Showing posts with label Toddlers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toddlers. Show all posts
What can you do before or instead of sounding it out?!?
The Case for Play
As a mother of a former preschooler, I have great compassion for those of you going through the process of selecting a preschool. Hopefully I can provide some helpful resources for you. The first thing I'd like to share is a compilation of writing about the importance of play, especially in preschool situations.
The Case for Play and Problem Solving
in Early Childhood Classrooms – Some snippets from the web
“On the other hand, a child is more likely to have better mental
health, stronger relationships, and more success in school and work if he has many chances to strengthen his social
competence by playing, talking, working out disagreements, and collaborating
with peers and adults.
Much research suggests that pretend play can contribute to young
children’s social and intellectual development. When children pretend to be
someone or something else, they practice taking points of view other than their
own. When they pretend together, children often take turns and make “deals” and
decisions cooperatively. Such findings suggest that children in early childhood
programs ought to have regular opportunities for social play and pretend play.
Teachers can observe and monitor the children’s interactions.”
http://www.casel.org/
“One of the risk factors for not having a successful transition
to kindergarten is the characteristics of
kindergarten and first grade classes (e.g., large class sizes, fewer
parent-teacher meetings can make the transition more difficult). Emotional and
social competency can be defined and measured. For example, a description of a
socially and emotionally healthy child, ready
for kindergarten, could be a child who is confident, friendly,
has good peer relationships, tackles and
persists at challenging tasks, has good language development, can communicate
well, listens to instructions, and is attentive.”
“It turns out that all that time spent playing make-believe
actually helped children develop a critical cognitive skill called executive function. Executive function
has a number of different elements, but a central one is the ability to
self-regulate. Kids with good self-regulation are able to control their
emotions and behavior, resist impulses, and exert self-control and discipline.
Poor executive function is associated with high dropout rates,
drug use and crime. In fact, good executive
function is a better predictor of success in school than a child's IQ. Children who are able to manage their
feelings and pay attention are better able to learn. As executive function
researcher Laura Berk explains, "Self-regulation predicts effective
development in virtually every domain."
According to Berk,
one reason make-believe is such a powerful tool for building self-discipline is
because during make-believe, children engage in what's called private speech:
They talk to themselves about what they are going to do and how they are going
to do it.
"In fact, if
we compare preschoolers' activities and the amount of private speech that
occurs across them, we find that this self-regulating language is highest
during make-believe play," Berk says. "And this type of self-regulating
language... has been shown in many studies to be predictive of executive
functions."
And it's not just
children who use private speech to control themselves. If we look at adult use
of private speech, Berk says, "we're often using it to surmount obstacles,
to master cognitive and social skills, and to manage our emotions."
Unfortunately, the more structured the play, the more
children's private speech declines. Essentially, because children's play is
so focused on lessons and leagues, and because kids' toys increasingly inhibit
imaginative play, kids aren't getting a chance to practice policing themselves.
When they have that opportunity, says Berk, the results are clear:
Self-regulation improves.
"One index
that researchers, including myself, have used... is the extent to which a
child, for example, cleans up independently after a free-choice period in
preschool," Berk says. "We find that children who are most effective
at complex make-believe play take on that responsibility with... greater
willingness, and even will assist others in doing so without teacher
prompting."
Despite the
evidence of the benefits of imaginative play, however, even in the context of
preschool young children's play is in decline. According to Yale psychological
researcher Dorothy Singer, teachers and school administrators just don't see
the value.
"Because of
the testing, and the emphasis now that you have to really pass these tests,
teachers are starting earlier and earlier to drill the kids in their basic
fundamentals. Play is viewed as unnecessary, a waste of time," Singer
says. "I have so many articles that
have documented the shortening of free play for children, where the teachers in
these schools are using the time for cognitive skills."
It seems that in
the rush to give children every advantage — to protect them, to stimulate them,
to enrich them — our culture has unwittingly compromised one of the activities
that helped children most. All that wasted time was not such a waste after all.
THE BENEFITS OF
PLAY
Play allows
children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity,
and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy
brain development.
It is through play
that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them.
Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering
their fears while practicing adult roles, sometimes in conjunction with other
children or adult caregivers.
As they master
their world, play helps children develop new competencies that lead to enhanced
confidence and the resiliency they will need to face future challenges.
Undirected play
allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to
resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills.
When play is
allowed to be child driven, children practice decision-making skills, move at
their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage
fully in the passions they wish to pursue.
Ideally, much of
play involves adults, but when play is controlled by adults, children acquiesce
to adult rules and concerns and lose some of the benefits play offers them,
particularly in developing creativity, leadership, and group skills.
In contrast to passive
entertainment, play builds active, healthy bodies. In fact, it has been
suggested that encouraging unstructured play may be an exceptional way to
increase physical activity levels in children, which is one important strategy
in the resolution of the obesity epidemic.
Perhaps above all,
play is a simple joy that is a cherished part of childhood.
Children’s
developmental trajectory is critically mediated by appropriate, affective
relationships with loving and consistent caregivers as they relate to children through
play. When parents observe their children in play or join with them in
child-driven play, they are given a unique opportunity to see the world from
their child’s vantage point as the child navigates a world perfectly created
just to fit his or her needs. (The word “parent” is used in this report to
represent the wide range of adult caregivers who raise children.) The
interactions that occur through play tell children that parents are fully
paying attention to them and help to build enduring relationships.
Parents who have
the opportunity to glimpse into their children’s world learn to communicate
more effectively with their children and are given another setting to offer
gentle, nurturing guidance. Less verbal children may be able to express their views,
experiences, and even frustrations through play, allowing their parents an
opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of their perspective. Quite simply,
play offers parents a wonderful opportunity to engage fully with their
children.
Play is integral to
the academic environment. It ensures that the school setting attends to the
social and emotional development of children as well as their cognitive
development. It has been shown to help children adjust to the school setting
and even to enhance children’s learning readiness, learning behaviors, and problem-solving skills.
Social-emotional
learning is best integrated with academic learning; it is concerning if some of the forces that enhance children’s ability
to learn are elevated at the expense of others. Play and unscheduled time
that allow for peer interactions are important components of social-emotional
learning.
Reading Ideas for Toddlers in Constant Motion
Thankfully, my son is now out of the phase where I couldn't even take a picture of him being still. There was always movement when he was a toddler. I've had many parents ask me how they are supposed to sit and read with their toddlers for any length of time. Here are my suggestions:
1. Embrace Reality (Adjust Your Expectations)
You are going to immediately be in trouble if you want your reading time to match a picture in your head of a child happily cuddled on a peaceful parent's lap with a pile of books. Close the door to the bedroom so you have your toddler in a confined space. Child door locks can be your friend in such instances. They may not look like they're listening to you read, but that's okay. They can get up and wander if they want. You can still try to engage them now and again with questions or show them a neat picture.
3. Embrace the short book
This is not time to prep your little cutie for Harvard by reading chapter books. Keep the books short and sweet. Some board books are just longer books for older children in board book form. Bypass those and go for the ones with a few words per page at most. Don't take it personal if your toddler wants to shove a book out of your hand halfway through. It's okay. You don't have to finish every book. When they're a little bit older, you can work on the follow-through skill. Right now, it's not important. If they're interested, they'll let you keep reading.
4. Embrace books with real pictures, flaps, smells, and different textures
Your child is in a state of constant exploration, so what a great way to get them interested in books by exploring. It keeps their attention and teaches them that books can be fascinating. Where else can you find little squares of shag rug and shiny mirror material in the same place other than a disco or roller rink?!? Bob the Builder has some super awesome Life-the-Flap board books. Below is our very favorite, Bob's Toolbox Mix-Up. Babies and toddlers are also extremely interested in books that mirror their lives and what they look like. Some of our favorites were simple real pictures of babies and things that babies play with.
5. Embrace books that involve songs and/or movement
The reason I decided to write this post is that I recently discovered an excellent series of books for toddlers involving yoga moves. I read the books while I was over babysitting one of my favorite toddlers, and he surprised me by doing every single yoga pose in the book. What surprised me more was how natural and perfect for toddlers each of the poses were. There's Sleepy Little Yoga and Little Yoga: A Toddler's First Book of Yoga. Other books like Little Bunny Foo Foo, where you can sing and do movements, can also be very entertaining for the little ones.
6. Embrace Humor
If you can find a book that's silly, you will have your child's attention. Anything that makes them giggle or laugh is one they will want to revisit over and over. Bob the Builder's Tool Mix-Up has some silly parts in it. What Shall We Do with the Boo-Hoo Baby is another fun one. Luckily, there are lots of board books out there that embrace fun. You also have to remember YOUR sense of humor. Don't ever get tense around books, as Mem Fox likes to say. Enjoy the craziness that is your toddler running around the room as you read. It won't last for long.
7. Embrace Repetition
Yes, you are going to find a few all-out favorite books that your toddler will want you to read over and over. That is a fantastic thing to do. It helps cement vocabulary, syntax, and the rhythm of language for your child. Plus, it's one of the very few times where they can feel like an expert. Children LOVE reading stories over and over again because they know what's going to come next. This happens so rarely in their little lives that this a great opportunity for them to feel some control and pride.
8. Embrace Your Toddler!
I can't resist mentioning this rule. Give lots of hugs and love when you have reading time (that is, if you can catch them!). As long as they associate reading with fun and love and laughter, you've done your job!
Need some more ideas? Check out this article, "Reading Tips for Parents of Toddlers" from ReadingRockets.org.
Excellent and FREE Printable Packs for Learning
I may have mentioned these packs before because they are so great. Wonderful for parents who only have a few minutes but want to do something valuable with their children to keep those brains thinking. I love these packets because they are extremely high interest. There was one on Angry Birds that I did with my 5 year old and he practically begged to get started. Plus, it takes advantage of the prior knowledge kids already have on these subjects, so they are automatically more confident and motivated to learn. I especially like the kindergarten packs I have tried because she includes an easy reader and cut-and-paste activties so we're not just doing worksheets. There are Tot, Preschool, and Kindergarten packs depending on what level you need. Click here to see 1 Plus 1 Plus 1 Equals 1's blog about all of her printable packs. Enjoy!
Reading and Writing at Easter Time
Happy Almost Easter and Passover! When the holidays come around, it's a great time to take advantage of fresh reasons to read and write with your child. Here are some easy things to pick from if you celebrate Easter. With a few modifications, I'm sure you could do some of these for Passover as well.
1. Easter Books
Collect Easter stories from the library and used book store. Put a special Easter book in their Easter basket. Don't forget to put away the Easter stories for next year so they're fresh and new a year from now! You could also do an author study of Rosemary Wells. She does the Max & Ruby books about bunnies and has a couple of Easter titles as well. She also has Max & Ruby coloring pages.
2. Cards and Letters
Send cards to special people to wish them a Happy Easter or write a letter for the Easter Bunny to find. Depending on their writing level, you can have your child dictate what they want to say in the card or have them write some themselves.
3. Label Your Eggs/Write Clues
For little ones, label some of their eggs with either the first letter of their name or their whole name. This is especially fun when you have more than one kid doing the hunting because they have to work on reading each other's names, too. For older ones, you can write little clues for where to find a special prize and put them in the eggs or use them as a treasure hunt for the Easter basket.
4. Explore a New Genre
This is a good excuse to try some different kinds of reading and vocabulary. I just picked up a super cute Highlights Poetry book from the Target $1 section to put in B's basket. I feel like we never get enough poetry, so that'll be a fun way to include some. You could also look into non-fiction books on bunnies or chicks. This is also a great time for religious books discussing the meaning behind the holidays. Reading a cookbook recipe is also another type of reading you could practice as you whip up those traditional holiday dishes.
5. Tell an Alien How to Dye Easter Eggs
When I taught first grade, my students loved to write "How-To" books. All you have to do is think of something simple and try to boil it down to three or four steps. It helps them have fun if they imagine they're trying to tell an alien or someone who has never heard of it before how to do it. You can do this with a couple of papers stapled together like a book. The writing might be scribbles, or one word, or lots of words depending on where your kids are at. You can have them draw the pictures or you could take pictures for each step.
An example might be:
How To Dye Easter Eggs
By Ruth
1. Fill each cup with a color tablet, vinegar, and water
2. Decorate your egg with a white crayon if you want designs
3. Dip one egg in each cup and leave it there until it is the color you want
4. Pull the egg out and let it dry
6. Make an "I Like Easter" Book With Your Beginning Reader
Super easy - just staple some white pieces of paper together and write a few sentences about Easter that your child dictates to you. Doesn't have to be long or fancy - "I like eggs. I like bunnies. I like Easter baskets. I like candy. I like Easter." Then cut out images from the computer or draw pictures for each page. Remember, you get them started on the first readthrough and then they will feel confident to read it again on their own. Encourage them to use the picture clues for the harder words.
7. Rhyming in the Car - Easter Edition
When you're hanging out in the car next, see if your kiddo can help think of some Easter words to rhyme. When B and I did it, we came up with hop, bunny, ham, basket(a tough one!), peep, dye, and chick. If Ben couldn't think of any rhyming words, I would help by giving him the first sound of one. This game is about listening for the same ending sounds - as long as they have the same ending sounds, they rhyme.Oooh, and it's another chance to learn a song/nursery rhyme. See if you can sing all of "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" together!
8. Relive a Favorite Easter Memory
After Easter is over, ask your child what their favorite part was or dig up your old Easter Bunny pics to reminisce. They could draw a picture and you can label it. You could use photos you took during Easter to make a little book or if they want to do it all out they can do the illustrations and everything. Practice using describing words to tell detailis. Doing these things will help them learn to retell stories, too!
Reality Check: I am not doing all of these things! These are ideas for you to think about. Pick one if you feel like trying it:)
Free App Friday!
We have some more excellent apps to recommend today that are FREE! I love free, because you can always try it and delete it if you don't like it. This one is I Can Xylo. Only for iPhone and iPad, sorry Android users. A cute, well-reviewed, no advertisement xylophone for your little one. The great thing is that it teaches them to play little nursery rhymes, too! If you've been paying attention to my blog, you know that nursery rhymes are very helpful to kids learning to read. See my post about it here. Of course, the free version only comes with one song and then you can get more if you like them on facebook or purchase them. But fun nonetheless!
This adorable app is called Nighty Night! It is an adorable bedtime routine where your baby or toddler can turn off the lights for each animal on the farm to go to sleep. Very sweet illustrations and calming atmosphere. Even B liked it and he's 5. Would be especially nice if you were travelling somewhere and needed help settling down before bed. Obviously doesn't replace bedtime stories in my book:) Only for Apple users, unfortunately.
Are you wondering where I'm finding all of these fun apps suddenly? I came across a new favorite blog called Best Apps For Kids. Love it!!
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