HOME SKILLS

Some parents need a school 'wake-up' call.  Recently I spoke to a group of parents of soon-to-be kindergarten students.  I always have them 'remember when they were in first grade and what they did,'  THAT is what we are doing in kindergarten now.  In the back, a parent said out loud, "WOW"  
Most new parents or parents who haven't had children in kindergarten, even within the past 5 years, don't realize the new expectations.  So in response to the "WOW", I said Thank you.  It is our job to also parent the parents, teach the parents what we do in school now.

During our parent orientation meeting (in place of Open House) at the beginning of the school year, we give an information packet.  The definition and explanation of Home Skills is an important page. This is what it says:

HOME SKILLS

What does this mean?

As children enter our academic kindergarten, there are many areas they should be able to do, or are in the process of "working on it" before they come to school.  These skills of development are called HOME SKILLS.

Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are needed for success in school to do "writing" are:

• zipping and/or buttoning own coats
• tying
• colors neatly and carefully
• uses scissors with control 

Throughout the year the students will be using these skills in the classroom work.  
Your child should be given many opportunities at home to practice these skills so they can do them at school confidently. 

Large Motor Skills
The development of a child's large motor skills enables him/her to control their whole body to sustain their attention and focus in school.
Playground skills such as:
running              skipping           hopping
throwing and catching               climbing

Provide times for free outside play which allows these skills to develop.

Outside play is also important for VISUAL development as well as the physical development.

Verbal Skills
Being able to speak in sentences and using correct grammar helps children to be well prepared for following directions as well as writing, reading, and test taking.
Your child should be able to:
Recite their full name clearly.
Recite their telephone number
Recite their address including city and state
Retell stories in correct order
Recite nursery rhymes

The Importance of Play
Turn off the tv, computer, video games so the children can develop their whole body and mind.
Bright minds never say " I'm bored."
Allow your child time to think of something to do.  Imagination is a wonderful thing. An active imagination crates wonderful stories, increases vocabulary and well-rounded children.

Self-Confidence
Children should have chores to do at home.  Chores appropriate for kindergarten students include:
folding towels           cleaning their room
caring for pets           collecting the garbage
setting the table        helping to clean off the table

Following through with the chore until it is finished develops responsibility.  Don't accept the excuse, "I can't"
Encourage your child to try new things and reward them for their efforts.  (praise is worth more as a reward than money allowances or gifts of toys)

 
Parent Responsibility
1.  You are your child's first teacher.
2.  You should be a support to the school for learning and practice at home.
3.  You should help establish positive homework routines.  Find a special place at home to do homework.  Set a specific time to do homework.
4.  READ to your child.
5.  Talk with your child.

More Fine Motor Ideas

Look at their hands.  Some of them are still just so little.  Their hands and fingers need time and practice to do the 'work' in school. 

COLOR
I can't say it enough.  Color with the children.  As grownups (big kids) sit with kids, we can show them how to hold the crayons and control the coloring stroke.  Use coloring books and plain paper.  Cut up a box and color on the blank inside part.  They should soon be using various colors in the pictures.  The children will go through a stage that they will want to make everything a rainbow of colors.  Point out the appropriate color for objects.  (Trees have green leaves and a brown trunk.)  Use as many colors in their pictures as they are old. 
You don't have to be an artist to show them how to draw something.  Begin with making Stick figures. 

Write on a chalkboard (or verticle surface)
Developing fine motor begins with using LARGE muscle movements from the shoulder.
'Start at the top' is what I say as we begin to make a shape or letter or number. Make large circles on a chalkboard or whiteboard.  Over and over again.  Then you can gradually make it smaller and smaller.  
Work at eye level on the board.  

Make it in the air.
When learning how to make a letter, practice air writing.


Write it on the floor.
Put a board/paper on the floor and allow the children to lean over their work.  Some children may be on their knees while some may be able to sit and lean forward.  They will be making it smaller and smaller as they feel more control of their stroke. 

Allow time for scribbling.
Again, they will be making their shape movements large at first.  AND they should be encouraged to make them large.
Make marks left to right and up and down.

Dry Erase Boards
I like dry erase boards because they have a smooth surface and the markers are thicker to use with small hands. 


Dictated drawing
Show children one stroke at a time and say "make one like this".  Use words to describe the designated mark.    
Say things like:  'Start at the top and go straight down'  "Pick up your pencil and start at the top'
'Make a circle starting at the top and go around' 
'Go straight across' 
Give directions such as 'Go down, stop, across' and make sure children are doing what they are saying.
 Make verticle lines, horizontal lines, diagonal lines, then work on connecting the lines in a zigzag stroke, combining horizontal and vertical pattern of lines.

Make a 'hill' starting at the bottom and make a hill or bump.
Start at the top and make a scoop cup shape.


FOLD PAPER 
This is not easy for most kindergarten children.
Teach children how to fold in half matching the paper corners.  Following directional words top, left, bottom, sides, right, corner, and roll is lesson one. 
Bring paper down to match corners.
Move paper from left side over on top of right side corners.
Press the folded edge with fingertips for a nice crease.

USING SCISSORS 
Before picking up scissors, practice with tongs to develop the open and closing movement.  Pick up porcupine balls and move (holding tight) to an ice cube tray.

Then get smaller movement with tweezers used for picking up small beads, toothpicks,  pieces of ribbon, paper bits.

TEAR PAPER
Practice 'tearing' paper using fingertips.  Make paper bits (can be saved for a collage).  Hold a paper between the thumb and pointer finger and tear paper around keeping ahold of the paper 'bit'.



CUTTING
I love the ideas that Jamie from Hands On As We Grow.
Check out many of her ideas at
http://handsonaswegrow.com 
She suggested to begin with allowing small children to cut the grass. They will start just using the tips of the scissors.
Use old scissors to cut playdoh 'hot dogs'.  Again mostly using the tips of the scissors.

Thumb's on top and point out away from you.  Hold by your tummy.
Sometimes cutting paper is so difficult to manipulate using both hands.  One to hold and the other to cut.  Cut straws into pieces.  The straws are stiff enough and it takes some strength to cut through the straw.  Now to try to use the back part of the scissors for full cutting strokes.

Cut up old greeting cards.  The paper is heavier and not so slippery. 

When you're ready for paper, allow children time to just cut into pieces.  Try giving paper strips to cut, cut, cut.  Gradually introduce larger scraps.

PLAYDOH
Whether it is store bought dough or homemade.  Using playdoh helps develop those small muscles.  Roll the dough into a smooth ball, use one hand to roll front to back (forward and backward) with slight pressure to make a hot dog.  More pressure and two hands makes a snake and a skinny worm.
Pinch off bits of playdoh and roll it back together again.
Soon the children will be able to combine balls and skinny worms to 'make something.'

 THE MORE THEY PRACTICE, the better they will get.
 

Why Nursery Rhymes?

Many of our kindergarten homework packets includes a nursery rhyme to practice reciting.  I call this a LUCKY LISTENER activity. The following are the directions which are sent home with our first reciting to learn.

Reciting Nursery Rhymes or other “Lucky Listener” rhymes.

Who can be the Lucky Listener?

Anyone who is older than your child, such as: Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Big Brother, Big Sister, Babysitter, Cousin, or Neighbor 

What do we do?

If your child does not know the rhyme, try some of these ways to learn it.

Remember to check off after each practice.  If your child needs more practice don’t limit to 3 practice recitations.

Even if your child “knows” the rhyme, vary the ways to recite.

ü  Say a line and have your child repeat the line

ü  You say the rhyme but leave out a word and your child will have to say the missing word.     For example:  Baa, baa, black _________ (sheep)

ü  You say a line and your child says the next line

ü  Have your child say it in different ways:

v  Sing it

v  Whisper it

v  Say it like you’re crying, laughing

v  Use your imagination

ü  Have your child act out the rhyme while reciting

ADVANCED reciting (after your child can say the rhyme clearly and correctly)

Ø  POINT to the words of the rhyme

Ø  Tell what words rhyme (in the rhyme “Jack and Jill” Jill, hill rhyme)

Ø  Explain the vocabulary of the rhyme (in the rhyme “Jack and Jill” the word fetch means to go get and bring it back)

Remember to check off on the “Lucky Listener” each time your child recites the weekly rhyme.

Sign your name as the lucky listener.

Learning these rhymes help your child learn new vocabulary, rhyming skills, memorization of short stories and many other benefits. 

“One of the best indicators of how well children will learn to read is their ability to recite nursery rhymes when they walk into kindergarten!”

Day	1st reciting	2nd reciting	3rd reciting	Who was the Lucky Listener?
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday

This is the chart that is on the homework cover page which parents need to record by checking off each time they practice.

Why Nursery Rhymes?

Repeating Nursery Rhymes is a very important pre-reading experience for young children.  

 

•  The ability to repeat short rhymes strengthens auditory memory

•      Sequencing skills

•      The ability to express ideas orally

•      The understanding and play of rhyming words

•      Speaking in rhythm

•      The use of expressive speech (intonation)

•      The building of vocabulary

•      Comprehension skills

•     An understanding of varied literary form (poetry, limericks)

•    Self-confidence (self-esteem)

•   The ability to enunciate words (speech clarity)

•   A basis for future grade levels in learning to read, using context clues, learning comparisons and contrast skills

•   A special time for the parent and child together.

I suggest that parents vary their ways to practice the rhymes.   

Say the rhymes when driving in the car, 

while giving your child a bath, 

sing the rhyme, 

take turns saying a line and your child saying the next line, 

act out the rhyme, 

say the rhyme together.   

Read other rhymes at bedtime.  

 Encourage all children at home to participate in learning the rhymes.  

 MAKE THESE PRACTICE TIMES FUN!!

Extend nursery rhyme practice:

*ask comprehension questions about the rhyme (who, what, when, where, why, how)

*answer the questions by reciting the phrase in the rhyme

*discuss the vocabulary meaning of words in the rhymes (fetch means to go get and bring it back)

*point to the words while reciting (ask where is the word  “____”)

Spending time with your child is very important.  
Make it special.

In the homework packets there are also other activities to connect with the nursery rhyme theme.  There is always a simple coloring task to do.  I have adapted many ideas to make sequencing, writing numerals, sequencing letters and numbers, counting sets, reading phrases and matching to what line comes next, matching same words,  finding sight words to circle, etc.

 It is also a practice for many parents who may have never learned or have forgotten these rhymes.