Guest author Jeanette Norman
When planning a curriculum, you need to make some decisions about what you want the children to learn and experience. Many preschool classrooms are divided into sections sometimes called learning centers. There should be seven basic center categories. These include: art, blocks, dramatic play, science & sensory, library & writing, manipulatives (or sometimes called math), and music. Music could be the area you set aside for circle time.
Teaching through themes is ideal so there is consistency every week in the ideas that the preschooler has to grasp. They will associate activities in each area with the whole day experience. To start planning a curriculum, look at the “big picture” first. By this I mean take a look at the calendar beginning when your preschool learning year starts. This can coincide with the day school agers begin their year in August. Look at each month and see what themes you can plug in where. You can start the school year off with the first week being about “Me”. This would be a great theme for children to open up to you and their classmates so they get to know each other. Bring in pictures from home, an item for show and tell, or a favorite snack. Here is a sample curriculum for an entire year
August 31 Welcome to School January 18 Health and Fitness
September 7 Me January 25 Circus
September 14 Shapes and Colors February 1 Dinosaurs
September 21 Homes February 8 Sound
October 5 Pets or Farm February 15 Careers
October 12 My Neighborhood February 25 Teddy Bears
October 19 Fall Changes March 1 Transportation
October 26 Safety March 8 Flowers, Plants and Growth
November 2 Planets March 15 Spring Break
November 9 Community Helpers March 22 Wind and Rain
November 16 Food March 29 Spring
November 23 Thanksgiving April 5 Weather or Seasons
November 30 Winter Changes April 12 Garden
December 7 The World April 19 Recycling
December 14 Winter Celebrations April 25 Zoo
December 21 No School – Winter Break May 3 Friends
December 28 No school – Winter Break May 10 Water
January 4 Snow and Cold May 17 Summer Changes and Fun
January 11 Zipping, Buttoning, and Tying
Just looking at these themes can make the wheels start turning with ideas for activities in the different centers I mentioned earlier. Think about what your children show an interest in. Plan a theme around a subject they are asking questions about. There are many community resources out there for teachers to take advantage of. The best way to discover these is to start with your local library. There are activities posted there or the librarians themselves might know where to go.
Breaking It Down Into Weekly Lesson Plans
Once you have your year in a basic sketch, make weekly lesson plans 2 weeks ahead of time. Why 2 weeks you ask? I found when I was teaching, this would give me plenty of time to make photocopies, gather materials, and notify parents if I needed them to bring something in for the children. Post next week’s plan on Friday where parents can easily see it. Once preschool I worked in required us to make copies for the parents to take home as well. I have made a printable example of what a weekly lesson plan might look like. Click here. Also, here is a weekly lesson plan for each center. You can use one or the other or both. The one made for the centers can help you plan your week into more detail. I am a planner. I love having everything planned out know what I am doing and what to expect. You don’t have to be as compulsive about planning as I am hehehe.
Book Recommendations
Here are some books you may find helpful!
