Home-School Connections
The question most frequently asked of teachers is “What can I do at home to help my child?” Here are just a few suggestions that were compiled by the Kindergarten teachers here at Daniel Boone Elementary.
Read to your child every day. Talk about the words, pictures and ask questions about the story, author and illustrator.
• Visit the library often. If they can write their first name, they can get their own library card at the local library.
• Provide paper, crayons, pencils, markers, scissors, glue, etc. so your child can draw color cut, glue and most importantly write
• Do puzzles together. This promotes problem solving strategies and critical thinking skills.
• Play games. This promotes taking turns, sharing, paying attention and following directions. Find games that have an academic focus (Candyland, Memory, Chutes and Ladders, Hi-Ho Cherry-Oh, Trouble, Uno, Go Fish, etc.)
• Sing songs and nursery rhymes together. Find the words that rhyme and come up with more.
• Read signs as you drive down the road (environmental print) and talk about the letters and sounds.
• Count cars as you are driving down the road. Choose a particular color and count only the cars of that color.
• License plates are a wonderful teaching tool as you are driving around. Identify the letters and numbers.
• Label items around your home. Teaches reading, letter—sound relationships, letter identification, etc.
• Shaving cream — Spread it on a large surface and let them practice writing their letters in it.
• Flash cards—Hide them around the house or yard and have them go find a particular letter, number, shape, color, etc. You can also use them to identify something associated with the item. Ex. Letter “C” find something that begins with the same sound—cat, candle, cup. “5” find 5 balls, pillows, etc.
• Magnetic letters on the refrigerator—Mix them up and have your child point and tell you the letter, sound or you tell them the letter or sound and they have to find it. Spell out sight words, name, etc.
• Magna doodles, Magic Slate, chalk boards, dry erase boards, etc. Practice writing letters and numbers
• Alphabet cereal—Name the letters before you can eat them.
• Edible letters—Make cookies into the shapes of letters. Cookie cutters are now available in the shapes of letters and numbers. Identify or associate before you eat.
• Pipe cleaners and yarn—Practice forming letters and identifying.
• Dominos and Dice—Great for counting and one to one matching. Use number flash cards to match dots to numbers.
• Count your money—Count pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Great sorting activity along with one to one correspondence and coin identification.
