The Mom I Want to Be

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A simple homemade doll gives greater meaning to familiar words.   • woman’s ribbed sock • shredded paper or batting (for stuffing) • thick thread • craft items such as yarn, ribbons, sequins, etc. Read a book of nursery rhymes and discuss the characters. Make your own Humpty-Dumpty! Flatten the sock so that the sole of the foot is face […]

Watch how water spreads through a plant. • celery stalk with leaves • 2 cups • water • red and blue food coloring • knife Make a cut up the center of the celery. (Only parents should use the knife!) Start at the bottom and go about halfway up so the celery has two “legs.”  Fill each cup with water. […]

Enhance bath-time learning with this homemade rainmaker. • Plastic milk container • Large sewing needle Punch holes in an empty plastic milk container. Using a large sewing needle, create an interesting pattern of holes around the bottom of the container. The more creative the arrangement is, the prettier your water streams will be. Fill the container with water. […]

  Let your child’s fingers do the reading. • fabric pieces and other materials with different textures • cardboard • glue • hole punch • yarn • copies of family pictures Cut out pieces of fabric. Glue each to a separate piece of cardboard. Punch holes in the cardboard and tie the pieces together with yarn to make a book. Encourage your child […]

Turn a simple container into an early reading experience.   • tubular container, such as a Pringles or oatmeal container • photos (family snapshots or magazine clippings) • clear contact paper Collect pictures about your baby’s life, highlighting his family: Mom and Dad, family members, friends, and pets. You can also cut out cars, houses, flowers, and other […]

Tickle your child’s tongue with a homemade book of rhymes.   • magazine or catalog with appealing pictures • children’s safety scissors • glue stick • stapler • drawing paper • marke • die   Ask your child to staple together several sheets of paper. She can make a cover for the book with crayons or markers. Give your child an appealing magazine […]

Look for these signs of progress in your pre-reader. As the 4 year olds arrive at the Mountain View Parent Nursery School, they pick out their nametags and hand them to teacher Betsy Nikolchev to fasten. “Great job finding your name, Elaine,” Nikolchev says. “How did you know that says Elaine?” “Because it starts with […]