Holiday Prep

Post 15

Ok. So now we are officially in “the holidays”. After Thanksgiving, things really ramp up! If you think your child is excited at home, consider a whole class of five year olds who can’t wait for Christmas, Hanukkah, and/or Kwanzaa! But it is really one of the most magical times in Kindergarten…so much fun!

While I know there is a lot going on, academics don’t need to go out the window.There are a number of things you can do with your child that don’t involve a whole lot of effort on your part, tie into the season, AND stress what your child is learning right now, letters, letter sounds and numbers.

For example:

1. If you are sending holiday cards, let your child do a few. Have him/her sign his/her name and mail it to grandma, grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins, anyone who will appreciate it. Your child might also include a holiday picture for the lucky recipient’s refrigerator.
2. Almost everyone writes a letter/list for Santa. Let you child do it with your help. Stretch out the beginning letter sounds of the words and help your him/her with the rest of the letters. This can be done over a few sessions. It doesn’t need to be completed all at once…..then it becomes a chore. **A word of caution here. Most schools believe that “children become writers by writing” so encourage your Kindergartener to just get something down. Don’t stress that the words have to be spelled correctly or that the letters have to be formed perfectly. That will come later in the year. (You can always write in cursive what it is meant to say so that Grandma can understand it.)
3. Help your child socially by suggesting it would be nice to first ask how Santa and the reindeer are doing and THEN to ask for toys.
4. Help your child number that list. This is a great way to practice saying and writing the numbers in the correct order.
5. Play the dreidel game and have your child learn to tally by making marks on a paper for each symbol as it comes up. Make 4 vertical marks and then 1 across them for each group of 5.
6. List Santa’s reindeer and have your child write the first letter of each as a capital letter.
7. Help your child draw a menorah and number each of the candles.
8. Read holiday books with your little one!

This list can go on and on. The idea is to include your child in some of the activities going on at home and still keep up his/her schoolwork. He/she is going to be worked up over the next month anyway, so let’s put some of that enthusiasm to good use! And, remember, this really is a special time so enjoy it with your child. Have fun!

Take Care.  🙂

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Thanksgiving

Post 14

Thanksgiving parties are one of the first real celebrations that occur in Kindergarten. Whether they are full blown turkey dinners or something less involved Thanksgiving is traditionally the first holiday with history that your child will learn about. It’s gotten harder for schools to teach about it though, especially in Kindergarten. To be totally correct factually would be a bit overwhelming for five year olds so I always give them a version of the first Thanksgiving that emphasizes sharing and saying thank you. After all, that’s a major part of their social curriculum so it makes sense. Try to find out the slant your child’s teacher is using and supplement it at home.

As we are coming into this season of thankfulness, remember to be thankful for your child’s teacher! 🙂 We really do care about the students in our class! One of the highlights that have happened to me recently is when I was told that a parent from last year’s class has finally made a decision, a hard one, that will help his child have better self esteem and academic success. We discussed it all last Spring. He was very reluctant for understandable reasons. He chose an academic path that I felt would be overwhelming for his child. We agreed to give it a try. It was too overpowering and he has decided to follow the first suggestion. I was literally dancing around the room when I heard that. Most teachers call their students “my kids” for good reason. For those eight hours a day, ten months of the year, they are our kids. We worry about them, applaud their triumphs, try to encourage them when they don’t succeed, attempt to challenge them academically, and help them learn to share, be kind, and learn all things socially that will make them good ” citizens” of the world. We take our kids home in our thoughts and are always planning how to make Kindergarten better for each specific. (Our actual families can probably list our students by name from hearing so much about them!) Of course, they are yours, lol, but Kindergarten is truly a partnership between parents and teacher.

Have a lovely holiday!

Take Care.  🙂

Parent Teacher Conferences

Post 13

Right about now lots of schools are gearing up (or will soon be) for their first round of Parent Teacher Conferences. These are different from report cards which may or may not go out at the same time. We will cover report cards in a later post so, for now, let’s concentrate on the conference.

Your conference with your child’s teacher will probably have a scheduled time. Try to get there a few minutes early. Most are scheduled pretty tightly and have a set amount of minutes. Teachers try to keep to their schedule to make sure they get to meet with everyone. Balance that with trying to address any problems that arise and you can see why being there on time is important.

Unless you are told to do so, if possible, don’t bring your child. If you must bring him/her, which happens, have something your child can be occupied with while you speak to the teacher. Five year olds totally understand when they are being discussed. It’s hard for the teacher (and you) to be candid when little ears are listening!

Your child’s teacher will probably have a format he/she is following. He/she knows how your child is acting from his/her side of the desk and will probably want to know what your impression is of your child’s adjustment to Kindergarten. Social and academic progress will also be discussed. Then there should be a chance for you to bring up any concerns you have that are specific to your child. A note here…..if you find that there is not enough time to satisfactorily spend on this, set up a time that you can meet with your child’s teacher to further discuss what  is bothering you/your child. No teacher minds this. It gives him/her time to zero in on your child without feeling pressured by the thought of other parents waiting outside the door.

Other than that, write down any questions you may have beforehand so you don’t forget to ask them. Be open to the teacher’s suggestions and really listen to what he/she has to say about your child .(Also, a thank you or follow up note the next day is always appreciated but is not necessary.)

Relax. This is a great way to get to know the person your child spends most of his/her day with. Teachers feel the same way. It’s a perfect way for them to get to know where each student is coming from. Remember you are both there for the same reason…..to help your child have the best Kindergarten experience possible! It really is a partnership.  🙂

Take Care.  🙂

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Bullying

Post 12

Bullying seems to be a very popular word these days. As we all know, it can take many forms. But in Kindergarten I think we should be careful before labeling an action as bullying. Sometimes adult emotions are attributed to five year olds. And, quite often, that’s just not the case. Children can say and do things that seem mean but they have no idea that is so. Everything from saying, “You can’t come to my birthday party” to hitting another child. Initially there seems to be no good reason for either. And, of course, as adults, we must correct them right away. But upon looking deeper there is often what seems to the child a good reason for doing either. For example, another student may have used the “s” word (usually “stupid”…..not what you’d think!) and the worst thing your child could think of to retaliate was the birthday party quote! Or being hit can be an accident…….your child and another moved quickly and banged into each other. But a five year old will say someone “hit” him/her because it is true. That did happen but not on purpose. Most Kindergarten children are very much on the surface with their emotions and don’t tend to be as devious as adults.

Of course, if it’s your child who has been hurt by words or actions it’s very hard to try to understand the reasons for it. Definitely talk to your child and try to find out what went on immediately beforehand. Let your child’s teacher know and see what he/she can find out. Most times it’s an innocent reason. The children are friends and have forgotten about it long before adults could.

If your child is the offender help him/her learn strategies for situations. A five year old can often feel overwhelmed and strike out with words or hands without thinking. Practice what to say when someone annoys him/her. Your child can also learn to just walk away when a situation is too much to handle. Remind your Kindergartener that “hands are for helping and hugging not hitting.” Having concrete examples of what to do will go a long way to defusing possible bullying situations.

Let’s try to remember they are only five. 🙂

Take Care.

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