Kindergarten Skills Development: Month 4

Kindergarten Skills Development

Skills to Practice this Month

• Help your child to select and wear clothing appropriate for indoor climate and outdoor weather conditions. In order for your child to be the most comfortable while at school, he needs to dress appropriately. Making their own clothing choices will help children feel proud and foster a sense of independence. Make sure your child can recognize his own possessions: jacket, lunchbox, etc. Help him practice putting on and taking off a coat or jacket and tying his shoes.

Activities Further listings available at http://www.getSet4k.org

• Ask your child to name all the things she can do on her own. Make a list of these things together. Ask your child to name some of the things that she wants to be able to do by herself and how she will learn to do these things.

• Praise your child's independence. When your child dresses herself or puts on her own shoes and socks, praise her efforts. You'll encourage these behaviors and your child will want to try to do more.

• Make a growth chart that records your child's height growth. Use this chart to also record progress they are making and new skills she has learned.

• Talk about what the weather is like at different times of the year and the types of clothes people wear during the different seasons. Is it hot in December? Do we usually wear a coat and gloves in summer?

• Play a getting dressed game with your child. Let your child pick out what she would wear for many types of weather and talk about the appropriateness of her clothing choice.

• Punch 2 rows of 3 or 4 holes in a heavy piece of paper. Provide your child with yarn, ribbon, or shoelaces so that she can practice lacing and tying.

Books for Children Further listings available at http://www.getSet4k.org

• Growing Like Me by Anne Rockwell
• Centipede's 100 Shoes by Tony Ross
• Hello, Shoes! by Joan Blos
• Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
• Month by Month a Year Goes Round by Carol Diggory Shields

Books for Parents Further listings available at http://www.getSet4k.org

• The Giant Encyclopedia of Kindergarten Activities: Over 600 Activities Created by Teachers for Teachers edited by Kathy Charner, Maureen Murphy, and Jennifer Ford

• The Complete Book of Activities, Games, Stories, Props, Recipes, and Dances for Young Children by Pam Schiller and Jackie Silberg

Getting Ready to Read

Skills to Practice this Month

• Take your child to a variety of places such as the library, the park, the grocery store, the post office, etc. Having a variety of experiences will stimulate your child intellectually. Vocabulary is learned through conversations and experiences as you talk with your child about what is happening in the world around you. Visiting a variety of places allows your child to see that print is everywhere. Visiting your library will encourage children to enjoy books and children who enjoy books want to learn to read.

Health and Wellness

Skills to Practice this Month

• See that your child has had a current dental health examination. It is important that children receive dental health check-ups regularly.

More information available at www.getSet4k.org