Copy _2_ of PRIMIC-1

Title: Issues of Parenting

Sub Title:

A guide to Parenting Issues, and, preschool children

Generated by Foxit PDF Creator © Foxit Softwarehttp://www.foxitsoftware.com For evaluation only.

Better ways of educating children by Devika Primic Page 1

Contents

Introduction:

Chapter One 7 - 63

Planning together our educational goals

A Programme planning

B Using themes

Chapter Two 64 - 192

Discovery activities

A Discovery materials and activities

B Organising discovery activities

C Caring for plants

D Cooking with young children

E Learning through discovery

F Helping children discover



Chapter Three 193 - 219

Educational trips

A. Organising educational trips

B. Learning through trips

C. Helping children learn through trips

Chapter Four 220 - 232

Books for young children

A Kinds of books for young children

B Organising our books

C Learning through books

D Helping children learn through books



Chapter Five 233 -243

Story-time

A Kinds of stories for young children

B Organising our story-time

C Learning through stories

D Helping children through stories

Chapter Six 244 - 258

Music for young children

A. Organising music for young children

B. Learning through music

C. Helping children experience music



Chapter Seven 259 - 269

A Time to know your Child

A Babies First Books

B Child Care

C Development of Reading

D Parent and Child

E Parent Education

F Picture Books



1

Introduction:

The times that a parent cannot recapture of a child are the moments that

the child experiences for the first time. Every day, there is something

new for a child to learn, to communicate with, to create, and to think

about. It's one of the most special times for them and their parents. Your

child is now attending a day-care centre, nursery or playgroup. It's time

for him to learn to be independent. Getting involved in activities with

him would make it valuable and exciting for your child.

Children benefit from enjoyment of the activities a lot more when

friends or parents are involved. Young children learn through playing

with friends of their own age group and not through formal teaching.

This allows children to explore and find out about what they are capable

of. A child cannot concentrate when hungry or exhausted. A play session

should be relaxing. Never try to force a child to concentrate if he does

not feel like a certain activity, leave it for another day. Allow them to do

what they want, providing it's not dangerous.



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Make the most of your time with your child

If you are the parent of a baby, toddler or a pre-schooler, you are aware

that your child's brain develops at an astounding rate until the age of

seven. Every bit of stimulation he gets now is an investment. In spite of

expensive toys and good intentions, most parents have so many other

responsibilities that they soon find their child's precious first years have

sped by.

Teach your child to brush his teeth and dress himself from an early age,

so you'll have more time to do interesting things together. In spite of the

great advantages of playgroups and pre-schools the demands put on

school beginners are so high that it's rare for a child to be completely

ready for school from day one.



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By preparing him for school from an early age, you can save yourself

and your child a great deal of frustration. Don't only focus on

educational activity, also, do ordinary things like taking walks together.

Find out what your child should be mastering at his age.

This will, prevent you spending unnecessary time on games that are too

easy, or pressuring him to perform at an unrealistically high level.

Choose activities that don't need much preparation. A three year old can

concentrate for only about 10 minutes at a time, so if you have the

planned activity and it takes 15 minutes to prepare, your child will lose

interest.

He will have more fun doing things he's good at than those he

doesn't have a natural talent for. Also, do not take over an activity

he is doing, learn a good deal by watching children observing their

own material. That's how they have new findings out and

encounters on their own.



4

Early learning of a pre-scholar

According to traditional thinking it is suggested that intelligence is

only responsible for around 25% of a child's success at pre-

school, a child's personality accounts for about 65%. Our findings

indicate that confident children, who are more independent by the

age of three or four, tend to be less anxious when they start pre-

school, and therefore learn quickly. Friendly children spend more

time playing with others, and as a result have more opportunities

to learn new ideas. An extrovert, meaning the outgoing child, is

usually more successful at pre-school than an introvert, the

withdrawn child, and motivation is a key factor in their success.



5

Using this book

Although this book is for the ages from an infant age, to the

starting of pre-school, I have not indicated an age group for each

activity, with regard to the enormous changes that age span

encompasses. Age is not the actual, point; it’s a question of, how

able the child is to perform the activity. The activities are

organised into different sections.



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1. Planning together our educational goals

2. Discovery activities

3. Educational trips

4. Books for young children

5. Story time

6. Music for young children

7. A Time to know your child

The main aim in this book is to suggest ways, to channel a child's natural

curiosity. Finally, an activity for the child and parent can be fun when

doing it together.



7

Chapter One

Planning together our educational goals

Children get to learn their names, surnames and to increase their

vocabulary. When children start building with blocks they begin to know

the shape and the size of objects. They also learn how to construct each

block according to size and shape. At the tables at pre-school children

can learn to do table-work. This helps them to concentrate for longer

periods.



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They, could, also, learn from resources, like cards, or, exercise books,

teachers can get worksheets made and stencils, can be used to show how

one can trace letters from it. They can write down key words, key

sentences and it can brighten your child's ability. Objects can be

provided for children to sort out according to their size and shape. Put

objects that can be balanced according to weight.

Make matching numbers on cards so that children can develop their

understanding clearly. They can learn to write and to draw, and to colour

their drawing correctly. Other methods are that children can bring to

school all sorts of objects in different shapes and sizes and teachers can

ask them to use their sense of touch to feel all the unique textures of

these objects.

They can label the objects to read each name on the label. For each day

there should be an activity set out for children to play freely, like

drawing, painting, some energetic activity like skipping, throwing the

ball to each other, playing on a swing and so on. There should be a daily

routine of activities that gives the child a sense of security. This allows

him to feel secure in his environment and to learn without fear. Every

day should be occupied with some activity, so they don't get bored.



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They are always excited to be at pre-school and love excitement. So, the

more activities they have, the more fun-filled they'll be. Children begin

to know and understand their reality by means of examples. The

different methods of teaching can be shown by preschool teachers.

Children are now going through a phase where they will be reaching out

to adulthood.

The first things children learn are about the different natures and cultures

of the people in their communities. It takes time for a child to master

nature and culture. Children cannot sense and obtain knowledge that

easily, it gets confusing when so young, so the child needs an adult to

adapt information. It should be made to be understood at their level.

Reality must be chosen in such a way that it's chosen from various

subjects or life realities. Culture and nature should be taught, as that

stage of childhood can master and apply knowledge skills obtained.

Teachers should have authority over children; this should be done to be

meaningful to the children.



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Teachers have responsibility with regard to the way a child gains his

knowledge. Children should not only know and be able to, they should

also know and do. They get to learn and develop from their own

experiences. In pre-school or primary school there are varieties of

subjects for children to learn from.

Subjects like, language, culture and health education are subjects just for

the pre-schoolers, too many can be confusing. Language for children is

the most important thing for a child to learn. Pre-school children are not

so familiar with the real part of language. They should use language as

part of their level only. In this way they'll understand it easily. Language

releases a child from the concrete world and makes him more mobile.

Young children need to feel and do what they like and also speak freely

and be outspoken and not to be shy of others. This helps the child to

grasp the reality around him and to verbalise.

Children's programmes should be based on children's needs.

They should be told about their development as young children

and when they grow older. Activities chosen by children should

never be underestimated. Presentation of activities should be

informal. Attention should be given to the programme and activity

within the programme.



11

A programme planning

Each school has its plan and course for the day. The daily programmes in

nursery schools or playgroups are as follows: The teacher pointed out to

teach a certain group of children has activities of different kinds to teach

the children, these are written out. All free-play activities which are

planned by the teachers are not chosen by the teachers, the children have

their own choices and types of activities chosen by them so that they can

be able to go about doing whatever is possible.

A nursery school being well adapted will have these types of activities

during the day. They will follow a specific time-table which may differ

from other pre-schools, nursery schools or playgroups. The daily

programme should be written or typed neatly and placed on a notice

board, so parents can read it and be familiar with their children's

activities for the day.



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Depending on the activities a child can only do an activity that he is

capable of. In cases like that the teacher will always give several

activities to a child, for example - the art activities (ages 2-5yrs)). You

can arrange a playroom to look attractive and very inviting so that your

child can be convinced to learn the activity that he wants to.

Classroom management

Teachers should work with a small class of children. A daily routine

gives children a sense of security. They know what to expect and they

also feel safe in the process. Allow children to play freely from one

classroom to another. Have structural activities for children, in this way

they can learn to follow their own interests. Encourage children to take

an individual equal responsibility while in the classroom.



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Making of worksheets, flash cards and ideas can be of resources to

children. Well equipped learning areas are needed. By children working

together in different cultural groups they learn new ideas and new

languages together. This gives them a chance to learn about each other's

backgrounds at an early age. Discussion topics are ideal too. Learning

how to share and to respect one another is as soon as they become

debatable and given stimulation activities. Children that work well

should be put to work together.

Shy children should be invited into discussions often to get them

used to audiences. Having open discussion questions allows your

child to be encouraged to learn and think from the task arranged.

If children are slow in learning, divide children into pairs so you

can explain the specific subject and it will be understood properly.

When preparing using material

Always use materials that are easy to find and can be bought

cheap. Ask the children to bring to school the following objects.

Useful materials like cardboard boxes, empty egg trays, old

plastic jars, old containers, old magazines, shells and so on.



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Children should be able to perform activities that interest them

and also be able to achieve goals at their own pace. Activities

should be creative, indoor or outdoor activities are best. Doing art

activities gives children more potential and creativity. This is when

they are using paint and not so much when using crayons.

A playroom at the day-care centre

A reading corner should have storybooks or colouring books.

Storybooks for the appropriate age groups and colouring books

for the age group that is capable of colouring such books. Always

remember to have the playroom kept neat and tidy, have lots of

toys, like building of blocks, jigsaw puzzles, tea-sets, dolls etc.

Children need to be seated or relaxed during a certain activity.

Most important

The teacher at the pre-primary school must remember that she is

not to teach a child in a formal way, rather, in an informal way.

The children are young and cannot follow a routine so soon.

There should not be too many children in a class. The amount of

six children in a class is most appropriate.



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Art activities

These are selected by the child himself. Choice is adapted to the

age of the child. These go according to the topics of each week,

and the skills and experience the child has. This is not offered to a

large group of children, only six children at a time.

Activity that is not chosen by a child

This activity is chosen by the teacher, to specifically reinforce skills of a

particular day. Teachers do the explaining to the child of the type of

activity of the day. Children also have an opportunity to express their

feelings, their thoughts and to create new ideas of their own. A pre-

primary child cannot communicate well concerning his vocabulary that

may not be too good.

By drawing, painting and modelling of clay playing, this enables the

child to cope. A child should also differentiate between shapes, colours,

and painting of pictures and to think creatively.



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Teachers should allow the child to feel free to draw what he can and

wants to, the teacher should not show the child how to do it because the

child would feel that he cannot do it on his own, he may have a low self-

esteem and think that he cannot do it by himself.

Using variety of drawing activities

1. Thin and thick felt-tipped pens

2. Crayons

3. Coloured tipped pencils

4. Chalks of all colours

5. Chalkboards

6. Charcoal

This type of activity should be offered on a daily basis on good

quality paper, by dipping chalk into water before use is best as the

writing stays on the board for a while. Children can draw pictures

and then trace out the outline and colour it in.



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Cutting and pasting of pictures

A child can cut out pictures from old magazines using a blunt-

nose pair of scissors, and those that he drew he can stick on a

plain sheet of paper or in an old book, to make it an attractive

picture book.

Painting

Children can use paint to paint blotches. They can mix all the

different colours together, one can make a rainbow or also paint

all the different objects (old toys) - paint handles of old brushes,

old books and so on. To avoid mixing colours especially when

painting a specific picture place the paint brush in a different

holder. A child should be given paper of all sizes and shapes it

must be plain white paper. Children should wear aprons when

using paint. Teachers have got to encourage children to choose

light and dark colours.



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Guide to the use of stages I-IV

Stage (I-III)

1. Allow the teacher to understand the aims of each lesson.

2. Keep the children busy on a daily basis.

3. Have discussions on themes - discussions and acts of music and

movements -progresses from easy to difficult. Gradually the child

masters the contents.

They develop self-confidence and learn while playing.

Stages IV-V

Self confidence and awareness which have been developed by the child

and the language the child masters can make him call upon his

experiences. Children are led to problem situations where they get to

find solutions to make discoveries. A pre-schooler is open to asking

questions.



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Talking to your child is helpful

Being a pre-schooler your child is aware of people around him

thinking creatively. Children at this stage want to explore and

discover new ideas and new situations, they want to have new

friends and become more outspoken. Having discussions in class

is the utmost objective idea. This is testing the children's

knowledge. It's got to be a two-way communication, questions and

answers are what you need. This gives the child confidence in

himself. By questioning the child it openly makes him discover

new discoveries. This is to stimulate their thoughts, also a child

questioned by the teacher and parent on a subject that's of

interest to the child.



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B. Using themes

Let your child know about preschool learning. Parents got to teach their

children the different parts of their bodies. The growing child has got to

learn about it at an early age. A child should undress in front of a mirror

to look at his body and then know the actual parts or what each part or

organ looks like.

Children got to know the appearance of them that is by looking at their

description. At some stage at school children will come across a human

body which is made out of plastic in this they can be taught about all the

different parts we have and the functions of each. This can teach children

lots of new ideas.



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Theme: Oneself

A pre-schooler can find out about plenty activities that can be indoor and

outdoor and about the child himself too.

Finding out about oneself

What do you look like?

Parts of your body

Are you a boy/girl?

How old are you?

What is your name?

What is your nationality?

Are you friendly?

How many pets do you have?

Emotions - about, feeling happiness, sadness, angry, or afraid.

What are your likes and dislikes?



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Senses:

Touching - Can you feel textures of your skin? Can you tell if it is rough

or smooth?

Hearing – Do you hear yourself making different sounds like laughing,

crying, screaming, shouting or giggling?

Taste -Do you taste the kinds of foods you eat? What tastes sweet,

bitter, or sour?

See -Do you see the colour of your eyes? What is the colour of your

hair? Is it brown or black? Can you tell the colour of your clothes and

shoes that you have on?

Smell -Can you smell yourself and the perfume you have on?



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Hygiene

Have you washed your body?

Have you brushed your teeth?

How often do you brush your teeth?

Do you have healthy foods and drinks?

Kinds of music you like

Kinds of art you like

Are you tall or short?

Match hands and feet; are they the same or different?

Do you have long or short hair?

How are your manners at the table?



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Do you have a big family?

How many members are there in your family?

Which school do you go to?

What language do you speak?

What are your manners when speaking on the telephone?

Do you perform any exercises at home or at the gym?

What is your name?

What is your address?

Your place in your family

Where was your place of birth?

Parents should show children photographs of them when they were much

younger and also present photos. It is to let them know about each

person in the photo. Children should beware of the noises their bodies

make. Moves of their bodies when walking, running, exercising or

dancing. The foods that children eat should be healthy foods. Foods like

meat, fish, poultry and eggs. One should be a well-mannered child at

home and in public.



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Personal grooming

Combing of your hair

Washing of your hands before and after eating

How neat and clean is your clothing

Cutting of your fingernails

Your hygiene in the toilet

Washing of your hands after the use of the toilet



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Use of toilet paper

Children should be able to recite facial expressions like angry, sad and

happy faces.

When children are happy or sad?

At pre-school teachers should teach children the feelings of being happy,

sad or angry.

What brings happiness or sadness?

What causes you to be angry or happy?

What makes you feel scared?

When children are sad, an adult should make them feel happy by

showing things to them that will take their minds off their sadness. If

someone is sad it could be because one has lost somebody in their family

or a pet can be gone missing or even if one has lost a special gift.



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Happiness is when you feel like listening to music and being with

people. One would want to enjoy being with people and have fun in

dancing and singing. Give children the opportunity to express

themselves of these feelings and to talk about it to one another. The

feeling of anger is what one feels towards someone.

Let children talk of their personal experiences to teachers at

school or at home. They then realise that this kind of feeling is

inside of them. Act out dramas of anger, sadness or happiness to

the class to make each child understand these feelings and what

actually causes them to react or feel that way.

SENSES:

Sight - What do you see?

The distance you can see.

How do you see?

Light helps you to see.

Help to assist the blind.

Touch - Feel rough objects.



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What do you feel when you get hurt?

Have your tooth extracted.

Feeling of your skin, is it rough or smooth?

To feel, wet or dry, hard or soft. Prick of a needle, feeling blunt or

sharp objects. To

Hear - The sounds of dogs barking, cats meowing, wolves howling and

children and creaming.

Chiming of clocks

Music

Assisting of deaf people

Smell -Odours of foods that are good or bad.

Flowers, fresh produce, lotions or creams

Tastes - How do you taste food or juices?



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Theme: Oneself

They will need photos of themselves to develop a positive self-image.

Children have to be aware of the differences between them and other

people. Things like the following:

Who are you?

What is your name?

Where do you live?

What are the names of your parents?

Ask your child about the pet he has or about himself.

What is the name of his pet?

What is the colour of his eyes/hair?



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Ask children about themselves, about their body parts and its functions,

like the eyes, hair, fingers, toes, hands, legs, and, about the importance

of life.

Parts of their bodies

Their shoulders, the neck, hips, ankles, elbows, throat, spine, back,

bottom, chest and with the use of the skeleton they will be able to

identify such part. Make children know the functions and how many of

each they have. It could be the eyes, nose or the mouth. Teach children

about the ankles and that when they play twist and turn they can hurt

their ankles and it can be painful. Getting hurt on their elbows can be

very uncomfortable too. These experiences make them know that there

are games that cannot be played dangerously.



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Discussion with children to make them know the way that people are the

same

We all need food and water, clothes and a home

We all need to learn security.

We all need to be healthy.

We all need to be clean and tidy.

We are all tall or short.

We are all big or small.

We all speak different languages.

We all have different religions.

We all have different sizes of families.

We all play and sing differently.

Describe fruits and vegetables.

Sweet and sour, taste of sugar, salt and spices, something that is juicy or

dry, like an orange that is juicy and an apple that is not.



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Children can be taken for walks to experience the scents of flowers; they

can touch the different trees and plants to feel the different textures of

each. Children can feel the stones, trees, leaves, petals of roses, the grass

and lots more can be done with the help of a parent. They can hear the

different noises of birds, or dogs barking, cars hooting, screeching of

tyres, or children screaming to each other and so on. As parents you

should be able to help your child to describe these experiences to them.

Ask questions about the walk they had in the garden.

Questions like, what did they see? Did they enjoy their walk? Did they

hear noises? What kind of noises did they hear? The types of trees they

saw. What were the scents of the roses like? Did they like the scent of

the roses? Ask children to talk freely of their experiences that they have

had. By blindfolding your child and asking him to guess what is on the

table can also be a good idea. He can guess the smells of fruits and

vegetables.

He could try to tell you what it is by just the smell of it. This encourages

him to learn more out of experiences. Guessing games can speed his

abilities. Make colour flash cards with different colours on each one and

ask your child about the colours. Patterns can be done in the same way.



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It can be very creative for your child. He can be given a chance to guess

if they are the same or not. Children should be allowed to feel things, the

warmth, cold, the warmth of a home, of the weather, the cold of ice, and

also the warmth of clothing.

When bathing they should know if the water is hot or warm enough to

bath in. Hot and cold foods can be compared too. They can have hot or

cold drinks. Ice cubes from the freezer, children should know how it is

done. This is known when children have experiences with the feeling of

warmth or cold. Hot or frozen foods and how it is that we get ice cubes.

They can collect objects to school and feel textures of each one. Objects

like crayons, cardboard boxes, shells, stones, toys of different sizes and

shapes, matchsticks or sticks from trees, books etc. the feeling of wet

and dry. Feeling of boiling water can be dangerous.

What does it feel like when water is on your body? Does the water make

you feel good?



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The texture of hard or soft

Hard

What is hard?

Wood, furniture, hard covered books, floors,

What is soft?

Wool, sponges, clay, pillows, swabs,

Cushions, soft sand, bread

Revise these themes as often as you can. This allows children to

remember and understand easily. Daily talks of these topics will

enable them to talk and learn about the senses themselves.

Hearing of sounds

Loud

Sounds of thunder

Use of a drill

Sounds of a trumpet



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Slow

Walking slowly, dancing slow/waltz

Playing with soft toys

A cruise

Jogging instead of running

Near

Ringing of bells from a church

Doorbell ringing

Lighting a candle close to you

Eating at a restaurant near you

Alarm of a clock goes off near you

A place to go to



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Far

It could be a place to go to

Shops to go

A gym that you can go to

The clinic

Sounds

Sounds that you can recognise

Sounds of animals / nature

Tools

Spoons, forks and knives



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Emotions:

Children should be able to participate in discussion groups to discuss,

emotions, of one. Love and care they need, the need to be loved or liked

by someone, feel the warmth of love. They can love their parents, pets,

friends of family.



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Theme: Insects

A child can collect insects from a local environment. One can try

going to a nearby park or playground at school, in your garden or

even a river if close by. Encourage children to collect insects as

much as they can. They will need the top of the container to be

closed properly and it should be plastic containers. A net on top of

the container is a good idea.



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You can also build a home-made top to trap insects. Have the insects

taken to your classroom; they could be ants, ladybirds, ground crickets

and beetles. At school your teacher can help you identify the parts of

these insects.

It can be very exciting for children as this kind of project mainly takes

place at school, there are ideas that you can come up with. The size of

the insect, the number of legs it has, and the number of eyes it

has.

Find out how insects see and feel. Can you see its eyes? Are

they large or small eyes? What type of weather it prefers. Does it

like to be in the sun or in dark corners?



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Theme: Animals

Speak of animals to your child often so that he knows what it is

like to be close to one. Allow him to have a pet of his own. He will

realise that one can get close to a pet and love it too. He would

experience on his own about being affectionate towards an

animal. This would allow him to know that one can be close to

animals as well as humans. If he has a pet he should learn more

about it and take lots of care. He can get information about his pet

from library books if he doesn't know much about his pet. Also,

depending on the kind of pet he was.



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A child should know the kind of food he should feed his pet, know

the breed of his pet, and know how it should be t treated, where it

should sleep and lots more if necessary. Children learn lots from

these kinds of experiences.

It makes them feel responsible and free to know about what goes

on in their daily routine. Pre-schoolers can learn new ways of

how to take care of their pets and maybe get to know advanced

ideas. They eventually learn of wild and tame animals.



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Theme: Clocks

Pre-schoolers could look at library books that tell you how to see the

time on a clock; it will give them an idea. There are different types of

clocks, like watch faces with or without numbers, stop watches,

grandfather clocks, Mickey Mouse clocks and lots more. Draw a clock

for your child and he can be familiar with it as he would want to look at

it and have it taken to school daily.

A child will notice time on a clock after each of their daily programs.

This can allow him to see time. The sign of sunrise and sunset is one of

the ways in which he can learn to see time. He will experience the time

of day and night. Talk about the time of the year, the four seasons, alarm

clocks that go off at a specific time, when it is lunch time, supper time or

breakfast time.

Teachers should show the children the numbers on the clock, the number

of hands the clock consists of, talk about the hours, minutes, seconds and

the counter hand.



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Clocks should be drawn of all kinds to allow children to learn new ideas

of clocks and how it shows time.

Theme: Growing things

Allow your child to plant his own tree and he can watch it grow. Give

him that opportunity to watch something grow, it could be a good

experience for him as a pre-schooler. By doing this your child realises

what a plant needs to make it grow and how it should be done. He will

know where a certain plant should grow. Does it need to be planted in a

shady spot or a sunny spot? At home o school, children should be asked

to cover seeds with a dampened piece of cotton wool. It can be seeds of

beans just as an experiment. These seeds should be kept for a few days

in this way so that you can see what happens to the seeds. It can be very

exciting for children doing it for the first time. Besides the seeds under

damp cotton wool you as the parent can help your child to grow an

avocado plant.



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You can use the pip of an avocado, place it in a glass of water with four

matchsticks pricked into it, so that it just rests on the rim of the glass,

preventing the pip from being totally submerged in the water, and let it

stand for about a week or until you see shoots growing. When children

watch their own plants grow they tend to take a lot of care of it. They

water it daily and know that it should be in a certain spot. They also

learn that it needs a specific amount of sunlight and that it gets the right

soil. Pre-schoolers learn how to look after a plant and they know that it

should not be destroyed as it beautifies our gardens, provides us with

shade and plenty of fruit.



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Theme: Frogs

Introduce your child to frogs at home or at pre-school. Study its life-

cycle. Observe tadpoles/frogs. Children find it amusing playing with

frogs and also watching frogs jump and catching its prey with its slimy

tongue. Children can try to jump like frogs too. They should learn to find

out about frogs, about their habits and habitats and food requirements.

Also names of different kinds and areas where they are found. Frogs can

swim and children can do the same.

Do research and label parts of the frog's body. In this way you will know

what each part is. Frogs are amphibians as you know and it is because

they live half-time on land and half-time in water. Children love playing

with frogs because it is a harmless amphibian and they find them

fascinating. They also have a rough skin. More information on frogs can

be found in library books that specifically concern frogs or in

encyclopaedias. When reading magazines and by watching television

documentaries.



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Theme: Learning

At pre-school children should be allowed to discuss their experiences

they had feeling scared and panicky. The panic of talking to strangers,

being asked to perform in class can make one fearful.

Strength

Allow children to describe their feeling of strength. Physically strong,

they can demonstrate by showing how strong they are by methods of

exercising. Play games of action and swimming are ideal for children.

Your home

This theme is to create a skill of their own life to the lives of living in

their own homes. Children will eventually learn of the activities they

perform in each room, the photographs of their homes and the names of

each room. Discuss the chores of each room. What is the dining-room

for and what do we do in the bathroom? Explain to the children the

different kinds of homes that are built around us.



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Talk about the homes in different homelands like the cabins which are

made of timber and the thatch-roof house with has lots of dry grass on

the roof which some people like to live in. The Eskimo's live in igloos,

homes that are made of ice. Houses are made of bricks, blocks, stone or

even sticks when one cannot afford to build expensively.

Children can describe how big or small their rooms are. How many

rooms do they have? What kind of a roof do they have? What is the

shape of the windows? Is their neighbourhood safe? Do they enjoy living

in their neighbourhood? Is their home comfortable or spacious enough?

Do they have a fireplace in their home?



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Is water and electricity available in their home? Is water close to their

home? Some people that live on farms have to go a long way to fetch

water. People that live on farms have difficulty with the water, electricity

and toilets. These problems seldom experienced with those living in

residential areas or cities.

Theme: About your family and friends

Children should be taught of the pronunciation of names of their families

and friends and see photographs of friends and families too. Teachers

can ask children to bring photographs to school. It can be of friends,

family and of themselves. A discussion can take place about the people

in the photograph. Questions can be asked, like, do they know the name

of the person in the photo? Were they happy or sad when the photo was

taken? Does it look pretty? Talk about brothers and sisters in photos.

Ask how old they were at the time when the photo was taken.



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Mention grandparents and how they are related to them. Discuss being

friendly with neighbours, go to the shops together, try to invite each

other over to your homes, it will be quite interesting to know about each

other in different ways. Revise these themes weekly at school so the

children can remember and learn a lot from this aspect. They learn to

communicate better in class, when discussions are carried out more

often.

Our community

Have discussions about what a community consists of. Our community

consists of houses, streets, pavements, churches, temples, mosques,

health clinics, pre-schools, crèches, play schools, day-care centres,

shopping complexes, doctor's surgeries and libraries, optometrists, parks,

etc. These we have for the people of our community.



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Some people go to the community centres to have lessons on certain

interests that they would like to share with others of their own age group.

With the supervision of an adult, a child can take walks or organise an

excursion to explore the community centres. They can be told about their

community centres. For instance, about the churches, the kind of people

that goes to church, talk about the mosques, about the kind of people that

go to mosques, also about the temples, the kind of people that go to

temples too.

Children can observe their surroundings. Many people of different

cultures and ages like to go to their community centres. Some people

would prefer to be alone, or would like to meet people of their own age

group. Picnics can be one of a family get together in parks and it could

be fun. Some people attend the community centres in order to join

specific classes to learn or do activities of their own choice.



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Activities like painting, drawing, singing, dancing, even exercising

can be done. Worksheets can be made to show children in class

explaining to them the different activities we have in our

community centre. Children love dancing and this can be done at

our community centre. Tuition can be given to children if they are

interested. Dances like ballet, waltz, and jazz, break dancing if

needed and even learning to do different kinds of art. They can

learn to dress in different ways for each dance. The languages

that one speaks differ from the next person. Children could learn

these too. Cultures of other people should be taught to the

children of today, quite often a child wants to know or learn the

language or culture, and of others because it is different to the

one he/she has learnt.

At pre-school - inside the classroom

Discuss the area in which the children are going to play in and what it

contains. There should be a play corner, book corner, and toys for

children at the children's corner, crayons, clay, and paint for children to

do art activities. This is to get children to be playful and to explore their

surroundings.



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Children can play fantasy games like pretending to be mummy and

daddy, bake, and clean the house in the house area and lots more. In the

book corner they can play quietly, at the children's corner they can play

with blocks, toys, and be communicative. Children can paint and draw to

be imaginative. Using clay, or cooking dough to strengthen their

muscles.



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When outside the classroom

When children are outside the classroom they want to be active and play

games of all kinds. In the playground or garden, children can run, hop,

skip, jump, roll on the grass, play on a swing, play on a skate board etc.

They can smell different flowers in the garden, play with water, pour

water into bottles, tins, jars, buckets, blow bubbles, splash in the water

and have fun in doing it. Allow children to draw when outside. They can

draw what they find or something that they are playing with, or talk

about the object they found in the playground. Talk to children about the

different kinds of schools we have. Schools like the pre-schools, primary

schools, day-care centres, universities and secondary schools. Ask them

about their school and the number of rooms it consists of. What activity

is performed in each room? Who are the teachers that help perform these

activities?



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Do you have families that go to universities or secondary schools? Do

you know how they are taught at these schools? Sketches can be made of

other activities and then pasted onto the board. If children cannot think

of other activities then the teacher could go over the sketches with them,

they should not have to feel bored, always have some activity at hand for

them.

Discussions on streets

Children have to be aware when playing in the streets, especially if the

streets are busy. A quiet street is most appropriate. It is dangerous to

play in streets where there is daily traffic passing by, as children can be

hit by a passing vehicle. Always cross streets with an adult. Children

should never run across a street. Look left, look right and then look left

again before crossing.



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Listen and look for any traffic before crossing a street. Children should

walk on pavements and not close to the street, as accidents can occur

suddenly. In our community we have community workers, for example,

the garbage removal man who collects the garbage from our homes,

schools and parks etc.

We have the street cleaners who keep our streets clean. We have the

milkman who delivers the milk daily in most areas, and then there is the

postman who delivers the mail daily at home or into one's private post

box. There are lots of people who do these different tasks daily, they

have to be careful on the streets as they pass traffic all the time. The

postman wears a cap and a special uniform to perform his duties; it's to

specify that he is a postman. All the others mentioned wear specific

uniforms to be identified as a certain kind of worker. These sorts of

topics should be emphasized to children at pre-schools allowing them to

know more about their surroundings.



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The builders you see on the street, or in your neighbourhood, are the

people who build homes, office blocks, buildings that play a major part

in most people's lives because lots of people work in these buildings,

schools, libraries and cinemas etc. The council workers who clean the

parks daily also wear uniforms; this is mainly to protect their clothing.



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It is important for our environment to be clean all the time. Council

workers place bins in specific positions so one can put litter into these

bins.

The traffic officers are there to see that the motorists abide by the rules

and regulations of the road.

They deal with road safety, robots and controlling of traffic. Fire-

fighters are called out when there are fires that cannot be

controlled that easily. These men wear uniforms that are brightly

coloured. Fire-brigades are what firemen drive in case of an

emergency. The siren on the vehicle is switched on in order to

allow other vehicles to give way for it to pass. All these people go

for special training before they become used to working by

themselves. In most cases people train for a certain amount of

years before they become really experienced.



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Health and safety of our children

Health and safety of our children are very important. Parents and

teachers need to make sure that children always have their health

checked and that they are always safe. Having your child's health

checked can be done at clinics locally or at your family doctor.

Children should be told about themselves when playing because they can

get hurt and may need the help of a doctor. They should be allowed to

talk of their personal experiences when going to a doctor or clinic.

Questions can be asked about their visits at the clinic or surgery. What

did their medication taste like? Did they have an injection? If they did,

was it sore? Ask them to describe the clinic or surgery to you.



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What children should do to look after themselves?

Discuss the ways children should bear in mind to prevent themselves

from getting hurt.

Children should not play with any detergents, they can be poisonous.

They should not be in contact with medicines that are "for adults only".

Broken pieces of glass should not be lying around, they can cut

themselves.

All these mentioned should be kept away from children.



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Children should not be near boiling water or oil. They should not be near

a stove, a gas stove or a cooker. It can be dangerous. They can get burnt.

Children should not play with matches. They should always ask adults to

help them to do a certain chore that they are not capable of.

Safety in the area you live

Organise discussions amongst children about experiences of violence in

the area they live in. Each child should have a turn to talk of their

experience of violence and other children should pay attention to that

child telling of his experience. Other programmes that can be done are

the emergency of a fire-drill. It can be planned for children to respond to

it. In this way they get familiar with procedures planned, in an

emergency and they would know how to react, with doctors, nurses,

patients and equipment



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Doctors can be females or males. They wear white coats or a uniform to

specify that they are doctors. They see to patients that are sick, they give

medication to patients and perform operations if needed. They have to

study for many years and practice as well before becoming qualified

doctors. The needles they use are often sterilised after being used on a

patient. This is to prevent diseases. Discuss topics of nurses and doctors

to children. There are males and females that are nurses Ask children to

act like nurses and doctors at pre-school, these acts can be performed at

home too. Children can learn about doctors and nurses when they

pretend to be like one, and can then develop new ideas about them.

Themes: Houses

Children need to know about the shelter that they live in. They should

know what their houses are made of. Why is it important? Draw pictures

of your house and of other houses to show the differences in houses.

Show the different way houses are built and shaped. Make houses out of

a shoebox to show children how to play in a toy house. Little toy tea-

sets, furniture can be made to show what a house looks like inside. Find

out about the area you live in.



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The kind of house your neighbours have and the way their houses are

built compared to yours or others around your neighbourhood. There are

various kinds of houses that one can live in like the caravans that are

used when going on an outdoor trip, the thatched roof house, huts, igloos

and lots more which can be found in the library books.

Houses are of great meaning to people because it gives us

shelter and warmth. Without a house one cannot live a luxurious

life. Teachers can show children pictures of other houses.

Different people live in different homes. Some houses are made

of stone, ice, bricks or blocks.



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Theme: Icy treats

Ice sticks, are a delicious treat. All you need are plastic ice-lolly

containers (available from supermarkets) and a little imagination to

dream up delicious ice-lolly recipes. For a taste-bud tingling snack,

chop some fruit (apple, pineapple or peach) into little pieces and add to a

jug of fruit juices or cool drink. Pour into ice-lolly containers and

freeze. Alternately, freeze yoghurt. Children can help their parents when

performing these recipes and can learn a lot from participating in these

themes.



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Chapter Two

Discovery activities

The reason for the design and development of discovery activities will

depend of the needs of the learner and depend on the program needs.

These are activities that the parent and child or teacher and child discuss

together. In many cases it's the teacher and child because parents are

working and their children are left at pre-schools, day-care centres or

playgroups. Children find out about creating indoor activities, activities

that they can cope with.



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Most children learn to express themselves freely and develop their

imagination through fantasy play. Hand and finger puppets and dolls

with dressing up clothes are an excellent way to encourage this sort of

play. Discovery activities like creative play are one activity your child

can enjoy the most. Cutting, pasting, painting and drawing are favourites

of children's activities. Give your child theme colouring books on wild-

life for example, so that he can learn about the world while he colours in

pictures. Blunt-nosed scissors are ideal fur cutting pictures out of old

magazines. Most children enjoy painting and water-based paints are

easily removed from clothing. Balls are ideal for developing your child's

co-ordination. Show different sized balls to your child while outside and

encourage him to throw them back to you. Learning and copying things

differs from one child to the next.

Some children may learn best when activities are concrete, another when

activities are more open-ended and abstract. One can learn by seeing,

another by hearing, another by touching, and so it differs from one child

to the next. The differences in learning can be done within created

learning materials. For a child to learn, he needs to explore, investigate,

learning goes beyond experiencing.



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Learning should include activities that a child can touch, mould, create

and shape as part of their learning process. By design, learning materials

can be put together like puzzles, sorting colours to create a book or

collage.

Children have to have something to do or learn they feel excitement and

joy in learning creatively. To advance learning skills children should

have new skills and development. Methods of learning that would

motivate a learner to complete the task or activity. A learner should be

challenged to learn or try to excite a learner to perform. Methods and

approaches should be done to provide unique experiences. Focus of the

learner is increased and interest of tasks is increased too. Tasks using

pens and pencils can be replaced by learning games, projects and

activities. To increase self-study skills learners should be provided with

motivational and interesting tasks like, imagination and creative,

expression of a child's self-identity, self-confidence, warmth and esteem

is strengthened. Tasks can be provided to allow the child to pretend, to

create, to suggest and to imagine. A child is allowed freely to respond to

activities.



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At the age of three years old your child may have started drawing

pictures which represent people, animals or items, even if to mom's

untrained eye they look like mere squiggles on paper. Once he reaches

four or five, he'll be able to draw more realistic representation of what he

sees, although abilities vary enormously. Try using art to stimulate your

child's creativity in the following ways:

Once your child has drawn a picture, ask him to make up a story about it.

You could even write the words down and stick them to the picture, like

a cartoon.

You might find that he tends to copy favourite TV characters instead of

drawing his own. You can encourage him to elaborate on the theme by

adding his own characters to the picture.

If your child keeps drawing monsters, ask him to tell you what the

monsters mean to him. If he is frightened of them, suggest he comes up

with a way to get rid of them.



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Pre-schoolers are seldom influenced by outside opinion of what "right"

colours are and may have a favourite colour which dominates their

pictures, simply because the colour delights them.

As your child gets older, encourage him to let his imagination run freely

and to adapt what he sees to create original drawings instead of simply

reproducing what's in front of him.

Hopefully, his lack of conventional thought will carry over into

other areas of his life as well.

Discovery materials and activities

By allowing or telling your child to use designed tasks activities, their

learning can be pleasurable and successful. They will have confidence

when approaching activities and will be willing to complete activities

with little or no assistance. This will allow your child to have a positive

attitude towards learning. Use creative learning materials for daily

assignments, like phonic tasks. A special corner in your classroom can

be used for creativity and free time. You can get your child to perform a

project at this special corner. Organise special corners that are

educational, where children can perform various activities.



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Ways to create tasks at home

In your child's playroom set a special corner with crayons, felt-tipped

pens, pens, pencils, rulers, clay, a blunt-nose scissors and paper. A child

can use this area to perform various activities of his own imagination.

Set aside activity time at home daily, your child will enjoy these times

and have excitement in doing his activities. You will know your child's

weakness in various activities. Allow your child a day in a week to play

a night game with other family members. Spend some time at the library,

get tasks from a library book for your child to approach and complete.



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Use of cards

Using cards of various colours and shapes are learning tasks. Patterns on

cards are also used. Usually try to focus on one specific activity.

Through unique experiences the learner is motivated and challenged to

perform various tasks. Sorting of pictures, colours, shapes and activities

that require matching are highly motivating to learn Hobbies are some

activities that children can have, like horse-riding, collecting of stamps

of different countries, coins, learning to bake or cook, collecting of little

charms etc.



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Making of folders

Cut and paste two plain pieces of paper on one side only. You can make

it look like a folder by having holes punched in it or you could have file

clips to hold it together. Pictures can be stuck on the front to make it

look attractive. In this folder you can keep lots of your personal

belongings like little newspaper articles and so on. Using specific words

from stories, poems and rhymes you can ask children to form sentences

and see how many they can do.



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Additional activities

Keep a chart of a well-balanced diet for children and keep note of

daily eating habits. Take children out to supermarkets so they are

able to know and identify the different fruits and vegetables on

their own. A well balanced diet is very important for their bodies.

Encourage children to have fruits and vegetables and bran foods

daily. Plenty of fresh juices, milk and water are healthy to have.

Rhyming of words

The learner will have to match words that end in the short sounds.

For example: bat, cat, rat, and mat, sat, fat

Pot, cot, lot, dot, not, hot

Fin, grin, din, tin

Live, dive, jive, five

Met, net, get, set, let, pet



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Vowel sounds

Words with long vowel sounds: light, ruler, teach, break

Short vowel sounds

Lend, bend, send, mend, bind, duck, chick, gent, cot, etc.



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Art

Thicker and less sticky than mud, and more applicable than clay is, ideal

for modelling objects of art. It's also cheap and can be used over and

over again. Show your child how water makes clay pliable and

encourage him to mould shapes, using a finger dipped in water to

smooth over any cracks which appear. Clay should be modelled on a

non-porous surface, like plastic wrapped in a damp cloth when you've

finished using it, to prevent it from drying out. It can be purchased from

art shops.



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Art Activities:

Marvellous construction toys and play dough

Any building activity presents plenty of hand-eye co-ordination

challengers to pre-schoolers. Even before your child is a year old he can

benefit from nesting and stacking toys and large but simple building

blocks; and play dough, graduating to more complicated models through

the pre-schooler's years. By using construction toys and play dough, your

child will learn:

Shapes, colours and sizes

Fine finger movements

Balance



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To sort and group items

From two years old, as your child becomes more imaginative in his play,

he'll start to make simple cars and houses out of uncomplicated blocks.

He'll also develop fine-finger control and a greater understanding of how

things fit together.

Building block-kits with vehicles, people and animals will encourage

him to use his imagination and to add on ideas of his own. Young

children enjoy playing with crayons, that's what every child wants to do

when they are just pre-schoolers or even younger.



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They like to draw or scribble on walls or paper, the enjoyment coming

from seeing the different shapes and colours they can make. This activity

is most enjoyed on bad weather days when one has to stay indoors.

These scribbles that a child makes mean something to him as it is how he

actually learns to write and draw and eventually it will lead to circles or

even showing pictures. By praising your child for the scribbles makes

him feel that his work is important and appreciated. They also feel proud

and very much encouraged.

Nursery rhymes, at the age of two a child starts to enjoy rhymes and

sing-along tapes that are super for encouraging them to sing and dance

and to perform the appropriate actions. This is a good idea for an indoor

activity. Children can play sing-along games with other members of the

family. It can encourage your child to enjoy nursery rhymes even more

at his age.



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Providing indoor activities for children

Painting and drawing are a wide range of activities for your child. It is

also important for him to use crayons that are thick enough to hold.

Drawing for children is a universal process. They don't need to be shown

what to do when working with paint or crayons because it happens

automatically.

As their powers of observation and muscles develop, they learn better.

All parents or teachers need to do is to provide lots of plain paper,

crayons and lots of time for the child to draw and be occupied.



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Painting is more appealing than drawing. The child is able to mix paint

colours together and making strokes with the paint brush has a very

interesting effect. Using bright colours for blotches are the first paintings

of a child. At first he will not use colours of paint as needed but as time

goes on it will be shown in their choices.

It's important for children to paint whenever they want to without fuss

or trouble. When a child wants to paint, make sure that the table he is

going to work on is fully covered with old newspaper. Also, the child

working with paint must have an apron on to protect the clothing. Use

thick brushes, they are most popular, and also have thin brushes

available. An early interest in painting for children is much more

interesting because it will give them that creative thinking. So, it's good

to encourage children to paint as it is one of the most glorious parts of

creativity in a child's life. It's also a good idea that they have the ability

to paint whenever they want, and it should be done freely.



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Materials used for painting

One can do painting with lots of other tools other than just paint brushes.

Children can use old toothbrushes, sponges, straws or any unwanted

tools that have patterns on it. Painting can be done outside if it is a

sunshine day as this will allow the paint to dry quicker.

Cutting of shapes to use when painting (Collage)

Cut shapes of thick cardboard, shapes could be of a butterfly, of squares,

of circles, triangles, oval, rectangle etc. This can be done very easily

with different colours of paint to make it look attractive. Children can

then paint the shapes and have them cut and pasted into a book. This is

called a collage.



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Colours mixed

Children love using bright colours irrespective of what they use,

be it paint or crayons. So, by allowing your child to mix the bright

colours like red, yellow and orange it makes all sorts of colours.

It's something for your child to enjoy by himself and have new

experiences with.



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Art at home

This is an excellent idea or way to stimulate your child's mind and

to encourage creative thoughts that will keep him happily

entertained for hours. While colouring-in books can be lots of fun,

your child can also creatively benefit from having to come up with

his own pictures with just a large blank piece of paper and some

crayons in front of him.

Paint painting

Making a mark with an object on a piece of paper is most satisfying with

children. All you need to do is to provide them with paper and brightly

coloured objects like cotton reels, corks, old toys, leaves, twigs etc.

Alphabets can be made from thick cardboard which can also be used.

Prints can be made by hand and foot as well. Dip your child's palm, or

foot, into the paint, and place on a plain piece of paper, making designs

of all different sizes of hands or feet. Potatoes can be cut into different

sizes and shapes and can be printed with paint and different patterns

could be made with it.



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Riot of colour and imagination

Your child's artistic talent is more likely to blossom if he has no fear of

breaking painting 'rules'. Being given the freedom to experiment with

colour, shape and technique is what opens the doors to the enchanting

world of art.

Forget the traditional easel, paint on the floor instead (cover it with

newspaper for protection). You'' find that your child's art will reflect his

interests, whether it is trips to the park or to the beach, his pets or

favourite video character. He'll learn to observe the world more closely

and have fun interpreting his adventures and feelings. Anything goes

when you paint.



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Houses don't have to look real and elephants can be pink. The more

freedom he has to express himself, the more enthusiastic your young

painter will be and his pictures will reflect his personality. Avoid

analysing your child's art for him. What you see and what he may be

trying to paint could be worlds apart. Ask him what he is drawing and

comment favourably on his use of colour or the interesting pattern of

lines on the page.

Different strokes

Don't restrict your child to paintbrushes; try these ideas for interesting

results:

Let him use his fingers and toes (water based paints only)

Give him a feather to paint with or a straw to blow the paint through

Leaves make excellent stencils, as do plastic party cutters in assorted

shapes

Fat and thin brushes will inspire your child to experiment with paint



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Cotton wool and sticks make interesting patterns in water colour paint

Cut a potato in half and carve an interesting shape into it Your child can

dip it into the paint and stamp patterns with it.

Joint project

The most rewarding way to help your child to learn about the joy

of painting is to experience it yourself. Tap into this sense of

wonder and join him. If you don't have much faith in your artistic

abilities, see it as doodling and enjoy it. Painting with your left

hand (if you are right handed), or vice versa, will add to the no

rules fun. Work with your child on a painting - you paint a line

then suggest he adds a line and so on. In this way you will

develop a new way of communication with each other. Most

importantly, remember the point of painting is to connect with your

feelings and creativity, and not about achieving perfect results.



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Painting tips

Give your child large sheets of paper to paint on so that he can splash

out.

Keep painting sessions short, as pre-schoolers have a limited attention

span. Half an hour to an hour is enough.

Show him how to wash his brushes between colours.

Let your budding artist develop his new skill at his own pace.

Always use water-based paints as it washes off easily.

Don't distract him from his efforts by complaining about the mess.

Once he's finished, display his works of art where everyone can see

them.



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Pleasure of painting

During the early years your child is like a little sponge, continually

absorbing new information and ideas. The pre-school years are an ideal

time to encourage your child's creative thought and painting is an

imaginative way for him to express his feelings and interpret life as he

experiences it. Even a child who prefers action to art will enjoy painting

if it's specially geared to his personality and interests. It's how to

encourage your budding Picasso.



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Playing games (fantasy) not real

Children enjoy playing games such as house games and a bit of story

acting and dressing up games. To make a house they would need a large

box. Children could have toys inside the box like toy tea-sets, dolls, toy

pots and pans, whatever is needed to make it look like a home.

They can pretend to be cooking and entertaining a family or friend. Ask

children to dress up as clowns or some elegant lady, play parts of a play

from one of their story books. It could be fascinating playing the

characters in the story book. It can improve your child's vocabulary.

When applying make-up check for allergic reactions. Do not leave

make-up too long on the child's face.



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Let’s pretend. Make believe lets your child shape his world as he

finds his place in it. There might be a place for you too. Pretend

play is a crucial element in your child's development (ages 2-3

years). By the time a child is two, parents begin to focus on school

readiness. It's certainly helpful to sing number rhymes or paint out

letters in a book. Exploration makes the child better able to absorb

the facts of the world, numbers, colours, shapes or the alphabet.

Opportunity allows them to start developing their own way of

controlling themselves.



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Get into shapes

Spotting shapes may seem pure fun. What child can resist posting

circles, squares or stars through a shape-sorter or trying to cram his

shoes through the flip-lid bin in the kitchen and then wondering why

different shapes cannot fit together? Identifying shapes is, however, an

important learning skill. It aids your child's visual discrimination and

ability to recognise both numbers and letters when it's time for him to

read. As your pre-schooler matches, sorts and puts names to shapes, he's

developing basic language and mathematical concepts through active

play and discussion. Here are some simple yet, effective ideas for

activities you can share at home.



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Games with shapes

Start by assembling your props. Make an assortment of squares,

rectangles, circles, semi-circles, triangles, diamonds, ovals and stars out

of coloured cardboard or foam.

Make a shape post-box

Take a large piece of cardboard and cut out a square hole, a triangular

hole, a rectangular hole and a circle, making sure that they are slightly

bigger than your cardboard or foam shapes. Fold the cardboard and

staple or tape it together to form a cylindrical post-box.



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Spot odd one out

Place four squares and a rectangle together on a tray and ask your child

which is the odd one out. You can repeat this activity using a variety of

combinations.

Test his memory

Put five different shapes on a tray and let your child have a good

look at them. Now ask him to close his eyes while you take one

away. Can he tell which shape is missing?

Make a sequence

Prepare a double-set of various shapes, and then make a simple sequence

of three to four shapes, for example, a square, circle, triangle and a star.

Ask your child to copy the sequence by placing the identical shapes on

top of one another.



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Creative shape

There are various other games you can play with shapes designed to

stimulate your child's creativity.

Build towers with blocks and bricks of different shapes

This helps your child to learn which shapes are the most stable and

which fit together well.

Dot-dot - drawing shapes

Draw four dots, indicating the points of a square and pencil in a tiny

arrow to show in which direction your child's crayon should travel. Let

him join the dots. Do the same with circles, rectangles or a triangle.



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Trace-it

Draw a shape, then tape a piece of tracing paper on top and ask your

child to draw the outline carefully on the tracing paper following the

picture. This can be done in most pictures.

Stencil shapes

Make cardboard stencils of various shapes and get your child to

draw around them. He can colour them in and cut them out

afterwards



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Use his sense of touch

Draw shapes on a page after you have spread some glue on it

and then sprinkle sand, sugar or glitter on top. Once it's dry your

child can feel the textures of each and it can also be done with

shapes. He can become familiar with the textures of each shape

that's been spread with the different kinds of grain.

A world of shapes

Whether your child's splashing about in the bath or travelling with you in

the car, you can play 'spot the shape' games, as we're surrounded by

shapes all the time.

At home

Look for big shapes like windows, doors, TV, washing machine

(including the window of the washing machine), bed, bookcase

and rugs. Then move onto smaller items like plates, saucers,

table-mats, place mats and bathroom tiles (point out how they fit

together exactly).



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Out and about

During a car journey, look out for different shaped road signs and name

boards, for example triangular, circular and rectangular or diamond-

shaped, even an oval shape.

Shapes on plates

You could arrange food on your child's plate in different shapes,

for example a pile of peas and a square of mashed potatoes.



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Food itself also comes in various shapes, for instance a round

hamburger patty as well as fruits and vegetables. Oranges, peas

and meatballs are also rounding. Fish fingers are rectangular and

you also get square sandwiches.

Toys that shape up

These are great toys for teaching shape awareness.

Shape sorters, starting with the most basic and progressing to more

elaborate containers with complex shapes.

A set of building bricks in a range of shapes and sizes.



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Information about Shapes

Jigsaw puzzles will encourage your child to look carefully at shapes and

to try to fit them together. Start with simple peg jigsaws or inset boards,

where a small number of pieces fit into a surround.

It's best to teach your child the names of shapes right from the

start, as they become part of his everyday vocabulary. For

example refer to circles and squares and not to 'rounds' or 'boxes'.



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Making of flash cards

Make some flash cards with action words on and ask your child to

do the action of each word. Words like run, jump, skip, turn

around, bend, kneel, frog jumps, duck walks, hop and lots more

that you can think about.

Collecting of various small treasures for children

Children enjoy collecting beads, shells, cans, stickers, badges, old

pencils, old ribbons, strings, little charms, key rings and so on. All of

which will be piled up in corners of the playroom. In this way they learn

a lot about the collectables, so that by the time they start school they are

familiar with the way the little collectables feel and they also know how

to count.

Get your child interested in comparing the collectables.

Which are round, short and dark in colour?

What are the names of each collectable?



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Go on to describing the family of the child.

How tall or short is mum or dad?

What is the colour of the child's hair?

What is the colour of the child's eyes?

They can make pictures of their parents and stick them on the walls. This

will get your child to talk descriptively and he will also be aware of how

his parents look.

All collectables of children can be used to decorate when sending gifts,

for instance beads can be stuck on to the gift wrap. Some coloured dust

can be put on to the gift wrap to make it look shiny or glittery.



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Learning to understand and observe numbers

As seen on the previous page the activities of allowing your child to

learn is the activity of collectables. These differ from child to child as

others may be just ready to start school by knowing enough to start off as

a first time at school and others will want to go on further (knowing

more).



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These children learn every day with each other, also with other activities.

Children must never be forced to learn or take part in games they don't

feel like. Choose a time when you and your child are relaxed to

participate in activities.

Does the child know the actual meaning of numbers?

Many children learn to count at an early age but do they know the

actual meaning of numbers? If you ask your child to bring you 4

oranges you just may be given 2 or 3 oranges, all that the child

knows is that it is more than 1. Below are some ideas on how to

help your child to understand clearly.

Help your child to match numbers

Place two or three balls in the table. The balls should be differently

designed. Now ask your child to match each one. They could also be

different coloured, or sizes. Say "There are six bunches of grapes on the

plate that's placed on the table". You take away four of them and then

you can help your child with the answer.



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Do not go onto bigger numbers until the child has coped with smaller

ones, as he will not be able to take too much of learning all at once. Get

the child to add and subtract, he will enjoy it. By using smaller numbers,

and small or big objects, to teach your child is a good experience and a

lot of fun.



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Using picture cards

Draw eight spoons on a card, or using the numbers from 1-10

draw any object you please on all the cards of a postcard size.

Now, help your child to arrange them in order highest to lowest or

vice versa.

How do things around the house work?

All gadgets that we have at home for our use to make it easier for

us can be of some entertainment for our children too. Things like

typewriters, telephones, radios, TV, clocks, door knobs, alarms,

kettles, fridges and so on. So, when your child is bored, help him

to get to know all the functions and maybe you can learn

something new.



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Toys that have wheels

Explain to your child about the purpose of wheels on vehicles or trolleys.

Your child's push chair and little toys like trucks and cars. The reason for

these having wheels is that trolleys are used to serve tea or food to

people; trucks have wheels to move on the road, the same with cars etc.

Talk to your child about your telephone at home. Why do you have a

telephone? Why does it have numbers on it? There is a lot that one can

teach a child at home and about the surroundings.



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Art activities

Art is something introduced to children to form a picture or model.

When a child is encouraged to look, touch and talk about the things he is

going to draw, the more detailed his work will be. Children should

analyse colours of art to be used. This can then be transformed to their

own creative efforts.

Art can be done indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather. Line is

mostly used in drawing. A child starts off drawing and writing with a

line and it is done effortlessly. Children find plenty of encouragement by

using chalks, crayons, coloured-tipped pencils, pens and pencils to make

lines when drawing. Colour is what children respond to for the pleasure

it gives. They like using bright colours and also learn from mixing

colours together to get a completely different colour to paint a certain

picture.



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The textures of things around us, children, are always told not to touch

things when outside but without touching the child cannot know the

difference between soft, hard, rough or smooth. Pattern of art can be

found on face bricks, houses that are built of glass, tiled roofs, leaves,

nature, and these man-made patterns which can be made when using

paint. Children can use leaves, corks, stems, flowers, pebbles and shells

to be decorative on fabric and paper, for instance.

Creativities

Clay and cooking dough can provide children with lots of

opportunities in creative activities. Young children are highly open

and creative. Creativity is when a person makes something for

him/herself and it is valued by the individual.



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Something that one can think about doing on his/her own. When

someone is creating something they have a plan in doing it. This

involves ideas, exploring and using his imagination. Children can

enjoy activities in which they can participate freely and openly.

They want to express themselves openly and want to bring out

new ideas and experiences. Creativity is enjoyed in many ways.

All children are creative to some extent in life. They are not

creative in the same way. Observe children when they are

working with materials. They should be encouraged to share

experiences. Always praise a child when being creative. In this

way they feel proud and know their work is appreciated. Children

find out things for themselves and it is fun when they do it on their

own. They feel that they are encouraged. When, attempting, art

activities use leaves to do drawing. Cutting of shapes can be

used.



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Organising discovery activities

These are activities that are organised by parent, teacher or other

concerns. It's done for a specific purpose concerning pre-schoolers or

adults. Parents should take their children to theatres, concerts and shows.

This should be done regularly as it can make your child aware of what to

expect if she is ever interested in taking part in the dances presented to

her. These are done at an age that she is able to perform such an act.

During school holidays you can take them to shows or concerts and

theatres as this can encourage them in the art of acting as well.



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By allowing your child to see how it's done will give them an idea of it.

Puppet shows and concerts are also good outings. Dancing is a good

start for pre-schoolers as they learn it quite easily. As they get older they

can become professional and learn to master their steps more easily.

Ballroom dancing is a good starter. Practice with your child at

home to mime, miming is a good practice as it does not involve

verbal ability. Parent and child could organise to have some

debate or play at home, a few friends and family can be included.

Children learn from these outings and the more often they are

taken to puppet shows and concerts, the more active and

outgoing they will become. They will get used to different people

and there will be no chance of them becoming withdrawn at all.

Organising birthday parties

Children love eating cakes and all sweet goodies, but before they start on

all of that, you will persuade them to have at least one healthy sandwich.

When your child turns a year old, you would want to give him a big

party. It is very interesting as it's his first experience and you are very

anxious about it. Keep the excitement level down on your child as it can

lead to tears.



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How big or small it should be? Depending on how experienced you are

don't invite too many children as then you may not be able to handle all

at once. The children tend to misbehave and the party will not be

enjoyed because there are too many children to cope with. Rather have

about 6-8 children for the beginning, until you get to increase it or until

you get more experienced. Inviting the parent and child, the parents can

stay with their children at the party for a while, or if wanted, parents can

stay till the party is finished. In this way nobody gets out of hand

because the parent of each child is present. Children behave when their

parents are there. Games can be played after the party.



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Presentation of food

Food can be presented by making sandwiches, little cakes,

sausage rolls, or cooked food.. There could be some sweets,

chocolates, fruitcakes, ice-cream with cones and maybe some

custard and jelly, if possible.

Special day for mums and dads

Children can treat their mums and dads to a good breakfast in bed. They

can buy a card or present too, that's if they can. No matter what they do,

it is the thought that counts. In this way mums and dads feel special. It's

time for children to show their parents how much they mean to them.



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At school teachers can help children to make a Father's Day card or a

Mother's Day card.

Making of special cards

At pre-school children can make cards with the help of their

teachers. They can make a card by using crayons to draw on

some paper and folding it into a card. Teachers can also show

children how glue can be put on the front of the card and some

glitter can be applied on it to look attractive. With the help of a

teacher some sweet words can be written on the inside to surprise

mum or dad.



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Cultural festivals

These are festivals that our community look forward to every year. It’s a

traditional festival. Festivals like Easter, Diwali and Eid. Easter, it's the

resurrection of Christ. It's a spring festival where people buy lots of

Easter eggs, hot cross buns and lots of sweets. At pre-school children get

to make Easter cards with an Easter bunny drawn on the cards to feature

the kind of festivity it is. Get books from the local library to give you

detailed information on the festivities you are interested about. Diwali.

During this festival Hindus, light lamps and lights in their homes

because this is what it is all about. It's a festival, when people make

sweets for the aim to give out to other people. They exchange parcels

from one home to another.



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The dressing for this festival is with Indian clothing, and saris or any

fancy clothing. This comes around October-November every year. It's

called the festivity of lights.

This festival celebrated by Muslims, called, Eid, throughout the world.

They have got to fast for a month in order to feast at this festival. When

it's time for them to feast they cook lots of food to give to the poor

people and for charity to homes for the disabled.



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They always dress with clothing that covers their bodies fully. This can

be spoken to by children at pre-school or at home by the parent. Books

can be borrowed from the library if one wants to know more.

Art discovery

Allow children to cut and paste pictures on boards or books to

make a picture book or a picture board. They can play with clay

or, even play dough too to make patterns and shapes of all sizes.

Art entails lots of creativity for children.

Drawing and painting

Give children crayons which are thick, and paint brushes should also be

thick, so that it's easier for the children to hold and it does not break

easily. Modelling with clay can be of great fun for children. This

strengthens their muscles. They can shape, roll, hit and sculpt with clay.



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Make biscuits with faces by using colourful sweets like liquorice or any

sweet in a round form, these can be very exciting for children.

Drawing with chalk

Children should be allowed to draw freely with chalk. They can draw

lines, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, circles and scribbles. This makes

them feel that they are capable of lots of creative work. If you don't have

a chalkboard, allow your child to draw with a stick on sand or by using

his finger on muddy ground to write on.



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Make puppets

This involves creative art work because you need accessories like beads

for the eyes, a piece of board to cut the shape of the mouth and so on. It

can be done attractively involving art to a certain extent.

Making a collage

Put out a variety of materials of different shapes, colours, textures, like

wool, bottle tops, small plastic lids, paper plates, toilet rolls, crayons, felt

tipped pencils and felt-tipped pens etc.



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This is one of the best ways of learning as you learn the five senses and

it's more of a learning experience.

Making of shakers

Make a number of shakers by putting small objects into a bottle and

tighten the lid so that the objects do not come out of the bottle when

shaking it. You can shake it and hear the kinds of noises it makes.

Children can put uncooked rice, dry beans, beads, paper clips, marbles

and small items like bits and pieces of hard plastic or little blocks into

the shaker.

Finger painting

Place some old newspaper on the table that you are going to work with

paint on, and then children can use the different colours of paint with

their fingers to make a variety of designs.



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They need to express their feelings in some way and painting is one of

the ways in which they can express their feelings.

Making clay sculptures

Clay has a smooth touch. Children should be encouraged to experiment

with clay even if it is messy. They can experience this as a positive and

enjoyable art.



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Making of masks

Masks can be made for children out of all kinds of shapes. Children

should be given the opportunity to explore. They can express themselves

and also gain more confidence in trying to create things for themselves.

They can draw a face on a paper plate and any facial expression can be

made. Eyes can be cut out, the mouth and nose can be drawn and they

can hold the mask in front of their faces, this is very easily done.



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Making objects out of boxes

Children can make cars out of boxes. They can find toilet rolls to make

the wheels, it can also be painted. They can make lots of different

structures out of boxes.

Cutting and sticking of shapes

Children can cut shapes and stick in their picture books, shapes like oval,

triangle, rectangle, square, circle and diamond shaped cardboard.

Pictures can be cut out of old magazines and pasted onto pieces of

cardboard.



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During baking

You can help your child to bake cakes of all different shapes and sizes.

A cake can be made round, in the shape of a car, train, house, butterfly

or whatever shape or size you want it to be. Professional bakers can help

you to do it. Draw family faces in each circle or oval shape you cut out

of a book or of the shapes you've drawn. Creativity is an extremely

important foundation for an intelligent and aware approach to life.

Children can only express themselves when they are free to explore their

art. They should express their own images through art. Help children to

design family cards. These cards can be decorated and words of their

imagination can be written on the inside.



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Having to know about a class tree

Ask each child to draw himself, or the members of his family, on each

branch of a class tree and place each branch on the tree. Names of

friends can also be written. Children can find objects, they can find

leaves in the garden that have different shapes and sizes or twigs, and

they can use paint to draw a colourful class tree. The leaves and twigs

can be used after it has been painted, to make their own class tree.



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During the paint procedure allow children to feel the texture of leaves,

they can paint the leaves and make prints on plain white paper and then

textures of the paint can be felt. Different designs can be made. Organise

an excursion or a day out to the recycling waste material area. A list of

waste material can be brought to school. It can be empty cans of canned

vegetables or fruit, empty toilet rolls, plastic jars, jam tins, empty pickle

bottles, spice bottles, margarine containers, ice-cream containers, cotton

reels, sweet wrappers, milk cartons, cigarette cartons, polystyrene, egg

trays etc. Big boxes that are not in use can be recycled.

Children should be allowed to stick any of the above items

together, they can be constructive with this waste material as it

can be painted or coloured with crayons. Children become very

creative at a young age. Going to places of art or to some festival

can make your child learn lots of new ideas and thoughts. By

allowing your child to go to parties at their friend's house, or for an

excursion to a different place, allows your child to be outgoing and

to feel free when in the presence of other people, and not to be

shy. A child should feel free to ask questions about the new

environment and feel free to observe new surroundings.



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Creativity

Creating a bind out of construction paper is one way a child shows

creativity. Cooking dough can provide children with many opportunities

for creative activities. Creativity may result in new ideas or new

thinking, new creating and new experiences.

Encouraging children's creative nature makes a difference for a child

going to pre-school.



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During creativity identify how the child goes about working with the

materials provided. Not all children work at the same pace, some

complete their art, and some don't. Some children get tired and some

don't. There are a few factors that teachers should bear in mind at all

times, especially with regards to young children.

Firstly, children should be encouraged to share and experience their

creative work.

Ask children to draw their own experiences and stories. Creativity is a

way a child makes something, a way of thinking or acting. Young

children are creative and they can do things in a unique way. Both child

and teacher benefit from creativities. Children become creative when

they are able to solve problems, redefining situations, demonstrating and

flexibility.

Teachers should teach children of the change that is natural in life and

that many problems that we have do not have easy answers. Materials

are needed for creative work an apron to be put on when working with

paint and old newspaper to cover the table you are going to work on.



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Use of sponges or cotton wool can make your art work exciting. The

time you need can be unlimited, you can have hours of fun. Playing

house is part of a child's creativity. Children should not be hurried; they

should be doing their work at their own pace. Keep them relaxed when

working. It allows children to be imaginative.

What would happen if we had no transport? What would happen if all

flowers were white and the surroundings we lived in were all white too?

What would happen of everybody did what everybody else did? What

would it be like of everybody lived in the same kind of houses?

Another question to be asked is, in how many different ways can certain

items be used?

In how many different ways can a knife be used?

In how many different ways can a spoon be used?

In how many different ways can certain tools be used?

All these questions get your child thinking and he becomes more

creative too.



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Try to find out the interests of children and what it is that they can do.

What are the different kinds of drawings and paintings they can do?

What are they mastering at their age? Permit children to work with

friends. This gives them new ideas to learn differently. Activities that

children are working at should be fun for them. When children are

provided with proper material they can create their own fun. Children

must feel rewarded and satisfied for their efforts. Modelling of clay is

special for children.

The feeling of clay motivates the continuation of the activity. The

imaginative use of colour and shape and form can help provide children

with the reading readiness skills necessary for later schooling. Children

can have something to create about by outdoor trips. Pre-schoolers look

in many different ways, touching, patting, poking, and even tasting are

ways for looking for children. When they are involved in creative

activities they may express strong feelings and emotions. By allowing

them to work with other children, they will learn to respect the feelings

of others. Pre-schoolers continually learn new ways to create materials

and activities.



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Pre-schoolers (2-5 yrs)

Their interest holds for 10-15 minutes. Simple activities should be

planned in advance. Children should be spoken to about their activities

before they approach them. They should not be bored as they have a

short period of concentration.

Outdoor discovery activities

Playing with water is a great way to spend quality time with your pre-

schooler and you don't need a pool. A little time, imagination and a few

simple accessories can introduce your child to concepts like wet and dry,

warm and cold, transparency and colour provide a wonderful afternoon's

entertainment.



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Splash happy

Bath time is the ideal time to introduce water games. You don't have to

buy bath toys, plastic containers or any shape and size will do. Throw a

ping-pong ball into the bath so that your child can see how it makes the

water ripple and it floats immediately to the surface, where as a cup

filled with water sinks to the bottom of the bath. Show him how a dry

sponge soaks up water so he can watch water passing through the holes,

the same can be done with a strainer.



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Blowing bubbles:

This is a game that pre-schoolers find enormously entertaining. See who

can blow the biggest bubble, or blow bubbles for your child and see how

many he can pop. Here's a tried and trusted bubble recipe. Dissolve a

tablespoon of soap powder in a cup of boiling water and allow it to cool.

Use a piece of wire that has a round end to blow bubbles and that is big

enough to hold. Water play is a wonderful way to stimulate your child's

senses and a bath is superb entertainment for little splashes.

During the hot summer days your child will appreciate periodic cool

swims particularly if you add some entertaining bath toys.



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You can put your child in a pool outside in a shady spot and partly fill it

with cool water. Stimulate your child's hearing by encouraging him to

listen to the different sounds water makes when poured from a jug, when

running from a tap and when he splashes his hands and feet in water.

Bubbles can also be made when washing with soap. Encourage children

to play with boats and other toys in the water. Give them some ice-cubes

to play with so they can also see it dissolve. Even though water can be

messy, children do have fun with it. Water comes out of hose pipes,

sprinklers, and taps. One can play with water by using tea pots, kettles

and out of strainers, cups and buckets. Ask your child questions about

water. How hot or cold is it? How do you get ice-cubes with water? Do

you enjoy water? What do you use water for? Is water precious to us?

How much fun do they have with water? Do they love splashing in

water?



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Skittle action

Half fill 10 plastic cool drink bottles of the same size with water. Seal

the bottles and then stand them in four rows (four at the back, three in

the next row, two in the second row and one in the front).

Your child should stand about 2 metres away and roll a large rubber ball

towards the skittles. The aim of the game is to knock over the front one

so that it falls and knocks over the rest. As your child's aim improves,

he'll be able to stand further away and use smaller balls. Playing skittles

will help improve hand-eye co-ordination and will provide hours of fun.



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A day on the farm

This is a common activity for your child. It is organised by the teacher to

spend a day on the farm. If you live on a farm then you are lucky.

Children living on farms or visiting farms can discover lots of new ideas

and explore new surroundings. In this way children have an idea of what

goes on daily on a farm. There are lots of cattle, bulls, pigs, goats,

sheep, ducks, chickens, geese, ponies and even birds. There are lots that

are mentioned, but depending on what kind of farm it is. There are

different kinds of farms that only breed specific kinds of animals.



136

These are the different kinds you get, so on your visit to these farms ask

questions about it. Some animals are pets on farms, some are not pets,

and they are just wild animals that live around close to the farm. The

buck or antelope mainly move around at night so one cannot see them in

the day.

There are a number of questions that can be asked on trips like this. How

is it that we get pork, beef and mutton? How do we get chickens to eat?

How do we get our eggs? Where does milk come from? Where does

cheese and butter come from? When children are taken to a farm, often

they enjoy it a lot and learn a lot from it.

They become adventurous. There are tractors on farms that are at

work daily, lots of labourers, trees that are used for firewood and

to make paper.



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These trees are chopped down and supplied to companies to be

manufactured for people's useful needs. Children grasp things

easily; exploration and experiences are needed for pre-schoolers.

A day at the lake

Having a day out with your child at the lake can be very much of an

exciting activity for your child. They become very playful. This gives

your child that experience of looking out more on an eventful day. A

child would love to be somewhere different. Foods that can be taken for

small snacks can be sausage rolls, pies, or sandwiches that your child

enjoys.



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You could have a barbecue, if you feel up to it. Allow your child to

take a ball with him or have a kite to take if there is a bit of a

breeze blowing. If there are four or five children the merrier it will

be. They can play and have fun and see some wild like if there is

any. Talk to your child about the different kinds of trees around

your picnic area. There may be swings nearby so allow your child

to play on the swings for a while. It can be very fun-filled and he

will enjoy being able to play so freely.

Going on a holiday

When going on a holiday try to get to places that have beaches or that

are close to beaches. Having your child taken to the beach is wonderful

because he learns a lot from that experience. Carrying a first-aid kit is

most important and don't forget to dress for the occasion. The sand on

the beach has a fine and grainy texture. Children build sandcastles and

roll on the sand. They dig up sand and play with it in all different ways

and while doing that they get to feel the textures of it. A back wave on

the beach can be very dangerous.



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Try not to turn your back to the sea with your child, as the wave can take

you and him into the water. The current of the wave is much stronger

when your back is turned to it.

To play with, children can find shells, stones etc on the beach.

These can be used as a collection, to play with or can be kept in a

cabinet at home for a display. It can be stuck on a board to be a

fancy attraction to your child's friends or families. Show your child

the different types of seaweeds that one can find on the beach.

Always remember to be with your child when on the beach and

never leave him unattended.



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Toddler's tips

Developing a sense of texture can help your child's fingers to become

more sensitive to touch.

Paint with butterscotch pudding - use both hands on the table. This could

extend into body painting. Mix flour and water with hands, knead, pull

and squeeze. Mess in the mud or play in the sandpit. Crawl through

tunnels, over mats, carpets or roll over large balls. Hide under duvets, or

large sheets of fabric. Have a messy day. Experiment with jelly (squish

feet in it too).

Paint on large surfaces with yoghurt or cream (glass doors or windows -

it's easy to spray down or wash off). Play with coloured ice-cubes that

melt in water. Splash cooked spaghetti around in water. (At this age food

products are more fun because so much exploration happens through the

mouth).



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Just because you, the parent, don't like the feel of something, try not to

deprive your child of the sensation. Let him explore freely within safe

limits.

You can do all the above, as well as:

Finger painting

Verbalise touch sensations

"Ouch, this is hot!", "Pat the dog gently, feel how smooth his fur is", and

"This jersey is scratchy".

A parent plays such an important role in optimising the child's

development, the learning curve is equally great for Mom.

Children should not be compared with other children.

You can wind up a musical toy and hide it behind an object in the room.

Let your child try to find it.

Let him help you identify the washing. What is it? Who dies it belong

to? It can be fun to get him to close his eyes and try to identify who it

belongs to from the smell of the garment before it's been washed. Let

him sort the socks into pairs and roll them up (an excellent introduction

to early maths).



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Allow children to help make the salad. Don't worry about bits that get

tasted before being added to the main dish, Dad won't mind and there is

time later for teaching the social niceties.

Find a simple recipe and make cookies with your children. Dress up and

let them pretend they have friends coming for tea, while the cookies are

in the oven. Use the opportunity to talk and listen.

Make your own ice-creams by freezing juice.

Grow flowers. Water the garden together.



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General

Do not interfere with children when they are playing.

Encourage learning about different sounds by letting your child drop

blocks into a variety of empty containers, cardboard, plastic, metal or

wood.

Nurture their curiosity. Let them open your eyes and ears to the

wonderful world we take for granted.

Did you know?

Children often fall or bump themselves because they are far sighted.

They also have limited depth perception and still have to master the art

of judging distances.

Young children tend to look at everything except where they are

going, their feet, the person or thing they're trying to reach.



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By their third or fourth birthday, however, your child should have

his navigation skills down pat.

How to tie a shoe lace

Between 4-5 years your child will become dexterous enough to tie his

own shoelaces. First show him how to tie his laces, then take his hands

in yours and practise a few times together. Then show him step by step

how to tie his laces. He should be able to complete steps of tying his

shoelaces before you know it.

Puppet play

Put on your very own puppet show



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You will need:

Wooden spoon, paint brush, wool and fabric scraps, cardboard, lace,

glue, scissors, sequins

Spoon tunes:

Decide what type of character your wooden spoon puppet is going to be.

Paint your puppet's face on the flat side of the wooden spoon and allow it

to dry.

Fold a piece of scrap material, the length of the spoon, in half. Cut a hole

in the centre of the fold.

Slide the handle of the wooden spoon into the hole.



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Tie a pipe cleaner or piece of lace around the puppet's 'waist' to keep the

material in place.

Cut arms from the cardboard and stick to the back of the puppet.

Decorate your puppet using sequins for jewels, wool for hair, and

add bits of silver or gold sweet papers for a crown or hat.

You will need:

Paper cups, pipe cleaners, ping pong balls, wool, masking tape, drinking

straw, stickers (optional), a thick felt-tipped pen, cardboard, scissors

Cup characters

Decorate the cup with coloured felt-tipped pens, or stickers.

Cut short lengths of wool and stick to the base of the cup for the puppet's

hair.

Draw eyes on the ping pong balls, or stick on eyes. Glue eyes on the top

of the puppet's hair.



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Cut a short length of pipe cleaner and twist around the end of another

short length of pipe cleaner to form hands and arms.

Push the arms onto either side of the cup and tape down on the inside to

secure.

Cut out two cardboard feet and draw on toenails.

Push a short length of pipe cleaner into the feel and tape the tape on the

underside to secure.

Tape the other end of the legs to the inside bottom edge of the puppet.

Tape a straw to the inside bottom edge of the cup in between the legs for

a handle.



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You will need:

Empty toilet rolls, paint, paint brush, masking tape, string, cardboard

Puppets on the move

Paint the toilet rolls to look like a snake's body and leave to dry.

Cut each toilet roll in half width ways.

Cut the snake's head out of cardboard, paint and allow to dry.

Glue the snakes head to one end of a toilet roll.

Thread a long piece of string through the snake's head and through each

body piece.

Tape the string to the inside of the last body piece.

You can make similar moving puppets to this one by using tube pasta,

beads or a combination of the two to make worms, caterpillars or

flowers.



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Caring for plants (seasonal activity)

Children should know how plants grow. What is needed to grow plants?

A child can plant his own seeds in order to know and care about plants.

When buying seeds it should be bought for that specific season. Details

are on the back of the package. It tells you what season it is for and

where it should be planted.

When watering your plant, avoid soaking water too much into the stem

of the plant because, in the process the stem can eventually break off,

and you will be disappointed. Your plant needs water but it's got to be

limited or else the stem will rot. By using a watering can to water your

plants, you not only save water, your plant is also being watered gently

and not with a force of water. Give it enough sunshine.



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To make your own pot plant can be a good experience. Use rich soil for

plants. You can use an ice-cream container for this. Fill the container

with rich soil. Water your plant daily and do not use too much water, just

a little each time. Plants do need water more than animals do. Using

library books about caring for plants can give you lots of information.

For your child to know more about plants it is best for him to grow his

own or watch documentaries on television.

Children should be taught at an early age about trees, plants that we all

have some interest for in our homes and gardens. They should be taught

how to plant flowers or a plant that they find some interest in. Teachers

can ask children to bring seeds of a certain plant and they can plant the

seed together and watch it grow. Trees and plants are very important to

us.

We should take good care of our plants in our environment. When it

comes to a day like Arbour Day, just about everyone plants a tree on that

day. This day signifies the kind of day it is.



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A day for caring for plants, but that doesn't only happen on that day, this

happens every day. When children show their interest in plants at a

young age they take good care of plants as they grow. Children are then

aware that trees, plants or flowers should not be destroyed. There are

many kinds of trees like Gum trees, Poplar, Wattle, Christmas trees,

Pride of India. Then we have fruit trees like peach, apple, guava, plum,

paw-paw, fig and many more. There are also trees that have pretty

flowers and there are those that don't have flowers. All these plants need

to be taken care of. There are ways in which one can get into a habit of

caring for plants by following instructions at the back of the seed

package, one can use his own soil to plant a seed and watch it grow, and

you can then make your special tree grow properly. Flowers can be

bought for your loved ones. They can be put into vases of water and you

can see which stems are thick or thin, long or short.

Study leaves of trees and you will notice the differences, also the veins

on the leaves. Children can examine roots of plants and trees.

Roots of onion bulbs can be seen through the glass it is placed in,

and you can change its water often. One can compare the roots of

a bulb with other roots and see the difference.



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Ground covers are also good plants to have. These grow by just a

small stem and before you know it the ground is covered with it.

These are called ground covers because they cover the ground in

the way that it grows. With a bit of talking to your plants and

tender loving care, your plants can be taken care of and will grow

beautifully. There are lots that one can teach children about

plants. Library books are ideal for this aspect as they give you

detailed information.

Cooking with young children

Children enjoy cooking activities together in a kitchen. They learn best

when using the sense of touch and taste. Children that have the

experience must be given the food and the ingredients to experiment on

cooking. Children can watch adults working and thereafter they can try it

on their own, still with adult supervision. Children come into contact

with food all the time.



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They see food at home, stores, take-away, on streets and in recipe books.

Cooking of food can get your child to learn new experiences, ideas and

skills. They learn to describe foods while cooking. It can help them to

understand new concepts. They learn that salt and sugar gives taste to

food, the difference in taste when salt or sugar is added. Changes are

observed when children learn to work with food.

Children learn to express themselves and increase their vocabulary,

tastes of food being bitter or sweet, sour, hot or cold, and they also

notice the steam coming out of hot food. If it's taste is delicious or

divine.



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Pouring liquids from one glass to another and mixing of foods. This

develops good co-ordination with children. Measuring skills,. Have each

measuring spoon painted in different colours to give children an idea that

each spoon has a different measure. They will also know the limit to use

when cooking.

A child may need help in holding a hot pan when cooking. Parents or

teachers will have to supervise, depending on where the activity is taking

place. As children work together they learn social skills. They can learn

to cook differently too. In this way children also learn about hygiene

and health hints. They learn about being clean when handling food.

Their fingernails must always be clean and short and aprons should be

put on when cooking. Do not allow your child to lick a spoon or fork

while cooking. Utensils should be kept out of children's mouths. Teach

children how to identify when an appliance is on or off.



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They have also got to know that when working with fresh produce, they

should wash it thoroughly before cooking it. Blindfold your child and

give him some food to taste. You can play a guessing game and ask him

to guess what it is by just smelling it.

Make simple recipes so your child can understand it quite well. Also

make pictures of the recipe with it.

Compare tastes of foods together. The textures and tasting of foods can

be done too. Show your child the different spoons you use when

cooking. Allow your child to feel different kinds of foods, which is soft,

hard, which taste salty, sweet, and not good and so on. Talk of the

different spices too. Young children find it interesting to cook and

experience new thoughts from it. Food activities are a natural part of the

early childhood program. Children experience many designs, colours and

shapes. Foods change in size when cooking. It's also different for

children.

The different smells and tastes of fruits and vegetables can be learnt.

Children could help to clean vegetables with an adult. They can know

the tastes of orange juice that tastes like a whole orange; apple juice

tastes like a whole apple, or even a pear.



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They can make their own juices with the help of an adult. Children can

learn the different tastes of spiced foods and of foods that are not spiced.

They learn descriptive words that have real meaning; children have a

more logical way of thinking. A child's small muscles and co-ordination

develop when experimenting with foods.

Slices of pear can be cut and used in a food experience to help children

with their classifying skills. This provides a pleasant combination of

social, maths and science experiences. In cooking experiences children

should be praised for their efforts, even if it is not up to standard.

Children learn while having fun, they should be allowed to be open and

creative in their food activities.

Cooking with your pre-schooler is a great way to give him the attention,

sense of independence and accomplishment, he needs. He is likely to

show more interest in food if he's had a hand in it's creation. Encourage

his interest by giving him his own responsibilities, like breaking up

green beans, sieving flour, mixing butter or pouring pre-measured cool

liquid into a bowl - all under your watchful eye.



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Before you allow your child to help you in the kitchen, he'll need to learn

all about prime kitchen hazards - heat, glass, sharp edges, electrical

points and moving parts. But, as long as he develops a healthy respect

for these dangers, and you watch him carefully, cooking time should be

free of mishaps.

Here are some guidelines for kitchen safety.

Stirring, sifting and tasting should be done on a kitchen table or counter

away from the stove.

Discourage him from turning on the stove or oven without your

permission.

Keep knives out of reach.

Ensure pot handles are turned inwards.

Don't allow your child to remove pots and pans from the stove or let him

pour boiling water out of a kettle.



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See that he doesn't put silver decorating balls up his nose or in his ears.

Warn him not to put his fingers into a hot mixture.

Use plastic mixing bowls rather than glass bowls.

Cover plug points and unplug appliances when not in use.

Ask your child to keep cupboards closed at all times, so that you don't

bump into them.

While you are cooking show your child how water becomes steam

when heated to a certain temperature. Flour becomes sticky

dough and thick gravy becomes thinner when water is added.

Your child will want to know why ice melts when warm water is

added, and why water freezes when in a freezer. See if he can tell

the difference between carbonated water and plain water by

tasting it and by looking for the tell-tale bubbles. Most pre-

schoolers enjoy washing up, so encourage your child to wash the

plastic containers. Point out how a damp cloth makes removing

dirt easier.



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Learning through discovery

Early learning of discovery is very important for your child. The habits

they learn should be from an early age. Varieties of activities are

important. These learning programmes must be reflected in the daily

programme. No formal learning for children.

Habits formed:

Washing of hands after using the toilet

Washing of hands before/after meals

Taking care/interest in ones needs

Resting when necessary

Cleaning away toys and objects after playing

Taking care of one's possessions



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Speaking politely

Being well behaved

Activities that pre-schoolers can focus on:

Blocks, modelling dough and puzzles are good activities for children.

They also love to play fantasy games. Give them a couple of empty

paper bags or baskets and they can go 'shopping', filling up the bags with

toys and books. A pair of toy telephones will get some conversations

started.



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Activities that can be done together are preferable to competitive games

that set one child up against another. Doing art work is especially

popular with children. An idea is to buy a sheet of poster paper and cut it

into a large shape, such as a house or school bus and provide the children

with a box of non-toxic crayons or use felt-tipped pens, to colour it in.

Set out a basket of old clothes, hats, jewellery and shoes and let them

play dress-up games.

They are also old enough to enjoy making simple snacks. Invite children

to help make their own sandwiches or milkshakes.

Children usually love building, and boxes of blocks and construction

toys encourage co-operative play. Simple ball games, such as throwing

and catching, are also a good bet. Children have to learn through

experiences on their own about health and safety in their early years.

They can learn this from parents and teachers. Health is the physical

part of a child's life.

A parent or teacher can teach children how to be clean, neat and tidy.

Children have to get used to cleaning themselves daily, they need

to know this.



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They have got to learn to follow a routine. For instance, when a

pre-schooler gets out of bed he may not brush his teeth, comb his

hair or wash his face, things like this should be taught at an early

age. Brushing of children's teeth should be done as a routine to

them. They should be taught to brush their teeth after meals and

sweets.

At pre-school teachers can demonstrate on how to brush ones

teeth and the kinds of toothpastes and toothbrushes that can be

used. When a child's first tooth comes out explain to him why it

happened, and that in time a new one will replace it.

Personal hygiene for your child

This is for children to realise to keep their bodies clean, their toenails

and fingernails clipped often and to make sure that they are clean at all

times. Their hair has got to be washed thoroughly, combed twice a day

and this can prevent it from knotting.



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A child should be able to keep himself clean unless he is playing

outdoors, but after enough play he should be washed and dressed in

clean clothes. Teaching children the functions of their body parts is also

very important. Washing of hands after touching dirty objects must

always be done. If the child cannot manage to do it, the parent can help

the child complete the task. Children should be taught to do tasks on

their own, like putting on a shirt, shoes, allow children to become

independent whilst performing these tasks.

They should learn to be tidy and to put away toys after playing, leave the

playroom neat at all times. This allows your child to be responsible for

tasks in his early years.



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A child easily learns about hygiene when the parent or the teacher

reflects it. It should also be important that children learn simple basic

tasks like hygiene in the classroom. The shelves or cupboards in the

classroom should be neat at all times. Children's coats should be hung up

neatly on racks. There should be sufficient waste baskets. Paper towels

are needed for children to wipe their hands.

At school

Contagious diseases like chicken pox and measles. These kinds of

diseases should be spoken about to children by the teacher in charge.

When a child is injured he should be treated immediately and a first-aid

kit should be at hand.

Safety for your child

Your child has got to be safe in the environment that he has chosen. If he

is not familiar with the environment he can get hurt accidentally with

lots of obstructive objects on the ground. But, if under adult supervision,

it can be minimised.



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There should be no obstructions for your child when he is playing.

Toys that can stop your child from playing, riding a bike or from

running should all be kept out of the way. Children should be

taught how to dial an emergency number. If you are in a situation

where you cannot dial the number yourself, your child can do it for

you without any hassle.

Learning about safety of your child

Learning about traffic and to cope with traffic is best to learn with real

experiences. Take your child into traffic and show him how to go across

a street, while traffic is moving or when in peak hours of the afternoon.

Go to robots and allow your child to operate the buttons on robots at the

pedestrian crossing and help your child to cross a street. Always stop

before going to the next street. Listen and see if there is any traffic

coming from both directions before crossing the street.

Walk along streets cautiously. Always be able to observe traffic and

sounds too. During a fire allow your child to be calm. That is one of

many reasons why your child should be taught about fire safety. They

should practice by using extinguishers, fire drills and how to call the fire

department.



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What is poison?

It can be foods, liquids, or creams.

Millions of children die accidentally from drinking of liquids and eating

all sorts of unusual foods. This is because children are not always

supervised by adults.

In these cases to prevent the many accidental cases it is advised to place

stickers on bottles of liquids that are not meant to be drunk at all.

Stickers that say 'do not touch', 'inflammable', do not drink'.

Children should be under adult supervision when taking

medication and it should be medication only prescribed by your

doctor. They should know what can and cannot be eaten or what

can and cannot be drunk. Adults (teachers) should always watch

children during the breaks, when at pre-schools, to see that the

children do not decide to explore certain foods or liquids. Creams

are also not good to be put into a child's mouth. When certain

forms of clay are used during an activity, always mention that it

should not be eaten. Even when using a fruit or leaves of a tree

when doing art, it should not be placed in their mouths. Children

learn good habits in daily experiences, during breakfast, lunch

and dinner. These are the factors that children have got to know

from an early age.



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Expression of an individual

This is when children work on their own with cooking dough, clay, pens,

pencils, crayons, blocks, toys to play with or any playing objects.

Making models out of blocks, or clay, drawing, painting, and also

colouring of books and experiencing music.

Improvement of language

Reading of rhymes, poems, stories, going to puppet shows, concerts,

browsing through picture books, interpreting of pictures and drawings, to

represent stories or acts and having debateable discussions. This is called

passive language. Going through lots of activities can help your child to

learn through discovery.

Like going on excursions, going to interest corners, have objects or items

of interest, having a children's corner, book corner, music corner, study

corner, colour corner, nature corner etc. These give opportunities to

children to learn individually.



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This invites the child to learn, to understand and observe their surroundings. At pre-school

children can play in the playground and find playing objects, they can play with toys of their

own or make some constructive toy to have fun with. Children can take off their shoes and

put them on again. Teachers can observe if the child is putting the shoe in the right foot.

They can do physical movements to develop their muscles.

Fun and games

Skittle playing, this is a super way to develop your child's concentration

and manual dexterity. You can also encourage some gentle competition

between your children during this game.

Fashion dolls. Most little girls enjoy playing with glamorous fashion

dolls and acting out real-life scenarios and little boys often enjoy playing

with dolls based on popular TV characters.

Pool activity, Goggles, snorkels or flippers are a great way to

encourage your child to learn to swim.



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Pre-school share alike

Children don't often share. They don't want another child of their age

touching their toys, be it old or new. Who have difficulty sharing, need

support and guidance. No-one likes to be told "You've got to", and it

won't help foster feelings of generosity. Sharing simply isn't a concept

pre-schoolers can understand. They think that the world revolves around

them alone, and if someone doesn't like it, that's tough.

A reluctance to share is pretty normal, at least until the age of three. But,

as your child gets older he will become less egocentric and will start to

identify with other's feelings. Sharing doesn't come naturally to a two

year old, though he may do it to please his mom, if he's told so.



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Children have to acquire the ability to share and it's a skill that

develops gradually over the first three years of life. Fewer than

threes are still very much into parallel play that is playing

alongside other children, but not with them. At around three they

start playing co-operatively.

Willing to share

Although learning to share is an important part of a child's development,

there are factors that will influence his willingness. Feeling secure is

important. If it's part of a child's experience that when he gives

something away he never gets it back, or if he never knows who or what

will be there for him from day-to-day, he is less likely to be able to

share. But, with a secure, consistent family life, whether with two

parents or one, he'll be more ready to share.

Children who haven't been with other children before starting pre-school

and haven't had to share may find it more difficult. But this situation is

fairly rare.



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At pre-school children have opportunities to observe what's going on and

learn how to behave, and adults assist children to share, help them to

learn to negotiate and talk to them about taking turns and swapping.

Sharing is among children, and also depends on the upbringing of the

child.

Playing safe outdoors

Now that your child's bigger, he's becoming more dexterous and is able

to tackle fairly complicated toys with ease. With your child's growing

physical independence, he will start to enjoy toys which require specific

balancing and cognitive skills. At home ensure that any battery or

electrically operated equipment is kept well away from water to prevent

shocks.



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He is also becoming more independent and will probably become a

regular at your local playground. It's important to ensure that the

equipment he uses is completely safe so that the likelihood of injury is

minimal.

In the ground ensure that he uses equipment suited to his size and

abilities, all equipment has been correctly installed, slides and swings

have soft surfaces beneath them to cushion falls and that dogs can't gain

access to the playground. It's also important to ensure that your child

doesn't use playground equipment in the rain and that he wears suitable

clothes.

For this reason girls should avoid wearing long dresses on playground

equipment. Supervise your child at all times, or ensure he is with an

adult who can watch him carefully. Pre-schoolers are very adventurous.

Playing out in the garden is just what children also like doing. If you

have a garden your child can play with other children and have that fresh

air too.



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Parents could have home-made swings for their children to play outside

with often, and also make or buy a playpen that your child can have fun

with. Children can play with see-saws, slides, trampolines and there are

lots more that a child can do even without the help of a parent. This

allows your child to discover how to climb a step-ladder when he wants

to go up to the tree-house. When children are playing make sure they

are wearing comfortable shoes and clothing. Be aware of them getting

cuts and bruises.

Always have a first-aid kit at hand, as children can get hurt from

running and tripping over some object on the ground. Outdoor life

is most important for children as they can learn lots through

discovery. If there is a stream nearby, with the help of an adult

your child can go to the stream and see a few fish, tadpoles or

frogs. Exercises are good too, this develops their muscles. They

try lots of adventurous acts like flying a kite on a windy day. Have

an empty plastic bag and ask your child if there is anything inside.

It could be a bag of wind. They can stretch their arms up into the

air to pretend to be catching something. It is a good exercise for

the children's arms. Books from the library can give you more

information on children's exercises.



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There are three main types of personality in young

children:

You'll probably be able to fit your own child into one of these categories.

The easy child copes with new experiences and without any difficulty.

The child is willing to try out new toys, new games and even new food

without any complaint. The child has regular sleeping and eating

patterns and adapts easily to changes in routine. He accepts discipline

reasonably readily, usually following rules set at home and at pre-school.

The easy child thrives at pre-school and moves happily from one

learning activity to the next. The child is self confident.

In contrast, the difficult child is hard to manage. Even as a baby your

child doesn't easily set into a sleeping and eating routine and the child

doesn't react well to changes. They lack confidence and tend to cry a lot

at pre-school, especially when the child has to cope with something new.

The child doesn't respond well to discipline because it means fitting in

with what other people want, so they challenge constantly.

Thirdly, there's the slow-to-warm-up child.



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A child with this type of personality is passive. He is not too

bothered about anything.

If the child doesn't like the juice offered to him at snack-time, he

won't ask for something else. He doesn't argue with other children

or disagree with his teacher, and tends to follow the pace and

direction of others. The slow-to-warm-up child needs a lot of

coaxing before he does what's asked of him.

Choosing the right school

Different personalities are suited to different pre-school environments.

While you may not be able to find a school that exactly matches your

child's personality, it's worth thinking about the following suggestions

when choosing.

Outgoing, enthusiastic and talkative

Look for a school that encourages co-operation between children and has

quiet areas that are free from distraction.

Quiet, withdrawn, likes privacy and finds mixing a difficulty.

Look for a school that gently waxes the children and has plenty of group



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discussions that will help to draw him out.

Creative, impulsive and likes learning new skills

Choose a school that lets the children develop at their own pace and

encourages imaginative play activities.

Studious, easily upset by failure and not very sociable

Choose a school that offers lots of 'problem solving' activities and gives

plenty of 'merit' awards.

If things go wrong

Despite all your planning, you may find that your child's start at pre-

school doesn't go according to what you'd hoped. Common problems

include not settling when left at school each day, bickering with other

children, not taking part in group activities and refusal to share toys. So

what do you do?



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The first thing is to stay calm and not to overreact; it won't help your

child if you become anxious. Remember the most problems at pre-school

are minor ones and can be sorted out. And do reassure your child. Your

child may think that having to go to pre-school each day is the end of the

world, but words of comfort from you will make him feel more secure.

Have another look at the pre-school you've chosen to be sure it's the right

one for your child. If not, make the change.

Alternatively, share your concerns with your child's teacher or the school

principal. Try to look for a practical solution to your child's anxieties

which may at least ease the situation, even if it doesn't solve it instantly.

For example, he may feel less anxious in the beginning. He may ask to

be allowed to take along a comforter from home with him. And finally

the golden rule is to keep taking him to school.

He may be reluctant but take him anyway, reassuring him all the

time that you'll get things sorted out for him. Your child will benefit

if you can help to develop these six key traits in his personality



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A positive attitude

Your child should feel positive about pre-school; so that he's enthusiastic

and tries hard at all the activities he's involved with. You can help your

child to feel this way before he starts school by being positive yourself.

When you discuss pre-school in front of your child talk enthusiastically

about it and mention special things that you know your child is going to

enjoy, such as story-time and outside play. On the other hand comments

that may seem quite innocent to you like, "I'll miss you when you start

pre-school", may be picked up in a negative way by your child.

Self confidence

The more confident your child is about his abilities, the more he will be

able to cope with unfamiliar activities. Encourage him by reassuring him

about what he'll do at pre-school and how he'll be able to cope with

anything. Point out his strengths. "The teacher's going to love your

drawings when you get to pre-school". Have a realistic expectation of

your child's ability and potential achievements. If you are always

expecting your child to do more than he is capable of, you're always

going to be disappointed.



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Good listening

Most information will be conveyed to your child verbally at pre-school

so he needs to be good at listening or he'll miss much of what goes on.

You can help develop your child's listening skills at home in practical

ways. Read about stories to your child and suggest he looks at the pages

while listening. Clap out a simple rhyme (such as two fast beats, a slow

beat and a fast beat) and ask your child to repeat it.

Inquisitiveness

Curiosity is one of the main driving forces behind a child's learning and

your child should be keen to ask questions. You can encourage this by

always treating your child's question seriously and answering them at the

level which is appropriate to his age and understanding. Explain to your

child that once he gets to pre-school he'll have to take turns asking

questions and he shouldn't shout out.



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Respect for others

Co-operation between children is essential at school. Your child

needs to be aware of other people's feelings and to respect them.

Help him to develop a sense of consideration by giving him lots of

opportunities to be helpful at home, for example, he could help

you tidy up the toys or lay the table for supper. Praise him when

he shows consideration for others.

Low aggression

Your child should be able to resolve minor arguments at pre-school

without becoming aggressive. You can encourage your child to keep his

aggressive feelings under control by having a structured and disciplined

environment at home, one that's neither too strict nor too permissive.

Explain to your child about the effects of his aggression. "If you snatch

Sophie's toys away from her, she won't want to play with you."



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As your child grows

How do you determine which principles to defend and when to go along

with your child?

Ask yourself the following five questions.

Is this going to cause physical or psychological damage, or is it just

something that bugs you?

Fighting over every uneaten vegetable, unbuttoned shirt or unmade bed

can get you into an endless series of emotionally draining and

unproductive arguments.

Are you caught up in a power struggle for no good reason?

If your anger seems out of proportion to the crime, you've picked the

wrong battle.

If you go along with your child, how are you going to feel about it

tomorrow?

Thinking about the long-term consequences of giving in will help you

determine the importance of the issue.



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Do you have a compelling reason to deny his request?

If you don't you're going to lose credibility or end up yelling because you

don't know what else to do. If you do have a valid rationale, it'll soon

become evident. For example, if you quite reasonably insist that your

child wear a jersey on a cold winter's day, he'll quickly realize that he

needs it once he steps outside.

Finally, are you or your child just too tired at the moment to get into a

lesson on hygiene, nutrition or decorum?

There are times when it's okay to let your child have the first, last and

only word. If you’re tired three year old wants to skip his bath or wear a

track-suit to bed, it might be a good time to say yes. You may decide

that certain issues aren't worth fighting over at all. After a lot of thought,

religiously enforcing the rules can also become a burden for you and

your child. If you're always focused on being consistent, you might

overlook creative solutions that are good for your family.



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By allowing your child to have his favourite food once a week, let him

feel that he has some say in the weekly supper line-up. Parents often fear

that one exception to the rule will set dangerous precedent.

They might worry that they're being too permissive if they agree to their

children's offbeat requests. In other words, if you let your child wear his

batman cape to school once, will he insist on wearing it to church on

Christmas Day too? Parents can make occasional exceptions without

setting the stage for a breakdown in family order. And if you think you

might be giving into your child's wishes too often, take stock of your

feelings the next time you do. When you are able to define your own

bottom line - saying no when it's possible you may well discover a

pleasant change in your home. Not only is it more fun to bend the rules

from time to time, but you may also discover that your child co-operates

more. Indeed, one of the best reasons to pick your battles is that we all

need a little leeway sometimes.

Children whose parents cut them some slack now and then feel

understood - and over time they, too, will learn to be more understanding

and flexible. You may also find that your child's self confidence grows

as he gets more opportunities to make or occasionally break family

policies.



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The parent should know when to say "Okay, why not?” It helps to know that in your child's

eyes serving cereal for supper on occasion doesn't make you any less authoritative as a

parent. When you as a parent know you are in charge, you don't have to say no all the time.

During research parents who bolstered their self esteem, got higher marks and more

confidence.

Helping children discover

Children like playing outdoor activities like playing with see-saws,

swings, step-ladders, jungle gyms, walking beams and so on. They can

play with balls, throwing to each other; learn to play tennis, cricket, bat

balls to one another etc. They can practice jumping over heights by using

a rope or elastic over benches that are not too high, about medium height

would do. This should be done only with the supervision of an adult and

in this way children can learn to jump heights. Races can be run with

each other. Children also learn cleanliness because after their activities

they get cleaned and dressed into clean clothes. A pre-schooler should

learn to be physically fit and try to ride his bicycle during his free time.

They can lie on their backs and pretend to ride bicycles by making big

circles with their legs.



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Go to the shops with an adult, take walks around your neighbourhood

and you will notice lots of cars, trucks, bicycles, vans pulling trailers and

maybe some buses that carry passengers to and from work daily. Ask an

adult to explain to you the purpose of this kind of traffic on the road and

whatever it is that you want to know.

There are four kinds of transport. Transport by rail, air, sea and road. A

pre-schooler can travel in any of the above-mentioned. This can be done

if one is going on holiday. A child can travel in a school bus with an

adult and experience the new sceneries while travelling, see new sights

of nature and see the different kinds of people getting onto the bus and

challenging daily life.

People can travel by ship and see the water that surrounds us, by air and

experience the feeling of an aeroplane, by train and experience the

feeling of the railway tracks changing all the time and of conductors

fetching your tickets.



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Postage is transported by these means as well. To go to places nearby it

is fun to go by car but if you wish to visit a faraway country then the best

method is by aeroplane. Swimming is another way of discovering new

ideas or experiences. It is also one of the fun-filled activities. On a warm

day they can swim and splash in the water, so long as there is adult

supervision. Carts can be made for children to play with; they can use

their bicycles or tricycles to play with.

Children can feel confident, as these activities can be played freely and it

could be done without having to play with dangerous objects. Also,

make sure that sharp objects are not in your child's way, especially when

he is playing. Something different for a child is when it rains and he can

play in the rain. Providing he is wearing a water-proof jacket and gum-

boots. If you have a pond in your yard, watch the raindrops hit the water

and bounce off. If you have geese or ducks then watch them in the rain

because they also love it. Geese and ducks love to stand in the rain as it

pours down their backs. Children can draw umbrellas while indoors,

rain-coats, boots or even a rainbow too.



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One could draw a rainbow to show how you can see it through the sun

after the rain has come. Stick pictures of rainy weather on the clothing

that one wears at that time.

Rain brings lots of water to plants. Parents or teachers should explain to

children the purpose of water. Rainwater is preferred for plants more

than water out of taps. People use umbrellas to protect themselves from

the rain and water-proof jackets and gum-boots do the same thing.

Watch animal tracks and trails

It is best to watch animals if you are in a park or a large garden, even on

a farm. Follow trails or tracks of animals on dusty or muddy paths. If

some animal's tracks are not easy to find, ask an adult. Animals are best

to watch quietly as when you are noisy or if they see you, they will be

scared to come close to you. They would want to run away. Bird’s nests

are found on top of trees. If you find a branch that is low enough to reach

and when you see a nest then you can take a peek inside. If there are eggs

do not touch them.



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In and around your home

Keep a watch for pets around your neighbourhood or maybe you also

have a pet that seems strange to you sometimes. You can follow your

pet's trails too. Animals that are big can leave big footprints and animals

that are small would leave small footprints. It could be your next door

neighbour's dog or a pet of yours.

One could put some flour on the ground to see animal's tracks, that's if

you don't have much of a sandy path. On the flour you will find some

footprints, if you are lucky, you could also wet the yard and maybe you

could still see their tracks. Children can compare the footprints to the

ones they previously saw.



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Encountering outdoor activities

For a child to explore and find out new experiences is something

he could do with adult supervision.

Going to the shops

When mum is going shopping she can take the children too. While in the

shops they can look at the different prices of items, the label of each one

and children can have a look at the frozen foods and vegetables. At the

bakery they can see the prices of the rolls, buns and freshly baked bread

and cakes and at the deli one can see the cold meats like ham or salami.

Shops and supermarkets are not the only places your child can explore.

They can look around their neighbourhood at bus stops and post offices.

At the post office your child can buy stamps and ask about the stamps of

other countries, the kinds that are different from the country he lives in.



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One can also enquire about the sizes of envelopes and find out

on the time taken to deliver mail. At the bus stops, children can

observe the different kinds of buses that stop to fetch passengers

and the times that the bus comes to fetch the passengers. They

can find out about the fare that's paid. Around your

neighbourhood you can observe your neighbour's gardens. What

do they have in their gardens? Do they have lovely flowers? Is

their garden looking neat? Are your neighbours friendly or not? Do

they all have vehicles? Are they working or do they stay at home?

These are the questions that could be asked when observing their

neighbourhood. One could go to butchery and look at how the

meat is cut and priced. Point out to your child the different signs

that you see when travelling. Signs like 'Children only',

'Pedestrians', 'Danger', 'Cyclists', 'Motorists', 'Stop' and so on.

Children can learn from it and mention these to you at a later

stage.



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About nature – trees

Children are not always aware of the different types of trees, as trees are

much too high for them to reach and they seldom come across them.

They are very important to us as they provide us with shade, pretty

flowers, and wood for fire, wood for paper, fruits from trees as well as

many other uses.



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If your child would like to know more about trees, this can be done by

looking in library books that have good quality pictures so that he can

see the types of trees clearly. Trees beautify our garden. Pine trees may

look solid but contain about 55% water. Some furniture is made out of

Pine wood. Most dining room tables, chairs, lounge suites and wall units

are made out of different types of wood like Oak, Pine, Imbuia and many

more.

Children should be able to point out the types of barks on trees. This can

be done with the help of an adult. Talk about short trees, tall trees and

trees that have certain kinds of flowers and leaves too. Branches of trees

that looks different to each other. How big or small are the branches or

leaves of the trees? How old is a certain tree? How can you tell the age

of a tree?

Trees can be seen in parks or all around you. Look at the roots of

a tree and you can compare them to other trees. See if the tree

has roots that spread out on the ground. Does a tree have big or

small roots? How much space do the branches take in your yard?

One can go on and on talking about trees but for a child it is a

good experience to learn from. This should also be done under

adult supervision.



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Chapter Three

Educational trips

Field trips help to enrich a child's pre-school experiences. Talk about

what they are going to see before they go on the trip. Make them familiar

with the trip so that they'll know what to expect. Briefly discuss the

trips; you can take a notebook to make notes, or a camera to take

pictures of the places that you are visiting. In this way you can remember

your field trips well enough to talk about. Children can learn to behave

by going on field trips. They can learn new concepts. This is what

makes a child free and not shy of others. Field trips allow children to

become more observant, to explore places and to know more about other

places. They do learn a lot as their teacher explains to them about the

places they are going to and what it entails. When a child has reached the

stage of going to pre-school or a day-care centre it is time for that child

to start communicating with people and outdoor life. Lots of trips can be

taken, like excursions, which are done at a certain time of the year at

schools or pre-schools.



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The teacher can organise transport and have the children arranged in a

class group. A certain amount of children are in each group. One could

even walk on a field trip. Wearing comfortable shoes is also necessary.

Suggested activities

Talk to children about their school and what goes on in the day. The

postman comes to deliver the mail at the school, the garbage lorry comes

to fetch the garbage, the gardener cleans the garden and mows the lawn

and the cleaners clean the windows and the classrooms.

Tell the children what each person does and then question them on each.

Allow children to watch each person performing his duties.



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Every pre-school is located in a community and teachers in these pre-

schools are well assured of the children having hobbies to enrich their

learning experiences. Hobbies make children advanced in learning

activities.

Organising educational trips

Trips can be organised in your community to help your children to learn

more about their immediate surroundings. When teachers organise field

trips they should try one like going to a store, where children can have

new experiences. When families take their children shopping, they seem

to hurry along. If you take your time when shopping with children they

can learn a lot.



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You could let them push small trolleys and small items could be put into

these trolleys. When organising educational trips it must be done well in

advance. Teachers have got to know the interests and concerns of the

children when planning a trip. In planning excursions you need to be

simple, discuss it and read about it. Give information to the children in

class on the area you are going to, if they are interested. Teachers need

to determine a safe route and should not be responsible for more than

four children.

The teacher has got to show the children how to cross the street if the

trip is a walking one. The purpose of this trip must be known to the

teacher and children. A parent can join in on a trip if necessary.

Excursions are most advanced for children. They begin to understand

and ask questions about their trips and the different places they visit. A

fee is paid for the transport that has been arranged or they walk on their

field trips, depending on the distance of the trip. Children can be taken

to libraries to see the different kinds of books, the arrangement of books

and to see how to use the books on the shelves.



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They can also get to know what the librarian does in the library and what

other people's jobs are like there. Books like fiction, non-fiction,

suspense, story books, fairytales, encyclopaedias and lots more can

experienced with pre-schoolers.

They will have an idea of what a library looks like inside and also get to

know the rules. They should be quiet in the library because other people

could be reading or studying and being noisy can disturb them. Another

place that children can be taken to on a day out is the police station. It

can be a good learning opportunity. Here, with teachers, they can find

out about the procedure in a police station. Questions can be asked. Why

do policemen wear uniforms? What's the purpose of having to carry

guns? What kind of a vehicle does a policeman drive? Children can learn

a lot from a trip like this one. A trip to the dairy is one of the best for

children. It can be very exciting. Children can learn about how milk is

processed and about it's products. Teachers can explain to the children

that a cow gives us milk and it's always pasteurised before we drink it.



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From milk we get our dairy products like cheese, and butter. We also get

beef from a cow. Children can be taught a lot from this kind of trip.

Outdoor life is a lot of fun for young pre-schoolers. If your child is

travelling in a bus with the supervision of an adult, allow him to sit close

to a window so he can observe what the bus driver is doing. The child

will see the kind of uniform he is wearing and he will also be able to see

how the bus driver controls the steering wheel while driving. Another

way for children to learn about every day routines is to observe the

workers on the streets. Tell your child the name of these workers and the

reasons for them wearing gloves. They sweep our streets and keep them

neat and tidy.

Pet shops

An adult can take children to a pet shop. The parent or a teacher can

organise a trip like this. At the pet shop you can ask children about the

kind of pets that are kept in the shop. Ask if the pets in the shop are the

common kind or are they the pets of the unusual kind. What kind of food

do they eat? Ask yourself a question.



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"Do you want to get a pet for your child?" Children can be taken with

teachers or with an adult to observe their surroundings. One can point

out to children the various shops and buildings that are around them.

They can point out the names of streets, shops, the stop signs and the

products sold in the shops and on the pavements. Point out churches,

mosques, temples, synagogues, old and new buildings, health clinics and

halls that people have specific functions in. Go to a playground and sit

and observe other people walking by or what they are doing. You can

talk about the people walking by and the reason for them walking. Why

are certain children on the street and some not? What do people in our

community centre do? Emphasise to the children that a community

centre has lots of entertainment for the people in the area.



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There is entertainment for the young and the old. The people of our

community can go for picnics in the park go to churches, temples,

mosques and there are fun and game centres for children as well as a

gym for those who want to work out and exercise. People can go to

health clinics and fetch medication or have their health checked when

necessary.

There are classes or tuition given to children to increase their abilities.

Tuition like singing, dancing, acting plays, puppet shows and lots more.

There are speech and drama classes, art, sculpture, painting and drawing.

This is to increase your child's experiences and vocabulary. Discuss the

different kinds of people that live in our community because it's what our

community consists of. Lots of educational trips can improve children's

speech, behaviour and give them new ideas and concepts. The

enlightening of the area they live in and lots more, if they do understand

or grasp the reason for field trips.

Field trips can allow children to explore in many ways. Parents

can be involved as well as teachers depending on where the

activity is taking place. A parent can arrange to take their child to

a certain place or the teacher can do it.



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Educational trips are the best as long as the child copes and has

an idea of what he is expecting, and then he will enjoy it. A trip

should always be an enjoyable one and not a confusing one.

Visiting new places will get your child to overcome boredom of

being at pre-school for a long period. It can be a monotonous

subject if your child does work at pre-school for the period that he

is there and he doesn't get much change of scenery.

Learning through trips

It's most important to discuss the purpose of the outdoor trips to the

children involved, at all times. They should be allowed to work in groups

to relate to one another. Trips are always planned in advance. Talk

about the trip that has been planned. A trip organised to visit a

Secondary School can teach children about the approaches of that school

and compare it to their pre-school. At the Secondary School they get to

see how the pupils are taught. A tour around the school helps the

children to know the differences of a pre-school to a Secondary School.

Schools have flower gardens and they also have caretakers in charge of

these gardens so pre-schoolers must be told about this too.



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There's a lady that makes tea for the staff at school. These are the

observations that a child should be aware of at a Secondary School. The

teachers at a Secondary School are more experienced than those at a pre-

school. During their tour they can have a look at the classrooms, see how

each subject is taught and how it differs from the work taught at pre-

school. It could be a learning process for pre-schoolers and help them to

understand the procedures of teachers and pupils at a Secondary School.

Children can be asked questions about the trip during or afterwards.

Teachers should be able to explain to children the differences of each

school.

Children learn new differences about a Secondary School as the pre-

school is not as big as the Secondary School. Desks are provided at a

Secondary School and a higher level of education is taught in a formal

way, whereas in a pre-school, a child is taught in an informal way, and

there are no desks provided and the level of education is a pre-primary

education, a much lower level of education. Children need to go out and

experience the new world. They need to know about their

neighbourhood, the shopping centres close by, and their community as a

whole and they can learn lots more.



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They should know the reasons for people in our community and why we

have different schools, different cultures, languages and nations. Pre-

schoolers have to learn to share, to be friendly, to be happy, sad, angry,

scared and panicky. They need to know about these things.

Trips to the music centres

If there is a music centre in the area that you live in, then your child can

visit one with an adult. At the music centre children can learn the

different types of music that's available; they can hear the sounds of the

speakers and ask the person in charge to play a certain tape or a compact

disc that they like.



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You could buy it or listen to it at the music centre. There are

different kinds of music that one can actually listen to. At the

music centre you will find instruments that one can play music

with, like the triangle, the drums, the bells, the tambourine and so

on. Ask questions about these instruments or about anything you

would like to know about music. What kind of music and

instruments go together? How is the instrument played? What is it

called? These questions can allow a child to know even more

about the music and instrument used. Music could be listened to

in many different ways like in different languages, cultures and

can also make you feel relaxed. Lots of children enjoy music at a

young age.

Religious celebrations

Children should be taught by the teacher of different cultures that are in

a classroom when they are at pre-school. Most pre-schoolers do not

realise that they have a different cultured child in the same class or that

sits next to him or her at school. They have got to be told about it and

will only understand once told.



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Children need to learn about other cultures too. A trip can be

organised to visit the religious places of different religions can

observe the procedures of each one, and can see what is

performed by the people in each of these religious places. Friends

of your child can invite your child to a cultural function that can be

different to learn and experience on his own. Many children like

new experiences and to experience new findings is good for them.

Helping children learn through trips

Pre-schoolers love going on trips and to explore new findings daily.

When having day outs they are very excited. Teachers should take

children to places where they can have an educational interest and it

should be of their standard level. The museum is a good idea, where

children can learn of the different collections that are kept in glass

cabinets.

These could be different kinds of badges of soldiers and can be centuries

old. There are also lots of antiques, many of them given to the museum

as donations. You can also find varieties of coins and shells. Animals of

all sizes can be seen.



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Questions can be asked about these animals, reptiles and collectables.

Which is the oldest animal in the museum? Why certain objects are kept

in a glass cabinet? Are there many protected species? Children can make

notes of what they have seen and what they have been told about in their

notebooks in order to remember what they have learnt.

Going to a demolition site

At this site, buildings that are of no more use, get broken down

and replaced by new ones. In this way children can notice the

changes in their city.

Going to a florist

All sorts of questions come up. What do these flowers smell like? How

is it that plants grow indoors and also outdoors? What kind of plants are

they? In the shop you can see the flowers and feel them too. Children

can learn how to water these plants and also learn about the soil that is

used to grow such plants. Textures of each can also be felt.



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While in walking trips children can observe their surroundings.

They can see how the police officer helps other children cross

streets safely, especially at an intersection. Watch how he

controls traffic. The uniform he is wearing. A special trip can be

arranged in advance to go to a speech of safety where you can be

shown by the police how their two-way radios work and how

children can be taught to avoid strangers. The officers at a police

station can be observed.

Visiting a shoe repair shop

When going to have your shoes repaired it is best to go with an adult.

One can watch how the shoes are repaired. Children can ask questions

about the tools used to repair the shoes and in this way can become

familiar as to how it is done.



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Visiting the dry cleaners

What are the smells like in the shop? What type of material do they dry-

clean for the public? How experienced are they when cleaning the

fabric? What is the cost of dry-cleaning clothing?

Visiting a farm

On summer days it is good to go on a visit to farms. Children can look at

different kinds of animals, chickens, ducks or geese. It will give them an

idea of the daily goings on, on a farm. Children will learn to know how

we get our products from the chickens, the mutton, beef, pork and lots

more.

How it is that life on a farm is so different to life in a city? One can see

rabbits, goats, sheep, bulls and also tractors. By allowing children to see

how other people milk cows is a good experience. We get milk from

cows, eggs from chickens, etc.



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Going to visit the bank

Here teachers can plan a trip in advance in order to take the pre-

schoolers to visit the bank. Children can ask questions about

cheques. How are cheques made to a specific person? What are

the purposes of credit cards? What are bank statements for? Find

out about withdrawal of money and depositing of money having a

savings account at an early age.



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A trip to your own city

A trip like this can be done by just taking a walk around the area and into

the city. By walking, children can get to see lots of buildings that are big

and small. What types of buildings they are? How many storeys does it

have? Children have an opportunity to see robots, pedestrians crossing

streets, vehicles passing by, trucks and lots more. What is the purpose of

robots? Where can one find certain stores? Children will get familiar

with the streets and know what goes on in their own city.

Visiting photographic studios

Find out about the kind of pictures photographers can have taken. What

is the size of their photos? Do they have colour or black and white

photos taken? Do they have a built-in flash in their cameras? Are their

cameras big or small? Pre-schoolers like visiting places of different

sites; they can go to the zoo, post office, fire-station, or the circus.



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They can go to classes to learn safety at home, in their classroom. An

organisation of a trip to the zoo can be fascinating. At the zoo they can

learn the different sounds of different animals, the eating habits of these

animals, the animals caring for their young and how the care of animals

is taken so naturally.

Children can count the animals in their cages. The behaviour of

animals can be noticed too. They behave differently in the

presence of people. Children can learn to imitate these animals,

in their eating, walking or crawling. This strengthens children's

muscles, it develops discipline and they enjoy themselves too.

They can hop like kangaroos, imitate birds flying by spreading out

their arms, try to eat like them and get great enjoyment in doing

this. Children can travel to lots of different places to see, know

and experience life. They also get to know the purpose of the

environment centres, zoo or places where activities are

happening and wherever there is knowledge for children. If they

have these outings often they will not feel closed in and will like to

be in public.



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Is your child competitive?

Once your pre-schooler starts to say things like, "I'm going to win" or

"I'm faster than you are", you will know he's starting to become

competitive. While children three years and younger show little interest

in how well their peers are doing in an activity and are more interested in

finding out about each other and their environment, from about four

years they will start to compare what they're doing with other children.

After research it has been proven that before a child's ready to compete,

he needs to be able to complete a task in sequence, without being

reminded what to do, and be able to make detailed comparisons. For this

reason, after research, it is said that children simply aren't mentally or

physically ready to compete against each other until four or five years of

age.



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Jack and the beanbag

Here is the perfect winter playroom accessory for pre-schoolers. Made

from durable brightly coloured fabric, this soft toy doubles as a chair. It

also has a durable, machine washable outer cover. Children of this age

group love these.

A day in the life of a pre-schooler

What does go on at a pre-school? Every pre-school wants to ensure that

each child's given the opportunity to develop confidence, has an

enquiring mind as well as the courage and skills to meet the challenges

of formal school life. A pre-school isn't a smacking school, it is a talking

school. Life skills, like how to make friends and decide between the

jungle-gym and go-cart track are all part of every child's play. It is early

in the morning and moms and dads rush to drop their children off, with

smiles and goodbye hugs. The teachers at pre-school sit on a low stool at

eye level with the pupils, greeting each with a warm hello. On a certain

day like 'red day', children are asked to wear something red.



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This is one of the ways children can learn all about colours. While the

children wait for their friends to arrive, they can play and paint on red

paper. Soon they will b e called to sit in a talking circle which happens

once the children have put away toys. After a roll call, it is sing-along-

circle time and then they will play a memory game with farm animal

drawings. Every day their teacher chooses helpers, called servers, to do

things for her.

A specific child is a server and has to choose a picture to show what kind

of weather they're having - burr, today it's a cold day, but not too cold to

play outside. Construction time again. They are hammering cloth, cork

and felt onto wood making plenty of pretty shapes. Yayyy, it's free

choice time.



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They can choose whatever they want to play. Children's favourite is the

glop, coloured red because it's red day. Children can squeeze it until it's

dry or mix water in it to make it runny. It has a funny feeling between

their fingers. Their favourite activities are the messiest and noisiest.

At pre-school there should be fantasy rooms, where children can dress

up and play kitchens, mommies or even doctors. I think this patient is

going to live. At the water table it can be fun pouring different sized

cups of red water into funnels and tubs. Children can get some healthy

exercises. Some children can climb and some are just learning to do it so

older ones must help those to climb up carefully. Then, it's tea-time at

last and during this time children can have a well balanced diet like

peanut butter on bread and fresh juice. But, first, they should give

thanks. At pre-school children learn to be responsible for everything they

do. If they make a mess they have to help clean it up. After tea, children

can wash their cups and plates shiny clean.



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The methods at a pre-school

A good pre-school should stimulate your child emotionally,

intellectually and physically, even though, to the child, it seems like he's

just having fun. Language enrichment, by telling stories using specific

words linked to ideas, and making these words part of play, broadens a

child's vocabulary.

Many children have difficulty distinguishing orange from red, so the 'red

day' theme linked the colour to the word 'red'.



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Cognitive (mental) skills are encouraged using games and toys. For,

example, a child learns the abstract concept of 'amount' by pouring water

into different-sized containers. Children are put in touch with their

senses through sensory play. This is like the 'glop'. They experience the

difference between rough and smooth, dry and wet. Outdoor play on

jungle gyms and bicycles helps children discover their physical limits,

how to climb, jump and perform physical skills needed in later life.

Using his hands to paint cut and hammer builds a child's upper body

muscles. These muscles are essential for fine motor skills and are often

underdeveloped in young children who rely on TV for entertainment.

Using toys such as a hammer and nails, Lego and blocks, or playing with

balls, develops visual-spatial skills. These are needed for tasks which

require an understanding of space and objects in space. This includes

walking without bumping into things, using tools and judging distances.

Creativity should be encouraged from an early age.



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A child can often express himself better through play than in words.

Painting, drawing, moulding and building all stimulate a child's

imagination. An appreciation of beauty and a sense of accomplishment,

as well as the self-discipline needed to finish a task, are all part of this

process.

Children should wash their hands after play. In the activity room they

can cut, glue and paint or play with dough. They also need reminding on

how to hold a pair of scissors. Some of the older children have to get

ready for bigger school.

These children learn about 'long and short' by cutting out paper

kitties and puppies and matching the right pieces together. After

a busy day children need to relax, so they can lie on mats and

wait for their moms to come and fetch them, while their teacher

tells them stories and sings to them.



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Learning to listen

TV seems partly responsible for turning children into bad listeners and

ultimately poor achievers. This is because cartoons and other

programmes often rely heavily on action rather than talking for its

meaning. To sharpen your toddler's listening skills, be vigilant about

how much TV he's watching and spend time reading stories aloud,

singing songs together and reciting nursery rhymes.



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Chapter Four

Books for young children

Pre-schoolers enjoy reading on their own, but their choice of books has

got to be worth their while. When fetching books for young children

from the library, or when buying story books, it should be with an

understanding of their standard level of reading. Language is a part of

children's development. They should be able to listen carefully and

understand what is being read to them.

Lots of young children are far better speakers than listeners. It's quite

common amongst young children to perform at different levels. Books

for young children should be of good vocabulary to allow the children to

understand easily.



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Books that are read to young children should have big colourful pictures

to encourage children to learn to read and understand each meaning of

the pictures. Children should read books with lots of meaning and also

try to act scenes from these stories.

It can be very much of an educational learning process for children that

enjoy reading and learning. Children enjoy looking at large, brightly

coloured pictures of things they can relate to, for example, animals and

people. Three year olds enjoy stories that are realistic from their own

frame of reference. It is useful when stories are told to children rather

than read. Having eye contact in the communication of the story, and to

be seated comfortably when telling stories, is the best of all to the child

and the person telling the story. Preferably a board to write words down

(not too many words) of the story is advised.

Draw pictures while telling the story. Books for young children

should have big and clear numbers and writing should be the

same, big and clear. This kind of writing can be seen clearly by

the child reading it.



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Do not tell stories to children that have a vocabulary that is over

their age group, as this could confuse the child. Books should

have stories that are not too long as children get bored with long

stories. Short and exciting is more appropriate.

Learning to read books

Parents who read aloud to their children, the books that are favoured by

the children, gain an enriched intimacy and an enlivened field of

conversation, debate and play. Parents should not use negative

psychology to stimulate their children's interests in books. A good way is

to read aloud to your child.

A child watching more than five hours of television a day will not have

time to read widely and deeply as he is likely to be an impatient and

reluctant reader wanting instant action and automatically recognisable

stereo-type characters in books and in his viewing. Most literature will

truly be closed to him.



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Using the library

Children should use the library often by browsing through books and to

choose what interests them. Parents should tell stories continuously to

enable the child to understand and be familiar with the words shown to

him. Children should be read to aloud for several years until they are

able to read for themselves. By showing pictures of the stories and

asking them questions can brighten their reading and understanding.

Books that have big writing, pictures and lots of colourful sites can

enlighten your child's abilities. In this way your child will feel more

encouraged to read and would know what he is looking for.



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Types of books for young children

The alphabets, numbers, animals, families, transportation, water

conservation, clocks or books on how to tell the time are ideal books for

young children that are going to pre-school. Books that children are

familiar with are Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Three Little Pigs, Jack

and the Beanstalk, Town Mouse and Country Mouse, Pied Piper of

Hamelin and many more.

Children can find books in the library that have all what they are looking

for. Libraries have book corners for children to read whenever they want

to. They will want to explore these books on their own. Help them to

learn and know the rules of the library. You could have records, tapes

and books that have children's stories on them. These, children can listen

to or read in the library with the help of a parent or the teacher in charge

of the library or the librarian, depending on which library it is.



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It could be the public library or the library at school. At the library it

should be quiet and comfortable. Books can be on fruits and vegetables,

plants and insects, or something that is educational to children and not

just plain stories like fairy tales or any other fantasy stories, but

something that's realistic.

Also, the kinds of books that children can read are those that have

adventure stories, books on shapes and colours, about nature or the

aquarium. Young children often learn words and phrases that have no

meaning for them. They cannot express their concepts in words. Young

children think in simple basic ways so they have difficulty

comprehending adult language that is abstract or too complex.

They should develop themselves to reading at an early age to get to learn

to write and comprehend easily. Development of reading involves

mental, physical and emotional skills, mainly for the child's

achievement. Books of educational subjects allow your child to question

the subjects he is reading, like having books about animals is what you

can question your child about. Ask questions about the animal’s places.

Where do the animals sleep?



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Where do they hibernate? What kind of animals are they? Does

your child enjoy reading about animals?

Organising our books

Making pictures of your stories, that you have in mind, and you know

the meaning of, can be useful to your child. Keep the sentences short and

simple. Always use small letters do not use all capital letters. It is

because it is the beginning of your child's learning experience; he won't

have to rush into learning.

Rhymes are one of the ways in which your child can remember good

words. Poems can have an effect too. Books should not be too boring

and should not have too much action either. Early experiences at home

are of having a playroom. Have a book corner for your child, this allows

him to have an interest in books.



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It's the expansion of abilities acquired in the early pre-school years.

Learning to read is part of the child's developmental processes based on

intellectual and physical skills. Early influences at home of reading

readiness influence the child's readiness of reading.

Books can be chosen from public libraries or school libraries. A teacher

should be able to help pre-schoolers choose their books of their liking.

Children should be free to choose, they should choose books that they

enjoy reading. They can learn about the world and experiences of their

own. To relate sounds, letters, capital letters, small letters, to develop

their memory span, hearing and vision of words and sounds or words,

eye movement from left to right, to enjoy reading and to concentrate on

reading. Write down key words, to remember, to share words with other

friends, and lots more. Organise your reading books as such that they are

capable of reading them and understanding them. Children are able to

learn to read when an adult, such as the parent or teacher, is involved in

teaching them.



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Learning through books

Parents and teachers can teach children a lot from books. Reading a lot

to a child can develop his vocabulary as well as teach him about his

surroundings. Children can gain pleasure from reading books as most of

them read as a hobby and a lot is gained from this. Children can learn

how to speak properly, how to tell the time, learn how to count, to do art,

maths, science, safety hints, animals, plants, nature and about

themselves.

One can learn how to hold a book when reading it. There is a wide

variety of books but it is good to read books that concern that specific

age group only. There are books that have information on certain

projects that you may need. The library is the answer for all these kinds

of books and they are arranged according to the name of the author and

not according to the title.



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Reading makes children confident after they have completed a book.

Knowing what they have read about is most important. They can learn to

respect one another, use new words all the time and to express their

feelings if necessary.

They can discover new phrases, sounds and meanings too.

Getting a child interested in books can help his future ability so

that he can learn about shapes, sizes of objects, colours and

being able to recognise with visual discrimination, simple shapes

that can be asked about. This prepares them to recognise simple

letters and words in reading regularly. Children can learn short

and long stories, rhymes and poems and also be able to read

pictures. They will also be able to see the similarities of smaller

items. Stories can be told and children can understand them

better. Ask children to explain to the class about the stories they

have read.

Helping children to learn through books

Children learn to think and listen to the story that has been told to them.

A world of ideas and thoughts open up to children. They want to learn to

read for themselves. They improve their own making of sentences and

their way of speaking. This is what helps children to write their own

stories. Books help children to use their imagination.



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Allow children to act the scenes from the stories for their teachers at pre-

school. After the story has been told and the acts of the play have been

done, allow them to tell parts of the story to refresh their memories.

They can tell you the story in the right order too. Ask children to tell you

about a certain incident in the story.

Ask questions about the story. For example - what happened to the little

boy? What colour was the little girl's hair? Did she behave herself at

dinner? Did they enjoy the story? Children can pretend to be the bad fox

in the story.

They can go outside the classroom and act scenes of the story.

They should be able to tell the story more than once. Reading aloud to

children allows them to understand and listen to the pronunciation of

words. A child that spends free-time reading has more chance of success

than the one who does not read at all. Children read pictures long before

books. You then hear your child using descriptive words which you have

never heard before.



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A child has to perform scenes from a story to actually understand the

meaning of it. If you, as the parent, are walking around the house,

explain to your child the reason for this. In this way he will have many

clear concepts based on his experiences. Some children start to read at an

early age and some don't. A child should not be forced to read. One that

does not learn to read at an early age is a child that will lack skills and

concepts. Encourage him to talk by asking him to point out items in a

book. You can follow this by discussing the habits of a particular animal,

for example, birds live in trees, and dogs live in kennels and so on.

Show pictures of the story to your child and question him about it. Ask

him these questions in the middle of the story and see how his

concentration has been. Children can learn a lot from rhymes. Nursery

and number rhymes are learnt from books. Learn about the different

cultures from books, cultures that people made in our community. By

questioning children about the parts of the stories, they can learn

different sounds, action and effects of words and sentences.

Children could get books on the past history of their town that they live

in. They could learn the history of the place they live in and maybe solve

some mysteries.



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Get to know about other languages and nations of the world. How are

other religions different from each other? You can perform disguises of

other nationalities and look different from yourself. One can learn how

different songs are sung in different languages. It can be very exciting

when children disguise themselves as bears in a story and also anything

that is unique.



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Chapter Five

Story time

Children at pre-school can already differentiate reality and fantasy

stories. They are able to enjoy humorous and fantasy stories. When

telling your child a story, be comfortable and tell a story for that age

group. Children love to be read to. Books for pre-schoolers should not be

too long as they can get bored. Always complete the story so the child

knows what type of ending it has. A parent should not be tired of reading

the same story to their child for more than once if he wants to. In this

way a child can become familiar with the words in the book. Story

telling promotes the ability of your child to concentrate and they can

experience emotional security. By mathematical concepts being

introduced into the story, children can learn mathematical concepts

informally.



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Their language becomes developed. By using and pronouncing words in

the correct ways, your child gets new ideas, new words, new ways of

thinking, of creating and his vocabulary is improved at the same time.

There should be a board next to you. You can write a few key words on

it and draw some pictures of the story on the board too. A child should

not be rushed to read and understand words of a story or any other form

of learning. Story telling increases their vocabulary, they see different

pictures and learn the moral of a story and get to like reading even more.

Kinds of stories for young children

Story telling is an ancient art for men and women. They become aware

of the outer world. Every day contacts with children's librarians are

essential, as they give talks to children of books with short or long

stories. Through story telling children listen to the language spoken and

it gives them new ideas and concepts in reading.



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Before and after reading, a child's imagination is enriched and

stimulated, as stories of a long time ago make children think of the olden

days and of how people used to live in those times.

Story tellers should ask children if they are familiar with the story or not.

The story should be told in the simplest way, so as not to confuse the

young children. Stories, that has numbers and rhymes, stories that have

a twist in the tale, suspense or fairy tales, could be interesting for young

children. They should not be told stories that have too much action as it

can make them want for action all of the time.

Organising our story time

Telling stories to young children requires time, patience and enthusiasm.

Stories of fantasy, fairy tales or even realistic ones, can be told. Stories

with delightful pictures are good for pre-schoolers and those that have

too much action should not be told to too often. Poetry can also be read

to children during their story time. Story time should not exceed a

certain limit of time.



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Once you have completed a story, do not let the children get bored by

being too monotonous about the story telling. Ask them questions about

the story, make it interesting and they will find it more exciting because

there is fun in having debates or competitions amongst children in their

classrooms, especially at a pre-school age. There should not be too many

heroic tales or else children would only want to listen to or read books

with heroic tales. The same types of stories can be boring for pre-

schoolers so tell a different tale each time. Pre-schoolers are usually

skilful users of oral language.

When a child wants to read he should be able to associate printed

language with spoken language as this requires his knowledge in sounds

and letters. Children can be encouraged to act plays of the story that

they have been told. Reading poetry is a good idea.

Children can sing to it and it's something different as the words end with

the same sound.



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Learning poetry will teach children that we all share some common

experiences too; poetry can stimulate the development of memorization

skills. Acting out poetry can be fun and beneficial in drama and speech

activity for children. When children are allowed to act out plays or

scenes of a story or from poetry, it encourages them to develop creativity

and positive self-concept, and to improve their language spoken.

They think more creatively and they explore their imagination more.

Discussions can be had after acting out scenes of stories or poetry even

rhymes too. This relaxes your child and keeps him focused on the

subject he is involved with.

Learning through stories

Children can make puppets of each scene of a story and this can be a

way of learning through stories. Taped stories can be listened to by

children and teachers.



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Children can learn through stories by borrowing books from the library,

from friends, relatives, by reading each other's books without the

interference of anyone, and they can learn to read different kinds of

stories and learn new ways of reading.

There should be programmes for each child or each group and children

in groups can perform scenes from stories with their puppets. They can

practice with puppets to make their story seem real. Expressions of

sentences can be practiced often to get one to enjoy the story more.

A librarian can adapt stories for creative dramatics and choral speech

and children can play games or folk dances which are a lot of fun. Plays

can be recorded and dramatized at a later time. Writing of poetry and

short stories, displays of hobbies or artwork can be done; the same can

be done with rhymes. Use of films can improve your child's learning

through stories. Story videos are also what children can learn from.



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Children love stories as well as adults if it concerns them, but here the

aim is to learn something through telling stories. Children can listen to

stories at bedtime, or even in the day, or at pre-school. Labelling of

objects around the house could get your child to read the words he is

familiar with. Realistic stories are what children like when they are about

4-5 years old. Some humour can cheer them too.

Learning about culture and different languages can come from reading

different kinds of books.

Children could read stories of different languages with the help of a

teacher, a parent or adult, depending on how capable he is of reading it.

Children could read stories and learn lots from it.

They could learn about how one can use different vocabulary and when

and how pronouns, verbs, descriptive words, commas, semi-colons, full

stops, question marks, inverted commas at the beginning and the ending

of a sentence, when one should use the brackets, the apostrophe, the

hyphen, the colons and many more. One could learn about the four

seasons.



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Why are the seasons different from one to the other, months of

the year, and days of the week, the public holidays, and the time

on a clock, numbers, and rhymes and about the happenings

around us? There is so much that can be learnt from books.

Children should be encouraged to feel free to question teachers

or their parents about the stories or the books that's been read to

them.

Helping children learn through stories

Assemblies

A number of children in class can dress-up and perform acts from

rhymes, stories, poetry and realistic stories. Children can be put into

groups to act these scenes together. Use the children that are able to

animate stories. They can join in stories with actions and sound effects.

Each character can say or do different things like, for instance, one can

imitate Dad snoring, coughing or sneezing, screeching of tyres, hooters

of cars, animal sounds like a dog barking, cats meowing, birds chirping,

an owl hooting, a crow making its loud noises like caw-caw, and many

more. It could be sounds of insects, bees buzzing, crickets or a fly.



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These sounds can be made by everyone. Part of family history can be

shared with the class. Celebrations of different cultures can be recreated

by children. Doing things like this can be limitless. Children can learn

about different breeds of dogs, from books. They can learn about hunting

dogs, police dogs, guide dogs for the blind and about dogs that are man's

best friend.

Questions can be asked about books. What kind of a book should one

read? Is this book a colourful one? Am I going to learn anything from

this book? Are books good for ones reading? Should I read a book of my

level of education only? There is a lot that one asks about books.

Reading stories to your child, while he has his eyes shut and imagining it

happening can encourage your child to read often.

Children can also learn from books about one being affectionate to

another, in this way they learn to be affectionate to their family, friends

and their pets too. They learn to love one another and know how to feel

for someone when one is sad. Learning to be good to one another as well

as learning how to prevent diseases.



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Children can learn so much through stories, also by being amongst other

children. Discuss stories as often as you can as this can get children

familiar with the acts and sounds of the word spoken. By doing this

often, children get used to talking with expression.

When looking for books in the library it should be done with the

supervision of an adult, so children don't get books that are not of their

age group. Children can talk of their own stories or experiences. It can

be debateable and also very much of a unique process. Have open

discussions often. This expands the child's knowledge, learning of new

words and phrases. It also makes children interested in the different

kinds of books of their knowledge and understanding.



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Chapter Six

Music for young children

Music has been introduced to babies from the time they were born, and

for centuries mothers have sung lullabies to them to help them sleep.

Babies are lulled by this soft music. Children learning music at pre-

school can increase an awareness of the value of music in society.

Knowledge of music is important for children's experiences of it. They

can learn music of all cultures, or a specific culture that they are growing

into. Music should be an integral part of a daily programme. It should be

a feature in the children's daily activities. Any time of day can be of

singing and dancing for children. Children are always active and

involved in music in their totality by means of observation.



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They can sing songs of nursery rhymes, number rhymes, lullabies, songs

of nature, songs at Sunday School, they can clap their hands, stamp their

feet, turn around and so on. Singing can be full of excitement if children

are in the mood for it.

They can sing and dance and even listen to their kinds of music.

Music comes naturally to children and adults must encourage them in the

art. It must not be forced but, nevertheless, they must be introduced to it.

It is not necessary for you to know how to read music to children or how

to play music, because children's lives are filled with music, they even

have musical toys when babies. Lullabies are just a part of helping

babies go to sleep. Children going to pre-school or till an older age of

about 8 years experience changes in their growth rate. It slows down

markedly. Young children experience music when playing games like

hide and seek or singing games, this makes their bodies move with

rhythm.



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Children can get used to music by playing musical activities. Getting up

and moving about, like dancing, marching and jumping etc. Making and

playing sounds and by using instruments that can be made by oneself

means that one can make lots of music oneself. Children should not play

with musical instruments for a long period as this can lead to tiredness

and also one can get bored.

The main aim is to enjoy the music. Through participation it should be a

joy, a success and a pleasure for children. They should be acquainted

with different varieties of music. Children responding to clapping of

hands and making rhymes from musical instruments can learn a lot about

music. This is done to express the moods music can get you into and for

a child to see how music can have an effect on body movements.

Musical activities

Get children to play a musical instrument such as bells, drums, triangle,

piano and others will be able to identify the sounds of each. They can

make high or low notes on the keyboard of the piano. Music can be

made from old cans. One can put some shells or small stones inside a

can and by shaking the cans one can make different kinds of music.



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Empty cans can be banged together to make music. One can be empty

and the other can be filled with sand to make a different sound.

You can take two cool drink bottles and, with adult supervision, by

knocking them together you can make a tune. When blowing into a flute

one can play lovely tunes. If you have a mouth organ you can hear tunes

of most of the songs you hear on a radio. One can listen to songs of

nature, listen to the birds singing, birds whistling, vehicles hooting, the

starting of an engine, a helicopter and an owl hooting at night.

Fill three or four glasses of the same size with varying amounts of water.

Tip a drop of food colouring into each, to show your child how colours

dilute according to the amount of water added. Line the glasses so that

the glass holding the least water is on the right. Each glass will make a

different sound when tapped with a teaspoon and you can encourage

your child to compose a tune.



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You will need to supervise your child closely, however, to ensure that he

taps the glasses carefully. Music can be made with any form of

instrument. Music encourages dreams and fantasies for children or

adults and it echoes your mood and makes you want to dance. Children

should be introduced to music at an early age. As they grow they will

enjoy it. There is lots of music that one can listen to like reggae, folk,

jazz, classical, opera, etc. A rhyme or a lullaby can be sung at bedtime,

for example.

'Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the

world so high, like a diamond in the sky', or 'Rock-a-bye baby, in the

tree top, when the wind blows, the cradle will rock, when the bough

breaks, the cradle will fall, and down will come baby, cradle and all'.

Children listening to sounds and learning to distinguish between them is

an excellent excuse. Children can be taught by parents or teachers on

how to use a xylophone or a recorder.



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They can practice with a music teacher to get it right. Music can be

introduced in different rhymes, music of other cultures and past

centuries.

Organising music for young children

To allow your child to experience new features of music you can provide

new ideas and play when it is someone's birthday. Children can help

with baking a cake and sing "Happy birthday" songs. Singing and

playing of instruments, songs on the occasion of Christmas, books that

have nursery rhymes are children's favourite books and they can also

sing these rhymes in a form of song. "Old MacDonald's Farm" is a

children's song and they can use certain instruments for this kind of

music. Books with short stories and lullabies can have an effect on songs

too.



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Make musical instruments with sandpaper blocks, drums, ankle bells,

earrings that have bells and beads that can be put inside a container for

the making of some music. The use of a guitar can make excellent

music.

Music is common amongst young children's lives, making of sounds,

chants, rhymes and rhythm. Adults must enjoy themselves with children

so they can see the enjoyment in music. When you are happy and

enjoying music you show a lot of interest. Children should be presented

with a combination of songs. Instruments can be used while listening to

music.

Marbles can be put into a container to hear loud sounds of music and

these sounds are like the banging of drums. Songs are on tapes, radios,

compact discs, on television and in ones own mind. Songs on tapes can

be listened to when one has free time.



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Allow children to get into groups and you the teacher can play games

that have songs and you can sing aloud and play the game, depending on

where the activity is taking place, it could be at school or at home. In

church on Sundays children can sing bible songs, which can be very

interesting.

By children learning the different instruments and the sounds they make,

can encourage and give them the freedom they need to learn the music

that they want to learn. Mime and music is when you mix mime with

upbeat music. These children can do with an adult, they can do whatever

music or movements they want to do. Music allows children to become

active and energetic. In this way pre-schoolers are able to express

themselves in a very natural way. Creative movement activities are good

for children, but you have to consider certain objectives.

Children are to be relaxed during music, they have to experience new

ideas and express new feelings as it improves their co-ordination.

Movement activities such as running, jumping, hopping on one foot,

climbing onto stairs and up trees is mostly what a pre-schooler does

when he has reached that stage of his life. Teachers must plan

movement activities for children to help develop and strengthen their

muscles.



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Children going to pre-school are fully developed mentally and

physically, so by having activities for children quite often, it can

improve them mentally and also develop and strengthen their muscles.

Children must be taught how to listen to music. Observing is directly

related to the child's ability. Music invites the child to explore

intellectually.

Children learn new concepts too. During a music lesson at pre-school,

teachers should provide children with different musical instruments.

Worksheets could be made of music tunes and children should be taught

how to read these notes. Many children relate to music in a different

way.

Teachers have to provide a variety of music because children's tastes

can be changeable. Music can be played in the classroom, at home, on

the street or in the park. Children can sing in groups or by themselves.

They should not be shy to sing and acting singing competitions out when

in groups, or being asked to do so, can make them more outgoing and

less withdrawn.



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Learning through music

The ideas that children can learn through music are the unique tunes that

children can make and how the tunes on the instruments differ, for

instance, the banjo, guitar, xylophone, trumpet, bells triangle, drums and

flute.

Body movements to music

They build up their muscles in the process and can also learn music of

different languages too.



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Children learn how to handle instruments and it can enrich their

lives and give them positive feelings about themselves, as well as

about others around them. Learning about different sounds, soft,

loud, near or far can also be music of a kind. Some sounds last

for a certain period of time while others go on for a long time.

Listening to music for children is good for them as it can give them

a broad spectrum to experience or learn through music.

Helping children learn through music

Help children to listen to different varieties of music. Allow children to

give you the actual music they like to listen to.. Young children should

be granted opportunities to experiment with music. Have a music corner

at home, the library or the classroom. Show pictures of musical

instruments to children to get them familiar with the different kinds of

instruments that we have.

Dress in fancy clothing, they can have a lot of fun doing this. Sing songs

in the classroom; learn to dress like other nationalities when dancing to

that kind of music.

Start to sing in a school choir and you will enjoy it.



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If you like, you can listen to the music of a certain singer or even go to

the concert. Make puppet dancers with puppets. Children can have turns

in dancing for dances; puppets can even be dressed up for that specific

dance. Listeners can comment on the players' music. To develop

patience children can clap their hands and sing together. It is best to be

relaxed when allowing children to sing so they can be aware of their

voices and movements.

Children learn readily when their music lessons are made lively,

interesting and enjoyable. Singing notes like doh-ray-me-fah-soh-lah-te-

doh. They should sing with an open mouth and a relaxed jaw and should

sing complete and simple songs. Music can be heard on the radio, tapes,

seen on television and live shows or concerts can be seen.



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You can even make your own music. Don't ignore music, it can be fun to

know and learn through it. A child can dance in front of a mirror to see

his facial expressions and movements clearly. Questions can be asked

about music too. What interesting or different dance steps can you do

with your partner? Do you enjoy dancing? What kind of music do you

dance to? Children have no pattern of movements for practising or

perfecting their steps. They discover new ways of movement to dancing

and use their muscles all the time, especially when doing active things.

Rhythm instruments give young children an opportunity for self-

expression and the young ones get satisfaction from these sounds.

Ballads, old traditional songs, nursery rhymes etc are a few of the

thousands that your child can learn from.



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When music is taught to a pre-schooler it should be done by speaking

clearly and distinctly. Make sure that children have an understanding of

the song played to them, even when they are singing it. Songs with

repetition of melodies and words are what they usually find easy and

enjoyable to learn from. Children can participate in a song that makes

them feel happy. Choruses can be sung beautifully. They can hum to

songs and experience different feelings too.

Allow children to fill in words at the ending of a song while they

complete it on their own. They should be able to have their own choices

of music to listen or sing to. There is no competition in teaching children

to sing, it depends on the child's voice. Songs should be taught to

children only if they are familiar with it. Some children are too shy to

sing in groups and prefer to sing alone. A child that wants to sing can do

it all the time.

Eye contact in singing is most effective like eye teaching or talking. This

allows your child to learn to have eye contact with people. Children can

experience music by dramatising a song and listening to the words

carefully and then acting it out. Music videos, pictures and instruments,

as well as the help of adult music, can also be experienced.



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Children can listen to clocks for music. During exercise one needs

music and games can be played to music. One game is to ask children to

walk around a table while the music is playing, and to stop the music

suddenly, whereby they must stop dead still and stand like statues.

This kind of game can be played over and over. Children become more

advanced in music and their knowledge of other languages improves.

They can learn the music of other languages too. These can differ from

the language they are learning at the moment. It could differ from

English, Chinese, Indian, Afrikaans, Zulu, Spanish, Croatian, etc. Songs

for Christmas can be sung.

Pre-schoolers can dress up as Santa Claus or during a circus

entertainment one can dress up as a clown and act and make tunes that

are played while the clown does his tricks. Music is most enjoyable to us

and many people enjoy listening to it as one can feel relaxed when

listening to the music one actually likes. It is good for pre-schoolers to

listen to music at their age as it gives them pleasure and excitement.



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Chapter Seven

A Time to know your child

Babies First Books

The first books for young children, are books with simple narrative

lines, that allows a child to point to one picture after another.

Acknowledging the picture, and, sharing books at this age is very

important.

To recognise objects in a book as the growth of good books for

babies and toddlers are simple. Early exposure, to books, and

plenty of time for talk and enjoyment of the story appear to be key

factors in a child’s mind of learning.

Though, children shouldn’t be introduced to books too early, there

is the need to do it by your child wanting to. The human body is

attached to various sound patterns, almost from the movement of

birth. In time the body begins to develop and comprehend skills

as your child attaches meaning to the sounds audible around.



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Talking to your child at this point is important an the special

language of words are essential. During this time in learning,

parents label objects in picture books, even before the baby can

speak.



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Child Care

When you are unable to afford child care, you got to do it by

yourself. Child care, is very expensive, and, when both parents

are working, it can be a hard task.

Being a parent, is a tough decision, but we are faced with many

responsibilities. When you have children as working parents, the

work should be shared between the both of you.



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To avoid frustration, or disagreements, make easy planning.

Work alternate shifts, so that one of you, get to stay with the

children at all times, so your child will have someone, to talk to if

necessary.

When dad works the morning shift, mom can take care of the

children, and vice verse. Simple things like, helping around the

house, and taking care of your children in that time, can save you

the cost of having to pay for child care.

Though it is very important for parents to spend time with their

children, parents still got to work to provide for their families.

Parents, must show love and concern for their children, and, one

another to make sure their children are happy, and, that their

relationship, as a husband and a wife, does not fall apart.

Development of Reading



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Physical development, at an early age, children, begin to

experience communication and understanding of reading.

Babies, now, hear better than decades ago. Newborns, share

more response to patterned rhythmic sounds, then to

continuous tunes. Child development, begins with recognising,

and accepting the uniqueness of childhood. They have their own

interests needs and capabilities, this all changes over-time.

Cognitive Development, children are active participants in their

own learning. A child’s mind is different as they develop, their

thinking changes as they move toward adulthood. Infants and

toddlers learn through co-ordination. By the end of their first

year most children enjoy the action or genre of rhymes of fairy

tales. At the time of preschool to kindergarten, children learn

to present the world symbolically, through language drawing.

Thinking is based on direct experience and perception of the

present moment.

Language

development, this is a pattern of early language, learning moves

from infant babbling and cooing, to the use of single words.



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Around age two children use two-word utterances, and the

ability is developed, to change inflection intonation, or word

order to expand their range of meaning.

Verbal development, a participation, with an adult is an

important element in a young child’s experience with language

development. This development, proceeds at a phenomenal

pace during the preschool years. By this time children, should

be able to express their thoughts in much longer sentences,

combining ideas, or embed one idea within another. By the age

of four, they would gain structure of grammar, or whatever

language they are familiar with. Words are explored and

improved as children learn, chanting, and playing with language,

and gaining confidence in the process.

Personal development, every aspect of a child’s growth is

intertwined with every other. Learning is affected by emotional

responses. or social relationships. and value orientation.



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This is how personality develops, they need to feel they, are

loved and understood, the feeling of being members of a group,

of significance, growing and achieving toward independence.

Self-actualization, might take a lifetime, or may never be

achieved, but, the concept that the individual is more positive,

and then personality shows.



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Parent and Child

Many parents, feel they know all about their babies when they are

born. This can be true, but, sometimes, not so.

When your child is born, it is important for you as a parent, to be

there at all times. There, are many issues about your child that

you need to know. Take care of him/her, know when and why,

your your child needs comforting, but most of all show love and

affection. Treat your your baby well, pay attention to all the little

cries, and, when there is happiness in your child’s eyes, or if

there is something wrong when crying continuously. During the

first six years of your child’s life, it is crucial for you to learn more

about your toddler.



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At times you feel., you can’t do it, but, with patience, it can be

done easily. One of the most important time for you, as a parent

and for your toddler is to, learn more about your child, and, it

works both ways. Let your child know, that the environment you

live in is safe, and that there is warmth as well.

Parent and child bonding, and, having fun together, is one of an

important issue, for your child. Try not to let your child feel

neglected. Let your child know his parents more than a stranger, a

neighbour or the carer.



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Picture Books

Any book with a picture-book format, can be included, as a child’s

entertainment. It could be an alphabetic book, a counting, a first,

or a concept book. In these books, the pictures should be

accurate and synchronised with the text.

A book that tells the picturesque story, the message is conveyed

equally, through two media, this is by picture and word. In a well-

designed book, in which the total format reflects the meaning of

the story, both the illustrations and the text should bear the

burden of narration. Pictures, help tell the story creatively, by

showing action, and expressions of the characters.



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Creative meaning and picture books, are with illustrations, and,

helps readers anticipate the story. This also, creates the basic

mood of the story, and, the style of the artists work should be

elusive. Lines, too, can, convey meaning to a story, diagonal

lines, suggest action and movement. Modern publication

techniques, make it much easier and, less expensive to publish

full colour books. Colourful books, encourage children to enjoy

reading their stories.



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