Kindergarten Readiness

Readiness for Kindergarten – Easter Fun and Learning

Today’s blog post is going to give some answers to the question “How can celebrating and having fun at Easter time support readiness for kindergarten?” At kindergarten, kids are part of a social group so learning and practicing social skills before they arrive really helps for kindergarten readiness.

One set of skills involves learning how to wait. Kids have been seeing lots of reminders that Easter is coming but they still have to wait for the day to arrive before they go on an Easter egg hunt. Another important lesson is learning to share. This doesn’t mean they have to share the ears of their chocolate bunny with an older sister who doesn’t get a basket anymore (!!) but there will be other sharing opportunities. Celebrating together with family and friends helps children learn how to be part of a group: greeting each other, having a conversation, exchanging ideas, and more. Even putting on special clothes signals to children that there is something different happening from the ordinary. That, too, is an opportunity for learning as children figure out the signs
and the clues for special situations. These are only a few, there’s more to learn.

Do you agree that Easter has a basket full of learning for kids?

Readiness for Kindergarten – Easter Kids’ Art

Around the age of 2, kids start making lines on paper. At least, we hope it’s on paper. As children develop, these lines become less random and more directed. Already at 3 or 4, some children are very interested and talented when it comes to paper and crayon activities. But all children need some time to explore and create with color tools, not just for kindergarten readiness, but as part of their own self-expression. Feelings of accomplishment and pride in their work are part of the process, too.

Just about any piece of paper can be used. Grown-ups can cut an egg-shape and kids can add the color.  Easter eggs are all different so children can decorate the page to their own developmental level. While some children may need the big, fat crayons others may be able to  use smaller, thinner ones or even pencil crayons. For variety, try felts or paints with some extra protection for the tabletop. A couple drops of food coloring and a q-tip can be used, too. Or bingo dabbers. These eggs make great decorations or can be popped into an envelope and mailed to family and friends.

Wouldn’t it be fascinating to see what Picasso or Van Gogh were creating at the age of 2 or 3 or 4? Better hang on to your child’s art work! After all, you never know.

Readiness for Kindergarten – Easter Kids’ Books

 A quick look in just about any store will show an amazing number of books about Easter. I was astonished at how many have been published already in 2011. A book tucked in an Easter basket is a special treat and helps little ones with kindergarten readiness. The 3 I’ve highlighted below can build on a variety of different skills, are not limited to Easter, cover hearing, seeing and touching, appeal to several age levels and can be used for a field trip! 

Pat the Bunny was first published in 1940 but it is such a classic. The touching and feeling of the different textures encourages children to interact with the story. Because children are involved seeing, hearing and touching, it is an especially good choice to help capture and extend attention.

Pauline the hen, in The Easter Egg Farm, lays eggs that look like what she has just seen: the fence, the sky, a bug, a butterfly and more. For more inspiration, Pauline goes to a museum. Going to a museum just like Pauline can be fun, and kids can look at colors, patterns, shapes and things they might want to put on their eggs when they decorate.

An Egg is Quiet has a science aspect and talks about all kinds of animals that lay eggs. There are brightly-colored illustrations of many eggs. Providing books that are information-based helps balance all the ‘once upon a time’ books.  

Reading and sharing books with children is one of the most valuable readiness for kindergarten activities at any time of the year. Happy Reading. Do you remember any Easter favorites? What ones have you found that your children enjoy?

Readiness for Kindergarten – Easter Kids’ Songs

Singing is a wonderful activity to encourage kindergarten readiness. Children learn vocabulary and rhythm. Music is a kind of parallel to math as it is based on spacing and sequencing, too. Singing promotes listening and auditory skills, to name just a few. To help your child with readiness for kindergarten, sing along! And to make sure … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Easter Kids’ Songs

Readiness for Kindergarten – Easter Chocolate No-Heat Fondue

Chocolate is a special Easter treat. In today’s blog, I’m going to share an idea that uses chocolate as a fun, learning activity that encourages kindergarten readiness skills. And it gets kids to eat fruit! Kids get to choose fruits to use: apples, bananas, strawberries, oranges, peaches, mango, etc. While the grown-ups need to peel … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Easter Chocolate No-Heat Fondue

Readiness for Kindergarten – What rhymes with bunny?

Funny, but I think it’s been a few weeks since I mentioned rhyming. Rhyming is such a critical skill that it can be used to predict children’s reading success. While the reason isn’t obvious, being able to rhyme shows that children can divide words up into their sound bits and then recombine them to make new words. This … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – What rhymes with bunny?

Readiness for Kindergarten – Easter Patterns

An important early childhood development and kindergarten readiness skill is that of patterning. Patterning is being able to pick out a regular and repeating sequence. Our own bodies are based on a repeating pattern–DNA. Language, math, and music all have regular patterns, too. Children need lots of experiences with patterns to learn this skill. Easter has … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Easter Patterns

Readiness for Kindergarten – Easter Bunny Hop

Easter bunnies don’t only have to hop. For some Easter fun, kids can try different ways to move. (Doing this along with the kids is great exercise for adults, too. ) Start with a hop on 2 feet. Next, try a hop on 1 foot and then the other. The Easter bunny may need to jump. Jump on … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Easter Bunny Hop

Readiness for Kindergarten – Every Bunny Counts

With Easter coming up, use a few Eastery items for some learning fun. If they are in short supply at your house or care center, you can use the idea with any other materials. Number sense develops gradually, building on all kinds of experiences. Counting is the first strategy that develops and is part of … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Every Bunny Counts