Now that your child is in kindergarten, there are new ways you can help them learn. Try these activities, then visit your library to check out a book about it. Click here to print this list.
We are learning Mathematics Thinking and Expression
Do it!
Get different sizes of bowls, spoons, pillow, toys, cups, plates, shoes, etc. Help your kindergartner sort them by small, medium and large. You can also trace the objects being sorted on separate pieces of paper. To use the tracings as a matching activity, place the pictures in the correct order and then have your kindergartner match the items. To use as a self-check activity, let your kindergartner sort the objects and then put the pictures in the correct sequence in front of the objects to see if they match.
Talk to your kindergartner as you manipulate the objects using a variety of vocabulary. Including synonyms for small and large, like tall or short. Introduce the sign for those vocabulary words. Include their favorite toys to increase their desire to participate. Make sure the objects are easy enough for your child to manipulate. Increase fine motor success by using objects that have handles and are easy to grasp.
Read it!
Five Creatures by Emily Jenkins. Sort it Out! by Barbara Mariconda.
We are learning Scientific Thinking and Technology
Do it!
Find the Arctic or Antarctic on a map or globe. Find Pennsylvania and then talk about how far away we are from those cold places and what their weather is like. Try to find a 3D globe for your child to touch the continents, mountain ranges and oceans. Show your child the name in print of the places you are exploring. Look for pictures of what it is like in Arctic or Antarctic. Go outside and take pictures of Pennsylvania, then compare the pictures. Allow your kindergartner to touch an ice cube or feel the steam over a cup of tea to give a tactile experience of the weather.
Read it!
Snow Bears by Martin Waddel. Polar Bears by Gail Gibbons.
We are learning Scientific Thinking and Technology
Do it!
Talk with your kindergartner about textures. Find pictures or items around your house that are smooth, rough, slippery and bumpy. Ask your kindergartner to find objects that are the same texture. Make a feel box from a tissue box or baby wipe container. Gather items from your home that are identical in texture. Place one item from each pair in the box. Keep those which match in a bag. Have your kindergartner choose an item from the bag and then, without looking, have them try to find a matching item in the box.
This activity can increase your child's communication skills. Use many descriptive words to explain what they are feeling when they touch the textures. Introduce the sign for smooth, rough, slippery and bumpy as you speak the words. You can try a similar activity at meal time. For example, smooth yogurt, crunchy carrot, and rough cereal.
Read it!
Spiky, Slimy, Smooth: What Is Texture? by Jane Brocket. The Trouble With Cauliflower by Jane Sutton.
We are learning Social-Emotional Development
Do it!
Make a gingerbread person that is like each person in your family. Talk with your kindergartner about how they are different and how they are the same. Expand their vocabulary by using descriptive words to describe each member of the family. Gingerbread people can be made out of clay, play dough, or paper. Share the descriptive words in sign to help increase your child's communication.
Read it!
The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst. Snipp, Snapp, Snurr and the Gingerbread by Maj Lindman.
