In November 2014, I wrote about how you can help your babies and toddlers be school ready.
Janice Beesley, who is a retired daycare supervisor, preschool teacher and kindergarten teacher, helped me with this project.
We now want to take a look at preschoolers. Today we'll talk in general about that age group and next week we will talk about finding and enrolling your child in a preschool.
One of the big changes with three-year-olds is that they have moved beyond parallel play to co-operative play. They need guidance when it comes to taking turns and sharing but are ready for this learning.They are more able to sit and listen to stories in a group setting. They have developed enough language to engage in small discussions and share their ideas. They begin to focus their attention for longer periods of time and stay at a specific activity. The two-year-old flits every few seconds, the three-year-old can concentrate and get satisfaction from completing a task, e.g. a puzzle, a construction toy, painting a picture.
This is a great time to sit down with your child and put together a puzzle or build a tower. Let them guide the activity, but they will love having you with them. While you're playing, engage them in a conversation about what you are doing and what you will do next.
Preschool and daycare offers opportunities for them to learn social skills and we will talk about that more next week.
Kids are learning more about numbers and beginning to learn the upper case letters of the alphabet and the letters in their name. So magnetic numbers and letters are a great toy. They can organize and sort them on the fridge and learn not only how to count and recite the alphabet but how to match the spoken number or letter with the written one.
Appropriate use of markers, paintbrushes, chalk and pencils will help develop fine motor skills needed for future writing.
Outdoor experiences are still very important to provide background knowledge needed for future learning. Outings on public transport, the park, farm, aquarium, beach and forest all help develop language specific to the activity.
No matter where you are going or what you are doing, talk about it and if you have books that match the activity this is the time to read them. After we visit the aquarium with our grandchildren we like to then read the Baby Beluga book and listen to the CD. It allows them to learn that there are many ways to have a new experience.
It's also time to encourage them to dress themselves. Try to buy clothing that is easy to put on so they can successfully get themselves at least partially dressed in the morning.
Four-year-old children are fun, exasperating and challenging. I always say that they are like two year olds with language. Because they love language, this is the time to introduce a variety of books and stories. Silly rhymes are popular as is children's poetry. They love the words and the rhythm of these books and stories. Four-year-olds will begin to have the basic tools to resolve minor conflicts but will often still need adult assistance to model the appropriate language when they get into difficulties.
The four-year-old can focus attention for longer periods of time and is able to listen attentively to a short story. They should be able to participate in singing songs using actions and recite many nursery rhymes. They should know all the basic colours and shapes, numbers to at least four, the letters in their name and many of the upper case and, if possible, some lower case letters of the alphabet. They should be able to write some letters of their first name and should have a good basic pencil grip.
If they don't already have some responsibilities for chores it is time to start. They can help put away groceries (cereal boxes on low shelves), put clothing in the hamper and help sort the socks when they come out of the dryer. They can pick up toys and take their empty plate to the kitchen. And they love to help cook. Preschoolers can tear lettuce for a salad or mix the dry ingredients for a cake.
The four-year-old should be able to put on a coat unaided and fasten it with a little help. They should be able to put on and take off their shoes, wash hands and go to the toilet themselves. They can roll, catch and bounce a ball, climb stairs, jump and run. They should be able to communicate their needs using appropriate language and have few temper tantrums. This child is ready to be successful in kindergarten.
Kathy Lynn is a professional speaker and author of Vive la Difference, Who's In Charge Anyway? and But Nobody Told Me I'd Ever Have to Leave Home. If you want to read more, sign up for her informational newsletter at parentingtoday.ca.
