Preschoolers are some of the most inquisitive children that you’ll ever encounter. Everything that they’ve been told will soon be followed with a “why” or “how.” As such, it’s one of the best times to teach them valuable skills that they’ll be able to use for the rest of their life, such as time management.
For children, the concept of time is still going to be weird. Afterall, they feel like they have all the time in the world. For someone who’s only been around for a short time, they feel like they don’t have to hurry as much even if they’re late for something. Teaching the value of time during preschool Los Gatos is very important.
You might be thinking that teaching preschoolers the value of time is next to impossible, but it actually isn’t. You just have to introduce them to the idea of managing resources as well as time being a resource.
Introduce them to a calendar
Teaching kids the value of time should always start with days. Months are too far apart and they can easily get distracted while hours, minutes, and seconds are far too quick for them to easily separate into different points early on. By introducing the child to the concept of days passing by, they’ll understand that there are points in their life that they won’t be able to go back to. This allows them to learn that time is a finite resource.
Associate activities to days
The value of time is further strengthened with the use of a calendar. They can see the days in a month and cross out the days that have already passed. It can also be a wonderful activity for them. On certain days, they can have specific activities that they will associate with those days. For example, Mondays could be the day they spend some time at a certain playground. When that day passes, they won’t be able to repeat that activity until next week.
Let them plan out their days
If the child develops a sense of continuity, they will start to long for their preferred days (let’s face it, every child will have one). This allows them to use their calendar more smartly. What are they going to do for the rest of the week? Will they be able to substitute some of the days around? When their favorite day comes, they’ll have further association of time being valuable.
Time simple tasks
When the child has gotten used to counting down the days, it’s time to work on their time management within the day. For example, hours in preschool Los Gatos have different activities that they have to do. There’s a time to study a specific subject and there’s time for a break. Let them know how much time they have during those breaks. When they get used to waiting out those minutes, they’ll finally understand that there are periods within a day that are also valuable.
At Los Gatos Christian School, we aim to develop excellence in our youngest students in a very nurturing environment. If you’re looking for a preschool Los Gatos, contact us today.
