School Sparks - Kindergarten Readiness

I have received an overwhelming number of questions from parents asking about the nuts and bolts of how they should work with their children. These parents have age-appropriate printable worksheets, they know what developmental areas they want to work on with their child, but they just are not sure how to get started. This is the first post in my three-post series on the nuts and bolts of successfully working with your child.

Your child will make mistakes. Lots of them. Growing up is hard work. The key is to help your child manage his frustration and to turn each situation (even the ones filled with mistakes) into positive learning experiences. Through the years, I have learned the importance of acknowledging a child’s efforts (and not just the outcome) as a key way to help a child manage feelings of disappointment or failure.

When I compiled the list of my Top Ten Children’s Picture Books, I knew that I had undertaken a daunting task. There are so many wonderful books written for children, each with captivating illustrations, engaging stories and important lessons. I loved reading all of the comments I received about your favorite books. In keeping with my promise to follow up the initial list with other favorites, here are ten more outstanding picture books that would be great in any growing family library.

Let me introduce you to Danny, an adorable boy, who was large for his age with a big smile to match. He began his preschool year with a great deal of enthusiasm and quickly made friends with his classmates. I noticed early in the year that Danny often plowed into other children when running on the playground or lining up in class. He would always apologize and his personable nature normally meant that he was quickly forgiven by his classmates. He also periodically fell out of his chair while working at his desk or stumbled out of line as the children were waiting in line to walk to recess.

The ability to count and work with numbers is a basic math skill for children when beginning school. By working with your child on some fun and engaging activities, you can help him gain important skills in this area.