Social skills before kindergarten

Preschool Ready Activities

Many social skills can be learned before entering kindergarten. Preschool ready activities can help form the foundations for becoming a successful adult. 

Along with the educational opportunities, schools provide an early exposure to the rules of society. Developing social skills can enable children to navigate through early relationships and conflicts successfully. Taking advantage of daily opportunities may not only prepare children for kindergarten but for life. 

While preschools and child care centers can encourage the development of early social skills, the techniques and suggestions listed can still be very beneficial. In addition, practicing at home and in the community can reinforce the lessons learned and show support to the teachers in an early learning environment. 

Sharing Preschool Activities 

The skills needed for sharing can be difficult to master, even for adults. In a society that often promotes gaining more assets, giving can be hard to comprehend. If practiced at an early age the activities that promote sharing can lead to a future of positive behaviors. 

Sharing training ideas that parents can complete at home: 

Play days – Incorporate other children into the child’s play area. Sharing is one of many skills that can be practiced in this fun environment. 

Fun Snacks – Practice sharing food with the child. Use one portion of a fun dessert to share between parent and child. Encouraging positive experiences can make sharing fun. 

Holiday gifts – Use the holidays as a teaching opportunity. Let the child select two toys of a similar price. After the purchase, the child can pick the toy he/she wants to keep. The second toy will then be donated to a child in need. 

Taking Turns Preschool Activities 

Very similar to sharing is the ability to take turns. Taking turns can be difficult since this skill incorporates sharing with waiting. The combination can take time developmentally but early efforts are not without reward. 

Kids can practice taking turn ideas in a variety of environments: 

Reinforce the world – Explain natural taking turns opportunities as they occur. From a basketball game to giving the right of way while driving, adults have to take turns every day. 

Story time – Create a story as a group. Each person can make up a few sentences of a story. Each person starts from where the last person stopped in the story. This not only is a fun way to practice waiting but listening skills while promoting creativity. 

Radio search – After listening to two or three songs let someone else pick the station. This is a fun way to add a little variety to a long trip. 

Nap Time Preschool Activities 

Nap time involves more than just sleeping. Except for the earliest years of elementary school, nap time is not scheduled but the skills learned from this period continue to be helpful later in life. Children are not forced to sleep but they are encouraged to remain in one area quietly during the nap period. 

Simple nap time training at home: 

Sleeping Routine – Practice nap times in a common environment and consistent time to build a routine. Midday, following lunch, is the typical nap time for young children in most child care facilities. At home, use a mat or cot to provide a comfortable sleep area similar to the school environment. 

Alone Time Development – Incorporate times for the child to entertain himself. This alone time can help develop the child’s imagination. This time is also important so the child is familiar with having independence during an activity. 

Quiet Activity Practice – Introduce and explore quiet activities at an early age. Reading books, completing puzzles, or exploring toys are all options. Children that can sit quietly will transition through the nap time period easier. 

Through practice of these simple activities it is possible for children to gain many early social skills prior to kindergarten. These skills will create a strong foundation for early learners and plant the seed for learning.

The Benefit of Teaching Young Children Responsibility

Facilitating responsibility in young children encourages independent behavior, a positive self-esteem and provides practical benefits for the classroom. 

Encouraging responsibility during the early childhood years has many lifelong benefits. Not only does it aid in teaching time management and making daily family routines easier; teaching responsibility encourages independent thinking and problem solving skills. Activities aimed at encouraging responsibility are the building blocks for developing a sense of order, concentration, coordination and independence. 

Three Years Onward 

By the time a child is three years old, independent behavior can be easily fostered into responsibility. This is an age when young children enjoy doing meaningful tasks. Children by the age of three should be able to wake up with the aid of an alarm clock and dress themselves with only shoes to be tied, or help with buttoning and zipping. 

Preparing the Environment 

Preparing the environment is imperative for the child's success. Parents can facilitate independent behavior by refusing to discuss or argue about accomplishing these daily routines in the morning. Preparing and planning the night before will help eliminate the possibility of a tantrum. Providing foot stools to encourage independent hand washing and preparing the bedroom to assist with organization will ensure success. The prepared environment should never be without adult supervision. 

The Philosophy Behind Teaching Independence and Responsibility 

Teaching independence and responsibility during the early childhood years goes beyond the action of completing the task. It is the skills and thought processes needed that build up to completing the task. One good example is the 1980's hit movie, "The Karate Kid," with Mr. Miyagi who agrees to teach young Daniel karate. One popular scene was the wax on wax off; when Daniel thought he was just waxing an old car. In theory, Mr. Miyagi was teaching Daniel technique and skill which he would later implement in the tournament. 

The example is the method of teaching: mastery goals and performance goals. Mastery goals teach the process of effort, improvement and genuine learning. Performance goals teach comparison, competition and recognition. When teaching a young child responsibility and independence, the goal to keep in mind is mastery. The mastery teaches: critical thinking skills, concentration, coordination, independence, eye-hand coordination, gross motor and fine motor skills. These skills are indirectly being taught to assist with reading, writing and math. Helping to rake leaves outside or setting the table will assist with problem solving and critical thinking skills. What materials and tools are needed? What is done first, second and third? Preparation of a fruit salad will teach the child eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills, math skills and problem solving skills. 

Ideas to Encourage the Independent Child 

folding and putting away pajamas 

helping to sort laundry 

matching socks 

putting dirty clothes in the hamper 

selecting clothes each day the night before 

hanging up towels with assistance of a foot stool in the bathroom 

caring for toileting needs 

bathe themselves (with assistance as needed) 

brushing teeth with supervision 

washing hands 

helping to set and clear the table 

sitting and maintaining at the table during meal time 

preparing instant pudding 

peeling carrots or cucumbers 

watering plants with a spray bottle

feeding pets 

caring for pets 

helping to rake leaves 

planting in the garden 

dusting 

cleaning up after spills 

spread cheese or peanut butter on bread or celery sticks 

slicing soft fruits such as bananas or avocados 

helping to wash the car 

helping to wash toys 

helping to wash a bicycle 

clean table with a sponge 

putting toys away 

returning and placing books on a bookshelf 

blowing and wiping own nose and disposing of tissue appropriately 

bringing in the mail 

fill salt and pepper shakers with a funnel 

turning water off completely at the sink when finished 

turning off the lights when leaving a room 

Conclusion

Adult supervision is important when teaching independence and responsibility. It is important to remember not to expect perfection or implement performance goal strategies by comparing the child to another child, or setting up the child to complete the task for recognition. Instead, complement and encourage the child for a great job well done

JEMPUTAN

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

MAJLIS BACAAN YASSIN & DOA SELAMAT

Dengan sepenuh hormat menjemput

Tuan puan serta seisi keluarga

ke Majlis Bacaan Yassin dan Doa Selamat

Tarikh : Ahad (01/01/2012)

Masa : 11.00 - Bacaan Yassin & Doa Selamat


: 12.00 - Makan Tengahari

Tempat : Tadika Graduan Bestari

Simple way to help your child love school

With the beauty of a new academic year upon us: Make it a fresh start. Here are some ways you
can help build on that positive spirit all year long.

Read aloud

It's not just for little kids. Picture books are great for all ages and kids never outgrow the pleasure of being read to. Create a special reading corner at home. Children who enjoy reading tend to perform better in school than those who don't.

Set up a desk

This shows how seriously you take their schoolwork. Anything you make space for in your home is obviously valued, so if school is your child's job, their desk is their office.

Let them work it out
Homework isn't only about learning facts; It's also about learning independently. Some kids need rewards to get them through the work. Others might need a supportive presence. Either way, the more kids achieve on their own, the more confidently they can tackle the next challenges.

Recruit a mentor

Your child loves you, but you're, you know , a grown-up. Set your kid up with a peer mentor, someone just a year or two older who can relate to their day-to-day experiences and offer encouragement. Many schools are embracing the idea. See if your child's school has a program in place or help launch one.

Support your social butterfly

A wide circle of friends gives kids options on the playground. Try to encourage your kids to invite someone new over to play. After-school activities can also help broaden their social horizons.

Model a love of learning

Kids are naturally curious, so set good examples. Pick up a book, play Scrabble, talk about current events. This will help foster their curiosity.

Buddy up with the teacher

Teachers can give a more objective picture of your child's day and help you uncover trouble spots. The teacher may also be able to shed some light on things your child has trouble expressing.

Offer support

Be there for them! Attend school events, don't miss parent/teacher conferences and try to have lunch with them at least once a month. And most important, always remember to encourage them to succeed and even excel!

The clash of the parents

As you and your spouse share the responsibilities of parenting and managing the family's day-to-day activities, problems will arise. Here are a few of the most common difficulties that today's parents encounter and how you can handle them:

Inconsistency.

Often parents differ in their rules and expectations for their child. Mom might say, "you can't watch TV until your homework is finished," but when she's away, dad may say, "Go ahead and watch TV if you want to." Dad might insist that the child's bedtime is 8:30; Mom may say that stretching it until 9:00 is fine.

Similar conflicts can develop over issues like approaches to discipline or a child's choice of friends. When these inconsistencies occur, one parent inevitably undermines the authority of the other. To begin to resolve this problem, you and your spouse need to be explicit with each other about what your rules and expectations are. If necessary, write them down, review them and be sure they are workable. In areas in which you differ, find a compromise that you both can live with - and stick by it.

Non-communication.

If you and your spouse do not talk about the issues the family faces, one of you may be left out of important matters you should be informed about.

To avoid this situation, you and your spouse need to commit yourselves to communicate about every significant issue in your family life. At least once a day the two of you need to check in with each other and discuss what happened that day that was important. At the same time, talk about long-term issues that may be confronting the family.

Confusion.

Uncertainly about what stands to take and what rules to impose can create turmoil within the family. Too often, parents are perplexed about issues like the degree of supervision required for their children and the amount of freedom to give them. Parents frequently do not make decisions at all, and that can leave their children puzzled and dismayed over what is expected of them.

You and your spouse need to resolve your own ambivalence on important family matter and agree on a position on these issues. Then you must clearly inform the entire family about your decisions and how their own lives will be affected by them.

Competition.

Sometimes rivalry can develop between parents over their children's attention and love. If Dad wants his daughter to spend Saturday afternoon fishing with him but Mom wants her to go shopping with her, they may struggle to get their way, putting the child in an unenviable position, right in the middle of the conflict. The two of you need to find ways to cooperate, not compete, with each other. That doesn't mean you have to agree on everything; but it does mean that you are committed to working together toward a more harmonious relationship and family life, and you are not going to let differences undermine your common goals. Each of you needs to demonstrable some flexibility.

As you form ground rules for the family, identity the areas in  which each parent excels. That parent should then exert leadership in the ares of his or her strength, so the decision-making responsibilities are divided within the family.

Overt Conflict.

Too often, parents argue and openly challenge each other on family-related matters. Perhaps their child has gotten into trouble at school, and the parents disagree about how to handle it; the mother may think the child should be grounded, while the father believes in wasn't her fault. They start to argue sometimes for hours or even over a period of days-and eventually, rather than resolving the problem amicably, one parent wins out because the other ultimately gives in, at least for the moment. Nevertheless, the parental power struggle often begins all over again at a later time with a different issue, with some of the same anger from the previous conflict resurfacing. The wounds never fully heal and the animosity builds.

Clearly, this is not a healthy situation. Parents need to learn the skills of conflict resolution.

These include:

- Listening

- Clarifying points of difference

- Tanking each other's feelings seriously

- Generating alternative solutions together

- Negotiating

Remember, the way you handle conflict in your family is how your child learns to manage disagreement.

Inculcating ethics and respect

Much of the world's problems can be solved by dialogue and a true understanding of the situation as seen by each of the warring parties. While we hope our children will never be the victims of genocide and racism, we must also endeavor to bring them up in ways which make them aware of such divisions and equip them to face these issues straight on.

Set your priorities. Look within yourself and ask what are the values, thoughts and attitudes that you want to inculcate in your child. Be generous with your words of encouragement every time your child shows signs of having internalized those values.

Begin early. Even toddlers and preschoolers can understand words and concept like 'caring', 'sharing', 'kindness', 'truth' and 'responsibility'. So start inculcating these values in them very early in life. Also train them early in their lives into good habits like using the dustbin, cleaning their hands before a meal, and saying thank you when someone does them a good deed.

Practice what you preach. Set an example. You can't expect them to be honest if you call up your office to say you are sick when you are actually planing to go out for a movie.

Be consistent. Be consistent in the values or habits that you impart to your children, whether it be apologizing for a wrong doing or saying a prayer before dinner. If you say your prayers before dinner when yo are at home but not when you go out to a restaurant to eat, you only confuse your children. The message that they might get from this is that habits and values are flexible and can be molded or adapted according to one's convenience.

Beware of lip service. It is not enough for the kids to know when to say 'i' sorry', 'please' and 'thank you' but also to know the meaning of these words. For example, if the child tenders an apology to a sibling she should not only say 'i'm sorry' but also offer something as compensation, say, a hug or a kiss or a favorite toy. this will help bring home the point that they are responsible for the consequences of their actions.

Involved other people associated with your child. Your baby sitter also needs to know about what is important to you. After all she spends a considerable amount of time with your child and can influence her thinking in no small measure.

The personal touch. Encourage and help children to make their own gift instead of taking them to the shopping malls to buy expensive gifts for friends and relatives. In this way they learn that their thoughtfulness and effort is much more valuable than anything money can buy.

Capture the teachable moment. Don't just rely on family time to instill and impart values. Seize every teachable moment - while dropping your child to school, while going on a drive, or while watching TV - to important the right kind of values.

Inspire them. Parents often tend to lecture or preach. This may backfire. Kids may tune out, or they may rebel inwardly while being complaint on the surface. Ultimately, children learn not from lectures, but because of the respect parents show them. Praise and respect kids for their right and good deeds.

Stress busting back to school blues

Recent surveys suggest that more than 80 percent of children say that school is the major source of stress in their life. The two major types of stresses are social (bullies, difficulties making friends, missing home, etc.) and academic (difficulties in doing the work or problems with  a specific subject). Here are some suggestions for parents that may help make going to school easier:

* Remind your child that he/she is not alone in feeling anxious during the first day of school.

* Before school starts, make sure that all the logistics and paper work have been done in order to avoid any confusion and extra stress during the first day of school. 

* When appropriate, drive or walk your child to school and pick him/her up on the first day. Going to school with a friend from the neighborhood may help too.

* make sure that your child has had his annual medical check up including vision screening. Also, make the proper arrangements if your child needs to take medication at school. If your child has any allergies (especially food allergies) make sure that the school is aware of them and is prepared for any allergic reactions.

* When your child is starting the year at a new school, recognize that he/she might need extra support. Talk to your child about his/her thoughts and fears about the new school. It's also a good idea to visit the school with your child before school begins. Looking into the new classroom will help make the first official day of school easier. Also, if possible, meeting a new classmate or two before school starts is also a good idea.

By recognizing that school is stressful to most children, parents can continually support their children and keep an open dialogue on any school-related issue with their child. Also, children are reassured when they discover that their parents went through school and survived! It's always a good idea to share your school experiences with them too!