Posts Tagged ‘preschool’
Lacing Cards
Oct
So as I’m contemplating writing some commentary to go along with this video, it kind of seems that the movie has said it all. I’m thinking that anything I put here is likely to be really redundant or really stupid. I suppose I could have a really great night and it could be redundant and stupid. So, watch the video and tell me if you think of something I missed. And do you like these commentary things after the video? Thumbs up or thumbs down?
Tags: fine motor skills, preschool, toddler
Teaching Kids About Money
Sep
I read an article about kids and money at CNN (which unfortunately no longer appears to exist online–otherwise I’d link to it). While most of the article deals with late elementary and older children, there was this comment that struck me:
“Kids need to get involved with money and they need to handle it,” said Bob Nusbaum, a financial planner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who said exposure can start as early as age 4 or 5. “Parents need to involve their kids in financial decisions as soon as they are old enough to grasp it.”
I absolutely agree with this, but to be successful, parents need to have some realistic expectations of the process and what four-year-olds grasp.
First of all, money is an abstract concept. Even after parents pair the concept of $1.00 with the concrete example of 2 candy bars, money remains arbitrary and abstract for a while. Patiently keep working with your child and keep things as concrete as you possibly can. With repeated exposure to money concepts, children get better and better at associating the concrete and abstract.
Let them handle their own money. Begin teaching coin recognition. At first, kids will think that dimes are not worth as much as pennies because they are think that value relates to size. Practice names of coins, sorting coins, identifying coins by the front and back, and how much each are worth.
Use money to teach about delayed gratification and savings. If your child wants a treat at the store, ask if they have the money for it. And then hold firm if they don’t have enough! You can do it!! When they get money, teach them to save first. This works better if your child has a realistic goal to save for, such as an inexpensive new toy. Make a big deal about it when they save enough to purchase the toy, and reinforce how good it feels to achieve this kind of goal. Here the purpose is to pair the external reward of the toy with the internal reward of feeling good about savings and reaching a goal.
Also, you might consider starting out with relatively small amounts of money. Children will want to play with their money or get it out and count it or show their brother or something else like put in their mouths and accidentally swallow it. You’re going to feel more patient if they only loose a quarter or two and not a ten-dollar bill.
And, as I promised in the video, here is the picture of our family’s bank box. It’s what we use to help the kids understand the value of the various coins and how to exchange them for different denominations.
Finally, the question of if and how you provide your child an allowance tends to be a debate among parents and child development specialists. Everyone has an opinion and a reason why it’s the best opinion. My opinion (like you care): what works for your family is the right thing for your family. Be flexible as you figure out what’s “right for your family” and then ignore everyone else, secure in your knowledge that you’re doing the “right” thing.
So what has been “right” for your family? Leave a comment and help me find my way with allowances and a seven-year-old. Give the rest of us some ideas to try out.
After I Did Everything Right
Aug
Last spring, it became clear that we were going to have to figure out a different preschool for Anya. She turned four in January, and by late April, she was reading and doing basic addition and subtraction. This was not expected. Dylan held out on us and refused to even try to read until 8 weeks before he turned six. Honestly, I really didn’t want her to learn to read, and I’d been stalling it. I know, I know…it makes me a horrible parent to not rejoice at my child’s growth. But we had just finished up an awful experience with my son being ahead of the game in kindergarten. I was loathe to have another uber-prepared child in kindergarten.
So, I started researching options. I was looking for a private kindergarten experience for her, since she would miss the deadline for enrollment in public school. With my hoity-toity college degree and all that research on what “good” early childhood centers are, I have a few opinions on the matter. I made a list of preschools, talked with other parents, assessed for developmentally appropriate curriculum, toured centers, interviewed directors and teachers, and (finally) made a choice that appeared to fit Anya’s needs and our financial constraints. Turns out it’s possible (maybe even probable) that you will to spend more on private kindergarten than your child’s first year of college.
Anyway, the point is: I did everything you’re supposed to do when choosing a preschool for your child. Everything!
Last week was Anya’s first week of kindergarten. It was a little rough at first as parents and kids and teachers figured things out. There were only three kids in her class which was not exactly what I was hoping for when I chose “small class size.” She hates not having enough friends to really play with. I figured we’d make it through the first week and then hopefully things would settle down. But I was wrong, sadly wrong.
On Monday of the second week, we arrived at the school to find (drum roll, please), no teacher there. In fact, nobody was there. Apparently, the kindergarten teacher quit without letting anyone know. For most of this week, Anya’s kindergarten has been combined with the 4-year-old class. Technically, that’s where she belongs age-wise, but it’s definitely not providing the kindergarten experience I had so carefully selected.
The good news is they’ve hired a new teacher that I like a lot more than the old teacher. Things do seem to be resolving and straightening out. Right now there is at least a 50% chance I’ll keep her there…though I did spend several hours this week figuring out what to do if it doesn’t work out.
Moral of the story:
Murphy’s Law still applies even after you do everything right.
Don’t ever assume it’s ok drop off your level of involvement in your kid’s education.
So what did you do perfectly right only to be thwarted by “circumstances”? Make me feel better…tell me your story.
Cooking with Children
Aug
These are my favorite child-friendly cooking websites. If you think I’ve left one out please leave a comment and share your favorites with us. Or if you have a great recipe to make with kids, share that as well.
Tags: early elementary, math, preschool, sensory activities
Art Supplies for Kids
Aug
August and September are a great time to refresh your art supplies for the year. Most stores are having back-to-school sales that make supplies quite economical.
For younger children, the most important rule is that everything is washable! My favorite brand for washable supplies is Crayola. In my experience when Crayola says, “washable,” it really is. And this matters to my couch. I have found this to be true of their markers, crayons, paint, and glue, etc.
For my youngest artist, I start out with crayons with scratch paper and coloring books and paint-with-water books. The paint-with-water books were a major hit when my kids were 2 1/2 to 3 years old.
Carina mentioned allowing older children interested in more advanced art techniques to explore with water color pencils. Older children may also be ready for art classes offered through your local community college or university. Sometimes local museums have kids programs as well. Some elementary schools offer before or after school art clubs. If yours doesn’t, consider asking the art teacher if you can assist him or her with starting one.
So what’s in my basic art supply kit?
Paper: I have scratch paper from the printer, construction paper in the standard size and the bigger size, and coloring books. Also, I like to keep the big long pieces of paper that are often crumpled up and used as packing material. I smooth that paper out and hang in on the wall in the kitchen. Over the next several weeks, my kids work on making a mural.
Color: Washable crayons, washable markers, and washable paint. I start the kids out with finger paint. As they get older I buy Kids Paint. For younger children, be sure to buy fat crayons, fat markers, and fat paint brushes to help them out as they develop fine motor skills. At some point in the preschool years, I introduce colored pencils, but my kids have never really loved them. Be sure to also provide regular pencils.
Decorations: Cheap stickers, beads, buttons, tinsel, raffia, ribbon, fabric, wrapping paper, lace, beans, lentils, pasta, glitter, pom-poms, confetti, etc. This category is often just whatever I’ve saved. I usually only buy the stickers, and I just look for big multi-packs for cheap at Wal-Mart.
Miscellaneous: I usually have glue sticks or glue bottles and tape for the kids to use. I also tend to keep old office supplies like file folders, post-it notes, and sticker labels. The kids like to use paper clips and staples, too, so I try to be generous sometimes. I also keep some shaving cream around to mix with finger paint for a different feel. Old sponges are also fun to play with.
What’s a must-have art item for your kids? Are you aware of any great deals on art supplies? Leave us a comment and let us know!
