Kindergarten Readiness – Happy Thanksgiving/Columbus Day Pie

Happy Thanksgiving – if you are from the northern part of the continent where fall is much shorter. Happy Columbus Day if you are farther south. Pumpkin pie is a tradition for the season no matter your location.

Speaking of pie…I just discovered this terrific story called Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie by Jill Esbaum. A National Geographic kids’ book, the photos are superb and show the stages of growth. Sequencing is a complex thinking skill and more than just kindergarten readiness. Figuring out what comes first is not always obvious plus order can involve several steps or stages. Time makes things even more complicated.

To help your little one with sequencing, if possible, have your child assist with making the pie or getting it ready to serve. What do you do first? Then what comes? If your pie is from the store, that’s the first step. Something follows after that before eating. Can you guess what might come next? Readiness for kindergarten baked in a pumpkin pie. How do you like yours?

Readiness for Kindergarten – Pumpkin Patch

Q. What did the pumpkin need for his boo-boo? Q. A pumpkin patch.

For most families Saturdays have a different feel than the other days of the week. They often have time to squeeze in a special event or activity. Given the season, what could be more fun than visiting a pumpkin patch?

Children are curious and adventurous and a pumpkin patch is an exciting place to explore. It’s also a great location for some readiness for kindergarten learning. Just think of all the language stimulation as the kids talk and discover. They will have lots of questions to ask and things to say. Their observation skills get plenty of exercise with so much to see. Walking, running, and carrying are great exercise for growing bodies. Some basic science concepts are that plants grow; dirt is needed for growing; and pumpkins look mostly the same but are different sizes. Pumpkins are not always orange, some have green patches, too. Fingers feel smooth parts, bumps, and rough stems.The best part is choosing a pumpkin to take home. How does your child choose a pumpkin? What’s important to children sometimes gives clues to their feelings.

This is just a small part of all the ways that a pumpkin patch visit can enhance kindergarten readiness. If there isn’t one near you, you may be able to take a trip in a book. What are your memories of going to a pumpkin patch?

Readiness for Kindergarten – How Big is This Big Pumpkin?

Pumpkins can be used for all kinds of readiness for kindergarten learning: colors, shapes, counting, and sizes. Did you know that calling something little or big involves a great deal of thinking?  Not only does a child need to learn some words such as big, little, small, large, etc, but then has to learn how to use them correctly. Next, a child needs to hold one item in hand or in mind and then compare a second item to the first. Plus, that answer can change, such as a baby blanket can be big compared to a washcloth or small another time compared to a quilt. As with so many other concepts lots and lots of experiences are needed as children develop their understanding of sizes. Doing this regularly with all kinds of objects will also help with kindergarten readiness.

Pumpkins come in all different sizes and many communities have a contest for the largest one in town. This time of year they are perfect for talking about sizes. What other words can you and your child use for this very, very, very big pumpkin?

Readiness for Kindergarten – Once upon a pumpkin…

Parents and caregivers of young children often forget, or even avoid, traditional fairy tales. After all, these stories are politically incorrect and have stereotypes and violence. As a new ‘enlightened’ teacher, when an older professor suggested using them as a teaching tool, I scoffed at this idea from the Dark Ages. How can fairy tales help … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Once upon a pumpkin…

Kindergarten Readiness – 1 li’l, 2 li’l, 3 li’l pumpkins…

This morning, from the window of the bus, I got to see lots of pumpkin decorations in store displays. While there were other things for fall and Halloween, I tried to pick out only the big, round orange flashes. I was so busy looking that I almost missed my stop. It gave me an idea for this … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – 1 li’l, 2 li’l, 3 li’l pumpkins…

Readiness for Kindergarten – Pumpkins and Puzzles

Pumpkins start with the letter “p”. So do puzzles. Puzzles are a terrific tool for several kindergarten readiness learning skills. Children learn to match the shapes of the pieces to the places where they fit and to look at the pictures and check where they go. Fine motor coordination is needed as kids manipulate and … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Pumpkins and Puzzles

Kindergarten Readiness-1 Little 2 Little 3 Little Backpacks

How about more than 100 backpacks? My friend, Adrianna Reo, has a mission to raise funds in order to donate backpacks filled with school supplies to homeless kids. She wants needy kids to feel as empowered as the others at school and writes that the impact is so powerful that it is enough to motivate … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness-1 Little 2 Little 3 Little Backpacks

Readiness for Kindergarten – Backpack Guess & Learn

For almost the whole month, blog posts have been all about backpacks and various readiness for kindergarten learning activities. Can you guess what this one is about? It’s about just that…guessing. Round up a few small objects that are familiar to your child and a backpack. If your munchkin is still quite young you may choose to … Continue reading Readiness for Kindergarten – Backpack Guess & Learn