Pre-K parent post, Sept. 2006 (2nd edition)

THE PRE-K PARENT POST

Ready to learn...Ready for school Activities for Georgia's Pre-K children and families

Second Edition

"When I ask what happened at school today, my child doesn't say much. How can I get her to tell me more?"

Young children will often say more when asked specific "open-ended" questions. Open-ended questions require that the child give more than a "yes", "no", or just one word answers. Children often answer questions like "What happened at school today?" by saying "Nothing" or "I don't know." It is better to ask about specific activities, such as special books, songs, art projects, and particular classmates. "What song did you sing with Ms. Teresa today? Sing it for me!"
You can prompt your child by commenting on something you saw in the classroom. For example, "When I picked you up today, I noticed the beans had sprouted in the science center. Tell me about it." Children are more likely to talk with adults when we don't overly correct their mistakes. If your child says "the beans growed tall," you can repeat her idea and say, "Yes, the beans grew very tall."

You can encourage problem-solving discussions by asking "Why do you think . . ." or "What's another way you could have done that?" Let your child know that it is okay to talk about feelings, mad or sad, as well as the happy ones. Help her tell another child, "That made me mad when you pushed down my blocks." You can help her learn that talking about her feelings is a better way to work out problems than fighting.
On the ride home turn off the car radio and give your child your full attention. Tell her that this is your special time to talk together. In addition to talking about school, play talking games, such as "I'm thinking of a place . . ." or "What would happen if . . . (dinosaurs lived today)?" These games give good practice describing words and thinking through ideas. At home we can limit TV watching, which sometimes takes the place of conversation within the family. Following a few of these suggestions may help your child feel more comfortable talking to you and others.

FEATURED WEB LINK

www.healthyeatingforlife.org

This website is a nutrition and physical activity resource for parents, caregivers,

and child care development professionals of children between birth and five years old.

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If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
By Laura J. Numeroff
This hilarious story describes a demanding and mischievous mouse who, like many fouryear-olds, isn't quite ready for bedtime. This little guy will ask for anything and everything to stall for time! Each item requested by the wide-awake mouse relates to the next item, so it's exciting for children to predict what the mouse may need in the following pages! Look for this book, or a similar one, at your local public library.
Many different people play special roles in our children's lives. Take time to share this letter from the "Featured Friend" to help children understand the significance of different community roles.
FEATURED FRIEND
Teresa the Teacher!
Good Morning! I teach children just like you. Your parents are always asking me about what we do in school each day. I'll bet they ask you, too. Be sure to tell them about the books we read, the rhymes and finger-plays we chant, the art projects we construct, and the games we play outside. They like to know all about the fun ways we learn. Your teacher, Ms. Teresa
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ACTIVITIES

Young children love to play with small props such as figures that come from building block sets or kids' meals. Give your child a set of props from a favorite story and let her tell you the story or act it out using the props.
For example, take the story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". Gather three stuffed bears, shoe boxes with which to make some small beds, three bowls and three chairs. Your child has everything he needs. You will be amazed at what your child can tell you about a story when he has concrete objects.

Be sure to encourage your child's version of the story. It may be more imaginative than
the original. After children tell several stories that you are familiar with, they will begin to make up their own. Before long they will be ready to put on a show for the whole family.
Content Standard: Children will develop and expand expressive language skills.

one slice of bread

DINING

Toasted Quilt Squares

slice white cheese

slice yellow cheese

Place bread on a baking sheet. Tear the cheese or use a knife or cookie cutter to make shapes with the cheese. Make a design on the bread. Toast to melt the cheese. Cool and eat!
Content Standard: Children will develop a sense of space and understanding of basic geometric shapes.

MEANINGFUL MATH
Riding in the car can be an excellent time to talk with your child about the day and play games.
~Road signs, billboards, and license plates offer an array of letters, numbers and shapes to discover with your child.
~A cookie sheet makes a wonderful holder for magnetic letters and numbers. ~"I Spy" is a great tool for teaching your child shapes and numbers.
"I spy with my little eye, a red triangle" "I spy with my little eye, the number 5"
Content Standard: Children will begin to develop an understanding of numbers.
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A MINUTE FOR MANAGEMENT ON...
COMMUNICATION
One of the best ways to give your child confidence and develop healthy self-esteem is to use loving, encouraging, and positive words. A calm and gentle tone also helps diffuse an angry situation, making it more likely that you can work things out together. Harsh tones and loud voices tend to make angry situations worse.
TIPS TO TRY
Take time to explain things without overdoing it. Make your point as quickly and clearly as possible.
Be interested in their ideas and opinions. Children will become comfortable in expressing their thoughts to you, if you are a good listener.
Ask children questions that will have them describe, explain, or share ideas rather than those which require a simple "yes" or "no" answer.
Don't communicate from across the room. Get down on your child's eye level and talk in a calm, moderate voice.
INCLUSION CORNER
Facilitating Young Children's Communication: The term "communication" describes the many different ways that people relate ideas, feelings, and concepts. Spoken language is only one form of communication. Gestures, sign language, and written words are all other forms. Every child communicates whether it is with eye contact, pointing, or a five-word sentence. Children who have developmental delays or disabilities frequently need assistance to develop further communication skills. You should be concerned if by age five: a child has extreme difficulty answering questions, a child does not put endings on words, sentences seem unusual, the pitch of their voice is unusually high or low stuttering persists, or a child seems embarrassed by their speech.
Tips for working on language development are: Get on the child's level. Respond every time a child initiates communication with you. Use parallel talk Use short, simple phrases to describe what a child is doing. Use self talk Casually talk to yourself about what you are engaged in, such as "I am doing the dishes, look at how dirty they are." Reflection Listen to what the child says and repeat it back. Repeat exactly what the child said. Expanding Listen to a child's message and then repeat the word, phrase or sentence back in a more complex form. Use descriptive statements Contribute interesting information to the discussion.
Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning 10 Park Place South, Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30303 404-656-5957 or 1-888-4GA-PREK www.decal.state.ga.us
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