~What do we do in Kindergarten?~

~Playing is Learning~

Let’s Play! Activities for Families has been developed by the BC Ministry of Education for families and caregivers to support children’s early learning experiences through playing and having fun.

We believe that our students learn best through hands-on, play based learning. Learning through play at home is a great way to take the stress out of learning new and complex concepts.

There are many day to day activities at home that you can incorporate new learning opportunities for your child. For example, baking! This involves reading (the recipe), science (what happens when wet and dry ingredients are mixed), and math (counting how many cups or how many scoops of dough go on the cookie sheet). This is just one of many different ways of play based learning at home. Can you think of other ways you have incorporated learning into your child's day to day routines or activities?

Take a look below at some of the activities you can do at home!

Please visit this link for more information: Early Learning framework

(*if link redirects you, please click link the first link pops up on the next page*)

The experiences of children’s play have a profound impact on all areas of their growth, learning, and development. Memories of play can be vivid and detailed. These memories often have a treasured place in our hearts and minds Educators and parents have a special opportunity to ask themselves, “What kind of memories of play do I hope for my child to have?”

"Play is one of the best ways to support all learning and development and it should continue to provide joy throughout everyone’s life. " (BC Ministry of Education, 2019).

~Independence~

Activities to Nurture Independence in Preschoolers:

Picking out clothes. This is a great activity to do at night before bed, especially if the morning is busy. You can also have children pick out clothes for the whole week on Sunday. Fashion battles may happen, but it’s a good learning experience for everyone.
Getting themselves dressed. Learning to buckle buckles, zip zippers and button buttons is important for independence!
Preparing breakfast or lunch. Mornings are busy in most households. Help your preschooler learn an easy breakfast routine that can help them build their independence and help you steal a few more minutes.
Setting table or cleaning up the table after a meal. Giving the kids a role in the family meal is not only great for building independence, but it also models the value of everyone pitching in with chores.
Putting away toys. This can be made into a game. The more it is done, the easier it gets.
Cleaning room – making bed, dusting, putting away laundry. There are lots of chores that kids can help do.
Putting away coats, shoes, backpacks, lunchboxes when entering the house. This helps keep everyone's space organized and develops good habits.
Taking care of a pet. Feeding the dog/cat/fish, filling water bowls or cleaning fish bowls, walking the dog, giving pets a bath – there are so many responsibilities that preschoolers can take on when caring for a pet. An added benefit is that they learn about compassion and caring for others.

~The Power of YET!~

When learning new routines and skills many children get stuck in a "fixed mindset" that they can't do things. When we show then that struggling, making mistakes and working through challenges is part of the learning process they begin to develop a "growth mindset".

When your child starts saying things like "I can't put on my socks", remind them that they can't put on their sock YET. They are just learning to put on their socks now and will one day be able to do it without support.

~Fine Motor Skills- Scissors~

Cutting with scissors can be challenging because students are still developing fine motor skills at this age. By opening and closing scissors, this helps children develop and build muscles in their hands (developing those fine motor skills!). As these muscles develop, things such as, holding a pencil and printing will become easier as well! Using playdough is fun first step to develop fine motor skills and build muscles in their hands. This is a great video that offers some tips and tricks to teach your child how to use scissors.

~Literacy~

Talk, Talk, Talk!

Talking with your preschooler can help their language and communication development.

Parents who talk a lot to their young children use lots of different sounds and words. When children hear more words and lots of different words, it improves their understanding of language. It also increases the number and variety of words that they understand and use.

Talking helps their brains develop and can increase success in school.

Start with your name!

Activities using your child's name and other names they are familiar with offer opportunities for learning letters in ways that is fun and meaningful.

Starting with writing your child's name in LOWER case letters is the best place to start! Click on the link below!

Teaching LOWER case first

Should I Teacher Upper or Lower Case Letters First? | Phonics HeroWhat's the case for teaching upper or lower case letters first? What's the best educational practice when you consider the impact on reading and spelling?

Printing lower case letters with Jack Hartmann

~Speech~

Pronunciation of letter sounds!

If your child has any speech concerns or is currently in speech therapy please let us know. In our district, an SLP's role in a school is to prevent, assess, diagnose, treat and help children overcome challenges in communication. This may involve direct support, such as working with students individually, in groups, or in the classroom setting, or indirect support, such as providing consultation and resources to the classroom teacher and family.

Take a look at the pronunciation video. We may not realize when we sound out letters/words, but often add an 'uh' sound at the end of the letter we are trying to help our children hear. We are adding an extra sound, and this can be so confusing to children, especially when they start writing.

~Numeracy~

Printing numbers!

Ways to make numbers!

Numeracy in Everyday Activities

There are so many ways to bring numeracy concepts into your everyday activities.

Here are a few ideas:

Number spotting. Numbers are all around us and the more we'd look, the more we see them
Counting Number Rhymes
Books with Numbers
House Numbers
Baking
Puzzles
Sorting laundry
Grocery shopping
Card and dice games
Counting objects outside

~What do we pack for lunches?~

~Washrooms~

A Social story

Page updated

Report abuse