PART 4:
Continued - Here are some of the activities you can do together around the home that offer learning opportunities which will help your child with the most typical school expectations – responsibility, reading, arithmetic and writing . These “ready for school” activities can be done in your everyday routine.
Children learn best when they are interested and motivated. Stop the activity when your child loses interest. You want your child to stay excited about these activities and wanting more.
Doing the chores
◘ Responsibility Giving children tasks of their own to complete gives them a sense of responsibility and a sense that they are skilled and trusted. Setting an expectation of young children help with household chores provides the framework for greater responsibility.
Wash the car or bike: give your child a sponge and bucket of warm soapy water to wash his/her tricycle, bike or your car. Then give him/her some clean water of a hose to wash off the soapy water. Variation: if you are up for the spills, put a small plastic container of water on the kitchen floor with a sponge so your child can wipe your kitchen cabinets or chair legs and give him/her a towel to dry them too.
We are learning: responsibility, eye-hand coordination, cause and effect, accomplishment of task.
◘ Reading Children begin to recognise letters and words trough repetition and picture association. Putting away the shopping: when you put away the shopping, ask your child to take all of the non-glass items out of the shopping bags. Have her/him sort the canned or boxed food according to food groups, different kinds of vegetables, fruit, pastas, etc. Variation: Ask him/her to help select the items at the supermarket. “Can you find the baked beans” “What letters do you see on the label?’”
We are learning: reading, beginning sounds, left to right progression, letter and word recognition.
◘ Arithmetic Children who learn similarities and differences through sorting will be able to create patterns more easily. Sorting by size, matching, classification and colour help children learn skills for addition and subtraction.
Sorting laundry: when you are folding the laundry, have your child gather all the socks and match them, also sort clean laundry into piles for family members. Variation: take out the sharp objects such as knifes from the dishwasher rack and place the cutlery tray at child level. Have your child put away the forks, spoons and teaspoons.
We are learning: Arithmetic, classification, size, sorting and accomplishment of task.
◘ Writing
Children get excited about learning to write when they use writing or scribbling for a purpose.
Calendar fun: get your child to mark special events on the family or her/his own calendar. When s/he receives a birthday invitation or plan a holiday, let her/him mark on the correct date by drawing a picture, name or letter on that date. Variation: children can cut out small pictures from magazines to glue on the calendar for birthday parties or holidays. Let her/him pace stickers on the calendar to indicate favourite lunches or swimming lesson day.
We are learning: writing, transcribing, organisational skills.
These activities are a sample of the advice offered to parents on the “Ready for School” family activity cards compiled by Bright Horizons Family Solutions’ Nursery Group.
www. brighthorizons.co.uk