Kindergarten Readiness "Tips of the Week" March 19, 2012

Kindergarten Readiness "Tips of the Week" March 19, 2012

The Bethel Public School system has created a website of kindergarten readiness information and activities. It can be easily accessed by logging on to:

  http://www.bethel.k12.ct.us/subsite/dist/page/kindergarten-readiness-200 

Information and activities are in both English and Spanish. Below is a selection of activities from the Oral Language Page. Try these at home with your child.

Oral Language Activities:

The most important thing you can do to improve your child’s oral language skills is engage in rich conversations using lots of vocabulary with him/her!

§  Ask open ended questions like “Tell me about…”

§  Be a good and patient listener when you child is speaking

§  Converse with your child- describe objects, places, and situations.

§  Ask your child to expand on what they have already said.

§  Tell your child stories

§  Have your child speak in complete sentences

§  Compliment your child

§  Use language that is slightly above your child’s developmental age. Don’t over simplify your language and don’t talk way over them.

Activities for Oral Language

Use language to solve problems

• Give your child the words to help them express their emotion. If you see them drinking quickly model “I am thirsty!!”. If your child is mad give them the words to say “This is making me mad!!”
• Use “Communication Temptations” to tempt your child to make requests, problem solve and communicate with you: Ex: give your child a fork to eat soup and have them tell you what the problem is and how to solve it, give him or her paper and a paintbrush but “forget” to give them the paint.
• Teach your child how to ask for help by allowing your child to attempt a difficult task on his or her own. Wait for them to show that they need the help by having them say “I need help with ___” or “Help me with__”. Remember that help does not mean that you do it for them. Help means that you can show them how to be successful and independent at a task.
• When getting ready to play or read a book, have your child try to predict what might happen. When block building, have your child draw a design and try to do it!
• Create routines for your child to follow (ex: always wash hands before they eat and put dishes in dishwasher after they eat) If he or she forgets a step try not to remind them by telling them…have them try to re-think what they did and what they need to do next…If they are stuck, try to give them a hint.
• Play games like “I spy” and give a few clues that include a category so that your child can remember all of the clues and think about what it could be. Change the game from “I spy” to “I am thinking of”.
• Do something silly or something that you are not supposed to do like reading a book upside down, putting a sock on your head etc.. and have your child tell explain that you are doing something silly and how to fix it. 

          Play games with your child

• Have your child state and follow the directions of a familiar game.
• Have your child come up with alternative directions or rules to a favorite game.
• Engage in reciprocal conversation during the game. Ask questions “what will happen if…?”  “What happens next?”
• Take your turn out of turn and help your child work through explaining that it is not your turn etc…
• Play games such as “20 questions” to engage your child for longer periods of time and help hi/her stay focused
• Make board games up by planning out what the game will be, constructing the game, gathering the materials, making up the rules and then playing it! It is fun to sit at the table with a pen and paper to list out all of the ideas, plan out how they will go about making the game and following through.
• Limit video game time and encourage creative game play. Give your a child a few objects from around the house and have them make up a game.
• List how many things you can do with a few items. For example: What kind of game can you make up with a stick, chalk and a ball.
• Find books like “The Anti-Coloring Book” to encourage creative thought. This is a coloring book with half-drawn pictures that your child uses their imagination to complete.

Kevin J. Smith, Ph.D.Superintendent of SchoolsBethel Public SchoolsP.O. Box 253Bethel, CT 06801(203) 794-8601