How Much Time in a Day Would You Give "Learning Time"?

there is too much "learning time" kids this age learn best from play. They should be working on social skills, interacting with each other.
Toddlers and preschoolers don't need flash cards.
Blocks, music, dress up, crayons , etc.
My daughter was counting in spanish by the time she was 3 from watching Dora.
You will really be amazed how they pick things up with out all the formal stuff like flash cards and work sheets.

We don't do learning time. Learning happens naturally, all day long.

http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2012/06/2-activities-f...

Lol! I just posted a question with this link... it has some great 'learning' activities that are play-based for toddlers. :)

They are learning all day.
I assume you are reading to them? Make sure you have lots of books with colors, counting, numbers, letters and rhyming.
Provide everything a good preschool provides: blocks, puzzles, pretend play (dress up/kitchen/babies/store) lacing/beading, cutting, gluing, stamping, play doh, sand/water play, drawing/painting and plenty out outside play. Those are the activities that prepare them for school!

For this setting and ages, keep it short and fun and hands-on experiential.
Play is the best way for young children to learn. Impart information through songs, stories, and keep those 'teaching times' very short, five minutes max. With an older group, with peer models to help children stay together during circle time, things are bit easier, but with twos and threes generally, I try to keep the 'learning' tied to play as much as possible by offering stimulating toys/props the children can handle themselves.

Also, check out the video series: Preschool Power. It's Montessori-based and very cute-- it will show you some new things to share with the kids,like Jacket flips and brushing ones teeth. At this age, learning self-care skills is far more valuable than academics.

Also be sure to provide good free-play time with blocks, pretend house play, big paper and crayons for 'collages' with the whole group, playdough, and sensory play activities. Don't forget walks around the neighborhood-- at their pace-- or outside playtime that focuses on exploring their world.Have fun!

My daycare kids are a little older (4 and 5) and during the school year we did "class" for about 45 minutes. We said the pledge of allegiance, did a short lesson, some sight words, then read a story and did a craft. The rest of the day they played, which is the best way for kids to learn anyway. Sharing, caring, understanding, empathy, self-reliance, etc...

Ditto Jenna M.'s link to No Time for Flash Cards. I also like this site: http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/preschool_activities.htm

I would spend very little time on structured, teacher directed activities - maybe 30 minutes in the morning, 30 in the afternoon (or little chunks of 15 minutes here or there).

You CAN set up different sorts of learning centers (I put activities in those little shoe box size plastic totes) and rotate which ones they do. I explained some of those in answer to Jenna M's question.

I think its hard to answer this question - because I DO think toddlers should be doing activities that facilitate specific learning objectives (instead of free play all day) but I DONT think they need to spend much (or any) time with flash cards and work books.

Lots of reading is GREAT - poems, rymes, stories - everything!

One alternative to flash cards - I play letter or number bingo with my two toddlers. My two year old can do it. You can pick numbers or letters or colors and make the bingo cards. We use raisins for the markers, and then you get to eat them when the game is over. You could also try doing a memory or go fish game - the last time I tried with my kids, they didnt really "get" it, but that was several months ago.

Good luck!

Since children are learning all the time while awake I would do 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon max.

When they are all there I would start/have circle time. Which would include some music/song time and being active. A couple of minutes where you did a chart about the environment/weather. Then I'd include the color of the week, the number of the week, the theme of the month, all those things you are concentrating on. Then go have play time. In the toys you can incorporate the theme of the month/week too.

For instance February:

Colors of the month: Red, white, Pink

Numbers of the month: 5, 6, 7, 8

Themes of the month: Heart, Valentines, Dental, Post Office

Using The Mailbox Preschool curriculum you can buy at just about any regular office supply store I'd make all kinds of crafts and foods that follow the theme.

Organize February now: Has a bear hugging a heart on it.

http://www.theeducationcenter.com/tec/afc/books/TEC60970/...=

Table on contents:

http://www.theeducationcenter.com///Images/dlr_images/pdf...

The skills you'd be teaching using this curriculum out of this book this month:

http://www.theeducationcenter.com///Images/dlr_images/pdf...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Mailbox curriculum books:

here's a list of some of the ones I have:

http://www.theeducationcenter.com/tec/afc/books/basic/sea...
******************************************************
There are many many many resources through this curriculum. I would go to the local office supply store and find out if they carry them. I'm not talking about Staples or other big chain companies. But the local ones that do deliveries and give businesses discounts for ordering their office supplies through them. They will have the better books and prices too.