What you can do to get your child ready for Kindergarten

Letter Identification

•SingtheAlphabetSongwithyourchild.

•Playgamesusingthealphabet.For example:IspysomethingthatbeginswiththeletterM.

•Withyourchildsittingnexttoyou,printthelettersofyourchild’snameonpaperand sayeachletterasyouwriteit.

•Helpyourchildtospellandwritehis/hername.Atfirsthe/shemayusejustafewletters. For example:JennymightusethelettersJNY.

•Withyourchild,makeanamesignforyourchild’sroom.

•Pointoutindividuallettersinsigns,posters,foodcontainerslikecerealboxes, menus,posters,ormagazines.

•ReadABCbookswithyourchild.

•GiveyourChildapagefromamagazine.Circlealetteronthepageandhave him/hercirclematchingletters.

•WatchTVshowswithyourchild,suchas“BetweentheLions“,“BluesClues,”and “SesameStreet”thatfeatureletterlearningactivitiesforyourchildren.

Phonics

•Lookatpicturesorobjects.Askyourchildtosaythesoundthepictureorobjectbeginswith.

•Haveyourchildfindanotherpictureorobjectthatbeginswiththesamesound.

•Asyoureadastoryorpoem,askyourchildtolistenforandsaywordsthatbeginwith thesamesound.Thenhavehim/herthinkofandsayanotherwordthatbeginswiththe samesound.

•Writelettersonpiecesofpaperandputtheminapaperbag.Haveyourchildpullout apaperfromthebagandsaythenameoftheletterandthesoundthatitrepresents. Thenhavehim/hersayawordthatbeginswiththesamesound.

•Cutpicturesfrommagazinesordrawpicturestohelpyourchildmakehis/herown alphabetbook.

•Letyourchildhavefunwritingthealphabetletters,his/hername,andstories.Letyour childsharehis/herwriting.Praiseyourchild’sefforttowrite.

Word Recognition

•Placealphabetmagnetsonyourrefrigerator.Encourageyourchildtomakesimplewords. For example:cat,dog,mom,dad.

•Readbookswithyourchildandpointoutcommonwords. For example:the,I,go,a,and,see,like,me,you.

What you can do to get your child ready for Kindergarten

Oral Language & Vocabulary

•Talkwithyourchildaboutdailyroutinesandexperiences.

•Readbookswithyourchildandtalkaboutthestoryorinformation.

•Askyourchildquestions.

•Encourageyourchildtospeakinsentences.

•Encourageyourchildtoplayandtalkwithotherchildren.

•Provideopportunitiesforyourchildtodoandseenewthings.Goforwalks inyourneighborhood,visittheZoo,Library,andotherplacesofinterest.

•Provideopportunitiesforyourchildtodraw,dance,listentomusic,andmakemusic. Talkaboutit.

•Provideopportunitiesforyourchildtohavehands-onexperiencestodothingsinthe world.For example:touchobjects,petanimals,observebugs,helpwithcooking,smell andtastefoods,watchcarsandtrucksmove.Talkabouthowobjectslook,smell,andfeel.

•Askyourchildtofollowsimpledirectionsandencouragehim/hertodomanythings independently.For example:gettingdressed,settingthetable,preparingasnack.

Concepts About Print

•Asyoureadwithyourchild:

•Readthetitleonthecover.

•Talkaboutthepictureonthecover.

•Pointtowherethestorystartsandlatertowhereitends.

•Letyourchildhelpturnthepages.

•Whenyoustartanewpage,pointtowherethewordsofthestorycontinue.

•Followthewordsbymovingyourfinderunderneaththewords.

•Encourageyourchildtomovehis/herfingerunderneaththewordsasyouread.

•Singingrhymingsongswithyourchild.

•Readandrecitenurseryrhymeswithyourchild.Asyouread,stopbeforearhyming wordandencourageyourchildtofillintheblank.For example:HumptyDumpty satonawall,HumptyDumptyhadagreat_______.

•Aroundyourhome,pointtoobjectsandsaytheirnames.For example:ball,tall,wall.

•Saythreewordssuchascat,dog,andsatandaskyourchildwhichwordsrhyme.

•Saysillytonguetwisterswithyourchild.For example:PeterPiperpickedapeckof pickledpeppers.

•Helpyourchildmakeupandsaysillysentenceswithlotsofwordsthatstartwiththe samesound.For example:Bettyboughtabig,blueballoon.

Phonemic Awareness