School Readiness Skills
Is your child ready to be in a learning environment? In many states there exists a tool called a kindergarten readiness checklist that measure those skill sets that every child should possess when entering the pre-grade setting. These tips are applicable for K-3 and K-4 learners and provide you with an outline of what things you should work on long before sending your child off to school. Some of the skills that your child will be assessed on include language (ability to speak in complete sentences), take and understand instruction, work with shapes, colors and sizes, and counting.
The use of a checklist as your child begins to speak and walk to monitor their progress will help you work on these core skills. The checklist will also provide you with a way to assess your child before they start school. You will have an opportunity to ask questions if you suspect that some type of development deficiency exists that can be properly diagnosed and addressed before your child enters the classroom.
Building Basic Literacy Skills
When should your child begin to read? Some experts argue that reading can take place as early as in the womb.Certainly any opportunity before your child enters an early education learning facility is a good time to begin reading and building basic literacy skills. Your child’s brain grows at an amazing rate from age 0 to 3, a fact that is backed by decades of research and study. That development is nourished by a diet of knowledge attained from reading and interacting with the physical world that surrounds her or him. The more time you spend reading and teaching your child to recognize words, the better chance they will have at becoming successful in school.
Your Independent, Confident Child
Your children imitate you, especially when they are pre-school age. When you laugh, they laugh, when you are feeling anxious or stressed, they imitate those feelings as well. Instilling confidence and high self-esteem in your child will go a long way toward helping them transition easily into their roles with other children when they head off to school. You also want to encourage risk taking by showing that we all make mistakes and how we learn from them. Children who understand that it’s ok to make a mistake are more apt to try new experiences and assimilate better than those who have not been encouraged to do so. If you build their level of self-esteem, they will not be so hesitant to leave your side when the time comes to drop them off at school.
At Tender Care Learning Centers, our passionate staff and instructors go above and beyond the standard day care services to provide your child with a foundation to grow and learn upon. No matter which of our child care programs you enroll your child in, you can be certain that they will be given plenty of opportunities to build their confidence and develop the skills they need to be successful throughout their education. Visit a Tender Care Learning Center in your area today and discover how we can help your child to develop a lifelong love of learning.
