Ways to Support Your Child's Learning at Home

1.  Count! Count anything! Some things that you can have your child count are:  spoons, forks in the drawer, number of flowers in the garden, number of kids at the party, number of cars in line, etc.

2.  Have your child count out groups of objects into little piles.  (pennies, buttons, paper clips)  "Can you put 15 fish crackers in your snack container for tomorrow?"

3.  Play with scrabble letters or magnetic fridge letters. Think of a name, animal, plant, etc. that starts with that letter.

4.  Play Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, Checkers, etc.

5.  Play simple card games such as Crazy Eights, Old Maid, Go Fish, etc.

6.  Provide hands on experiences related to basic facts to 10.  For example, "If you have two crayons and I give you two more, then how many will you have?"

7.  Teach your child to dial the phone.  Make a phone book of Grandma and Grandpa and Cousin Fred's phone numbers.

8.  Teach your child to set the timer on the microwave.

9.  Discuss the numbers on a clock and start teaching time on the hour.

10.  Teach your child to do simple dot to dots.  Look in coloring books for easy dot to dots.

11.  Have your child memorize his/her phone number.  Any phone number can be sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

12.  Continue to provide experiences related to drawing, coloring, cutting and gluing in order to develop fine motor skills.  Also, continue to provide activities to strengthen hand muscles using Legos or Playdough. 

13.  Have your child do the switching of the TV channels.  Use the remote control to point out the numerals and name.

14.  Find numbers and letters to discuss wherever you go!  Room numbers, elevator buttons, street numbers, road signs, price tags, business signs.

15.  Start teaching your child to write his last name and names of other family members.

[Permission was given to copy and use this on my site by Linda Critchell, creator of the site, Kinderteacher.  Click here to check her place out for these and more helpful and inspiring ideas!  Thanks, Linda!]
                                                                                                                                                                      

Real Signs of Readiness

This is a good article from the Scholastic Company, for parents who are unsure about their child's readiness for the work we do in Kindergarten ~ a question that may run through your mind and mine for a good part of the year!  What I like about this one is that they talk about social and emotional skills as being the key rather than just the academics.  I tend to agree, with my seventeen years of experience, especially at this age.  The entire site is full of helpful articles on a wide variety of topics parents can find useful (and their Book Clubs are great, too!).  Because of copyright issues, the specific article could not be put in this spot, but you can see it by clicking here.  Enjoy - and check out the other articles listed on the right, especially "The 10 Best Ways to Help Your Kindergartner Succeed in School"!
 

Small Motor Exercises

Listed below are some great activities to strengthen the small muscles.  There are many other things that your child can do to build these muscles to make writing, cutting and other activities easier for him/her to do in class. 

1) Pick up and sort objects such as blocks, spools, coins, beans, marbles, cotton balls, pins, buttons, straws, nails, nuts, bolts, popcorn, etc... and place them into containers of varying sizes (i.e. egg cartons, cups, mugs, jars, etc.)

2) Pick up objects (blocks, cotton balls, counters, etc.) using various sized tongs and strawberry pickers, transferring them between containers.

3) Stack objects (i.e. coins, cards, checkers, blocks, etc.)

4) Screw and unscrew objects such as nuts and bolts, caps from jars, etc.

5) String beads onto a shoelace.

6) Run a threaded needle through cloth.

7) Fasten safety pins.

8) Cut straight and curved lines/shapes drawn on paper, cloth, etc., with scissors.

9) Play the piano.

10) Type

11) Crumple paper in a small ball and then flick it with the finger (play "soccer" with the paper ball.)

12) Shuffle cards, deal cards one by one, turn cards over.

13) Roll a pencil between thumb and fingers without dropping it.

14) Knead dough.  

15) Stick small objects into play dough for him/her to pull out.

16) Wind thread on a spool evenly.

17) Put rubber bands around various size containers and objects.

18) Use tweezers to pick up small objects.

19) Move spoonfuls of small objects from one bowl to another.

20) Do up buttons, zippers, hooks, etc.

21) Tie shoelaces.

22) Cut lines on the newspaper for practice in using scissors.

23) Trace and copy letters.

24) Do connect the dot puzzles.

25) Solve mazes.

26) Manually sharpen pencils.

27) Use a manual can opener.

28) Tie a box with string or ribbon.

29) Put keys into locks to open doors.

30) Put paper clips onto paper.

31) Use a stapler.

32) Remove staples with a staple remover.

33) Place clothespins on the edge of a box or container.

34) Dial a telephone.

35) Set a watch or clock.

36) Pick up or move marbles (or nuts in shells) using a melon baller.  This could be made into a game - i.e. take turns rolling a die.  Whatever number turns up, pick up that number of "marbles" and place them into an egg carton.

37) Use Wikki Stix or pipe cleaners to form shapes, letters, numbers, and other designs. You may want to use a template.

38) Color using the flat side of a crayon. Put paper over leaves, stencils, and other objects so that the child gets sensory feedback as he colors.

39) Make a matching game (pictures, letters, etc.) using a coffee can and clothespins.  Have the child put the clothespins on the rim of the can.

40) Use sprayer bottles filled with water and sponges to have the child "clean" a desk or table, then squeeze the excess water into a dishpan. This is a great pre-scissor skill activity.

41) Lace various sized beads. Any activity involving the use of both hands is good to develop bilateral integration.

42) Have a cutting center. Give the student a magazine and let him cut out the pictures he likes to make a poster. Glue on pictures and later let him tell why he chose those pictures.

43) A fun activity with young ones is to fill a sensory table/bucket with colored pompoms and provide small tongs and strawberry baskets (or another basket/bucket) for the children to fill their baskets.

44) Also using tweezers to pick up different items - kind of like sorting. Maybe in egg cartons or something else.

45) Older children may practice strengthening their fingers for cutting by using a rubber band to just stretch, release, stretch, release, etc.  (Stress the importance of playing with rubber bands safely!)

46) Play dough - play with your child using the terms: poke, squeeze, pound, press, knead, etc. - this is good for language, too!

47)  Use a turkey baster to squeeze water and squirt it out.  This is fun to do outside!

Please try to keep these activities fun and integrate them as much as possible into your daily routine (i.e. let your child help you measure and key to open your door regularly; let your child be the one to set your watch or clock, etc.).
 

[Permission was given to copy and use this on my site by Linda Critchell, creator of the site, Kinderteacher.  Click here to check her place out for these and more helpful and inspiring ideas!  Thanks, Linda!]
 

The is a good article about what skills are needed to learn to read. Knowing the alphabet - recognizing the letters and knowing what sounds they represent isn't enough - important, but not all there is to the task!  Language includes reading, writing, listening, and speaking - and all have a part in learning how to read, and read well.  The Family Education site has many informative articles on a wide variety of topics.  Please click here to go to this particular article.  Enjoy!
 

Once upon a time there was a little boy named Jack who was about to climb his very first beanstalk. He had a fresh haircut and a brand-new book bag.

Even though his friends in the neighborhood had climbed this same beanstalk almost every day last year, this was Jack's first day and he was a little nervous. So was his mother.

Early in the morning she brought him to the foot of the beanstalk. She talked encouragingly to Jack about all the fun he would have that day and how nice his giant would be. She reassured him that she would be back to pick him up at the end of the day. For a moment they stood together, silently holding hands, gazing up at the beanstalk. To Jack it seemed much bigger than it had when his mother had pointed it out on the way to the store last week. His mother thought it looked big, too. She swallowed. Maybe she should have held Jack out a year...

Jack's mother straightened his shirt one last time, patted his shoulder and smiled down at him. She promised to stay and wave while he started climbing. Jack didn't say a word.

He walked forward, grabbed a low-growing stem and slowly pulled himself up to the first leaf. He balanced there for a moment and then climbed more eagerly to the second leaf, then to the third and soon he had vanished into a high tangle of leaves and stems with never a backward glance at his mother.

She stood alone at the bottom of the beanstalk, gazing up at the spot where Jack had disappeared. There was no rustle, no movement, no sound to indicate that he was anywhere inside.

"Sometimes," she thought, "it's harder to be the one who waves good-bye than it is to be the one who climbs the beanstalk."

She wondered how Jack would do. Would he miss her? How would he behave? Did his giant understand that little boys sometimes acted silly when they felt unsure? She fought down an urge to spring up the stalk after Jack and maybe duck behind a bean to take a peek at how he was doing.

"I'd better not. What if he saw me?" She knew Jack was really old enough to handle this on his own. She reminded herself that, after all this was thought to be an excellent beanstalk and that everyone said his giant was not only kind but had outstanding qualifications.

"It's not so much that I'm worried about him," she thought, rubbing the back of her neck. "It's just that he's growing up and I'm going to miss him."

Jack's mother turned to leave. "Jack's going to have lots of bigger beanstalks to climb in his life," she told herself. "Today's the day he starts practicing for them... And today's the day I start practicing something too: cheering him on and waving good-bye."

~ Author & source unknown, but I love it!
 

Children Learn What They Live

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.

If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
He learns to find love in the world.

~Author Unknown
 

How We Learn

• 10% of what we read
• 20% of what we hear
• 30% of what we see
• 50% of what we see and hear
• 70% of what we discuss with others
• 80%of what we experience personally
• 95% of what we teach someone else to do

[Psychiatrist, author and researcher, Dr. William Glasser says this is how we learn!]
 

Many teachers have written to me over the years, frustrated with how unprepared their students are—and they don't mean academically. Chris, a kindergarten teacher,
wrote what many teachers have expressed, "I would love it if you could write a 10 tips
for parents to help us teachers do our increasingly demanding job.
Many parents of children I teach have left the job of spiritual, character, and social/emotional education to me. I can't do it all in addition to teaching academic skills.
I'm getting burned out and pretty soon won't have the energy left to nourish one child let alone 25."  So here goes—my 10 tips:

1. Create a smooth takeoff each day. Give your child a hug before she ventures out the door and you head to work. Look her in the eye, and tell her how proud you are of her. Your child's self-confidence and security will help her do well both in school and in life.

2. Prepare for a happy landing at the end of the day when you reconvene. Create a predictable ritual such as 10–20 minutes listening to your child talk about his day—before you check phone messages, read the mail, or begin dinner. That way you are fully present to listen, and your child has a touchstone he can count on between school and home.

3. Fill your child's lunchbox with healthy snacks and lunches. Have dinner at a reasonable hour and a healthy breakfast. A well-balanced diet maximizes your child's learning potential.

4. Include calm, peaceful times in your children's afternoons and evenings. Maintain a schedule that allows them to go to school rested, and if they are sick, have a system in place so they are able to stay home.

5. Remember it's your children's homework, not yours. Create a specific homework space that's clutter-free and quiet. Encourage editing and double-checking work, but allow your kids to make mistakes, as it's the only way teachers can gauge if they understand the material. It's also how children learn responsibility for the quality of their work.

6. Fill your child's life with a love for learning by showing him your own curiosity, respecting his questions, and encouraging his efforts.

7. Fill your home with books to read, books simply to look at, and books that provide answers to life's many questions. The public or school library is an excellent resource.

8. Be a partner with your child's teacher. When you need to speak to him or her in reference to a specific issue with your child, do it privately, not in front of your child. Make a point never to criticize your child's teacher in front of your child.

9. Set up a system where routine items are easily located—such as backpacks, shoes, signed notices. Create a central calendar for upcoming events to avoid the unexpected.

10. Tuck a "love note" in your child's lunch bag to let her know how special she is. Knowing they are loved makes it easier for children to be kind to others.

 Thank you to Mimi Doe for permission to include her article here! She can be reached at
http://www.SpiritualParenting.com.