Virtual learning has been around for quite some time, but it is more popular now than ever before so we’re here to help you learn how to teach virtual preschool. Going from teaching in-person to online can certainly be intimidating, but as long as you are prepared it can be a very beneficial experience for your preschoolers, and for you too! Here are some tips for successfully teaching online preschool.
1. KEEP IT SMALL
Any early education classroom, whether in-person or virtual, does better when the child-teacher ratio is kept small. This allows for more one-on-one time and makes classroom management a whole lot easier, too. This is particularly important when teaching online preschool because there is little that you can do when one of your preschoolers walks away from you. You will not be able to follow them and try to redirect them.
Also, having a small class will widen the possibilities for what and how you can teach. Playing games that require waiting for a turn is easier on your preschoolers when they do not have to wait a long time. Unlike with in-person preschool, all of your students would be playing at the same time. That’s why it is important that you give your preschoolers something to do even while waiting for a turn. This will help them stay engaged and focused.
2. DO IT LIVE
Your preschoolers will love knowing that you can actually see them! Doing your online preschool classes live will also help you in your curriculum planning. When you do your classes live you can see your students. This means that you can observe first hand when they are most engaged and when they are getting distracted. If you are reading stories to your preschoolers online it is important to know what kinds of stories hold their attention best. Being able to see your students is also essential for doing assessments for your preschoolers. You will not know how they have progressed throughout the time they are in your online preschool if you cannot see them.
3. SET A SCHEDULE
Online preschool may feel completely different from in-person preschool, but there are many things that need to stay the same. Having a routine is one of those things that children absolutely need to stay constant. Always greet your preschoolers individually as they join the virtual classroom. Then start off with a fun movement song. Then you can read and do your activity for the day. Always end with a closing song. Whatever you set for a schedule, stick to it. Visuals are also really helpful for preschoolers, so it would be a good idea to have your schedule posted in your background. You can even send visual schedules to your students’ parents to print out and post somewhere they can see it during preschool class time.
4. MAKE IT INTERACTIVE
The number one best way to keep your preschoolers engaged is to make your classes interactive. Your preschoolers need to be actively involved in the activities you plan for your online preschool. Sitting and listening is hard for preschoolers, and even harder when they are not actually in the same room as you. Make your online preschool as close to what it would be if it were in-person, and your preschoolers will be engaged and excited for preschool every day! Here are a few ways to make your online preschool interactive:
- Take movement breaks
- Ask them open-ended questions
- Play games
- Use puppets
- Read or tell engaging stories
- Have scavenger hunts
- Use virtual field trips
5. USE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS
Preschoolers love field trips! They are absolutely fascinated by new places and things. Use this to your advantage. You may not be able to take them to an actual farm for a field trip, but you can still go on a virtual farm field trip! Simplykinder has some amazing virtual field trips available. They have virtual field trips to farms, aquariums, a television station, and even a baseball stadium! Virtual field trips are a great way to expose young children to new and exciting places that they may not have the chance to explore otherwise.
6. USE A PRESCHOOL KIT
It is impossible to have a largely interactive preschool class without any materials for the children to interact with. Plan purposefully and make sure each family knows what their child will need. You can create a preschool kit to be sent out to each of your preschoolers, or you can help the parents create their own. Using common reusable household items as much as possible will help keep costs down. Whether you provide the supplies or not, the parents should have a list of items that will be needed. This way if they are putting their own kit together they know what to include. Also, any items that need replacing can be easily replaced.
Teaching online may not be new, but it is still new to many teachers. Give yourself grace and understand that it will not always be perfect. There will be technical problems. Some of your plans will flop. You will have preschoolers that are not actively engaged 100% of the time. It is okay. Have fun with your preschoolers and use them as your number one guide as you learn how to teach virtual preschool.