I WISH YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND MANY BLESSINGS IN THE NEW YEAR! Once again it's time for Santa, Rudolph, candy canes, gift-getting, great kitchen smells, and renewed family traditions. But for many of us, remembering the first Christmas is most important. Traditional or Religious, the Christmas Season is here at last - Let's be happy for our Blessings and very generous to those who have less.
The kindergarten children are anxiously awaiting Christmas! They are learning about Advent and look forward to lighting a candle each week. Our classroom is as busy as Santa's workshop. Don't forget to take a link off your Christmas countdown chain every night before you say your prayers and go to bed. Count down the days before Jesus' birthday!
Ways To Support Your Child's Learning At Home
1. Count! Count anything! Some things that you can have your child count are: spoons, forks in the drawer, number of flowers in the garden, number of kids at the party, number of cars in line, etc.
2. Have your child count out groups of objects into little piles. (pennies, buttons, paper clips) "Can you put 15 fish crackers in your snack container for tomorrow?"
3. Play with scrabble letters or magnetic fridge letters. Think of a name, animal, plant, etc. that starts with that letter.
4. Play Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, Checkers, etc.
5. Play simple card games such as Crazy Eights, Old Maid, Go Fish, etc.
6. Provide hands on experiences related to basic facts to 10. For example, "If you have two crayons and I give you two more, then how many will you have?"
7. Teach your child to dial the phone. Make a phone book of Grandma and Grandpa and Cousin Fred's phone numbers.
8. Teach your child to set the timer on the microwave.
9. Discuss the numbers on a clock and start teaching time on the hour.
10. Teach your child to do simple dot to dots. Look in coloring books for easy dot to dots.
11. Have your child memorize his/her phone number. Any phone number can be sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
12. Continue to provide experiences related to drawing, coloring, cutting and gluing in order to develop fine motor skills. Also, continue to provide activities to strengthen hand muscles using Legos or Playdough.
13. Have your child do the switching of the TV channels. Use the remote control to point out the numerals and name.
14. Find numbers and letters to discuss wherever you go! Room numbers, elevator buttons, street numbers, road signs, price tags 15. Start teaching your child to write his last name and names of other family members.
~ Christmas Books ~
Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg Santa's Book of Names by David McPhail How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: an Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston, pictures by Barbara Cooney. Christmas On Exeter Street by Diana Hendry The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson Santa Mouse by Michael Brown Nate the Great and the Crunchy Christmas by Marjorie Sharmat Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett The Best Christmas Present of All by Linda Jennings Mrs. Santa Claus by Penny Ives Merry Christmas Mom and Dad by Mercer Mayer Night Tree by Eve Bunting Clifford's First Christmas by Norman Bridwell Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry The Christmas Alphabet by Robert Sabuda Olive, the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Felicia Bond Dream Snow by Eric Carle Arthur's Perfect Christmas by Marc Brown The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola Auntie Claus by Elise Primavera The Legend of Old Befana : An Italian Christmas Story by Tomie De Paola Clifford's First Christmas by Norman Bridwell A Charlie Brown Christmas (Peanuts) by Charles M. Schulz The Christmas Crocodile by Bonny Becker Jingle, the Christmas Clown by Tomie dePaola Mooseltoe by Margie Palatini Uncle Vova's Tree by Patricia Polacco The Friendly Beasts an old English Christmas Carol illustrations by Tomie dePaola Athur's Christmas Cookies by Lillian Hoban