In development Self-paced · Ages 3–5

Preschool years: self-regulation, play, and kindergarten readiness.

A research-based look at what preschoolers are actually developing between ages 3 and 5: self-regulation, social skills, imaginative play, and the executive function that makes kindergarten readiness about far more than letters and numbers.

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6 modules · ~1 hr each Self-paced · Watch on any device Early access for waitlist members Free milestone tracker included

Who this class is for

If any of this sounds familiar, you're in the right place.

  • You have a child between 3 and 5 and the toddler phase is behind you, but the big feelings and boundary-testing haven't stopped.
  • You're wondering what "kindergarten readiness" really means and whether you're doing enough.
  • You want to understand the role of play in development without feeling guilty about structured activities.
  • Social dynamics like sharing, friendships, and conflict are becoming a bigger part of your child's world and you want a clearer framework.
  • You want research-backed guidance that fits into an ordinary preschool week, not a curriculum overhaul.

What you'll learn

By the end of the class, you'll understand what your preschooler is actually building.

  • What changes in the preschool brain between ages 3 and 5, and why your child can still fall apart over small things.
  • What self-regulation actually is, how it develops, and how adults support it without doing it for the child.
  • Why child-directed play is doing more developmental work than most structured activities.
  • How preschool social skills develop, and what to do (and not do) when children fight or exclude.
  • What kindergarten readiness research actually measures, and why executive function matters far more than academic skills.

Module breakdown

Six short lessons for the years between toddlerhood and school.

Each module translates a core area of preschool development into plain language you can use in ordinary family life. Six modules · ~1 hour each · self-paced · works on your phone.

Module 01

The Preschool Brain

What changes between ages 3 and 5 in impulse control, working memory, and emotional capacity, and why preschoolers can seem so much more capable than their behavior suggests on a hard day.

Module 02

Self-Regulation: What It Is and How It Grows

What self-regulation actually means developmentally, why preschoolers still struggle with it, and how adults scaffold it through environment, routine, and co-regulation, not rewards and consequences alone.

Module 03

Play as the Work

What the research says about child-directed play, imaginative play, and rough-and-tumble, and why the free play your child is already doing is building more than any structured activity could.

Module 04

Social Skills and Friendship

How preschool social development moves from parallel to cooperative play, what sharing and conflict look like at this age, and what to do (and not do) when children fight or leave each other out.

Module 05

Big Feelings at 4 and 5

How emotional expression changes from toddlerhood, what different challenging behavior looks like at this stage, and what continues to help, including what the research says about emotion coaching conversations.

Module 06

Kindergarten Readiness

What the research actually measures when it talks about kindergarten readiness, why executive function predicts success better than academic skills, and what a normal preschool year already does for that foundation.

Why this approach is different

Research, translated for the way your day actually goes.

Research-based, not trend-based

Built from peer-reviewed developmental science across brain development, language, executive function, and emotion regulation, not a single personal philosophy.

Plain language, no jargon walls

The science is translated for parents: concise, readable, and honest about what the research can and can't tell us.

Realistic for a normal day

Every recommendation is filtered through actual family life: tired adults, multiple kids, work, daycare pickups, and dinner.

Calm and non-shaming

No scripts to memorize, no suggestion that one slip ruins your child. The tone is the way you'd want a thoughtful friend to talk to you.

Why trust this

Built on peer-reviewed developmental science.

The content in this class is grounded in developmental neuroscience, child development research, and over 50 years of rigorous published research, created and taught by Matthew McArthur, a Child Development Specialist with graduate training in developmental psychology and years of direct work with young children and families in Los Angeles.

About Growing Minds Science

Common questions

A few things parents usually ask first.

When does the class open?

This class is in active development. Waitlist members are notified first and get early access before the class opens to the public.

Is there any risk? What if it's not right for me?

No charge until you choose to purchase. Joining the waitlist is free, and we send one short note when the class opens, and you decide then. No obligation, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Do I need special software or equipment?

Nothing special. The class is designed to work on your phone, tablet, or laptop. Self-paced means you watch on your schedule, with no live sessions and no deadlines.

Who created and teaches this class?

Matthew McArthur, a Child Development Specialist with graduate training in developmental psychology and years of hands-on work with children and families in Los Angeles. Content draws from four research domains: developmental neuroscience, language acquisition, executive function, and emotion regulation.