Ideas for Helping Your Kindergartener
Things to do at home with your Kindergartener
* Practice writing their name, using a capital letter at the beginning, and the rest in lower case. Watch how they make their letters!! Help them make them correctly. Make sure that their letters are sitting on the foot line and not floating.
* When the Read Well magazines come home, have your child read it to you! Even reading the pictures, in the correct order is a BIG deal. Ask lots of questions like:
What is the ABC chant for this letter?
Tell me a word that begins with this sound.
Who is the main character in the story?
What was the problem in the story?
How did the problem make the characters feel?
How did the story end?
Can you read me the apple/star/heart line?
When I turn the page in a book, which page do I read next?
* Go to the D’Nealian website and print out handwriting sheets for your child. You can personalize these worksheets with your child’s name!
http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/denelian-1/make-d.htm
* When a pile of work comes home, ask your child to pick out the one paper they are most proud of. Ask why they are proud of it, and put it on the refrigerator!
* Read a story and ask your child to predict the ending before you get there. After the story, ask them to tell you the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Ask if they think the story is fiction (pretend or make-believe) or non-fiction (a real, live story). Use your finger to keep track of where you are at on the page, so that your child can follow along.
7 Habits of a Highly Effective Kindergartener
Highly effective kindergarteners….
1. Get good rest
Research shows that 5 year olds need 10 hours of sleep each night! Be proactive: put your child to bed on time tonight so they can have a great day at school tomorrow!
2. Eat a healthy breakfast.
Studies show that people who eat a healthy breakfast (low amount of sugar, high protein and carbs) are more likely to function better throughout the day and are more likely to maintain a healthy weight.
3. Get to school on time.
Getting your child to school on time is just as important as getting yourself to work on time. School is their ‘job’. Help them develop a great work ethic. It matters.
4. Read every day.
By the end of the school year we want your kindergartener to be able to read. Studies show that children who are read to,
or who read often themselves will become better readers and better writers. Begin with the end in mind and READ,
READ, READ.
5. Practice being thankful.
On the way to school, or before bed each night, ask your child to tell you about three things they are thankful for. It’s amazing
what that does to our thoughts. Who doesn’t want to start or end the day on a positive note?? It’s also a good habit to set
for those teenage years (that ARE coming) when they forget how to talk in complete sentences.
6. Are problem solvers.
Allow your child to solve their own problems. They are learning at school about small problems and big problems, and that
they can solve the small ones themselves. Practice that at home. If you’re struggling with this as a parent,
check out Love and Logic. You’ll soon find out if are a “helicopter parent”.
7. Are always growing and sharing with friends.
We are social creatures. Be sure your child has time to play with friends and just hang out. Don’t schedule every afternoon
with ‘activities’…or better yet, schedule the ‘activity’ of hanging out.