PRESCHOOL HOME ACTIVITIES

Read to your child – Nursery rhymes, picture books, counting books, non-fiction books, rhyming books.

While reading, ask your child to make predictions, identify the main characters, is there a problem in the story? What is it? How did they solve it? Can they retell the basic parts of the story – beginning, middle and end?  Can they identify the rhyming words? (If not, point them out)

Letter recognition – ABC books, go on a letter hunt around the house or neighborhood or while looking at a book, newspaper, magazine or food packaging.

Draw pictures on blank paper – Have them tell you a story and take their dictation. Try to encourage a tripod grip (Tip: broken crayons are great for encouraging tripod grip).

Math Skills- Using various items around the house and yard (ex. silverware, socks, rocks, toys) have your child count (with 1 to 1 correspondence, touching each item as they count), sort (by color, size, type), and pattern. Practice number (0 to 20) and shape recognition. Have your child work on puzzles with varying degrees of difficulty.

Water/Sensory play – Using a tub or large plastic bin add measuring cups, variety of utensils and containers, tubing, water proof toys to allow for pouring, mixing and imaginative play. For variation add bubbles and/or food coloring. Instead of water you can substitute sand, dirt, dry rice, pastas or beans, snow etc.

Fine Motor Development - Using old newspapers, magazines and catalogs have your child practice cutting on lines, or simply provide old papers and scissors to practice cutting skills. Are they holding them correctly? Watch for thumb up and pointing away from the body.

Play dough – Here is a link to make homemade playdough.  Add rolling pin and cookie cutters

https://domesticsuperhero.com/best-homemade-playdough-recipe/  Encourage rolling into snakes (forming letters), balls, squeezing and pinching. This increases hand strength and finger dexterity, things that get them ready for printing.

Media Recommendations- Leap Frog Letter Factory (DVD) Available at your local library or on YouTube for purchase or rent. Sesame Street Podcast videos on You Tube (letters and numbers of the day). Starfall.com , PBSkids.com. Check and see if your local library offers online book options and audiobooks to check out and load on a device. Contact your local library for details.

**Your children spend very few minutes each day while at school in front of a screen. Therefore, on e-learning days, we encourage you to encourage them to get involved in these hands on, interactive activities during the hours they would be in school.

Large Motor Development- Find time each day for large motor activities. Go for nature walks, ride a tricycle/bicycle or scooter.

GoNoodle.com – kids dance and movement activities.  This site is often used for indoor recess at school.

Preschool Yoga videos can be found on YouTube.

For questions or concerns, contact me at lmathes@stlukeparish.org