Is your child ready for preschool?

Lots of heated discussions fly around parents with this is a topic! As always “to each his own.” You are the parent and yes, you do know best.

If you are considering one please Keep these things in mind…
That the most important preschool-readiness criteria include social skills, the ability to listen and follow directions, independence and a strong grip on basic motor skills, such as knowing how to use a pencil and work a zipper or buttons.
http://www.parenthood.com/


ü Rest assured Mommies

Most children at 2years of age interact only with an object or familiar persons…PhDs at universities like to call this solitary play

You may start to see them growing in the direction of parallel play which is children playing near each other but independently (2-3 yrs)

And for those of you with the really burning question of what is the next level….

(3-4 yrs) = associative play / children participating in small groups but have a very limited sharing or interaction with each other

(4+ yrs) = cooperative play / children sharing ideas and roles and interacting in increasingly more complex play

ü Food for thought
Education should be a process of assisted discovery –Vygotsky (child psychologist)

Spurring a child's interest in a book.

ü Challenge
o My child does not like to read! They especially will not try a book with little to no pictures.
ü Suggestion
o After reading a story try dressing up like a character in the book.

How to increase your child’s learning

Wow after a title like that, I would be expecting a cure-all! However, learning does not work that way, at least, not that I am aware of. I do want to point out there are methods that can aide an increased awareness for yourself, which will lead to enhancement of your child’s learning.

Working Together
To work out the conflicts

Parents and children can work together actively in handling difficult situations.
Here is a list to teach children to resolve conflicts in 5 basic steps (Faber and Mazlish, 1996: Fields and Boesser, 1994):

· Identifying the problem
· Generating possible solution(s)
· Agreeing upon a solution(s)
· Implementing solution(s)
· Evaluating solution(s)

Is it really that simple?

The five steps of problem solving sound so simple. However, in the real world, with real children, solutions often do not come easily or neatly. After all a problem is a problem because, it involves at least two opposing points of view. When one or both do not get exactly what they want, the struggle continues. Emotions run high, and patience wears thin.
Although it may sound simple, the changes require time and energy. Despite the difficulty it is worth the effort. Children learn to talk about their problems instead of hidding them. Children need to take responsibility for controlling their behavior.

In essence, they actively work to build a positive social environment. (Marie w. Sloane)

Focusing attention on work

1.Do not force your child to sit for a long time. They can’t. A good rule of thumb is to take your child’s age and subtract 2. The # that you come up with is an estimation of the maximum minuets sitting time your child should have.

2.Arrange for them to move at intervals planned by you.

3.Create short-term goals for your child so they can realize more successes, and find activities that will absorb the need for active learning.

4.Make improvement your goal.

Children are like sponges they soak up whatever you give them good or bad—they take it all in. If you do not want them to do the things you are doing, then you need to stop doing them. If you want your child to pick up good things you must do them as well. If you do not want them to lie you cannot either; even, if it’s to get "an eleven and under children eat free and yours is 12" lie.

In all things you the parent, guardian, grandparent, aunt, uncle, friend, mentor whomever you are you have read this blog because you want to instill something in a small person, remember that children are sponges they soak up whatever is next to them.