1. Talk to your child.
It may sound strange or too simple to say that one of the best ways you can
prepare your child for kindergarten is to talk to him/her, but it's true.
Following are a few simple techniques you can use that will help your child
in kindergarten.
ˆ Give everything its proper name. Example: Instead of saying "We're going
Bye-Bye," say "We're going to the grocery store."
ˆ Use words that will expand your child's vocabulary. Example: Instead of
saying "big" say "gigantic," "huge," etc.
ˆ Use objects to reinforce the meaning of words. Example: This measuring
spoon is tiny. This one is medium sized, this one is a mixing spoon, etc.
ˆ Speak in sentences instead of words.
ˆ Give compliments for using appropriate words. Example: "Wow! Survive!
That is a great word. You are sure learning a lot of new words!"
ˆ Respond to comments by repeating them and having the child tell you more
information. Example: Child: "That car acts funny" You: "Yes, it's funny.
Why do you think it looks that way?"
ˆ Ask questions about what your child tells you. We use these questions in school to find out more: who, what, when, where, why and how. When a child tells us he/she went to the mall, we can ask, "Who went with you?" "What did you buy?" "Which store did you shop in?" (By asking questions we also learn to write longer entries in our journals.)
ˆ The five best learning centers for talking are:
¤ Your kitchen
¤ The supermarket
¤ The mall
¤ Bath and bedtime
¤ Driving in your car
ˆ Play What's the word?
Say a one-syllable word to blend, one sound (not letter) at a time. A great time to accomplish this activity is in your car so you can read street signs and other print that you may come across or in the supermarket where you can read foods.
Parent: "b...i...g" What's the word?"
Child: "b...i...g" "big"
Parent: "s...t...o...p" What's the word?"
Child: "s...t...o...p" "stop"
2. Read to your child.
One of the nicest sights to see is that of a parent reading to their children. Next to talking to your children, nothing will help them do better in kindergarten than reading to them. Here are some of our Favorite Books and Authors.
It provides a secure, warm, emotional environment in which to bond parent
and child.
It expands vocabulary.
It teaches richness of language and exposes them to "book talk" which is
different than speaking.
It provides information about the world.
It teaches children to listen.
It stimulates imagination.
It helps children to understand other kinds of people.
In years to come the happy memory of being read to as a child will stay with
him/her.
3. Sing to your child.
Singing to a child affords the same rewards as talking but with the added
benefits that singing imparts emotional warmth. Through song a child can
also learn rhyming sounds, initial consonants, both of which will help
him/her to read. Our class has Sing Along Songs online for you to sing together!
4. Play games with your child.
Games are another way of providing the benefits associated with talking and
reading to children. They encourage children to think, learn numbers, and
to be social with both adults and children. They provide opportunities to
teach honesty, fairness and how to win and lose. A word of caution, be
careful to avoid too much competition or a game can become a source of
frustration and bad feelings.
Some games kids like to play are Chutes and Ladders, Candyland, Clue, Jr and Checkers. Card games such as, Go Fish, Uno, and War can also be fun.
5. Go places with your child.
If you have the time and the facilities are available, take your child to a
museum or the zoo. An easy nearby museum to find is the Delaware Museum of Natural History. A small nearby zoo the whole family can enjoy is The Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington, Delaware. You can picnic next to the Brandywine River at the zoo, too. If you are unable to get there then take a walk in the woods or go outside at night together and look at the stars. Examine the edge of a creek or The Ridley Park Lake. Visit a farm like Linvilla Orchards or walk across a field. Ridley Park has many places to go from The Public Library to the park to the stores downtown. Observe the variety of buildings in Ridley Park and make conversations about them. Remember every new learning experience will serve your child well in kindergarten.
