By: Frances Traughber, Kindergarten Teacher
Children grow and change so much during their kindergarten year. They have made new friends, worked with a partner, solved group problems, and shed a few tears (and probably some teeth too!). They have learned many new words to expand their vocabularies. They can add and subtract, count by ones, tens, and fives all the way to 100! They’ve learned more than could possibly be listed here.
What can you do to help your child retain all this knowledge and stay ready for first grade? Here are a few suggestions for ways to keep your child’s mind engaged without playing school.
- Send your child to a camp this summer. We are offering many fun and educational camps that will provide your child with enriching activities plus social time with other children.
- Communicate with your child. Language development has taken off this year and you can continue this growth by having conversations with your child. When cooking dinner, working in the yard, or taking a day trip explain to your child what you are doing and why.
- Continue reading aloud. Even though your child is beginning to read themselves, they still need to hear a fluent reader. If they want to read, share by reading alternate pages or let them say the words they know.
- Talk about whether the story is real, fiction, or fantasy. Discuss characters and the sequence of events in the story. Talk about ways the story could have ended differently.
- Allow your child to be in the kitchen with you. Measuring, stirring, watching how a mixture changes as things are added. Count the chocolate chips, marshmallows, etc. being added to the mix. Cooking is fun, educational opportunity for your child.
- Educational apps and videos make learning fun. Homer Reading App, Moose App, Draw and Tell, and Kids Academy are just a few. We love Jack Hartmann videos for review.
These are just a few ways to enjoy the time you have with your child and retain and build on what they have learned in kindergarten.