Learning to Write Letters {Pre-K}

So, I LOVE finding worksheets to keep my 3-year old's mind ever expanding but I HATE wasting paper. So, here is a quick and simple way to accomplish both.

1. Buy plastic page protector sheets
2. Print out your worksheets. I go to a few websites but this is one I prefer: The Learning Station. They also have shapes, colors and number worksheets that work great with this method as well.
3. Place your copies into the sheet protectors. I place 2 sheets back-to-back per sheet. You can also just do a double-sided sheet of paper.
4. Place into a binder or folder.
5. Give your budding student a dry eraser marker and something to wipe the sheet clean. *TIP: keep window or dry eraser board cleaner handy. Red leaves residue but a quick sprits and wipe down and it's clean.
6. Watch your child go!

I also help my son go through the sounds of each letter so he can start associating the letter with the sounds. This is a great phonics activity. Here are some other things you can do in order to assist your child in learning to read:

• Pick 5 items from your home and put them in a bag. Ask your child to pick one item at a time and tell you what sound the item starts with.
• Write a single letter on several index cards and place them on items that start with that letter and scatter them in different locations around the house. Have your child hunt for the items and bring them to you. You can then ask them to tell you the sound based on the item.
• Read "Early Reader" books to your child. These can be found at any public library.
• Go to story time. It gives you a chance to get out of the house and interact with your child in a different environment.
• Eat snacks that only start with the letter you're trying to teach. (A - apples and ants on a log; C- carrots and crackers; Z- zucchini bread; etc).
• Go to the zoo, aquarium or animal sanctuary and talk about what the first sound is of each animal.

The key to teaching anyone how to read is consistency in whatever it is you decide to do and ENJOY doing it. If you or your child are not enjoying it, change the activity or the method of teaching. Learning should be organic at this stage. It doesn't need to be a formal "sit and teach" atmosphere. Allow your child to talk and direct the learning with a little help from you. Assist them in exploring their world and seeing what amazing things there are out there. Learning to read expands that world!

Happy Motherhood!

DeeDee

Dinnertime Friendship

I did an activity that my family does around the dinner table now. It helps get our conversation going and allows us to get to know each other better. Totally simple and inexpensive to do.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• An empty can from your pantry, which you probably already opened to get dinner ready
• Popsicle sticks. I bought these thick colorful ones because I have small children and the colors attract their attention. I'm sure they work for everyone no matter the age. 
• At the end of each stick, I wrote a question. Each person can choose a question to answer or you can apply it to everyone around the table.

ABOUT FAMILY DINNER TIME:
According to Purdue University's Center for Families, family meals spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S.

Smarter Children
Unlikely to Smoke, Drink or Do Drugs
Courteous and Conversational
Connected to Family
Eating Better
Sharing Food and Conversation at Meals
Strengthens Families

The reason why I use family dinnertime? I use this quote from the NY Times as a thought:

"Given that eating is universal and routine, family meals offer a natural opportunity for parental influence: there are few other contexts in family life that provide a regular window of focused time together. 

But our findings suggest that the effects of family dinners on children depend on the extent to which parents use the time to engage with their children and learn about their day-to-day lives. So if you aren’t able to make the family meal happen on a regular basis, don’t beat yourself up: just find another way to connect with your kids." {I love this last section. We're not perfect. Getting to know our children should be fun and not misery. If dinner time is not your thing, find something that is. Spending quality, unadulterated time with your children, is what matters.}

FAMILY DINNER STRUGGLES?
If family meal time is a struggle, Here are some suggestions from Cornell University's College of Human Ecology. I think these make sense to all parents but thought I should back up these suggestions with a name we probably all know and trust as an expert.

1. Set a goal to have regular family meals at least 3 times per week, if possible. Even if that means snacks in the car between half-times.
2. Be consistent.
3. Remember, quality is just as important as quantity. Focus on each other while you eat. PUT THOSE ELECTRONIC DEVICES AWAY. Get off the grid for a little while and reconnect as humans.

Happy Motherhood!
DeeDee