Post 28
Spring is here….finally…in the Northeast! With it comes the warm weather, no jackets, shorts, soccer, baseball, dance recitals, and the urge to throw away all of those routines and be free!!! Don’t do it…throw away the routines, that is. You’ve worked too hard to establish them and, believe it or not, your child needs and wants them. They help to define what is safe and expected in your child’s life. Consistency is key to good school habits. Establishing them and sticking to them will ultimately help your child throughout his/her school career.
In school, teachers are in the same boat. It’s so tempting to gloss over lessons and do “fun” things in Kindergarten. But by keeping to expected routines, the children will keep learning. And this is the time of year that it all comes together and the class makes jumps academically that are so exciting. Routines also give the structure that five (and almost six 🙂 ) year olds crave, whether or not they realize it.
That being said, there is no reason not to embellish those routines with “Springlike” things. For instance, in school, I often try to design lessons that can end up outdoors. An example is one that involves Math, Art, and an insect theme. After studying the characteristics of insects, the children make and cut out lady bugs that are based on a triangle shape and designed to fly like a plane (Art, Math). They then make predictions on how far they think their planes will fly when tested and measure that distance (Math). Finally, the best part, we go outside and test fly the ladybugs. The class records how far each ladybug “flew” and compares that to the predictions made. Adjustments can be made to the original ladybug design and flights tried again. The point is a measurement lesson is tied into an Art lesson which takes place outside where the children really want to be at this time of year. The established routine of Math at a certain time is kept but adjusted for the time of year.
You can do the same thing at home. Hopefully, your child does his/her homework after a snack right when he/she comes home from school. Why not do it at a table outside? The same idea can be applied to those books you are reading with your child. Reading them outside together on a blanket in the grass makes reading time even more special. The point is, continue whatever routines you are into but adapt them for the season.
It’s a wonderful time of year. Enjoy it with your little one as he/she continues to grow towards being a First Grader!
Take Care. 🙂
Any ideas for topics you’d like covered? Please post in the comments below and I’ll be sure to write a future blog about it.
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