In my last blog post, I talked about how events in Japan remind us that we share the world. Over the weekend, several times I thought to myself that it really is a small world. The owner of our favorite restaurant has 2 sons. The younger one left Friday morning for a 2 week student exchange to Japan. The area where my parents live in Canada had been an evacuation center for Japanese families during the war and many of them stayed and settled there. Some of their neighbors have friends and relatives in Japan. There were other examples of connections, too. As I tried to put my thoughts in order for the blog, I realized that connections is another key, just like preparation and science.
Learning is all about making connections. For little ones, we can sometimes practically see their brains figuring things out. “If I stretch I can reach that kitty’s tail, ” or “My truck stops in the sand but not in the grass.” Even as adults, we learn new material when the dots all connect. To promote kindergarten readiness today help your child make connections. For example, when reading a book you may find something that happens in the story that’s like something happening in your home or care center. Needing a coat or hat is connected to the weather. The hand bone’s connected to the arm bone. The toaster doesn’t work unless the plug is connected to the electricity. Making connections is a key strategy for learning and for life. What connections will you and your little one make today?