If your child attends preschool, you can expect him or her to learn the basics such as developing fine motor skills, counting, and distinguishing colors. However, modern preschool programs include more, such as learning language skills, math, science, and art, as well as discovering the world around them. As a concerned parent, you might want to familiarize yourself with 5 important aspects of your preschool child's curriculum, which typically includes the following:

1. Language Skills

Preparing your child for kindergarten and beyond will require fostering his or her literary awareness. During his or her time spent in preschool, your child will learn countless new words and their meaning. He or she will also be given ample opportunity to integrate language through story time and other daily classroom activities.

As your child learns how to read and write, these language skills will be essential to his or her success and development. In preschool, the child will learn how to recognize letters and distinguish their unique sounds. Fun and interactive games that teach the alphabet and words may be played during these learning sessions. For instance, the teacher may incorporate rhyming games or games that require critical thinking and answers to open-ended questions. During story time, the child will be able to follow along with his or her own book, and match pictures with words. All of these lessons provide valuable language skills that can help your child succeed as he or she begins kindergarten and first grade later on.

2. The Concepts of Basic Math

Helping your child learn to count, add, and subtract is a good head start to early education. In preschool, your child will be taught the basic concepts of math, as he or she sorts their school supplies after an activity, builds structures with blocks that have numbers on them, or strings colored beads in a group.

During snack time, your child may be asked to sort and count items on his or her plate. For example, there are 15 raisins and 3 orange wedges. Calendars on the wall provide opportunity for preschool students to count the days until special events, such as holidays and school outings. Classroom board games may teach the concepts of math, and flash cards may be used in class as well. Growth charts on the mall may also help children grasp math concepts by comparing their height to that of others. For instance, the teacher may ask, how many inches taller is Johnny than David?

3. Science Exploration and Discovery

Preschool programs that implement science exploration will teach children how things work. Preschool science will also foster your child's natural curiosity. Preschool has definitely "grown up" in modern times. Your child may investigate objects and living things, such as insects or microorganisms under a microscope.

Children may participate in science-based activities that include experiments using household items such as salt, toothpaste, or a hard boiled egg. The students may create a tin can "phone" or participate in other projects of discovery. The preschooler may mix colors together and discover how they can create new colors. They may discover how an apple slice will not turn brown when coated with lemon juice. They may plant an indoor garden and watch it develop from seedlings.

4. Art Appreciation

There are many ways to develop your preschooler child's creativity and independent thinking through the wonders of art. This often goes beyond simple finger painting. The classroom studies may involve creating a simple paper mache puppet, or creating a handmade musical instrument, such as a tambourine made from a paper plate and dried beans. Students may develop fine motor skills while creating their own masterpieces with paint on foil. They may also create paper towel art with homemade watercolors.

5. Social Studies

Preschoolers have a natural curiosity about the world around them. In preschool, they may discover about other cultures and be taught compassion and understanding about what makes everyone unique. They may share family traditions, and work on community projects. Any of these activities and studies help to enhance your child's sense of who he or she is and how others may differ.