Start Routines Early

Before the first day of kindergarten, start getting your child into a routine to make the transition to school easier. Set a regular bedtime and wake-up time, establish a morning routine, and work on building healthy habits, such as personal hygiene and getting dressed.

Establish a Reliable System for Communication

Make sure you know how to contact your child’s teacher and that they know how to contact you. Make sure your child knows how they can communicate with you, should they need you while at school.

Set Clear Expectations and Rules

It’s a big change for kindergarteners to be accountable to someone other than their parent. Therefore, one of the most important back-to-school tips for kindergarten parents is helping them understand expectations for behavior. Children may not remember multiple rules, so keep it simple and clear. Before school, explain to your child things they have to do. Help them understand the consequences if they fail to maintain these rules.

Be Involved

As kindergarteners head back to school, stay informed. Parents should take an active role in their child’s school life. Attend parent-teacher events and volunteer to participate in school events. 

Build Excitement

Prepare your child for kindergarten and let them know what to expect, make it sound fun, and nurture their enthusiasm for learning. Practice some of the new concepts that your child will be introduced to at school, such as identifying letters, numbers, or color recognition.

Don’t Overwhelm Your Child

Another back to school tip for kindergarten parents is to allow free-time for your child after school. The drastic change in a routine can be unsettling for a child, so they need time to rest, play, and wind down.

In conclusion, with these back to school tips for kindergarten parents, this new adventure for your little one can be smooth and enjoyable. Remember, the key is to remain calm, prepared, and involved. As a result, you will set up a positive environment and attitude that will shape your child’s future.

The post Back to School Tips for Kindergarten Parents appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.

In addition to Valentine’s Day, there are quite a few more wonderful occasions and holidays to be celebrated in February. We love to read, so we’ve put together a list of Books to Read in February that fit many of the fun celebrations.

1. Snoopy for President! First on the list of Books to Read in February

Snoopy for President is the perfect book to read in February as we celebrate President’s Day.

Check the Snoopy for President!

2. A Visit to the Dentist

February is also National Children’s Dental Health Month, so A Visit to The Dentist is a great book to read to the kids.

Check A Visit to the Dentist

3. Llama Llama I Love You

This month is also colored with love, so a love themed book like Llama Llama I Love You is a great book to add to your list of books to read this month.

Check Llama Llama I Love You

4. Love from The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Another great love-themed book to read is the Love from The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Check The Love from The Very Hungry Caterpillar

5. The Snowy Day

As we will soon be saying goodbye to snow, The Snowy Day is a great book to read, too.

Check The Snowy Day

6. Sometimes I Forget You’re a Robot

Did you know that there is a Love Your Robot Day celebrated in February? This book is perfect.

Check the Sometimes I Forget You’re a Robot

7. What Pet Should I Get?

February is also a month when we observe the Love Your Pet Day, so a good pet-themed book will make a great read. We recommend What Pet Should I Get by Dr. Seuss as Dr. Seuss day is just around the corner, too.

Check the What Pet Should I Get?

8. Dear Tooth Fairy

Another great read for Dental Health Month is the Dear Tooth Fairy.

Check the Dear Tooth Fairy

9. The Three Little Pigs

This book will make a great read on the Tell A Fairy Tale Day.

Check the The Three Little Pigs

10. The Little Polar Bear

With Polar Bear Day being celebrated in February, the Little Polar Bear book must make the reading list, too.

Check The Little Polar Bear

The post Books to Read in February appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.

Cold winter evenings are more fun with a book that you and your child can read aloud together. We are sharing a list of wonderful winter books for young readers, all of them perfect for this time of the year.

1. The Lonesome Polar Bear

A wonderful story about friendship that your kindergartener will love.

Check The Lonesome Polar Bear

2. Snow! Snow! Snow!

It looks like a perfect day to hop on the sled and head down the hill. But could trouble await? “Uh-oh!” Your little one will want to read this book over and over again.

Check Snow! Snow! Snow!

3. If You Were a Penguin

What a wonderful book. How wonderful the world and play would be if you were a penguin.

Check If You Were a Penguin

4. Winter is For Snow

Celebrate snow and coziness of friends and family in Winter is for Snow.

Check Winter is For Snow

5. The Mitten

The Mitten is another gem in our Winter Books for Young Readers list and a classic must-read for every child.

Check The Mitten

6. Polar Bear’s Underwear

This polar bear has lost its underwear! You just know a good story follows. Lost underpants? What’s not to love!

The Polar Bear’s Underwear

7. Perfect Snow

We know not all snow is equally fun, so when the perfect snow falls, there certainly are a lot of happy kids.

Check Perfect Snow

8. Penguin Dreams

Penguins are one of the few birds that cannot fly. But what if they could, if only in their dreams?

Check Penguin Dreams

9. The Biggest Snowman Ever

Who will win the contest to build the biggest snowman ever?

Check The Biggest Snowman Ever

10. White Snow Bright Snow

All the wonder and delight of winter is captured in White Snow Bright Snow.

White Snow, Bright Snow

The post Winter Books for Young Readers appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.

As a teacher, I understand that children who do not do much in summer months in regards to learning, lose two months of taught skills. For example, if a student left my classroom on a reading level 4 at the end of the year but read nothing over summer break, they are most likely to test at a reading level 3 when they return to school. This can put children behind which is why we are excited to share with you 7 simple ways to keep your child’s summer learning.

As a parent, I understand that I am my child’s first and most important teacher. I appreciate my kids’ amazing teachers but at the end of the day, they are my children and their life success depends on the support my husband and I provide them. They will have dozens of teachers throughout their education career but as parents, we are their constant and it’s important that we support them.

Let me first say that I need one of those shirts that say ‘World’s Okay-est Mom’ because that is exactly what I am. I do not always have it together. There are days when I forget to ask about homework or I am too tired to cook dinner so we order pizza. That is absolutely okay.  Knowing my own imperfections, I know that when it comes to summer learning, I must be purposeful with a plan to support my kids or it won’t happen.

First, we have a ginormous calendar in our kitchen hall which is a great way to help us keep organized. I think it is 3’x4’ because it’s no easy task keeping our family of five rolling. I call it controlled chaos, ha. Before school dismisses for summer vacation, I always found out when the library at school was open for summer hours and if the local library has scheduled events. I add all of those dates to the calendar. When my kids were younger, they loved going to special events at the library. Even though all three of my kids are dyslexic and have reading disabilities, they love to read so supporting that is important. So, I suggest checking out to see if you’re local libraries have a summer reading program because this is a great opportunity and great place to start.

There are more fun activities where that came from. Summer is the perfect time to keep developing those math skills and reading skills. Good news, it doesn’t have to be daunting! Teaching young children can truly be so much fun.

7 Tips to Keep Up With Summer Learning

1. Check out local attractions

When my kids were younger, we had season passes to the zoo (and we still love to go to) and the Mayborn Museum in Waco. I would find out if they had special summer learning opportunities and add those dates to our calendar. Anything that got us out of the house was a win in my book! Regular physical activities lead to increased concentration so it’s a good idea to keep those kids moving. Check out your public library events

2. Camps and summer programs 

A camp and summer program are also wonderful ways to keep my kids active. Our local college offers all kinds of classes and free summer activities for kids. Luckily our local school also provided fun opportunities for kids to learn about robotics, computers, etc. so definitely ask your school if they provide additional support over the summer. Each summer my kids also went to church camp. This summer we are doing a local mission trip in Austin, TX and we are super excited about that. Each morning we will get our assignment for the day which could include feeding homeless, teaching VBS, or even painting a house. Austin is about an hour and a half from where we live so it’s not a long haul but we are excited to spend a week there to serve others.

If summer camps are not an option for whatever reason, there are even more everyday activities to help younger children develop old a new skills.

3. Road trips 

Road trips are a fun way to add summer learning experiences to your summer. There is truly no better learning than real world experience. Visiting various places helps children understand the world around them. Make sure to have discussions about things you see and places you go. Those conversations are where most of the learning takes place. I loved the questions my kids would ask. They were often farfetched but they lead to an entertaining conversation. We also loved playing car games such as the Alphabet Game where we would look for letters in signs and license plates in alphabetical order.  We would also play Hey Cow when the kids were younger. When driving in the country, we would yell out the window Hey Cow and count how many cows turned their heads to look at us. So silly but they loved it.

Road trips are the perfect opportunity to have fun with the whole family, and not only are younger kids learning, but you’re getting in that beloved quality time. So, plan that family vacation! Even if it’s just an hour trip to the beach or lake!

4. READ

I cannot express enough how important it is for children to read over the summer.  If your child cannot read yet, then read to them.

Foster a love for books and reading at home. Let them see you read too—and that you enjoy it. Reading is not a punishment but instead a portal to a new world with amazing opportunities to learn. It’s also a wonderful way to get one-on-one time with your little one(s) if you decide to read together. And don’t shy away from things like graphic novels. Sure, some might not see the importance of a comic book, but it can engage their literacy skills like maybe it hasn’t before!

5. Limit screen time  

I am sure my kids have always thought that I am too strict. Even though my boys are both in high school, we have never allowed video games on school nights. This is challenging during the summer because they think it is free reign. I have noticed that when they play games too long, their attitude changes and I don’t like it. Before anyone can play video games in the summer, all chores must be done and they must have done something like read or go outside for a while. It’s sometimes like scraping slugs off the floor.  Ha! This is where my kids would say, “Can you just be a mom and not a teacher mom?” Bwhahahaha! Um, the answer is no.

6. Keep a summer journal

Buy a cheap spiral, some fun pens, pencils and crayons and encourage your child to write a story a few times a week. They can write about their day, something they want to do or even a fiction text.  I bet you have a kid that can write a great fairy tale or Lego story!

7. Find math in everything

You can always ask your child’s teacher for extra work or left over workbooks for the summer but really, there is so much math that you can do just by having conversations or even cooking. Let your kids count out the eggs, measure the water. Ask them questions that make them think. For example, “We have four chairs at our table and each chair has four legs. How many legs is that in all?”

Summer should be fun for your kids. But that doesn’t mean the learning has to stop. You don’t have to do all of these summer learning suggestions, but I encourage you to do something. It really helps your child start the year off right when they can retain what they learned in school. 

On the flip side, kids need to play and have fun during the summer. They have worked hard and are mentally ready for this break. Even though I try to add enrichment activities to my kids’ lives, I still make sure they have time to just be kids. Sleep late. Play hard. Have fun. These tips are to promote educational activities but I guarantee they will also lead to great memories and tons of summer fun. It’s going to be a great summer!

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Twenty Tips to To Provide Teacher Support

We are knee-deep in the school year and as we have settled into our family routines, we (parents) think teachers no longer need us, but that is the furthest thing from the truth. The job of a teacher does not stop after 8-9 hours a day. She/he is still planning for the next day, preparing materials, decorating bulletin boards, or correcting papers. So if you are able to support the services they provide in any small way, it is very much appreciated by them.  

What ways are you able to help? Check out these tips to support your child’s teacher. 

#1:  Decorate Bulletin Boards

Do you like to decorate? The bulletin board is a way to display an upcoming event, time of year, class studies, and display artwork. The bulletin board changes every month as new events occur or new studies start. Talk to the teacher to see if you may help with each month’s theme or events. You might be able to cut out the letters for the board while watching TV or be the person who puts the final decorations on the board. Any small gesture of time is appreciated.

#2:  Provide Afternoon Snacks

It is so helpful to have a parent take care of either providing the afternoon snack or setting up a parent sign-up list. The afternoon is hectic, and if it is hot, fresh fruit is a splendid way for the children to cool down. The snack does not have to be fancy; just knowing it is one less thing for the teacher to focus on is helpful.

#3:  Manage Supplies

Usually at the beginning of the year, a list is sent home naming certain supplies that would be helpful to have in the classroom. Offer to be in charge of these supplies. You can sort and arrange the supplies and send out reminders to parents when items are getting low.

#4:  Assist with Special Events

Prior to special events, such as the science fair, book fair, and other events, ask for a list of tasks that a parent could prepare for or help with. During these events, teachers welcome a second pair of hands.

#5:  Organize the Classroom Library

The books in the classroom library become cluttered and unorganized quickly. Offer to be the classroom librarian and organize the books weekly. This is such a helpful way to offer teacher support. 

#6:  Compliment the Teacher

If your child comes home and tells an exciting fact they learned at school or sings a new fun song, send the teacher an email or bring it up during pick-up time. Teachers love to hear that your child it learning and growing from something that was taught in the classroom.

#7:  Dedicate Time In and Out of the Classroom

Spending time helping in the classroom is priceless. Dedicating an hour a week of time outside the classroom by helping cut out items or prepare for a lesson is also very much appreciated. Talk to the teacher and request a way to make an hour a week count and then dedicate an evening in front of the TV helping with small projects.

#8:  Help with Clean Up

Offer to help with a weekly clean up. Wipe down desks, tables, chairs, and other items in the classroom. It gets dusty and dirty just like at home, so one less task the teacher has to do means more focus on your child.

#9:  Be a Reading Buddy

Offer to come in at designated reading times and be a reading buddy. Children can practice reading to you, and you can read to them. Feel free to ask them questions about the book. Reading comprehension is important.

#10:  Talk About Your Job

Teachers like parents to share their stories from the real world. It can be a description about your job or something fun you did in the community. Allow the teacher to be your guide. Help rally other parents to come in a talk about their job in the community. Children are curious by nature, and your child will be excited to have you sharing in their day.

#11:  Share Your Skills

Do you help the teacher to reduce her workload? Some teachers do a monthly newsletter or schedule. Are you savvy with computer skills and can easily set up a newsletter? Ask if there is any computer work you can help with.

#12:  Sort and File

There is always a ton of paperwork and items to be sent home. See if you can do some filing and develop some organization for items that need to be sent home to parents. If you have great organizational skills, offer to help set up areas in the classroom.

#13:  Label the Classroom

The use of sight words in classrooms is big as reading and spelling skills develop. See if you can help with writing out labels for items in the room. Great penmanship is needed or creating the words on the computer to be printed out is helpful.

#14:  Offer Computer Support

Most children can operate their devices at home but learning to operate the computers in school is totally different. See if you can be available for computer class and assist children with developing their computer skills.

#15:  Provide Lunch Support

Some schools eat in the classroom and others go to the cafeteria, but both need help with supervision, spills, and selling extra items like ice cream. This helps give teachers peace of mind knowing that all students are receiving the support during lunch that they may need. Extra hands and eyes make a BIG difference.

#16:  Monitor the Playground

Help teachers with all the added responsibilities they have besides teaching in class. Teachers are assigned to do playground duty on a rotating basis. Filling in for that teacher or helping during recess allows the teacher to have more planning and preparation time for their class.

#17:  Prepare Your Student for Class

Please make sure your child is prepared for class. If your child needs to bring something in for class or read a chapter from a history book, please make sure they are prepared and have completed the assignment. I know we want to make our children independent, but they are in the stage where they need help to develop good habits like doing their homework.

#18:  Chaperone Field Trips

Many times, a successful field trip is based on parent participation. In order to go on a field trip, a teacher must have enough chaperones to help supervise, or a trip might be cancelled. This is an important way to offer teacher support. Please volunteer or even look for a grandparent to volunteer, if you are not available. These trips are educational and fun for your child.

#19:  Work With Small Groups

Offer to be a small group leader to study sight words, spelling words or math facts. If the teacher thinks this will be beneficial, it could be scheduled once or twice a week. Be creative each week as to how you present the material to make it fun for all of you.

#20: Teach Your Kids to Clean Up

The task of cleaning up the room after an activity is either done by the teacher or a few children. Teach your child how to clean up and enforce the rule. When you allow your child to not clean up at home they think that it also applies to when they are at school. Teach them rules that apply to the real world. This is a great way to offer teacher support.

The post Twenty Tips To Provide Teacher Support appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.

Like, how much sleep do they REALLY need? The importance of sleep for young learners is one of THE biggest factors when it comes to their life in the classroom the next day.

Source: sleepforkids.org

Try to keep distractions to a minimum in the bedroom.  Electronics are a roadblock to good sleep for people of any age.  We are programming our brains to always stay plugged in, but those are bad habits. I know when I’ve woken up in the middle of the night that I’ve checked my email or clicked on Facebook. I’m learning how much I depend on my connections to the outside world and that isn’t healthy.  These are habits I do not want my children to develop, especially at such a young age.

The post The Importance of Sleep for Young Learners appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.

Building Stamina In Young Learners

Why is building stamina in young learners important? What is STAMINA?

Stamina is the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort.

Why is stamina important to teachers and for students?

Just like you build the stamina to run long distance, you also need to build stamina to read, write, listen, and even sit. Everything we do is affected by stamina.

A child’s ability to do anything for a long period of time absolutely affects what they are able to learn. As a teacher, it is unfair to expect students to do something that they have not been taught, seen modeled, and practiced. Practice builds stamina. We can’t expect a five year old to come into class the first week of school and sit on the carpet for a ten minute lesson, holding their attention without interruption. They have most likely not built the stamina to do that yet. The same thing is true for expecting a child to read at their seat quietly and independently when this is something they have not practiced or built stamina for.

How can you help build a child’s stamina?

Set realistic expectations and goals. If your goal is to have your children reading independently for thirty minutes by the end of the year, back it up and divide the amount of time out to set weekly goals. It’s okay to start with a one minute goal. I know that doesn’t seem like much but you are building a foundation for success. First, you need to model your expectation so students know exactly what to do. They need to SEE what it’s supposed to look like.

Think of it this way. If you were training for a marathon, would you force yourself to run the entire distance the first time you ran? Well, no! You may pass out. I know I would. Ha! You have to train your body for success and not just for a week. People train for months to just complete a marathon.

We need to have the same understanding for the needs of young learners. The greatest gift we can give them is TIME. Time to learn, process and most importantly GROW. So, start small and build from there. Don’t be hard on yourself as the teacher. You can’t make a child do what they are not ready to do. As long as you are consistent and they are growing, you are doing your job. GROWTH=Increased STAMINA

Monitor and celebrate PROGRESS. Don’t measure success by completion, measure success by growth. As long as we are moving forward, we are moving. Yes! So much of early learning is developmental and each child will learn at a different pace. Set individual goals for each student and help them to build on whatever foundation they walk in the door with. They may only be able to read to themselves for one minute now but you just wait and see, it will be ten minutes before you know it. The same thing goes for any area of learning. You can’t expect a child to sit and write page after page of stories.

They need to build writing stamina. Once they can write one page or even one sentence, celebrate it. Once they can sit through an entire story without getting up or asking a million questions, celebrate it! We live in a society where test grades dictate success. Newsflash: all children are not the same. As a teacher, it is SO important that we learn to measure each student’s progress based upon their ability to grow THEIR foundation!

Remember, GROWTH=Increased STAMINA

Be Consistent. If you only run once a week, you won’t be ready for a marathon. The same concept applies when learning in the classroom. If you want a child to build stamina for anything, you must provide consistent structure, practice and expectations. If you become lax on expectation, they will take a step back. A healthy push is good for children. They need to know that you believe in them and know they can be successful. Be consistent. If you skip a day’s work, it will show. Practice creates progress. Progress will increase stamina. Do you see where I keep going here? Ha!

Maybe you haven’t focused on building stamina in young learners in your classroom yet. Guess what? You can start tomorrow! Create a chart with your students and teach them what stamina is and why it is important. Then, set goals. You can even create another resource chart marking your class progress or individual progress and be sure to celebrate that progress.

Remember, stamina in young learners is necessary for all areas: reading, writing, sitting, listening, etc. We have to grow the ability to do all tasks while staying focused and without getting tired.

We can build super readers, writers, listeners, etc. one minute at a time!

Happy teaching!

Keep Reading…

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Teaching From Abundance

Growth Mindset for Young Learners

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UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHONEMIC AWARENESS AND PHONICS

WAYS TO CELEBRATE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR 

BUILDING STAMINA IN YOUNG LEARNERS

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FOUR WAYS TO IMPROVE CUTTING SKILLS

WHY HANDS-ON LEARNING IS IMPORTANT 

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The post Building STAMINA in Young Learners appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.

1. DIY Disney Flower Pots
2. Moana Heart of the Ocean Jar Craft
3. Homemade Mickey Mouse Ears
4. Winnie the Pooh Hunny Pot
5. DIY Chip Mug
6. DIY Frozen Game Night
7. Mickey Flower Bouquet
8. Inside Out Character Masks
9. Moana Boat Craft Stick Craft
10. Paper Bag Sulley
11. Plastic Bottle Minion Craft
12. Frozen Ice Castles
13. DIY Big Book of Dragons
14. Free Countdown to Disney Calendar
15. Minnie Mouse Plate Craft
16. Disney Parks Guide Map Coasters
17. Tissue Tube Seven Dwarfs
18. Up Adventure Book Scrapbook
19. Disney Fund Craft
20. Talking Doorknob Craft

Whether your kids are getting excited about an upcoming Disney trip this summer or just looking for a creative way to bring some Disney flare to your home, without going to a theme park!

The post 20 Disney Summer Crafts appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.

Preparing your child for kindergarten doesn’t have to be stressful. Here are several things you can do at home to help your child start off the year strong! As a former kindergarten teacher, I know I had students with all skill levels enter my classroom on the first day of school. Don’t stress over what your child doesn’t know. What they don’t know, they will learn.

   

   

The post Preparing Your Child For Kindergarten appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.