What Do Kids Learn in Preschool? Subjects, Concepts, & Skills

What do kids learn in preschool? It is more than just ABCs and 123s! It also focuses on hands-on exploration and play-based preschool activities. From counting, singing fun alphabet songs, and exploring the world around them to developing essential social and emotional skills, preschoolers are busy little bees.

Did you know that 90% of the human brain development happens by age 5? The first few years of life are a child’s golden age of learning and growth. Research reveals that early learning has a lasting impact on a child’s academic success and overall well-being. In fact, children who attend preschool tend to perform better in school and beyond. 

While the typical age range for kids to start preschool is 3 to 4, this can vary. Understanding curriculum goals and exploring various extracurricular activities and teaching styles is important. This early preparation will give your child a great start before the school year begins, helping them make the most of their early education and smoothly establish a daily preschool routine.

11 Core Subjects and Skills Kids Learn in Preschool 

The preschool curriculum strikes a perfect balance between structured learning and creative play, fostering well-rounded development. What do preschoolers learn? From academic basics to playful activities, there’s so much to discover! In this section, we’ll dive into key preschool learning areas and show you how to support your child’s growth with engaging fun-filled resources. 

1. Math Skills in Preschool

What do kids learn in preschool math? It is not just about numbers and counting. It’s about preparing little ones for kindergarten math and beyond. Kids will dive into essential preschool concepts—number sense, simple addition and subtraction, shapes, and more! This grade offers an excellent opportunity for teachers and parents to develop a love for math through play-based learning. 

Here are important math topics and skills kids learn in preschool and well-aligned Pre-K math activities and resources to give them an early advantage:

I. Number Sense: Number sense is an intuitive understanding of numbers and their relationships. Teaching number sense to preschoolers helps them easily grasp basic number concepts like counting and comparing numbers. Here are important number sense skills and well-aligned activities parents can use to support their child’s learning:

• Know number names 0–10; know the counting sequence; understand the order in a counting sequence: 

i) Count fingers and toes.

ii) Line up toys and count them.

iii) Count steps while walking.

iv) Use a number puzzle to arrange numbers 0–10.

v) Consider these interactive games in which kids learn numbers and the counting sequence through fun activities like singing number songs, connecting number stars, and matching numbers to cards:

• Identify and write numerals: 

i) Trace numbers in sand or flour.

ii) Write numbers with sidewalk chalk.

iii) Use number stencils to practice writing.

iv) Daily practice is key. Identify the numbers your child finds particularly tricky to recognize and write. Give these printable tracing worksheets a try to help your child practice writing numbers 1-10 and improve their handwriting skills. The best part? They also get to color the number of objects that match the given quantity!

• Count to tell up to 10 objects (pictures, dots, shapes, etc.). Match numbers to objects using one-to-one correspondence: 

i) Encourage kids to count household items–chairs, doors, stairs, and more! 

ii) Match the number of toys as you count from 1 to 10.   

iii) Here are fun counting games that challenge kids to count items such as animals and dots and match them with the correct number card.

• Compare the number of objects in two groups (using less than, greater than, fewer, and or equal to).

i) Use candies in a bowl to show “fewer” vs. “more.”

ii) Use playing cards to compare numbers.

iii) Here are interactive number comparison games in which kids will enjoy counting the number of objects in each group and making sense of which group has more or fewer objects:

• Identify the number of objects without counting (up to 5 objects).

Subitizing is an ability that helps kids quickly identify the number of objects without counting them individually. For example, looking at * * *, we immediately think—“3 stars.” 

i) Spot groups of dots on dice.

ii) Quickly identify how many fingers are held up.

iii) Consider these helpful games where kids will observe objects in different arrangements, such as rectangular or linear, and identify the total number of objects using subitizing:

II. Addition and Subtraction: In preschool, learning addition and subtraction involves understanding the concept of putting things together and taking objects away. The more kids visualize these abstract concepts, the better they learn.

• Compose and decompose numbers.

i) Use fingers to show different ways to make 5.

ii) Break apart groups of candies into smaller sets.

iii) Draw numbers using dots, then split them up.

iv) Help preschoolers understand and see how to break numbers down and put them back together using visuals. Preschoolers are visual learners, meaning they understand and remember information better through pictures, colors, and visual cues. Here are interactive games to give them a head start:

• Understand addition as putting things together; understand subtraction as taking objects apart or away. Use real-world objects and manipulatives to demonstrate addition and subtraction word problems up to five.

i) Use math manipulatives to visualize addition. 

ii) Take away snacks and count what’s left.

iii) Use fingers to add and subtract.

iv) Teach addition and subtraction hands-on. Make abstract concepts like “putting things together” and “taking away” come to life with vibrant games! These games use fun visuals, 10-frames, and pictures to help kids visualize addition and subtraction.

v) Strengthen addition and subtraction skills with fun printables designed for engaging pen-and-pencil practice! Kids will solve the addition and subtraction problems by observing the pictures of items added or crossed out.

III. Measurement: In preschool, learning measurement involves understanding size, quantity, and how measurable attributes compare. Kids learn basic concepts like big vs. small, tall vs. short, heavy vs. light, and more through fun measurement activities and hands-on experiences. Let’s go through key measurement skills kids learn in preschool and learning resources to give kids an early edge:

• Identify measurable attributes of objects—length, height, weight, and capacity.

i) Demonstrate the length of a table using hand gestures.

ii) Recognize a person’s height as the measurement from head to toe.

• Compare measurements using appropriate terms such as long-short, big-little, light-heavy, tall-short, wide-narrow, holds more-holds less, and same length/weight/amount.

i) Compare the height of toys.

ii) Fill cups with water to compare capacity. Pour water into cups to see which “holds more.”

iii) Line up objects to compare “long” and “short.”

iv) Consider online measurement games in which children compare the length, weight, and height of everyday familiar objects:

IV. Data Handling: Data handling in preschool is about teaching young children how to collect, organize, and analyze information. 

• Group objects by common characteristics like color, size, or shape, and count how many are in each category. 

i) Group toys by color and count each set.

ii) Sort buttons by shape and count how many.

iii) With our engaging sorting games, kids learn to organize everyday objects by type, size, or color while having a blast!

• Sort, categorize, and classify objects based on multiple attributes.

i) Sort toys by color and size

ii) Group clothes by type and color.

iii) Sort legos by shape and size.

V. Shapes: Shapes are an essential part of a preschool curriculum. They help children develop spatial reasoning skills, recognize patterns, and understand the world around them.  Here are important shape concepts kids learn in preschool:

• Identify and describe simple 2D shapes—squares, circles, triangles, and rectangles. Identify shapes regardless of their orientations or size. 

i) Draw simple 2D shapes of different sizes (small, big, medium) and orientations (upside-down triangle, rotated square, etc.). Ask kids to name them.

ii) Help kids explore different shapes with engaging, hands-on shape activities! Here are some fun games to begin with:

• Describe everyday objects using the names of basic shapes. –

i) Point out circles, squares, and triangles around the house—a round plate, a square window, or a triangular slice of pizza! 

ii) ​​Spot shapes in road signs during a walk.

iii) Incorporate these interactive games into kids’ play routines. Make learning shapes with real-world objects super fun for kids:

• Describe the relative positions of objects using terms such as up, down, over, under, top, bottom, inside, outside, in front, behind. 

i) Play a scavenger hunt where kids find the object using positional words as clues. For example, the first clue is behind the door. The next clue is under the box.

ii) Help kids master positional words with fun, printable worksheets! Watch as kids explore space and direction, developing necessary spatial awareness skills while having fun.

• Sort 2D and 3D shapes and objects.

i) Sort shapes by drawing flat and solid ones.

ii) Group building blocks and paper cutout shapes.

• Create simple 3D shapes using manipulatives.

i) Build cubes with building blocks.

ii) Create pyramids using playdough.

iii) Form cubes using LEGO bricks.

Related Reading: Best Pre-k Math Tips To Develop Math Skills

2. ELA Skills in Preschool

In preschool, English Language Arts (ELA) focuses on language development and early literacy skills. It includes phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and early writing. In preschool, kids understand what letters and words look like, how sounds relate to letters, and how to write simple words. The goal is to teach the basics of reading, writing, speaking, and listening through engaging Preschool Literacy Activities that develop a love for reading and language. 

Here are essential ELA learning objectives for preschoolers and fun activities parents can use to give their child a head start in reading and writing:

1.  Alphabet, Phonics, and Word Recognition

• Learn letters of the alphabet. – Note that kids aren’t expected to learn all uppercase and lowercase letters at this stage. 

i) Introduce kids to fun alphabet songs and help them identify letters in simple words (like their own names!). 

ii) Point out letters in storybooks.

iii) Prepare your child for their language-learning journey with these interactive alphabet games that teach fun ABC songs, revise the alphabetical order, and help kids explore familiar objects associated with each letter.

• Understand letter sounds for various letters. Repeat the initial sound of a word. 

i) Say the letter sound and find objects that start with it. For example, show the letter “B” and say the word “ball.” Emphasize the initial sound by saying “b-b-ball.” 

ii) Try these interactive games that engage little ones in fun activities on letter sounds and words that begin with it:

iii) Practice letter sounds with alphabet flashcards.

• Identify their first name and familiar words from their surroundings. Detect sounds or spoken words. 

i) Point out your child’s name in books or on labels.

ii) Say their name and have them recognize it in writing.

iii) Help kids learn through speaking. Emphasize important sound families, such as “F,” “Ch,” “B,” and “Va.” 

iv) Try these engaging games in which your child will learn the skill of identifying sight words using just their sound.

• Identify and create rhyming words. 

i) Help kids recognize sound patterns through rhyming words, improving their ability to decode words and enhance vocabulary. 

ii) Try these fun worksheets that challenge kids to observe a given picture/word and identify the picture/word whose name rhymes with it. Kids will also enjoy fun activities like spotting a specific word in a rhyme.

2.  Reading Comprehension

Here are key reading comprehension skills children develop in preschool, along with related home activities parents can try with their child:

• Retell stories or create narratives using creative imagination. Use words learned to create new takes on existing stories. Identify characters, events, and settings in a story. 

i) Use toys to act out a story they’ve heard.

ii) Ask them to retell their favorite story in their own words.

iii) Encourage them to change the ending of a story.

iv) Try these super fun printables that improve reading comprehension through engaging activities. Kids will practice finishing a story, retelling a story, filling in missing details, giving a twist to a narrative, etc.

• Describe the relationship between illustrations and the text. 

This skill helps preschoolers understand the purpose of illustrations in a text and how they support the meaning.  

i) Point out how illustrations match the words in picture books.

ii) Discuss what the pictures show that the text doesn’t say.

iii) Have them explain what’s happening in the pictures.

iv) Create task cards using engaging printables and challenge kids to observe illustrations and describe them, match them with texts, or pick a suitable description for a picture.

• Answer questions about unknown words in a text.

i) Pause during reading to ask about unfamiliar words.

ii) Have them guess the meaning of unknown words based on context.

• Identify parts of a book (theme, front/back cover, first/last word, first/last page, page number, etc.)

i) Point out the front/back cover, pages, and words in a favorite book

• Identify reality vs. fiction.

i) Discuss whether a story is real or make-believe.

ii) Ask them to spot things in the story that could not happen in real life.

• Connect the characters’ adventures to their own lives.

i) Encourage them to draw a picture showing how they relate to a character’s adventure.

Preschoolers have vivid imaginations and love to create their own stories. However, getting preschoolers to sit still for story time is often challenging for parents. The key is to choose books that match your child’s reading level and explore genres to see what captures their interests. Choose books that are visually engaging. Simple, repetitive stories with rhymes or rhythmic text are ideal, as they help kids predict what comes next.

Here are some fantastic books that use colorful full-page pictures and simple texts to keep the reading time more engaging. Read to your child, help them explore new words, meet exciting characters, and discover valuable life lessons.

III. Writing and Handwriting

• Explore different writing tools and materials (pencils, markers, etc.). Hold, manipulate, and use tools for writing, drawing, and painting.  

i) Encourage your child to draw using paintbrushes and sponges.

ii) Have them trace letters or shapes with different writing tools.

iii) Use chalk on sidewalks for drawing and writing practice.

iv) Get started with these printables for early writing practice, featuring both uppercase and lowercase letters. Kids will also explore objects that start with each letter—an ideal way to build hand-eye coordination and strengthen the muscles needed for writing!

v) Consider these expertly designed games that help build the finger strength needed to draw letters with various shapes—standing lines, sleeping lines, curves, and more.

• Try to write simple, familiar words independently. Write your first name.

i) Encourage them to write their name on drawings.

ii) Write a shopping list of simple items like “milk” or “egg.”

iii) Let them label their favorite toys with simple words. Make it fun using colorful markers.

iv) These engaging worksheets are designed to give your child a head start. Each worksheet demonstrates how to write a word along the provided lines, allowing kids to practice and replicate these simple words.

• Use scribbles, shapes, pictures, and letters to represent objects, stories, experiences, or ideas. 

i) Ask exciting questions and encourage kids to express their ideas and creativity. 

ii) Ask them to draw a picture of their day. Let them use shapes to represent objects, like circles for faces.

iii) Combine letters and pictures to create a simple card.

iv) Boost their early writing skills with these printable worksheets, filled with exciting activities they’ll love—making greeting cards, tracing shapes, drawing animals, and more!

IV. Vocabulary 

• Explore word categories and relationships between words. Show understanding of common verbs, adjectives, synonyms, and opposites (antonyms). 

i) Introduce a new word daily and teach your child how to use it in a sentence. 

ii) Encourage them to think of opposite words for these new terms. 

iii) Use adjectives to describe favorite toys or objects.

iv) Try these worksheets to boost vocabulary through bite-sized exercises, such as matching synonyms or identifying opposite words with the help of pictures:

• Sort everyday objects into categories (like shapes or foods) to understand the concepts/themes they represent. 

The idea is to help kids recognize patterns and connections in the world around them.

i) Sort kitchen utensils by their function.

ii) Group clothing items by type (socks, shirts, pants). 

ii) Consider these vibrant, printable worksheets and watch as your child enjoys learning how everyday objects fit into different categories: