What Can I Do to Help My Child at Home?

Health and Safety

• Most kindergarteners need 10-12 hours of sleep per night.
• Drink water – feel free to send a spill-proof water bottle with your child to school.
• Eat lots of different colored fruits and vegetables – fresh fruits and veggies are welcome as a snack at school.
• Eat breakfast.
• Limit screen time.
• Teach your child his or her phone number and address.
• Make time for imaginative and outdoor play.

Reading

• Read with your child everyday.
• Practice snap words with your child a few minutes every night.  You can make one set of words for flashcards or two sets to play Memory or Go Fish.
• When your child reads, have him or her point to the words as he or she reads them.
• Ask your child questions as you read.  For example, “What do you think will happen next?” “Did something like that ever happen to you?” “What does ____ mean?” “How do you think the character feels?” “What just happened?”  
• Encourage your child to ask questions about the book, too.
• Have your child dictate a story to you.
• Let your child see you reading.

Math

• Cook and follow recipes together.
• Start counting at various numbers, not just 1.
• Give your child objects to count. 
• Practice identifying and writing numbers.
• Play card, board, and dice games.

Motor Skills

• Check to make sure your child uses alternating feet when going down stairs.
• Climb and play on the playground.
• Practice putting shoes on the correct feet and tying laces.
• Use paint, sidewalk chalk, and crayons.
• Practice correct pencil and scissor grasps.
• Do visual-motor activities like jigsaw puzzles, mazes, and find-the-hidden-picture.
• Practice zipping, buttoning, and snapping.

Out and About – Expand your child’s vocabulary!

• Read with your child everyday.
• Go to museums, zoos, concerts, and other cultural events around Chicago.  Many are free/ have free days.
• Start a garden.  A child who grows ____ will eat _____.
• If you see something you don’t think your child would know, point it out and give it a name.
• If possible, involve your child in an extracurricular activity: dance, sports, art, music, etc.