October

Get Ready for School

photo of childSkills to Practice this Month

Teach your child to follow spoken rules and directions. Upon entering kindergarten many children are able to sit for brief periods of time, about 15 minutes, and follow directions given out loud by a teacher.

Activities

Be sure to make time in your day with your child where you are sitting quietly for brief periods of time. Book sharing time or game playing time is a perfect way to sit quietly for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Listening and following directions are important skills they will need to learn in a group, follow along in a lesson, and understand the information being given. Talk about ways in which your child can be a good listener. Talk about the importance of school rules to keep your child safe and happy.

Help your child practice listening and following directions by playing “Follow the Leader” with your child. The first one to be the leader does a movement, a facial expression, or positions himself a certain way and everyone else copies the leader.

Play the “telephone” game with your child, your family, and friends. Everyone sits in a circle and one person whispers a word or phrase into the ear of the person sitting to her right. That person whispers it to the next person, and so on. The object of the game is for the last person to repeat the same word or phrase the first person said.

Get Ready to Read

Skills to Practice this Month

Place books and games everywhere in your home!

Put waterproof books and foam letters in the bathroom for bath time.

Help your child "write" a children's cookbook and put it in the kitchen for her to use when you cook dinner.

Put magnetic letters on the refrigerator door.

Be Healthy

Skills to Practice this Month

See that your child has opportunities for many different types of physical activity.

Upon entering kindergarten many children can run, jump, swing, and use balls.

Most 4 and 5 year olds can kick a ball, throw a ball, catch a ball, climb, stand on one foot for a short time, hop, and do a somersault. Some may be able to skip.

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