© 2009 Resources for Educators, a division of Aspen Publishers, Inc.
May 2009
Fair share
Show your child how easy it is to share by pointing out everyday opportunities: “We can all share theelevator i we move to one side.” Ask her to help you nd ways to share.(“Who do you think would like theextra tomatoes rom our garden”?) When it’s time to share with a play-mate, remind her that she knows how! Tongue twisters are agreat trick or helpingchildren speak clearly and learn letter sounds. Give your youngster’s mouthmuscles a workout with “She sellsseashells down by the seashore” or “Peter Piper picked a peck o pickledpeppers.” Say them together until your child has memorized them. Then, taketurns trying to say them ast.
A good year
Wrap up the school year by helping your youngster write a thank-younote to her teacher. She can make itpersonal by writing something specicshe enjoyed: “I liked it when youread unny poems.” Have her illus-trate her note or enclose a photo o hersel with the teacher.
Worth quoting
“We cannot always build the uture or our youth, but we can build our youthor the uture.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Just or un
Police ofcer:
“One o your elephants has been seen chasinga man on a bicycle.”
Zookeeper:
“Nonsense! Noneo my elephantsknow how to ridea bicycle!” The public library is a coolplace to be on a hot day. Andregular visits will ensure that your child enjoys readingand learning all summer.Make the most o your library trips with theseideas.
Attend special events.
Find out when story hoursor puppet shows are beingheld. They’ll give your youngster practice listeningand being part o a group.Some libraries may also oer eveningamily activities like bat watching or stargazing. Try one, and then introduce your child to nonction by borrowing arelated book like
Bats at the Library
by Brian Lies or
Zoo in the Sky
by Jacque-line Mitton.
Visit author Web sites.
Help your youngster discover writers he likes. Ask the librarian or suggestions o Websites, or nd a list at
www.authoryellow pages.com.
Read a ew aloud to your child, and let him pick books by those
Among the stacks
Build hand–eye coordination
Simple outdoor games can help you send your youngster back to school with bet-ter hand-eye coordination or writing, drawing, and using scissors. Try these three:
1.
Play catch with increasingly smaller balls (beach ball, soccer ball, sotball). Or have your child throw balls into goals o dierent sizes (laundry basket, large box).
2.
Make a ring toss game. Cut the centers out o paper plates, and let your youngster toss the rings onto water bottles. Makethe challenge more dicult by having her take agiant step backward ater each successul toss.
3.
Fill two spray bottles with water, and ask your child to draw two circles on the sidewalk with sidewalk chalk. Race to see who can soak a circle rst.
♥
K I D B I T S
who capture his interest. For instance,try Mercer Mayer’s Web site
(www.littlecritter.com),
and check out
All By Myself
.
Explore new sections.
Vary your library visits by browsing dierent areas. By summer’s end, your youngster will beamiliar with the whole building. Inaddition to the children’s section, try crats, magazines, audiobooks, and reer-ence. Your child can learn somethingnew in each one.
Example:
Check out acrat book, such as
Beginner’s Origami
by Steve and Megumi Biddle, andchoose a project to do at home.
♥
DID You
Know
?
LifeSong Mother's Morning Out Ministry
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