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The
question most frequently asked of teachers is "What can I do at home to help my child?" Here are just a few suggestions
that were compiled by the Kindergarten teachers here at Avalon Elementary. |
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- Read to your
child every day. Talk about the words, pictures and ask questions about the story, author and illustrator.
- Visit the library
often. If they can write their first name, they can get their own library card at the local library.
- Provide paper,
crayons, pencils, markers, scissors, glue, etc. so your child can draw color cut, glue and most importantly write
- Do puzzles together.
This promotes problem solving strategies and critical thinking skills.
- Play games.
This promotes taking turns, sharing, paying attention and following directions. Find games that have a academic focus
(Candyland, Memory, Chutes and Ladders, Hi-Ho Cherry-Oh, Trouble, Uno, Go Fish, etc.)
- Sing songs and
nursery rhymes together. Find the words that rhyme and come up with more.
- Read signs as
you drive down the road (environmental print) and talk about the letters and sounds.
- Count cars as
you are driving down the road. Choose a particular color and count only the cars of that color.
- License plates
are a wonderful teaching tool as you are driving around. Identify the letters and numbers.
- Label items
around your home. Teaches reading, letter--sound relationships, letter identification, etc.
- Shaving cream
-- Spread it on a large surface and let the practice writing their letters in it.
- Flash cards--Hide
them around the house or yard and have them go find a particular letter, number, shape, color, etc. You can also use
them to identify something associated with the item. Ex. Letter "C" find something that begins with the same sound--cat,
candle, cup. "5" find 5 balls, pillows, etc.
- Magnetic letters
on the refrigerator--Mix them up and have your child point and tell you the letter, sound or you tell them the letter
or sound and they have to find it. Spell out sight words, name, etc.
- Magna doodles,
Magic Slate, chalk boards, dry erase boards, etc. Practice writing letters and numbers
- Alphabet cereal--Name
the letters before you can eat them.
- Edible letters--Make
cookies into the shapes of letters. Cookie cutters are now available in the shapes of letters and numbers. Identify
or associate before you eat.
- Pipe cleaners
and yarn--Practice forming letters and identifying.
- Dominos and
Dice--Great for counting and one to one matching. Use number flash cards to match dots to numbers.
- Count your money--Count pennies, nickels
dimes, and quarters. Great sorting activity along with one to one correspondence and coin identification.
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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."
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What is Kindergarten All About?
By James L. Hymes, Jr.Ed.D
There is a lot of
misunderstanding today about kindergartens. I'd like to pass on a few ideas for you mull over about what a kindergarten looks
like, and why; and what it is supposed to do. I hope you find the ideas interesting and perhaps they may set to rest some
questions you have.
One of the troubles in understanding kindergartens is that we all remember best what
school was like in the years not too far behind us - our high school days, 5th and 6th grades: sitting, themselves answering
the teacher's questions, getting a grade, doing homework.
That is school, upper grade school. But kindergarten isn't like that. Kindergarten
is a school for five-year-olds-- that is the important point. And I don't need to tell you that your Five is very different
from your upper-grade youngsters. So:
Kindergarten looks different.
It sounds different.
Kindergarten has a whole different style. It is for Fives. It is geared to Fives. It
is custom-made to fit children of this particular age.
The key question,
then, is: What are Fives like? For one thing, although they talk big and brave, inside of themselves Fives are very soft.
They are essentially shy. They put on a show of big, but they know that the world is pretty overwhelming, They are timid,
even the toughest of them.
A school for these children - a school for beginners - has to be a gentle school. It
has to be a warm and friendly school. Kindergarten can't and must not be a place that overpowers youngsters and pushes them
back.
This means that
the size of a kindergarten is important. A kindergarten shouldn't have the feel of an auditorium or a stadium. It means that
children should be able to spend a lot of their time in little groups - two or three children together, or even working alone
- so they can be and at ease. And of course, the soft tone and good spirit of the teacher are exceedingly significant.
What else about Fives? A note that always strikes me is that they are doers. They are
forever on the go. They are into everything. Their nature will change as they grow older but right now, Fives are not good
sitters; they are not youngsters who can keep for very quiet long; and they are not good listeners either. Instead, they have
another quite wonderful quality: They want to see and do for themselves.
What does this mean for a kindergarten? It means that the emphasis has to be on reality
and on action: on animals, on jobs the children do, on activities they carry out on trips they take, on workers of all kinds
who come into the classroom.
The emphasis has to be on chances for children to use their hands and to work tools:
magnets, magnifying glasses, saws hammers...to work even with what look like with playthings: clay, blocks, paint, puzzles,
sand...Kindergarten is not a place for teaching children by talking at them, not a place for grownups' lectures. It is a place
where active children are involved in the goings-on. Fives learn best that way.
James L. Hymes Jr. Is a Past
President of the National Association for the Education of young Children and author of many publications for parents and
children. |
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The ABCs for Parents
(Source: unknown)
Ask your child about the
school day.
Begin your child's day
with a nourishing breakfast.
Congratulate you child
for doing well.
Discuss homework with your
child.
Encourage your child to
read.
Find a quiet place for
your child to study.
Give
your child responsibility.
Hug your
child to build self worth.
Include
your child in making simple family decisions.
Join
a library with your child.
Keep
your child on a schedule that includes exercise and sleep.
Limit TV viewing by selecting programs with your child.
Make the time you spend with your child special.
Notice and discuss changes in your child's behavior.
Offer to help your child organize school papers.
Provide your child with good role models.
Question the activities your child shares with friends.
Respect your child's right to have opinions different from yours.
Share an interest or a hobby with your child.
Take time to listen to your child.
Urge your child to say "NO!" to unwanted touching.
Visit places of interest with your child.
Work with your child to set up rules of behavior.
Xerox and save records or articles that benefit your child.
Yield results by encouraging your child to do better.
Zoom through these ABCs again and again!
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Developing Reading Behaviors
One of the first steps to becoming a reader is developing
positive reading behaviors. Even before children can "read", they should be involved with books and print in a positive way.
Children who have developed positive reading behaviors choose to read. They enjoy pretend reading, sharing ideas, and asking
questions about stories.
- Read to your child on a daily basis. You may
want to establish a nightly routine of a bedtime story.
- Talk with your child about stories you have
read together.
- Allow your child to "read" familiar stories
to you. Accept his/her version of the story.
- Get a public library card for your child.
- Allow your child to select the story he/she
would like to hear, even if you have already read it 100 times.
- Provide a special place for your child to
keep his/her personal books and library books. This special place will send the message that books are important.
- Select different types of books and a wide
variety of reading materials for your child to choose from (e.g., magazines, newspapers, nursery rhymes, fairy tales, recipes).
- Point out print in the environment (e.g.,
signs, cereal boxes, restaurants).
- Give books as gifts. Select high quality books
with detailed illustrations. If you are not sure, ask your child's teacher or a salesperson at the bookstore.
- Be a model. Let your child see you reading.
Remember, he/she wants to grow up to be just like you!
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Math Goals
- Counting to 100
- Recognizing numerals to 100
- Participating in calendar
work--counting, reciting pattern, knowing days of the week, counting by tens
- Copying,recognizing, and creating
patterns
- Sorting groups of objects
- Being able to tell and understand
simple story problems
- Writing numerals 1-10
- Understanding number combinations
for 4,5,6,7,8, and 9 and writing number sentences
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Developing Writing
Behaviors
Children will experiment with writing just like they do with reading. Writing helps children
organize their thoughts so they can express themselves. It also helps them begin to put the "puzzle" of letters and sounds
together and therefore, helps the reading process. Children who have developed positive writing behaviors will choose to write
and will share their writing with you.
- Provide a variety of writing materials for
your child (e.g., paper, note pads, cards, post-it notes, pencils, crayons, markers, clip board).
- Provide a special place where your child can
use the writing materials (e.g., spot at the kitchen table, a cleared coffee table, a desk).
- Accept what your child writes. Children go
through stages of writing including scribbling, drawing pictures, and random letters (alphabet soup).
- Respond to the content of the writing, not
how it looks or how words are spelled. Writing is not just copying.
- Provide a special place to display your child's
writing, such as the front of the refrigerator or a small bulletin board.
- Provide real reasons for writing (e.g., grocery
list, reminder notes, thank you notes, stories, signs).
- Answer your child's questions about writing.
- Help your child become self-reliant. If he/she
asks how to spell a word, help stretch it out so your child can hear the sounds. Guide them through the word; do not get in
the habit of spelling words for your child.
- Write notes to your child and put them in
special places (e.g., bathroom mirror, lunch box, under the pillow).
- Be a model. Let your child see you writing.
Remember he/she wants to grow up to be just like you!
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PARENT GUIDELINES FOR AN
EASIER KINDERGARTEN DAY
- Children should wear clothes that they know how to get into and out of, so that they don’t have trouble when
using the bathroom.
- Double knot shoelaces if your child does not know how to tie their shoes.
- Make sure that your child arrives on time and that you are there to meet them at the bus stop.
- Put your child’s name on everything (sweaters, lunch boxes, etc.).
- Return class folders every day.
- Library books should be returned on or before library day. They are checked out for one week.
- We do a lot of cutting in kindergarten. If your child has difficulty cutting, please practice at home.
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Homework
You have homework:
- Read with your child every night.
- Give your child a good start on the day
with a full nights sleep (10-12 hours for most 5-6 year olds), and a good breakfast.
- Pack or supply a healthful lunch including
a drink -- Please go easy on the sweets.
- Please, please, please put your child's
name, on absolutely everything that you send to school. This will save you time and money in the long run.
- Try to keep toys at home. Things brought
to school may get broken or lost. The best thing to do with a toy that is important to the child, is keep it home.
- Please let me know if there are changes
occurring at home that may affect your child's behavior or attitude at school.
- Enjoy your child's kindergarten year.
It is a very special time
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Avalon Elementary School * 7302 Webster Lane * Fort Washington * Maryland
* 20744 | |
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