During these uncertain times, many parents and guardians are choosing to continue remote learning for their children. While we take our hats off for those who partake in homeschooling, our team at Wollaston Child Care would also like to provide a few must-have skills to practice. As the premiere kindergarten in Quincy, MA, we recognize that every child is unique and learns at their own pace. However, to adequately prepare them for first grade, the following five skills are an essential focus during the kindergarten journey.
Letter recognition
As the base for reading, recognizing both upper and lower case letters is an essential skill that often begins before the kindergarten level. However, if your child is still learning or just starting with letters, it’s crucial to keep the process engaging and fun! Go slow and focus on one letter at a time.
Be sure to check out online resources for a myriad of lesson ideas. From printables to games, customize your approach based on your child’s current understanding and attention span.
Letter sounds
Once letter recognition is mastered, it’s time to take it up a notch with letter sounds. Again, the key is to keep it fun! Use visuals and listening skills to help your child correlate the letter to the sound. Reading to your child is a wonderful way to reinforce letter and sound connections. For more ideas, visit Scholastic online.
Writing
Next, you’ll want to incorporate writing skills into your child’s daily routine. Invest in lined paper that teaches the boundaries of upper and lower case letters. Working alongside your child, help them through the first letters with dotted guidelines and arrows for direction. Gradually, your child should be encouraged to continue writing with little to no assistance.
Number recognition
Like letters, recognizing numbers is essential for math building skills. Try incorporating numbers into your daily tasks and writing them whenever possible. Together with your child, look for the numerals that you see in your environment such as house numbers, calendar numbers, etc. However, you again want to take this process slowly and keep it positive. If discouraged, it will be much harder to gain back the interest of your little one.
Counting
Number sequence is essential and can be easily incorporated with number recognition. By the end of kindergarten, a child should recognize, write, and order up to the number 30 with ease. Take the time to practice counting throughout the day. Count objects, the number of stairs, and windows in your home; opportunities are everywhere!
Although there are several other areas of focus, having a solid understanding of the five mentioned categories will prepare your child for a successful year in first grade. However, if you’re not up for the challenge or must return to the workplace, and looking for a kindergarten in Quincy, MA, that provides a solid foundation, then look no further. At Wollaston Child Care, we’re ready to fully prepare your child for their grade school journey.
For more information on the variety of programs we offer, contact us today at (617) 773-7217.
