Kindergarten readiness skills include letter recognition, phonemic awareness, and phonics skills. If your child can already recognize letters and can hear and say letter sounds then you may be wondering what types of phonics activities you should be doing with him. The truth is that you don't really need to do anything other than reading together every day, but if your child is ready to start reading playing phonics games can be both fun and … [Read more...]
Scissor Practice Tips for Preschoolers
There are many fine motor skills that kids need to develop for kindergarten. One of my kids' favorite skills to work on is scissor practice! Which is a good thing because in kindergarten the focus changes from learning how to use scissors to cutting things out on a regular basis. Teach Kids How to Use Scissors 1. Get the right scissors. Young kids need to use child size scissors. Start with the blunt tip scissors as first and move up to the … [Read more...]
Acts of Kindness for Kids: Create a LOVE Wall
We are participating in the Love Books exchange, organized by The Educators' Spin On It, this summer. I was so excited to hear that we were paired up with Play Dr. Mom and even more excited when we found out what she and her family had sent us!They know we love doing acts of kindness so they sent us the book Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You and book activities all about love and kindness to go with it! I hadn't read this book yet, but my … [Read more...]
How to Read Aloud to Your Child
Reading to your kids every day is one of the best ways you can set them up for success in Kindergarten and beyond. So many different skills are learned while reading together and it is something you want to continue doing as your children get older. All reading you do together is great, but there are some things you can do while you read that can make it even better! Thanks to My Cute Graphics for use of this cute book graphic! How to Read Aloud … [Read more...]
Math Activities for Kindergarten: Snack Time Practice
Getting your preschooler ready for kindergarten math doesn't have to be time consuming or involve a lot of preparation. Adding some math practice into everyday activities, like snack time, is the best way to get kids learning and having fun! Kids enter kindergarten with a variety of math skills such as: 1. Being able to count 2. Understanding how many objects are in a group 3. Recognizing and writing numbers 4. Following simple math … [Read more...]
How to Tie Shoes: Shoe Tying Busy Bag Board
Learning how to tie shoes takes a lot of practice and is a great busy bag activity! We saw an expensive shoe tying board in a toy store and decided to make our own so my 5 year old could practice tying his shoes this summer. How to Make a Shoe Tying Board: Foam board (1 sheet makes 4 boards) Foam or cardstock sheets Glue, scissors, hole punch Permanent marker Screwdriver Shoe laces (we found ours in the party section at Target) This busy … [Read more...]
Three Independent Skills Your Child Needs for Kindergarten
Parents get so caught up in making sure that their kids have all of the academic skills they need for Kindergarten that they sometimes forget all about independent self help skills. Developing independent skills at home can be fun and easy and provide your child with the confidence she needs to be successful in school! Thanks to My Cute Graphics for use of this School Desk graphic! Independent skills are the skills that kids need to take care of … [Read more...]
Following Directions and Listening Game: Teacher Says!
This week in the Get Ready for K Through PLAY! series we are focusing on activities that develop the social and emotional skills needed for Kindergarten. The ability to follow directions, especially oral, multi-step ones, is an important Kindergarten skill. It can also be a difficult skill for kids to master and often requires a lot of practice. Playing games is a great way to work on listening and Teacher Says! is a family favorite. How to … [Read more...]
