Posts Tagged ‘Kindergarten’

Why A Guided Reading Curriculum Will Help Progress Your Childs Early Reading Skills

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

Early education instructors frequently use what is called a guided reading curriculum to help develop a child’s basic reading skills and teach them reading techniques.  Each level of this program has a set of books which are designed to impart specific skills, based on the child’s age and abilities.  Parents can get a comprehensive list of these books from the teacher, so that they can work with their child outside the classroom.

Program for Kindergarteners

Success in reading begins at an early age, and many of the necessary skills are a part of the guided reading curriculum used with kindergarteners.  The children are taught basic reading skills, which can be built upon as they become ready to learn more advances skills and techniques.  The books used in this type of program are made up of short sentences, often composed of just two or three words.  Thinking back to your own childhood, you may remember sentences or stories such as “See Spot Run.”  Even though these classic titles are old, they are still popular favorites in kindergarten classrooms.

One important skill that is taught during the kindergarten guided reading curriculum is the different sounds of letters.  Learning the sounds that vowels and consonants make, as well as the combinations when they are put together, helps the child sound out new words that they encounter.  By learning these types of skills during kindergarten, the children can become successful readers later in life.Being taught good reading skills during kindergarten can cause a direct impact on their reading and study skills later in life.

Program for First Graders

As the child advances from kindergarten to first grade, the reading program that they follow will likewise become more advanced.  Instead of focusing on simple sounds and individual words, students begin to identify nouns and verbs and see words in larger groups.  The skills that the child has already acquired are developed as they read more complicated books.  The selection of books have more complex stories, as the children are becoming better able to understand plots and character interactions.

Program for Second Graders

Reading comprehension improves dramatically as students move into the second grade.  These young readers will follow a guided reading curriculum that reflects that advancement.  Students begin to answer questions about the protagonist and antagonist of their stories, which are progressing towards short chapter books.  The children are not only more capable of understanding complex stories.  They are also better at retaining the information after they leave the classroom, so parents can engage them at home about what they read at school.

Parents who take an active role in the guided reading curriculum will not only be spending more time bonding with their child, they will be helping to improve their reading comprehension.  Contact your child’s teacher to get a comprehensive list of the books available for their level.  The time spent reading together will create beautiful memories for both of you.

Making Preschool Math Activities Fun

Friday, July 18th, 2008

Anyone with preschool children knows how important it is to prepare them for kindergarten and beyond. This can be done in a number of ways, but the best way to do it is through preschool games. Children learn best when they are having fun, especially when they do not realize that an activity is designed to help them learn. Here, we will take a look at different ways to turn preschool math activities into games.

Use Everyday Tasks

Preschool math activities can be incorporated into just about anything you and your child do. For preschoolers, counting is going to be the most involved they get in math. A good idea is to get your child involved in things that you would normally be doing anyway, like household chores. When it’s time to clean up the house, you could have your child pick up their toys and count them while they are doing it. You could also ask them how many toys of a certain color there are. You can turn just about all of your household chores into preschool math activities.

You can also come up with different games that double as preschool math activities. Flash cards are a great way for children to learn their numbers, and they’re fun too. The game could be as simple as having your child tell you how many fingers you are holding up. Simple board games are also good because your child will have to count to move around the board.

Money is a good thing to use for preschool math activities as well. You can not only strengthen their math skills, you can teach them about how money works as well. Your child can begin by counting coins, and as they progress, they will have a better understanding of money and how it works. You can also begin teaching your child how to be responsible with money.

As you can see, it doesn’t have to be anything structured like you would find in a classroom. Preschool math activities are everywhere if you pay attention. If you do want something a little more structured, you can find a sea of information online for you to use with your preschooler. You can download lessons, or just browse for ideas. You should have no problem finding something that you and your child will enjoy. The important thing is to stimulate your child’s mind and get them as prepared as you can for the years to come. You can definitely give them a head start on things they will be learning as they go on.

 

 

Learning Activities For Preschool Children

Saturday, July 5th, 2008

If you operate a child care service for preschool aged children, or if you have children of your own, there are many ways you can begin stimulating their learning before they reach kindergarten. With the level of work that children are expected to keep up with in kindergarten, it’s important to begin this process as early as you can. Below we will take a look at some helpful suggestions for activities for preschool children.

Why?

There are several ways that preschool learning activities can benefit your child. Activities for preschool children will begin to teach them how to socialize with other children. This is one of the most important things they will need to know. You can also begin teaching your child the basics of education. These are all skills that your child will need to know as they begin school later on.

Activities

Since these children are so young, activities for preschool children are best when they are in the form of games. Children will learn much better when they do not realize they are learning. There are many things they can learn while they are playing and having fun.

You can begin by playing games that will address their hand-eye coordination. This can be something as simple as tossing a ball back and forth. Other motor skills can be worked on by letting the child draw or scribble on a piece of paper. This will get them used to writing and hold a pencil or crayon. Other activities for preschool children focus on memory and learning basic skills they will need for school. Flash cards are a great way to work on learning shapes and colors. This will also strengthen their memory and retention skills.

Another one of the best activities for preschool children is to begin teaching them about the world around them. You can do this by simply taking your child outside and walking around the yard with them. You can point things out to them or answer any questions that they might have. This is a great way to begin teaching them some basics about nature and science. Talking about the weather or about different animals and insects is a great teaching tool for preschool kids.

You can also use modern technology to begin teaching your preschool children. You can take advantage of computers and even video games to accomplish this. There are a number of great programs and games that are designed for children of this age. This type of activity for preschool children should be reserved for the winter months. The last thing you want is for your child to be inside playing video games when it’s nice and warm outside.