Nourishing the minds of our little ones!

STAY AT HOME MOMS:
You can begin nourishing the minds of your little ones, each day during the week with basic cognitive skills such as the letters of the alphabet. For example, you can start on a Monday, with the letter Aa and continue the rest of the weeks till you reach letter Zz. Simple materials needed for this activity at home are using glue, scissors, and colored construction paper, thats about it and maybe some tape if you choose to hang them up in the house or their room. I use this all the time when starting with a new student. They can be used either for a learning disability student toddler or regular toddler. Begin each week or day depending on their learning capability, a new letter of the alphabet of the day or week, for example: Aa, apple. I cut out the letter and have them paste it onto the paper. Also, making tiny pieces of marche and having them paste it on top is good too. In addition, you make an apple and having them color it and paste it onto the paper, writing the word next to it is important as well.

I love this activity, where children use playdough to make the letters of the alphabet. Its very easy and they follow along very well. Singing to them the letters of the alphabet also adds to the activity. The playdough prices are very cheap and convenient to buy anywhere, don't miss out and use it. Its a great activity. Another idea, is using simple small cups of paint and a paint brush have them paint over a yellow letter with paint. Make a yellow alphabet on paper using a highlighted marker and have them follow it. Playdough and paint can also be used for other concepts such as shapes and numbers. I recommend having all the concepts on separate posters hung somewhere in the home, being the refrigerator or their own room. Children always go back and take a look, you will be surprised how some toddlers recall and repeat it later on at home or school. This promotes memory skills for toddlers and pre-k students.

I would buy alphabet blocks and books Dr.Suess, ABC, A family Alphabet book, Alphabet City, there are many writers and related themes to the alphabet and reading to your child over and over again helps also. You can go to the 99 cent stores they have small letter and number sponges that you soak into paint and kids place it on white paper its an awesome way to learn the concepts too.

You can also make a short schedule for those kids that don't go to preschool yet. For example set a routine for your child so by the time they get to the preschool they might have an idea of what to expect. Write it on white poster paper. Put the days of the week and month, full date is better, the time and picture activity next to it. Monday, January 05, 2009. 10am- Painting, 11am- Playdough, etc. The child will look at the schedule each day and become surprised of what activity will come next, don't forget to add nap time. LOL. Most of all, adding literacy to a child's activity day is very important books books and more books is the best way to educate and blossom our child's literacy and language development each day.