What is your plan for your preschooler this year?

I reached out to Cris McKee, a veteran elementary educator from New York, and asked her to write a guest blog post for my readers, especially those with preschoolers, as the younger years are so pivotal for education. Read her helpful advice for preschool printables below.

How to Use Preschool Printables for a Strong Start

Helping your preschooler get ready for kindergarten does not need to turn your kitchen table into a classroom.

I have been teaching since 1996, and one thing I have learned repeatedly is that young children usually do best with short, simple activities and plenty of encouragement. You do not need an elaborate curriculum, expensive program, or an hour-long lesson every afternoon.

A few minutes spent practicing letters, counting objects, reading together, or completing a simple printable can go a long way.

Preschool printables and worksheets can be useful, but I think of them as one tool in the toolbox. The goal is never to see how many pages a child can finish. The goal is to help them become comfortable with learning and begin to think, “I can do this!”

That feeling matters much more than, well, anything!

Start With 10-15 Minutes (Tops!)

If you are just beginning, keep your preschool routine short.

Try 10 to 15 minutes, three days a week.

For example:

Monday: Letters and reading

Wednesday: Numbers and counting

Friday: Review and a fun activity

Choose a time when your child is rested and not hungry. Mornings after breakfast or shortly after lunch often work well.

You do not need to do preschool activities every day to make progress.

Use Just One Worksheet at a Time

One page is usually enough.

This is something I wish more adults understood about young children. We sometimes look at a worksheet and think, “There are only ten questions.” A preschooler may look at that same page and see an enormous job.

Start with one simple activity such as letter recognition, tracing, beginning sounds, numbers, counting, matching, shapes, or patterns.

And do not make finishing the page the goal.

If your child does half of it happily and then starts looking around the room, sliding out of the chair, or coloring the numbers purple instead of counting them, you probably have your answer. The lesson is over.

I would much rather have a child stop while learning still feels enjoyable than push through a page simply because there are three boxes left.

There will always be another day.

Turn the Worksheet into Real Life

One of the easiest ways to make preschool printables more meaningful is to take the idea off the paper.

If you are practicing the letter B, do the worksheet and then hunt around the house for a ball, book, basket, banana, or anything else beginning with B.

If the worksheet is about the number four, count four crackers at snack time, four blocks on the floor, or four stuffed animals on the bed.

This is where a lot of real learning happens.

In the classroom, I have often seen a child struggle with something on paper and then understand it almost immediately once we connected it to something they could touch, move, count, or see.

You can ask your child to clap four times, find three red toys, look for circles around the house, make a letter from playdough, or count the steps on the way upstairs.

The worksheet introduces the idea. Real life helps the idea stick.

Keep Learning Calm and Flexible

Preschoolers have different energy levels from day to day, so it helps to keep learning time flexible.

If your child seems tired, distracted, or ready for a break, you can simply pause and come back to the activity later. There is no need to rush or turn a short worksheet into a long lesson.

You might say, “Let’s take a break and try again after lunch,” or “We can finish this another day.”

The goal is to make learning feel comfortable and manageable. A calm routine, gentle encouragement, and the freedom to take breaks can help your child build confidence without feeling pressured.

Learning does not have to happen all at once. Small, positive moments add up over time. Tailor Joy’s At-Home Preschool Plan can also help you create a simple weekly rhythm using letters, numbers, books, and playful learning activities.

The most important thing is not how many preschool printables your child completes. It helps them feel curious, capable, and excited to learn.

Start small, keep it simple, and build from there.

Tools & Resources

Some Of My Favorite Free Places for Preschool Printables

Author: Cris McKee is a Veteran Elementary Educator from New York State

Table Talk: What is your plan for your preschooler? What is your favorite site for free printables?

Have older kids? Check out these posts.

Younger Years

Middle Years

Launching Years