Chantal 0:02
preschoolers don't really come with a manual, do they? You want to spend your day helping them grow, and enjoying the magic of learning through the eyes of a preschooler. You also want to help them deal with all the big feelings that come with being three or four. But real talk, you don't have a lot of time. We need to prep for the day with confidence, and ditch the stress that sometimes comes along the way. I got you. Welcome to the preschool Made Easy podcast. I'm your host, Chantal, a kinder teacher turned curriculum designer, and preschool consultant, and I'm here to help you make this school year, the best one yet. Let's get to the show.
Buckle up and get ready for a super controversial episode. Tech or no tech in the classroom. There are many teachers who love using technology with the preschoolers, and many who say, Absolutely not. I may be a bit biased here because I have a master's degree in curriculum instruction and technology. But I also have a bachelor's degree in early childhood education. And I say, why not? Why not expose them to the amazing things technology has to offer?
You're listening to Episode 18. And today, we're diving into how technology can benefit your students learning experience, how it can save teachers planning time, and three simple strategies on how you can use tech in your classroom. To build your students literacy skills and make learning fun. I love being able to host this podcast because I love it so much. And create resources for my preschool teacher and parent besties. I've got some really great fun and easy to use preschool activity packs, I know you will absolutely love. Head over to the shownotes to grab the link and get started with your little ones today. All right, let's get started.
Using technology in a preschool class to build literacy skills with three and four year olds can honestly be a game changer. For both kiddos and teachers. Listen, we can go on all day about whether screen time is appropriate for this age group and whatnot. But what I've learned is that it's not just about the screen time, it's about harnessing the power of these interactive tools to make learning much more meaningful and effective. Not to mention make your teaching job a little bit easier. Let's work smarter, not harder, right. One major benefit of using Tech with your littles in the classroom is that they get the chance to have a personalized learning experience. There are so many apps nowadays that can adapt to each child's pace and learning skills, which allows them to progress at their own pace. This is so amazing, because it really makes her learning individualized. It gives teachers accurate data while most of the time, let's be real now. And it also gives them immediate feedback on their progress as well as support. This, in turns helps build your little ones confidence in their reading and writing progress. I mean, what more can we ask for seriously. It's true. Not all apps or software programs have this interactive component, right. But most of the ones that schools adopt for their teachers to use with their students do have it and getting the proper training on how to use them will help you tremendously. I can't say this enough. If you're feeling stuck, or like you need more help with using them, reach out to your admin. Remember that professional development specialists get paid for offering training and support to teachers. So make it a point to reach out to them and get the help you need. It'll make your job way easier. And trust me your kiddos will be grateful that you did. Let's talk about saving you some time now because I know you're all about saving your time and using it well. And hey, time is money. Okay, so let's do this. You might be wondering how the heck is using technology going to save me time? One thing has nothing to do with the other girl? Well, my friend The truth is that it does. When you get access to all of these educational apps or websites and digital resources that you need. You'll be able to find great activities and materials that complement your curriculum. This means less time spent rummaging through Pinterest, the gram or even Teachers Pay Teachers for activities and lessons and all the things and more time for you to focus on those meaningful interactions and helping your littles create a love for literacy and learning. A genuine love that is that's what I call a win win.
Now, don't think I'm crazy. Okay. But I actually love planning. I know, it's so weird, right? There's just something so relaxing about getting everything down nice and neatly organized. So you know what you're gonna be doing the next few days and what you'll need. I know it sounds even worse when I say it out loud. But that's just the truth. Okay. Almost like the guesswork is taken out for you. I don't know, I find it therapeutic. But I have been told that I may just be odd. Either way, we all got a plan, right? It's just part of the job. It is what it is. We're not going to fight the system here. But that's the one thing that I can truly appreciate when I've purchased a curriculum pack, and it already includes lesson plans for me, like, oh my god, did you read my mind? Thank you. That's exactly how I wanted you to feel when you get your hands on my preschool activity packs. So naturally, I have already included lesson plans for every single skill. There are literacy, math, prewriting, activities, and more in each activity pack. You'll even get a supply list of simple materials you can use with each activity. I'm talking about five materials or less for each one. Talk about saving a ton of time, right? If you're looking for weekly activity packs with lesson plans, literacy and math, printable activities, and even just some quick worksheets for your little ones. Go to Shanti ch A N T Y, Macias, M A C I A s.com/shop/preschool. Okay, back to tech.
If for some reason your school doesn't provide you with a list of websites or technology you could be using with your littles. I'll give you a quick list right now. And I'll also link them in the show notes below. Sounds good. All right, here they are five quick ones. ABC Mouse, Homer Starfall. Elmo loves ABCs. This one's just an app, and teach your monster to read. Now, here's a side note that only you will be hearing for the first time ever because I haven't even announced it to my email list or the gram or anyone other than my immediate family. I am also a consultant, and a preschool expert for ABC Mouse. So if you go to the ABC Mouse website and you start looking at their blogs and how you can use certain activities, or build certain skills with your little ones, you might say see some of my articles in there. So that's exciting.
All right. So we've learned about the benefits of using tech in your preschool class. We went over how it can save you some time. And now we've got some apps to support our lessons. But how exactly can you use tech to build your students literacy skills and still make learning fun? To make using Tech with your preschoolers fun and effective in your class, you may want to consider a few simple strategies.
First, try to find some storytelling apps that get your kiddos imagination running so that they feel like they're part of the characters and the plot. This will really hook them in and make them want more.
Another strategy you can use is using tablets and some interactive whiteboards. To practice letter tracing with games, I mean, games make everything fun, right? Even for us grownups. This will make learning the letters of the alphabet so much easier and really exciting.
The third strategy I have for you is to add some fun educational videos and digital art to your lessons or your daily slides. If you're are already using a slideshow during the day. Everyone loves videos. They'll help spark your kiddos creativity, make learning to read fun, and actually give them something to look forward to in the day. If you make it part of your daily routine, they know what to expect, even if it's the same video every day, or if you change it up to a different one each week. These strategies will certainly boost your preschoolers literacy skills, and keep them engaged while learning.
Okay, let's recap. We went over how technology can benefit your students learning experience. We also talked about how tech can save teachers planning time, and I gave you some quick app suggestions. And we also talked about how you can use technology in your classroom to build your students literacy skills, and make learning fun. It's all about using screentime to your advantage, and remembering the ultimate goal for your students to help them learn and succeed. If tech can help us reach that goal, then technology can be our best friend. Remember to model model model. If you expect them to use technology, then you have to teach them technology etiquette and how to properly use classroom tech, how it should be used and how it should not be used. Join our free preschool Made Easy Facebook group today and let us know which educational app is your favorite. There are lots of preschool teachers and parents in there. So feel free to ask your questions too. You can find the link to our Facebook group in the show notes. See you there. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. I love creating content to support you on your preschool journey. So if you enjoyed this episode, reach out to me on Instagram and let me know what resonated or any questions you may have. Let's keep the conversation going. So we can support more preschool teachers and parents just like you see in the next episode.