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Hello there!
With April here and my oldest just turning 5, we have been on the hunt for fun ways to prepare for Kindergarten. We have all of the basics down but you can never spend too much time reminding young children about the things they already know or other ways to use their knowledge. Board games are fun and with the right games, perfect for working on skills for Kindergarten.
March is here which means it’s time to start submitting the enrollment forms for Kindergarten. At least in my area, that’s the case. Over the past year, we have really buckled down and began preparing for kindergarten when it comes to my oldest who just turned 5 last month. Reading has been a huge help for prepping with kindergarten.
Now I know you are probably asking yourself, how? How does reading really help with preparing for Kindergarten? It all comes down to the way you introduce books to your children. There is more to reading than just the words on the page.
When you read a book to your child and you make reading an interactive experience, it feeds young imaginations as well as their problem-solving skills, communication skills, and even their ability to understand what the intent or purpose of something is. My end goal with every book we read is to leave a lasting impression. This may not always work of course but I do put the effort in to make the story worthwhile.
When we truly began introducing books, and not in the I bought these because they were cute and in all of the nursery decor sections of Pinterest, we started with just looking at the pictures of the book. I worked on W questions which help with one’s receptive language skills as well as critical thinking skills. Who, What, Where, Why? What do you see? Why do you think “insert person, animal, object, etc” is doing that? What colors are on the page? Where do you think they are going? Etc. Take this time to let your child think for themselves but also as an opportunity to explain the W questions back. This allows your child to see that not only is there an agenda with the story but that there is more to the story than words on a page.
One other extremely important topic we have addressed with reading is our emotions as well as how their actions/choices matter. I wanted my children to understand how they are feeling, why they are feeling that way, how someone else is feeling, how actions or events might make someone feel, etc.
We really enjoyed reading The Boy Without a Friend by Bruce Jassett, These Are My Faces by Bret J. Ludwick and Leo’s Moon by Cinthia del Grosso. Now, these books aren’t crazy popular like other books and that is really what I liked most about them. When preparing for Kindergarten, a variety is best when it comes to reading. Just like you and I, children will have different tastes in books. My 5-year-old is on the more serious side and he enjoys books that are more realistic. My 4 year still enjoys the bright colorful books you find in every book section. That’s okay!
Get silly with the books you read and plan some fun activities to go along with them. Coloring pages, crafts, recipes (If You Give A Mouse A Cookie), and anything else I can find. Eric Carle has always been a favorite of ours and there is an endless amount of ideas on activities to go with his work. Pinterest is an amazing resource for finding ideas and I know if you are anything like me, most Pinterest ideas are a fail. However, this has not been the case so far when it comes to finding activities to go with the books we read.
These ideas don’t just apply with preparing for Kindergarten but it is one way we have chosen in our home to help prepare. You also don’t have to use the most popular books on the shelves to make reading interactive for your child. Let’s face it, some children mature far beyond their physical age. Use magazines, read chapter books, whatever you have to do to gain their attention. Reading is such a crucial part of education and you can never go wrong with using it as a step to prepare for kindergarten.
I also wanted to take a moment to point out to those with children under the age of 5 that Dolly Parton runs an Imagination Library. When you sign up for this program, and it is determined on where you live if the program is available, every month from birth until age 5 you receive a free book in the mail. We have quickly been able to build up our mini library simply by participating in Dolly Partons Imagination Library.
Another great option for building your book stash is through The Book Bundler. This company bundles gently used books and sells them at a fraction of the cost. For example, a stack of 100 books for approximately $50 (this does change based on promotions and other variables such as age group, types of books, etc). That is an amazing deal! Their customer service is also on point.
Would you be interested in a Pinterest board or even a separate blog post sharing books we enjoyed as well as the activities we enjoyed with them? Let me know with a comment on this post or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram.
Who would have ever thought that the story of “The boy who lived” would have become the worldwide phenomenon that it is known as today? The Harry Potter franchise has sold over 400 million copies and continues to sell. As J.K. Rowling continues to dominate the printed and film world.
I’ve found myself constantly on the computer or on my phone, which makes it harder for me to fall asleep at night. In fact, my sleeping pattern has been so horrible that I’m falling asleep while I’m working. So, I decided it was about time I unplug from the Internet. Not all day or anything, but after a certain time I’ll fully log off and do some of these relaxing things.
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As a single mom, I haven’t had the time or resources to travel as much as we would like to. I miss traveling. Due to my son’s special needs, we usually traveled by car or train. In the last several years, I’ve only traveled by plane a few times. Each time, it was such a culture shock for me because I learned so much from what other travelers used.
Drinking water is something that we all need in life to survive! I personally got so tired of going through cases and cases of water every week. Between myself and my husband drinking it, using filtered water to mix all of our formula for baby bottles, and also having to use it for our dog due to her having prior issues with calcium build up causing kidney stones, I can say that we have spent a lot of time and money on bottled water.
While the June weather in Chicago doesn’t seem to match up with typical summer, it’s here! Which means it’s time to pick out a couple of books that I plan on reading during my free time this summer. I spend a lot of time working, freelancing, and working on my blog that I neglect my books and being able to relax a little bit before I go to bed.
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Books, books, and more books. Sounds pretty awesome to me. If I ever run out of books to read, I think I might die! LOL Seriously, you know that fun riddle about what one or two or three things you’d take if you had to be stranded on a desert island? For me, I would have to have at least one book. Period, end of discussion. Books are essential for me.
I read all kinds, too. Fiction, non-fiction, horror/fantasy, memoir, biography, self-help, romance, history, political — you name a genre I’ve probably read something that falls within it. I’ve been reading a lot of fiction lately, some of which I’ve discussed on Beauty Brite in my articles. I’m itching to read the new Stephen King book, The Outsider, but haven’t started it yet.
I’ve recently read a few books that are non-fiction and that fall into the self-help genre. So, today I’m sharing this short list with readers, along with my thoughts on each.
Chasing The Merry Go Round by Kelly Bargabos — A fascinating look into the life of someone realizing the special needs a family member has and learning to provide them with the care they need.
Sanity Lost & Found by Tarra Judson Stariell — A true story of cult brainwashing and recovery, how to recognize one’s vulnerability to it as well as how to how to recover and heal from the experience. Forgiveness is a big theme in this book, both of ourselves and of others. I kept thinking of one person in particular while reading this book. She could definitely benefit from reading it as she has spent most of her life feeling victimized by the men in her life.
Elevate The Essential Guide To Life by Joseph Deitsch — Full of common-sense wisdom, this is one of the few self-help books I’ve read that I believe has the potential to really help. It not only explains why we do (or don’t) do things, but contains actionable steps to take to make your life your own and the best it can be.… [read more]
On any given day it’s pretty rare for me not to be reading a book for some portion of it, either while waiting for the kids somewhere, sitting in a waiting room, or tucked into bed late in the evening. I go from one right into the next one most of the time. Often I read several books at the same time, switching back and forth between them. People think I’m weird and wonder how I can keep the plot lines straight. I don’t know. It’s just how I do!
It’s fun to find authors I’ve not read before because it’s like meeting a new friend. You know? I mean, every book has its own narrative voice for me depending on how the book reads. I read many different genres from horror to sci fi, biography to history, classics to contemporary. It’s all game if the back of the jacket cover offers an interesting synopsis of the contents.
We’ve all read romance novels where the leading lady has to choose between two lovers, but Hungry For Love by Maya Sacher isn’t all romance. There is plenty of other action to keep track of, as well.… [read more]
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Review Wire Media for Warner Bros. Pictures. I received information to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
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