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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Parting with your child - First few days at Preschool

First day at preschool is a testing time for child and parent too.While it is an exciting time, it can also be quite stressful for both the child and the parents, so removing first day jitters is a number one priority. It is quite normal that your child will cry for first few days (it can range from 1day to 1month :( )

More than anything else, your own attitude can help your child to overcome her/his fear. Your confidence will increase your child's confidence. Your cheerfulness will help reduce her/his tears. Your fearlessness will help her/his let go of her/his own fears. Your encouragement will heighten her/his sense of competence.

Some tips to parents to prepare your child

-- Make sure visit the school before school starts with your child

-- Meet the class teacher before school starts


-- Shop together to obtain school supplies. A big part of the fun is getting school supplies and this should be a shared experience. Following the supplies list given to you by your school, within the boundaries it gives you can allow your child to select his or her own favorite items to take to school.

-- Let your child know how much you love her/him and will miss her/him while you're away. When you return, praise your child's courage. Tell her/him how proud you are of her/him, how brave she/he was, and again how much you love her/him.

-- Make sure that your first few outings apart from your child are short ones (no more than an hour). This will give your toddler a chance to get used to the idea that you can go away and come back relatively quickly. As your toddler gets more used to the idea—if not more comfortable with it—you can gradually increase the time you stay away


-- Obtain a class schedule. This will allow you to discuss the day's activities with your child in advance. Try and link this with the things that you do everyday so that the child begins to see the connection between daily schedules of things to do and routine that all of us practice.

-- Be supportive but also learn to let go. On the first day, give plenty of hugs and reassurance but also be balanced and let go. If you have done a good job beforehand of emphasizing all the positives of attending school and you have involved your child in all the preparations, this should be an exciting and fun opportunity for your child and he or she should feel more willing to attend. Tell your child you'll be waiting for her or him at day's end and be sure to be on time!

Parents Guide to Early Literacy Program

A child's ability to read and write begins to develop long before entering Kindergarten. Infancy through age eight is the most important time in a child's literacy development as they learn and develop the skills needed to be successful in school and later in life.
Most children learn to read at around age six or seven, some children learn to read at age five, and a few at age four. In order for children to develop healthy dispositions toward reading and literacy, experiences in the early years must engage children actively in the process of learning.


Early Literacy is what children know about reading and writing before they actually read and write.
Research shows that children arriving at school with the following early literacy skills are more likely to be successful in learning to read and write.

Vocabulary Development -- Knowing the names of things
Narrative Skills -- Being able to describe things, events, and tell stories
Letter Knowledge -- Understanding that each letter is unique and has a name and sound
Print Awareness -- Experience with different forms of print; knowledge of how to handle books and how to follow words across a page
Print Motivation -- Interest in and enjoyment from books
Phonological Awareness -- Ability to hear and play with the small sounds that make up words



What You Can Do at Home

Family members play a fundamental role in helping their children develop early literacy skills. You are your child's first teacher. Every time you interact with your child, he or she learns about communicating, listening, and working with others. Make the most of everyday moments by talking to your child about what is happening (narrate the experience) and asking open-ended questions.
Families do things together and children learn best by doing things.

Show your child that reading is a year-round activity by making reading fun and interesting. Let your child see you read. If your child views reading as a pleasant and relaxed activity, chances are he or she will be eager to read on his or her own.

See our suggestions for what you can do at home with your child:

Children at age 2-4 are in an exciting stage of language development. They repeat and imitate what others say, understand more when spoken to, and begin to put words together into short phrases. Vocabulary development and comprehension are most important at this stage.
Help your child learn language in a meaningful context by talking to her about what she is doing.
Acknowledge your child's use of language by repeating the words and phrases he says.
Help your child learn how to build on language she knows by expanding her words into phrases and sentences.
Help your child learn the names of things by labeling objects in his environment.
Help develop your child's vocabulary by reading a wide variety of books together.
Encourage your child to talk and express ideas by engaging him in conversations.
Model good communication skills by listening attentively and responding purposefully to your child.
Expand your child's vocabulary by demonstrating how to add new words to familiar ones to make phrases and short sentences.
Select books that contain movements and sounds your child can imitate or that introduce concepts such as colors, counting, and shapes.
Use speech that is clear and simple for your child to model.