Parents and caregivers often ask what young children need to know before kindergarten; this is the 16th in a series of blog posts on kindergarten readiness and early learning basics. No matter the age of your little one, this will give you a general picture of what to do as your child’s very first teacher.
Just in case a reminder is needed, kindergarten readiness includes much, much more than academics–please see the 15 previous posts in this series! I’m almost hesitant to open up this discussion, but hopefully the point has been made that PLAY, social skills, emotional comfort, confidence and independence are all major parts of the readiness package. Academics are not the priority; development is.
Learning some basic academics, such as letters, can happen along with other ordinary activities. Names are one obvious place. Show your child the letters in his/her name and tell what they are. When shopping, you may see some of the letters that are in your child’s name and point them out.
Reading books several times a week will help your child build some beginning knowledge of what letters look like. You can occasionally talk about the letters with your child, or ask your child to find a particular letter on a page. As you are traveling or running errands, point out big letters on signs or ads. Look for them on toys. Let your child play with them on the fridge or floor.
At the table, drizzle ketchup or syrup in a letter shape. When your child plays with playdough, roll out a few different letters. If your child is playing with sidewalk chalk, draw some to walk around. This incidental learning will accumulate and your child will begin to recognize a few letters independently. This familiarity with letters will help your child feel comfortable when letters are introduced at school.
What other activities can you think for some letter fun and learning with your child?