Preschool Curriculum Online at Time4learning

The previous articles looked at the basic math, alphabet, and science concepts which many preschoolers learn about. This article will look at the miscellaneous topics preschool children learn about including animals, food items, and transportation. Here we look at what Time4learning has to offer related to these topics through their online preschool curriculum.

Time4learning.com’s preschool curriculum includes two sections which teach about animals found in the farm as well as the zoo. The farm section starts off with an interactive video which had my daughter singing along with “Old MacDonald”. As the cute farmer sings his song, he introduces the child to several farm animals and their sounds. The best part about this video is that the words or letters pop up on the screen as they are being sung. For instance as the farmer sings “E-I-E-I-O”…the vowels are popping up on the screen. This allows for visual and verbal recognition as the child connects the word with the pictures.

The other three parts for the farm sections include, "Write your own story", "Find it", and "Match it". My daughter and I found that the “Write your own story” was interesting as it allows the child to use her own imagination. Various multiple choice questions are set forth such as “What kind of food do you like to eat for breakfast?”…then the child is given four kinds of food such as muffins, eggs, biscuits, or fruit. The answers the child gives is then put into their very own story that they helped “create”. The child can choose a different answer for the questions each time, so the story can be different each time as well.

The zoo animal section starts off with a video which brings together the letters of the alphabet with the animals found in the zoo. The cartoon character speaks to the child as she states each letter of the alphabet while introducing the child to a zoo animal. For instance, she will say, “V is for the vulture”. Each letter of the alphabet is also shown so that the child can relate the letter with the animal. Letter recognition seems to come up in additional lessons besides the alphabet lesson, which helps the child to keep practicing letter recognition as well as phonetics. The other games in the zoo lesson included "Memory Match", "Find It", and "Paint It".

Animal Extensions:

While your preschool child may have enjoyed learning about the animals online, they probably would enjoy being introduced to the animals in person…much more! Try taking a trip to the zoo or to a farm to allow your child to see up close what these animals look like, what they eat, and what they feel like.

Another great way to spend time teaching your child about animals is to have your preschooler cut out animal pictures out of a magazine along with the letter it starts with. Have your child compile these pictures into an “Animal/Letter Book”. For instance, a page may have a picture of a horse along with the letter H. Again, this allows for the child to connect the animal with the letter.

Food Items:

The child is introduced to various food items including items from the food groups. The part my daughter enjoyed the most was the patterns lesson. The child is shown a pattern using food items such as fruits and vegetables then the child is asked to complete the pattern. An example of a pattern is:

Bananas-Carrots-Bananas-Carrots-Bananas_____________: The child would fill in the last spot with the picture of the carrots. The pattern game allowed my child to apply what they learned about food to the math concepts they had learned previously.

The fruit puzzle was not only fun but allows a preschool child to use logical reasoning skills as well as motor skills as they drag the puzzle pieces into the correct spots using the computer mouse. Other food games included "Match It", "Paint It", and "Memory Match".

Food Extensions:

Using the skills and information learned with Time4learning’s preschool lesson, you and your child can work on various activities.

At the store, allow the child to choose their favorite fruit and favorite vegetable to buy. When you get home, clean and slice the produce and then let the child make patterns using their fruit and vegetables. For instance, they choose an apple and celery. Give the child apples slices and slice the celery into several parts as well. The child can then make patterns on her plate using the fruits and vegetables.

In the grocery store you can also allow your child to point out vegetables and fruits. Ask them which fruit is red? They may choose an apple or may even choose a strawberry. Ask them what vegetable is green? The child will have lots to choose from here! This fun game will not only allow the child to identify fruits and vegetables but will also identify colors.

The Vehicles lesson includes "Show Time", "Match It", and "Paint It". While it may seem that the games are very repetitive this is actually good for preschoolers as they learn through repetition. So while it may be a bit boring for an adult to sit there through another "Match It game", the preschooler is actually having loads of fun.

During the Showtime video, my daughter sang along with the song “Wheels on the Bus”. Just like in the animal section’s “Old MacDonald”, having a more popular and familiar song allowed my child to be comfortable with the video and allowed for more interaction.

The "Match It" game allowed my daughter to use reasoning skills. The preschool child is given three different types of transportation devices including a plane, a bus, and boat. They are also given three settings including water, road, and sky. The child then matches the type of transportation to the setting it would be found in. For example, the airplane is found in the sky.

Transportation Extensions:

Take a train ride, bus ride, or even a boat ride on a local ferry. After your day of transportation fun, go home and talk about the things your child liked or even did not like about the transportation. Maybe the train was too noisy or she liked being on the water with the ferry ride.

Driving in the car does not have to be boring even if you are stuck in traffic. Have the child count different color cars. “How many blue cars can we see in one minute?” or you can ask, “Let’s see how many shapes we can see on a car?” (tires for circles, rectangles for doors, etc.) This will allow the child to apply her mathematical concepts to the transportation lessons.

Time4learning seems a bit repetitive with the games as there are only a few games which keep coming up in various lessons. However, preschoolers learn things by doing them over and over and over again. They are also comfortable with familiarity. This being said, many parents may feel that this constant repetition may be a bit useless and yet I found it to be very useful. In one month as my child went back to lessons everyday, I found she was absorbing all of the information in.

Overall I felt very comfortable allowing my child to play on the website as she was gaining knowledge from this preschool online curriculum, as well as having fun. The fun does not have to stop at the computer or even at the extensions which have been included. Remember as a parent to a preschooler, you must always think outside the box as well as think on your toes. You never know when an educational experience may be right in front of your face!