The Mom I Want to Be

 

By setting limits for children, you help them learn self-regulation, that is, how to set limits for themselves. The process of learning self-regulation and self-control begins in infancy, as babies begin to develop a sense of self. You can help by noticing your baby’s cues and signals, providing responsive care, and making sure she has secure attachments to the other adults who care for her. From the start, set clear limits and provide simple explanations (“No biting. That hurts mommy.”) As your baby grows, try to be consistent as you express expectations and set rules or consequences. The goal is to guide children and set limits so that they feel supported and valued, not judged and rejected.

 

 

Learning to Deal with Frustration

 

The process of learning self-control is linked very closely with how a child feels about herself and the frustrations that are part of day-to-day life. Children need help and practice building their frustration tolerance. One of the best ways to make this happen is to provide opportunities for children to make their own choices and decisions. Helping them stick to decisions can be difficult, but it is important for children to experience the consequences of their choices (at least some of the time.) Similarly, when you give young child a choice, honor their decision. Of course, not everything can be a choice and not everything is negotiable. Children should not be allowed to hurt themselves or other people (verbally or physically) or to destroy property. They cannot dominate every family interaction. Sometimes adults have to say “no.”

 

Aggressive Behavior

Physical aggression (biting, pushing, hitting, throwing) is very common in the early years. Very often, episodes of aggression can be prevented before they begin. Anticipation is always helpful and relieves stress for adults and young children alike. When possible, alert children before transitions, such as the end of playtime, leaving an outing, or the arrival or departure of guests. Rewarding desired behavior will help children learn what is expected of them. When trouble repeats itself, analyze the situation and make changes that get to the root of the problem: next time, go to the library after lunch, or let the twins each pick a friend to invite over to play. Have as few rules as possible, but make the ones you do have stick. Be persistent because it often takes repeated experience for learning to take place.

 

Taking Action

When young children play together, moods can shift quickly, and tension can quickly build or resolve. Over time, parents want to teach children how to solve their own problems. But when is it best to get involved, and when should children be allowed to handle the situation themselves? Ask yourself: If this continues, what is the likelihood that someone will get hurt or something will be damaged? If trouble is really brewing, be decisive. Take action before your child does.

Unfortunately, children don’t always stop hitting, grabbing or throwing simply because we ask them to. In these cases, these steps may help:

• Tell your child specifically what you expect her to do, and help move her in that direction.
• If necessary, remove the child from the immediate situation, but keep her with you.
• Discuss feelings and rules after she is calmer.
• Involve the child in deciding when it is time to return to the previous activity.
• Help her return and be more successful.
• If she repeats the behavior, remove her from the situation again.

Time Outs

When a child seems to be having difficulty calming down or regulating her feelings, brief ” time outs” may be useful. However, it is easy for a child to feel emotionally abandoned if she is sent to a separate room by herself. A few minutes in a “time-out chair” or “quiet corner ” in the same room as the parent, teacher or caregiver can be comforting. It allows children time to regain control without feeling unduly anxious or rejected.  

 

Letting Off Steam

Children often seem to have boundless energy. You can help your children let off steam by providing time and space for large-motor activities such as running and jumping. A special time for noisy activities can also provide an excellent outlet for expressing aggression. Other ways to relieve tension and diffuse aggression include working with clay, hammering at a workbench, or engaging in other physically active play. Keep in mind that children are less likely to be aggressive when they are engaged in games or projects they enjoy. It is always helpful to keep the day as interesting as possible by providing a variety of experiences and activities for your children.

 

Recognizing Your Flashpoints

It is particularly important for adults to recognize and deal with their own anger in difficult moments with young children. It is not necessary to pretend to be okay when you’re really angry. Talk about your feelings with children as you feel your anger mounting. If you feel that you might be too angry to make a good decision, wait for a few minutes and think it over before you respond. If another parent or caring adult is present, you might want to ask him or her to step in for a time so you can take a break.

 

Things to Remember

 

·  Give your children real choices when appropriate but remember, not everything is a choice. Sometimes you have to set the limits for children. Make sure your children understand when they do not have a choice.

·  When a crisis occurs, be sure to put your child’s feelings into words for him as well as you can. If your child knows that you know how he feels, he won’t have to keep showing you how he feels. Let your child decide when he is calm and can return to the activity or situation. You can stay with your child and help him be successful.

 

Things to Avoid

 

·  Avoid giving your child a choice when she doesn’t really have one; for example, adding “okay?” to a question to make it sound more polite.

·  Avoid giving your child a false choice, like offering a choice but then manipulating him into doing what you want.

·  Try not to lose your own self-control. Children learn more from watching what you do than from listening to what you tell them. If you yell or hit, your child will learn that’s the way to handle anger.

 

Try This at Home

 

1. What types of choices do you offer to your child? Can you think of ways to offer your child more meaningful choices?

2. What rules for your children are important to you? Practice giving the reason behind any rules you may have. Get into the habit of telling your child why you want him to do something.

3. Think about your flashpoints and try to analyze them. Why do you think you feel so strongly about your child’s particular behavior?

4. When weather permits, let your children play outside with a hose, sprinkler, sand and/or mud. Add buckets, watering cans and waterwheels.

5. Go to a playground and encourage your children to be as active as possible. Swinging, running, yelling, kicking their feet at the top of the slide and riding the see-saw are a few ways to help children express their aggressive feelings.

Make a driveway city! With some sidewalk chalk, draw roads, train tracks, houses, farms, a zoo, shops, and anything else you want included in your city. Add some toy cars, trains, boats, and doll people, and you have hours of fun for the whole neighborhood. One “city” of ours circled the whole cul-de-sac.

Children are eager learners from the very start. And from the start, they learn in the context of important relationships. Parents are in a unique position to help their children develop learning and thinking skills. Other caring adults, including grandparents, caregivers, and teachers, can help as well.

 

Learning at Home
Children’s thinking and reasoning skills emerge when adults and children seek out answers to questions and problems together. The emphasis should be on process rather that product. Listen carefully to children’s questions and think of ways that they can discover their own answers. (“Why does Sparky stay warm even when it’s cold out? That’s a good question. Let’s think about how you and Sparky are different.”)

Children’s solutions unfold gradually and often spontaneously in response to your questions. Instead of just telling you their ideas, kids may want to show them to you-perhaps by making a drawing or making a model out of clay. Of course, you can also use more traditional approaches, such as offering facts or describing how something works.

The most important thing you can teach children, no matter what their age, is that they are valued. Unless children have a basic sense of self-worth, it is unrealistic to expect them to approach the challenges of learning and problem-solving with confidence. When children feel that they are valued, they are more likely to feel capable, competent, and in control.

Solving Problems Creatively
You can help children become able, creative problem-solvers by encouraging them to come up with their own ideas and try a variety of solutions until they find one that works for them. Ask questions in ways that provoke children to think for themselves and to come up with an original idea or solution. For example, ask questions that begin, “How do you think we could…?” or “What do you suppose would happen if…?”

Once you ask thought-provoking questions, it is important to wait and listen to children’s answers with genuine respect for their ideas. This approach requires time, patience, and ingenuity, but is well worth the effort.

Outside the Home
Trips to new places-a farm, a library, or the local fire station-offer excellent opportunities for learning because they stimulate children’s sense of wonder and curiosity. Even a place that seems boring to you, such as a fruit stand, can hold kids’ interest. Hands-on experiences are especially exciting because they let children use their senses to explore a new setting. Allow plenty of time for children to make their own observations and ask their own questions. You may want to write these observations and questions down and explore them when you return home.

Learning Differences
Some children will not learn at the same rate as others or at the rate expected by you or teachers. This may be due to a simple learning difference, hearing or vision problem, emotional issue, or developmental delay. If your child is struggling with learning, talk to your health-care professional as well as to your child’s teacher (or childcare center director) about the possibility of getting an evaluation and additional services. Help is available and the sooner children obtain it, the sooner they can begin to overcome their difficulties.

Things to Remember

·  Let your children’s teachers know about what interests them and what they’re curious about. Find out if other children in the class share an interest of theirs and if the teacher is willing to let the children explore their ideas through projects in the classroom. Offer to help out with these projects and suggest ways the children can find out more about things they wonder about.

·  Follow your children’s interests and help them learn from everyday life around them. You can take a child that is interested in your plumbing to a local plumbing supply store or to talk to a plumber. A child who is interested in how his body works can visit his doctor’s office or a local children’s museum to look at diagrams or models of the body.

·  Children learn through play. Give them the chance to try out their ideas through experimentation with materials or dramatic play. For example, if your child is wondering how carpenters build stairs, he can experiment by building with blocks. Try to give him plenty of time to test out his ideas on his own.

Things to Avoid

·  Avoid answering your children’s questions immediately. First ask them for their ideas and what they think.

·  Try not to criticize your children’s ideas or opinions when they do tell them to you, even if you think they are incorrect! Listening to them and respecting what they say will encourage them to share their thoughts more often. You will help your child’s thinking more by asking questions rather than by insisting on a correct answer.

 

Try This At Home

 

1. It’s important to look for problems to present to your children so they can propose their own solutions. Think of a simple problem that you can present to your child and challenge her to solve it. How can you keep the activity going by expanding or revising the problem?

2. In the next week, make a point of asking your children questions that have more than one answer; for example, “What do you think about?” or “How could we fix it?” or “I wonder if there’s another way?”

3. The next time your child tells you about an idea he has, ask him to draw it for you or make a model out of pipe cleaners or blocks. When he is finished, ask him to explain his idea to you again. Are his thoughts clearer than before he drew or made a model of his idea?

4. Think of a real life experience that you can give to your child that will help her to further explore an interest of hers and then give her this experience. For example, if she is interested in animals, go to the zoo or a natural history museum. Be sure to make time to hear about her questions and interpretation of what she experiences.

  

 

• Take a walk and talk about the sounds you hear and the things you see  
• Sing a song
• Read a wordless book in your favorite language  
• Make up a new song
• Create a “To Do” list   
• Become an author by creating your own book
• Mark off the items on your list as you do them  
• Eat alphabet soup
• Retell a favorite story in your own words          
• Talk about your family history
• Find the letters of the alphabet on signs           
• Talk about your community’s history
• Name every part of your body, from head to toe           
• Play with letter-shaped sponges or stamps
• Make a play out of a favorite story       
• Take a trip to the library
• Keep a journal (a picture journal is okay!)        
• Read a “Big Book”
• Illustrate a story while you listen to it   
• Find opposites in your environment
• Invite a guest to tell a traditional story  
• Play “I Spy”
• Learn how to tell your own story          
• Talk about your favorite family or class field trip
• Discover the letters in your name         
• Build a word wall
• Create a rhyme           
• Trace around alphabet shapes
• Clap the syllables in your name
• Read a favorite book
• Decorate alphabet-shaped cookies        
• Read a new book
• Make up a story           
• Use a play phone to have a pretend conversation
• Learn how to say one word in as many languages as you can      
• Talk about the weather
• Create a sign in sheet  
• Feel Braille
• Sign in each day          
• Read a recipe together
• Create a grocery list with both words and pictures        
• Type on a computer keyboard
• Talk about the fruits you might see at a grocery store   
• Talk about the different sounds animals make
• Experience writing with a variety of writing tools         
• Talk about the pictures in a newspaper or a magazine
• Experiment by writing on different textures, colors and sizes of paper   
• Read old family letters together
• Find out what day of the week and what month it is     
• Create a card for someone special
• Read together every day for at least twenty minutes!

·       Have a Year-Round Easter Egg Hunt

·       Sponge Paint

·       Bake Cookies Together

·       Clean Together

·       Put scarves in an empty kleenex box to pull out and put in

·       Put plastic easter eggs or small stones in a cardboard egg carton

·       Paint the house, car, etc. with a bucket of water and clean paintbrush

·       Make your own picture book

·       Use a paint brush to learn parts of the body

·       Play with “Goop “

·       Kick and Roll a Large Ball

·       Practice marching on lines of Masking Tape

·       Make Horns out of toilet paper rolls

·       Use a magnifying glass to take a closer look at the world

·       Make a tunnel out of a blanket and chair

·       Give pretend haircuts

·       Have a Science Experiment with Baking Soda and Vinegar

·       Have a Parade

·       Make Cup Dolls

·       Play a Color Recognition Game

·       Draw Chalk figures on the sidewalk

·       Play Airplane

·       Blanket Peek-a-boo

·       Go Color Shopping

·       Discover Musical Instruments

·       Make Kitchen Ceramics

·       Create your own zoo

·       Giggle with Nonsense Syllables

·       Check out the Library for free children’s activities

·       Make your own Alphabet Book

·       Make Hanger People

·       Experiment with Rainbow Water

·       Make and decorate Trees made out of handprints

·       Try Fruit Painting

·       Make your own paper food plate

·       Play the Popcorn Game

·       Make a “Me” Mask

·       Fill the sink with water and discover what sinks and floats

·       Put your child in the bathtub and allow him/her to paint the sides with washable watercolors

·       Plant some green bean seeds (they grow quickly)

·       Put extra change in a piggy bank

·       Play an echo game, take turns repeating each other

·       Make a dry food collage

·       Create sandy designs

·       Personal Picture Puppets

·       Play “Eye Spy”

·       Make sewing cards

·       Draw a chalk plate for your fine feathered friends

·       Pick Berries

·       Make a necklace out of macaroni (for fun colors, see number 69!)

·       Make Flubber

·       Make Index Card Books

·       Turn your home into a neighboorhood in need of mail

·       Popcorn Art

·       Make Styrofoam Ornaments

·       Make your own Playdough!

·       Let your child do her own Cooking

·       Play the game of “The Crawling Hand”

·       Build Snow Castles at home!

·       Have a color day

·       Make Silly Putty

·       Do fun activities with Contact Paper

·       Make a Bird Feeder

·       Try Tubular Tunnels!

·       Make Photo Placemats

·       Learn some Picture Poems

·       Design your own Wrapping Paper

·       Play water games in the bathtub

·       Color Macaroni and Pasta Shapes

·       Play The Driving Game

·       Make and eat Painted Toast

·       Make a Sidewalk Storyboard

·       Wash cars together

·       Make and use your own Mailbox

·       Make up new stories from old books

·       Make your sidewalk a World of its own

·       Rotate toys so they’re always like new

·       Make Craft Stick picture frames

·       Have a Baby Powder Race

·       Make UFO’s

·       Make a collage self portrait

·       Make colored ice cubes

·       Make a Chef’s Hat

·       Make a Magnetized foam jungle

·       Play with a Bean Bag board

·       Try Rocking in a boat

·       Try Riding a pony without a grown-up’s knee!

·       Construct your own Bridge

·       Let your child Dig up dinosaur bones

·       Give your child a flashlight and watch what happens! (Hopefully not your good one)

·       Let your child try on your shoes (You’ll need to supervise this one closely)

·       Go Bowling!

·       Try Apple Bobbing Without Water

·       Play a game of Color Go Fish

·       Learn to spell a name by Cheerleading Letters

·       Play Crab and Lobster Tag

·       Practice rolling wrists and ankles

·       Accordian fold Paper Butterflies

·       Trace thick foam shapes

·       Sort crackers by shape

·       Play sheepdog

·       Color

·       Blow Bubbles

·       Play Hide-and-Seek

·       Peek-a-Boo

·       Play Chase

·       Do Fingerplays

·       Sing a song

·       Collect rocks in a basket

·       Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture

·       Make a fort out of cushions and sheets

·       Go for a Walk

·       Make a Car out of a box

·       Read a book

·       Go to the park

·       Fingerpaint

·       Play with Clay-Dough

·       Toss Bean bags into a Bucket

·       Play the shell and pea game

·       Dance to music

·       Download games for toddlers from the Internet

·       Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags

·       Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch

·       Roll a ball back and forth on the floor

·       Scoop dirt or sand into a child’s bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)

·       Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other

·       Put on a puppet show

·       Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn

·       Make a Horseshoe game

·       Make a Shape Puzzle

·       Play paper basketball

·       Run through a Sprinkler

·       Play with a bucket of water and a sponge 

·       Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box

·       Play with a kazoo

·       Wash windows together

·       Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon

·       Brush each other’s teeth

·       Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child’s clothes

·       Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other

·       Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other

·       Make a playhouse out of a large box

·       Let child play with a sticker sheet 

·       Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets

·       Play a musical instrument together

·       Go on a Smelling Hunt

·       Frost Cookies

·       Plant a flower or vegetable plant together

·       Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket

·       Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers

·       Play hide and seek together- trying to find a stuffed animal or other object

·       Have a splash party together in the bathtub

·       Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house

·       Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)

·       Make and try on paper hats

·       Give a piggie back ride

·       Play “Horsie”

·       Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)

·       Play tug-of-war with a blanket

·       Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real…)

·       Make a camera and go on a Safari

·       Play games with frozen juice lids

·       Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives

·       Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives- let your child talk too

·       String large beads onto or along a shoelace

·       Squirt each other with squirt bottles

·       Glue shapes onto paper

·       Make sock puppets

·       Make paper puppets

·       Fill an old purse with toys

·       Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone

·       Make binoculars and go “Bird Watching” or “Stuffed Animal Watching”

·       Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)

·       Act out a story from a book

·       Walk on a balance beam- use a 2×4 placed on the ground

·       Draw with chalk on the sidewalk

·       Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk

·       Paint child’s palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!

·       Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror

·       Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it

·       Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich

·       Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through

·       Do the Hokey Pokey

·       Make a super-hero costume out of household items

·       Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes

·       Play “Red Light, Green Light” saying “Go” and “Stop”

·       Make a shoebox train for stuffed animals

·       Make a pillow pile to jump on

·       Make an easy puzzle with felt and velcro

·       Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells

·       Learn numbers from a deck of cards

·       Play the matching game with a deck of cards

·       Make a domino chain

·       Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!

·       Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy’s clothes

·       Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it

·       Make a nature collage

·       Mirror each other

·       Make a “Mummy Mommy” with toilet paper

·       Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways

·       Make and walk along a toilet paper trail

·       TAKE A NAP!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indoor Fun, Physical Fun, Cause and Effect, Cognition, Counting Concepts, Eye-Hand Coordination, Fine Motor Coordination, Physical Coordination, Size and Shape Discrimination, Spatial Relationships, Stacking, Visual Discrimination

 

Blocks are considered one of the most versatile and favorite toys for young tots. Block playing will inspire your child’s imagination and creativity while developing motor skills as he or she experiments with stacking. Count as your child piles on each block for additional learning. Believe it or not, blocks are your child’s first exposure to geometry – squares and cubes. How many squares make up a cube? 

 

Demonstrate to your child how to stack three of four blocks on top of each other.  Have your child build two towers three or four blocks high with about a foot of space between them. Make a paper bridge across the towers that your child can push a car under.  Get down on the floor and build right alongside your child. You’ll be surprised how much fun you have letting those creative juices flow.

What exactly is a “literate home?” It is an environment that encourages children to learn to read and write and become lifelong readers and writers. Transforming your home into a literate home is simple and inexpensive. You need to consider what kinds of materials to have on hand and how to arrange materials so your child will use them. More importantly, you need to interact with your child in ways that foster literacy development. Follow these tips about what materials parents need and what parents can do.

A “literate home” for children at this stage contains several kinds of materials, helps children to establish a reading habit, and helps them to establish systems and tools for reading and writing independently. By the end of first grade, most children know how to read. By the end of third grade, most children can read smoothly and fluently. At this age, your child uses writing both to communicate his thoughts and feelings and to deepen his understanding of what he reads. Therefore, a “literate home” at this stage is one is which there are many reading and writing materials available and children are encouraged to make reading and writing a habit.

What You Need

Books
A wide range of books is appropriate for first-, second-, and third-graders. Children at this age need to have books that they can read on their own. They also need to have more difficult books–informational books as well as fiction–that their parents can read aloud to them to help them continue to increase their vocabulary and fund of general information. Look for bargain children’s books at used bookstores and yard sales or purchase books at great prices through monthly book clubs offered through school.

Writing Materials
At this age, your child may enjoy having her own special books–whether it is a journal, a diary, or a spiral-bound notebook. She may enjoy using a variety of different kinds of pens and pencils, including glitter pens and pens that can write in several different colors. First-, second-, and third-graders also enjoy making cards for various occasions, so keep a stock of colored paper, glue, glitter, ribbons, and other materials that can be glued on a card.

Computer
For children this age, the newest model of computer is not necessary–a computer that can support a basic word processing application is sufficient. If you have a computer with a CD-ROM player, there are many programs designed to help first-, second-, and third-graders read, spell, and write.

Videos
Videos are a good way to continue to expose your child to vocabulary, general information, and varied story structures. Most early school-aged children enjoy watching long, complex videos of children’s literature and enjoy watching and discussing them with a parent or sibling. Watching a video, reading the same book, and comparing versions can be fun activity for children this age.

Games
There are many games for children this age that facilitate reading development. Word games, such as Scrabble, Jr., Boggle, Think-It Link-It, and WordXChange, are good ways for readers and writers to practice their reading and spelling skills. Games such as The Harold and the Purple Crayon Game, Clue, Jr., and Guess Who help children practice problem-solving skills and will help them in reading comprehension. Look for used games at school sales, used children’s clothing stores, and yard sales. Just check to make sure that most of the pieces and the directions are included.

Reading and Writing Materials for Parents
When children see the adults around them using reading and writing in their everyday lives, they’re more likely to become readers and writers themselves. Simply having a bookshelf full of books, reading the local newspaper, and reading alongside your child as he does his homework shows your child that reading and writing serve valuable everyday purposes.

What You Can Do

Help your child pick independent reading books. Ideal books for independent reading should be ones that children can read both accurately–by correctly identifying nearly all the words–and fluently–by reading smoothly and with good expression. To test out a book, have your child read a page or so aloud to gauge her accuracy and fluency. Teachers and librarians can also assist you in finding appropriate books for your child.

Foster your child’s independent reading. Reading a lot at this stage is important. One way children become better readers is through reading. You can encourage your child’s independent reading by helping him establish a daily quiet reading time, by making sure that he is reading books that are at a comfortable level, and by talking with him about the books he reads.

Read aloud to your child. Even when children are able to read by themselves, they still benefit from hearing an adult read complex material aloud to them. This way, your child will learn new vocabulary and increase her fund of general information.

Listen to your child read often. Ask your child to read aloud to you from his favorite part of a book. Try reading with him so that you read a page and then he reads one. Hearing your child read aloud will allow you to hear his progress. It also gives you a chance to praise him.

Help your child to correct her own reading errors. When you are reading with your child and she makes a mistake, ask her if what she reads made sense, encourage her to reread a part, or help her cover up part of a word to help her figure it out.

Talk about things that interest your child. First-, second-, and third-graders continue to learn a great deal of information through talking with parents. Discussion also helps them to clarify their own thoughts and feelings. Make yourself available to hear about what interests your child, whether it is her baseball game, ballet class, or a lizard she found outside. Ask her genuine questions, listen to her answers, and ask some questions that focus on how or why–not just what.

Play games with your child. Playing games contributes to your child’s literacy development. Word games obviously help your child to read and spell, but card games and logic games help him to learn patterning, categorizing, and problem-solving skills that are related to reading comprehension.

When he begins getting homework, help your child to create a homework routine. You can help by making sure that he has a clean, quiet space in which to work, that he works in the same place every time, and that he has the necessary supplies. Help him find an ideal time, when he’s neither too tired nor too hungry to focus, to do his work each day. If your child has trouble completing his work in a reasonable amount of time, try helping him to budget time by talking about what he will do first and how long he thinks each task will take.

Help your child with her homework, but don’t do it for her. If your child has questions, you can certainly answer them. If she can’t think of what to write, you can help her brainstorm her ideas aloud before she writes. However, if you find that your child is relying on you for answers, if you think you may be giving too much support, or if your child is very frustrated on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to talk with your child’s teacher.

Communicate with your child’s teacher regularly. By doing this, you can discuss successes and concerns, gain a better understanding of the curriculum, and gain ideas for what you can do at home to support your child’s literacy development.

What exactly is a “literate home?” It is an environment that encourages children to learn to read and write and become lifelong readers and writers. Transforming your home into a literate home is simple and inexpensive. You need to consider what kinds of materials to have on hand and how to arrange materials so your child will use them. More importantly, you need to interact with your child in ways that foster literacy development. Follow these tips about what materials parents need and what parents can do.

 

The “literate home” for this age child only needs a few inexpensive materials, but parent involvement is key. Your young child or kindergartner continues to build her language base (understanding and using language) in preparation for learning to read, so she still benefits from lots of talk with adults that helps her learn new words. Young children and kindergartners are beginning to figure out how the written word works, and they are starting to use reading and writing in their daily lives. At this age, having a wide variety of books and writing materials available is crucial.

 

What You Need

 

Children’s Books

For young children, nursery rhymes, ABC books, informational books, and storybooks are most appropriate. Kindergartners will enjoy longer stories or chapter books, and some will be able to read very easy books by themselves by the end of the year. You can look for bargain children’s books at used bookstores and yard sales, or purchase books at great prices through monthly book clubs offered through child care centers or schools.

 

Letters

Young children and kindergartners learn to identify the letters. In your home, it is important to have a number of types of letters that your child can move around. Alphabet blocks, foam letters for the bathtub, ABC puzzles, magnetic refrigerator letters, ABC cookie cutters, letter stamps, and letter stickers are all ideal materials for children this age.

 

Writing Materials

Thick markers, paint brushes, pencils, and crayons are ideal for the youngest writers since they are still developing the small muscles in their hands that help them hold tools. Likewise, large paper is best for young children. Your kindergartner will be able to use standard-sized writing tools and paper. He may also enjoy it if you make a “book” for him to write in by stapling paper together. Having a model of all the letters available for young writers allows them to refer to it if they have trouble remembering letter formations.

 

Reading and Writing Materials for Parents

When children see the adults around them using reading and writing in their everyday lives, they’re more likely to become readers and writers themselves. Simply having a bookshelf full of books, reading the local newspaper, and having a notepad on which you write grocery lists and phone messages shows your child that reading and writing serve valuable everyday purposes.

 

Props for Pretend Play

Props such as dress-up clothes and play dishes encourage your young child or kindergartner to pretend, and pretend play actually contributes to literacy skills. Make props for pretend play from materials you already have at home. Empty cereal boxes, mom’s old necklaces, and an old pot and wooden spoon make ideal items for countless make-believe scenarios.

 

Tapes

Books and children’s music on tape are another way for your child to enjoy stories and music. Most libraries have extensive collections of books on tape and children’s music tapes to borrow. Purchasing a durable children’s tape player with a handle will allow your child to put in tapes by herself so that she can listen to tapes when she likes.

 

Videos

Videos can help your young child or kindergartner learn basic concepts and information. They are also another way to expose your child to quality children’s literature. For children this age, concept videos such as ABCs or rhyming are appropriate, while young children and kindergartners will also enjoy watching videos of familiar books.

 

What You Can Do

 

Organize a bookshelf for your child’s collection. A sturdy bookshelf located in an area accessible to your child is ideal. This way, he can reach books and use them without asking your permission. Having a special place for his books will demonstrate to your child that books are valuable.

 

Set up a writing area for your child. Having all of her materials in one accessible spot will encourage your young child or kindergartner to write. Having a special writing box or even a writing table or desk will help your child to see writing as an important activity.

 

Talk together about things that interest your child. Ask genuine questions, ones to which you do not already know the answer. Ask questions that help children think about why and how and not just what. When you talk, be sure to listen to your child’s response and build upon what he has to say.

 

Introduce new vocabulary words when you talk with your child. When you use a new word, make sure to explain its meaning to your child, and encourage your young child or kindergartner to ask when she does not know the meaning of a word.

 

Continue your daily read-aloud routine. Continue the routine that you established earlier in your child’s life. Reading at the same time each day and in the same comfortable place, such as in bed or on the couch, make read-aloud a time to anticipate.

 

Point to the words when you read aloud. You need not do this for every page. But pointing to the words in the book’s title, or to the words of a repeated phrase in a picture book, is a good idea. When you point to the words, you show your child that there is a correspondence between spoken and written words and that print goes from left to right.

 

Listen to your child “read.” By the end of kindergarten, most children will be able to “read” some very easy books aloud by relying mostly on the pictures and their memory of the story. Make sure to set aside some of your read-aloud time to listen to your child read as soon as he is ready. Avoid pushing your child to do this until he shows interest, however.

 

Incorporate literacy into outings. Visit your local library, bookmobile, or bookstore to find new read-aloud ideas for your child. Many libraries feature free song and story hours that young children and kindergartners may enjoy.

 

Be a reader and writer yourself. One of the most effective ways to help children become readers and writers is to show them through your own example that you value literacy and that reading and writing have useful purposes. Make sure that you have a variety of printed and writing materials in your house, that you use them on a regular basis, and that you talk to your child about what you are doing when you read and write.

 

What exactly is a “literate home?” It is an environment that encourages children to learn to read and write and become lifelong readers and writers. Transforming your home into a literate home is simple and inexpensive. You need to consider what kinds of materials to have on hand and how to arrange materials so your child will use them. More importantly, you need to interact with your child in ways that foster literacy development. Follow these tips about what materials parents need and what parents can do.

 

The materials you need in order to create a “literate home” at this stage are minimal, but the way that you use them with your child is important. Babies and toddlers need to explore books, letters, and writing materials as they begin to figure out the special significance of these objects. What they need most, however, is for their parents to talk and listen to them. Through talking and communicating with their parents and caregivers, they build a strong language base, the ability to both understand and use language, that will support their literacy development.

 

What You Need:

Children’s Books

 

Babies and toddlers come to love books and view them as a part of their world when you provide easy access and opportunities to explore them. For young babies, vinyl or cloth books that are durable and soft enough for chewing are suitable, while toddlers will enjoy board, paperback, and hardcover books. Be sure to include a variety of kinds of books in your child’s collection, including nursery rhymes, ABC books, informational books, and storybooks. You can look for bargain children’s books at used bookstores and yard sales or purchase books at great prices through monthly book clubs offered through child care centers or schools.

 

Writing Materials for Children

 

Older babies and toddlers begin to experiment with making marks on paper. Although it can be messy, it is essential for children this age to practice this process. Thick markers, paint brushes, pencils, and crayons are ideal for the youngest writers since they are still developing the small muscles in their hands that help them hold tools. Likewise, large paper is best for beginners. Because older babies and young children lack control, they tend to make big scribbles. Washable paints, crayons, and markers are best at this stage.

 

Reading and Writing Materials for Parents

 

When children see the adults around them reading and writing in their everyday lives, they’re more likely to become readers and writers themselves. Simply having a bookshelf full of books, reading the local newspaper, and using a notepad to write grocery lists and phone messages shows your child that reading and writing serve valuable everyday purposes.

 

Toys

 

Simple, practical, inexpensive toys support literacy development. Alphabet blocks, foam letters for the bathtub, and ABC puzzles will familiarize your baby or toddler with letters. Props such as dress-up clothes and play dishes encourage your toddler to pretend, and pretend play contributes to literacy skills. Toys need not be elaborate or expensive. Look for wooden blocks and puzzles at used children’s clothing stores, yard sales, and school fairs, and make props for pretend play from materials you already have at home. Empty cereal boxes, mom’s old necklaces, and an old pot and wooden spoon can be used in countless make-believe scenarios.

 

Tapes

 

Books and children’s songs on tape are another fun way for your child to enjoy stories and music. Most libraries have extensive collections of books on tape and children’s music tapes to borrow. Purchasing a durable children’s tape player with a handle will allow your older toddler to put in tapes by herself so that she can listen to tapes when she likes.

 

Videos

 

Videos can help older babies and toddlers learn basic concepts, such as letters and colors, and expose them to stories they’ll enjoy. Videos that are short, contain many short skits or songs, and encourage children’s engagement by asking them to dance along, sing along, or do along are best for the very young. It is ideal to watch along with your child at this age so you can sing the songs together.

 

What You Can Do

 

Place books on sturdy, low shelves or in plastic storage bins. Babies and toddlers are more likely to explore books if they can get them easily.

 

Keep your older baby or toddler’s writing materials in one place. You can decorate a cardboard box or buy an inexpensive plastic container for his writing materials. This way, he will have easy access to them when he wants to write, and he knows that they are special things.

 

Establish a daily read-aloud routine. You can do this by reading aloud to your baby or toddler at the same time and in the same place each day. Remember that children this young cannot focus for long periods of time, however, and will be more interested in the pictures than in the story.

Recite nursery rhymes and sing songs to your baby. Even though your baby will not understand them, hearing these will help her learn the patterns and rhythms of language.

 

Talk together about things that interest your child. Talk about things you do, see, and hear as you go about your day. Talking to your child often helps her learn vocabulary and grammar.

Get your child involved when you read aloud to him. Older babies will be able to turn the pages of chunky board books, point to pictures when you ask, and say the sounds that go with pictures of animals or trucks.

 

Incorporate literacy into outings. Visit your local library, bookmobile, or bookstore to find new read-aloud ideas for your child. Many libraries feature free song and story hours that older babies and toddlers may enjoy.

 

Be a reader and writer yourself. One of the most effective ways to help children become readers and writers is to show them through your own example that you value literacy and that reading and writing have useful purposes. Make sure that you have a variety of printed and writing materials in your house, that you use them on a regular basis, and that you talk to your child about what you are doing when you read and write.