
You do not need hours of structured learning.
00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:04.959
Most families can complete the activities in about 15 to 25 minutes per day.
00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:06.560
That is enough.
00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:12.480
Consistency over time matters so much more than trying to do everything perfectly.
00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:36.639
That's a goal.
00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:44.800
The reason I created the Pre-K Learning Club is because I truly wanted to make this stage feel simpler for parents.
00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:55.920
I wanted families to have a plan, guidance, realistic expectations, and activities that actually fit this age group without feeling overwhelmed.
00:05:56.399 --> 00:06:04.959
If you've been searching for a pre-K curriculum or wondering where to even begin, I hope this episode helped give you some clarity and encouragement.
00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:08.560
Pre K learning does not have to be complicated.
00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:12.959
Simple, consistent, playful learning really does go a long way.
00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:16.560
Thanks so much for listening.
00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:21.120
If this episode was helpful, be sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss a thing.
00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:25.199
Until next time, you're doing a great job.
