In order to achieve your goal as a teacher, you need to make a perfect lesson plan. It will not only ensure you are prepared for your class but also ensure your class runs smoothly. It is essential you break it down into small pieces in a step by step manner. When it comes to preschool lesson plans you have to do it in two essential segments the big picture and the small picture. When I say big plan I basically mean a cohesive plan that lasts the entire year while small picture is the lessons within the big picture. Below is a step by step plan to making a perfect preschool lesson plan, starting with the big picture.
The Big Picture Lesson Plan
Step 1. Know your students’ skills
Before you can fully plan for your lessons, you need to know what exactly your student’s capabilities are. These include a wide number of things like communication skills, language awareness, motor skills, emotional and social development, reading capabilities and even verbal skills.
At this point, you should also take into account the number of students you have and what amount of time you have. You will, therefore, be able to know the best way to conduct examinations and assignments.
Step 2. Create the whole year’s calendar
You can easily do this using either a notebook or a simple program known as Posterboard. When you start by inputting start and end dates on the computer program or calendar, you will get an overview picture of how your school year will look at. Ensure that you do the following:
- Label all the holidays and breaks.
- Think of what you want to achieve at the end.
Step 3. Ensure each month has a theme and each week has focus areas
Once you pick which theme you want to emphasize on that particular month, you should then come up with a related subcategory of that theme to work on during each week of the month. This will help your lesson plan outline and your kids will easily understand the various topics because they are related.
Step 4. Put down your entire class’s daily schedule
You may be required to end your day either at noon or in the evening depending on your school. You should not the students’ arrival and departure time to ensure you work within the teaching time.
Step 5. Divide the day into different subject areas
You will be able to now focus on individual activities and lessons. It is important to ensure they happen at the same time in order to aid your students to develop a routine. Your students will, therefore, feel confident and secure because they know what happens at different particular times.
Step 6. Ensure these subject areas are about 10-20 minutes
You already know that the attention span of preschool kids is very limited. Do not make a particular subject area to last more than 20 minutes, otherwise, the kids will shut down and not understand anything.
Step 7 Start filling in the particular lessons and activities
As I said earlier you should pick a theme, so ensure your lessons and activities fall within the broader theme for that particular month.
The small picture
Step 1. Identify the objective
What exactly do you want your kids to be able to do or know by the end of your lesson? Your objective does not have to be intellectually based, it can be skilled based.
Step 2. Put into consideration your students’ interests
You should consider what your students love and want to learn. This will help you to easily interact with them and you could also refer to them when citing things like examples.
Step 3. Choose the approach you want to take
According to various factors like your objectives and students’ interests, you should be able to choose the right approach to teach them. These approaches include the following:
- Painting or drawing
- Activities
- Books
- Songs
- Writing
Step 4. Gather your materials
There are different materials you are going to require like crayons, pencils, books, paper and other items. Plan enough for your entire class plus a few extras, in case of accidents or mistakes.
Step 5. Implementing the lesson
Make sure you can teach everything within the lesson plan and you may need to go off script from time to time, especially when citing examples. This will really help your students understand better.
Conclusion
Always ensure you make your classroom as fun and interesting as possible. Preschool students are not capable of understanding properly without a little bit of fun from time to time.
