by Laurel Bongiorno 

1.  Children learn through their play.
Don’t underestimate the value of play. Children learn and develop:
cognitive skills – like math and problem solving in a pretend grocery store

physical abilities – like balancing blocks and running on the playground

new vocabulary – like the words they need to play with toy dinosaurs

social skills – like playing together in a pretend car wash

literacy skills – like creating a menu for a pretend restaurant

 
2. Play is healthy.
Play helps children grow strong and healthy. It also counteracts obesity issues facing many children today.

3. Play reduces stress.
Play helps your children grow emotionally. It is joyful and provides an outlet for anxiety and stress.

4. Play is more than meets the eye.
Play is simple and complex.  There are many types of play: symbolic, sociodramatic, functional, and games with rules-–to name just a few. Researchers study play’s many aspects:  how children learn through play, how outdoor play impacts children’s health, the effects of screen time on play, to the need for recess in the school day.

5. Make time for play.
As parents, you are the biggest supporters of your children’s learning. You can make sure they have as much time to play as possible during the day to promote cognitive, language, physical, social, and emotional development.    

6. Play and learning go hand-in-hand.
They are not separate  activities. They are intertwined. Think about them as a science lecture with a lab. Play is the child’s lab.

7. Play outside.
Remember your own outdoor experiences of building forts, playing on the beach, sledding in the winter, or playing with other children in the neighborhood. Make sure your children create outdoor memories too.
 
8. There’s a lot to learn about play.
There’s a lot written on children and play. Here are some NAEYC articles and books about play. David Elkind’s The Power of Play (Da Capo, 2007 reprint) is also a great resource.

See more at: http://families.naeyc.org/learning-and-development/child-development/10-things-every-parent-should-know-about-play#sthash.cNNkf59j.dpuf

Welcome to the amazing world of Pre-K reading. Learn tips and brighten your child's future successes.

ByAnne Schwartzberg 

Like a light bulb suddenly turning on, your Pre-K child has awakened to a universe of Pre-K reading including letters, words, and ideas. You can help that light shine brighter and longer with a specific Pre-K reading plan. It does make a difference: children who partake in early literacy activities have more confidence than children whose Pre-K reading is not supported. Increased confidence will enable him to socialize better with adults and other children. Get our tips below to encourage reading and brighten your child’s future successes!

• Read at least 20-30 minutes to your child every day

Reading to your child every day will help her have a longer attention span and better listening skills. It complements what she’s learning in kindergarten, which is typically focused on listening and attention. If she is able to sit and listen for longer periods as a reader, she will have the skills necessary to sustain her own reading for longer periods of time, which is imperative during the elementary school years. 

• Read a variety of non-fiction

By reading everyday to your child about a variety of subjects, you’re helping him expand his knowledge. Your child should arrive in Kindergarten already supplied with a few worldly insights, such as where the cow lives, what time of day the moon comes out, and what caterpillars become.

• Read it all

When you’re at the grocery store with your Pre-K reader, explain why you pay money for the food, point out words on magazine covers, and discuss what you are buying and how it turns into lunch. Ideas live everywhere you and your child go, and actively engaging in conversation about them will expose your child to more information about the world. Think of all of the amazing stories and accurate observations your child has within him -- giving him the exposure to a variety of concepts through reading will really enhance his insight, and certainly make for an interesting talking partner!

• Act out dramatic plays

After reading your child’s favorite fairy tale, get into character and act out the story together. Dramatic play is a fun way to help your child internalize great stories, and inspire him to retell it to his new friends next year. Encourage him to put his own wacky spin on the stories to help him build imagination.

To read more please click on the link: http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/milestones-expectations/pre-k-reading-increases-your-childs-confidence

By Ellen Booth Church

Have you ever wondered why most early childhood programs teach children their colors and shapes early in the year? Why not letters and numbers? Why not cats and dogs? It's because color and shape are two very noticeable attributes of the world around us. When you look out your window, you may not be saying it ... but your mind is noticing and identifying the green trees, brown rectangle buildings, square windows, and blue sky. Color and shape are ways children observe and categorize what they see. These very recognizable characteristics encourage children to define and organize the diverse world around them.


These first teachings in preschool and kindergarten are basics that your child needs to know before she learns the "other basics" of reading, writing, and math. Understanding color and shape is a tool for learning many skills in all curriculum areas, from math and science to language and reading. For example, when your child learns to discern the similarities and differences between colors and shapes, she is using the same skills she needs to recognize the differences between letters and numerals.


When young children are asked to mathematically sort objects (such as leaves, rocks, shells, or keys) they usually use the most obvious attributes of color and shape, plus size, to categorize the items. When your child plays, he uses sorting and classifying skills as he observes similarities and differences of color and shape, makes comparisons, and organizes this information into piles. This seemingly simple process (that we use every week when we sort the laundry or find things in the grocery aisles) is the foundation for living in a mathematical world. Sorting by color and shape prepares your child for the future application of these skills in making graphs or searching for a book at the library.


The Importance of Color
Color is one of the first ways your preschooler makes distinctions among things she sees; color words are some of the first words she uses to describe these things. You have probably heard the pride in your child's voice as she names the colors of the balloons at the store checkout, or her delight when she realizes that a banana and pear are different shades of yellow. Helping you fold the laundry, she may naturally start sorting the socks into piles of different colors while exclaiming, "Look what I did!" These are all perfect examples of how children (and adults!) use color as a means for defining and organizing the world.


But there is much more to your child's understanding of color than "knowing his colors." While it is important for him to know the names of the colors, it is just as important for him to know what to do with them. You can help by inviting him to notice many shades, hues, and tints. Make up names for these colors together, such as lemon yellow or apple red. You will be helping him use color as a means for creative thinking and language. Invite him to use descriptive language as he tells you how one green is different from another. One 4 year old I observed proudly said, "That green is dark like a Christmas tree and this one is light like celery!" 


Introduce your child to the world of shades and hues by giving her some paint swatches to explore. She can sort them into different color piles, match similar colors, and create a sequence or "color train" of hues from light to dark. Bring out the glue stick and she can cut and paste the colors to make monochromatic collages of yellows, reds, blues, etc. Find more games and activities about color.

To read more please click here: http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3746476