August 15, 2006
The Whole Child e-zine brings you free preschool activities each week to maximize your child's potential, build skills and parent-child relationships in just a few minutes per day. Useful tips, quotes, resources, opportunities and articles will added for extra value!
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15 August 2006, Issue #025
CONTENTS
1.
Hello from Shirley
2. Updates at Shirley's Preschool Activities
3. Tips!
4. Quotes
5. Readiness Activities
1. Hello from Shirley
Next week Sunday we are taking a family holiday and going to visit my parents in the Eastern Cape for a week, so this week I am sending you two weeks of developmental activities at once.Don't be surprised too, if it is perhaps three weeks before you receive another issue of The Whole Child.
I anticipate that it will take me a while to get back into the usual routine once we return from our trip.
The last time we had a holiday was about 18 months ago, so I am really looking forward to getting away, having a lot of peace and quiet and time to refocus on life in general.
If you are not receiving this email in html
format or you find white gaps where there should be images, then use
this link for a much more colorful and easier-to-read version!
2. Updates at Shirley's Preschool Activities
On the new page I added this week, I have shared some more of our personal lives. Riaan, my husband and I have had to educate ourselves about business and finances as we were never taught much about this in our formative years. Because of this, we have made a point of trying to help our children to think entrepreneurally and to learn about business from as young as preschool age.We have realised that one day their banker will not ask for their report card, but for their financial statements!
If we don't teach our kids about money and equip them with financial skills then who will?
I have shared some anecdotes about how they have learned about investing and making their money grow from as young as five or six.
We have recently started using a new Business Parenting Course that has just come on the market and we are excited as it offers us a structured system for teaching a range of essential business skills. Our kids are just loving having control over some money of their own and are beginning to think up all sorts of schemes to earn more!
Read my newest page called
Ways for a Kid to Make Money and if you also want to invest in your children's financial future, take a look at the Ka-Ching! Business Parenting Course. It was tested by 60 families and carefully scrutinised by the Shuttleworth Foundation who gave it their stamp of approval and sponsored its trendy design and layout.3. Tips
Train and encourage your kids to do things for themselves, even if it means that it won't be done as well as you would do it. For instance, a five year old should easily be able to straighten her duvet and make her bed 'neat-ish'!A friend, the mom of an only child aged 4, came over to my home early one morning last week, as we were going on a homeschooling outing together. She was amazed to see that my children all feed themselves breakfast, even the 18 month old, and that my 6 year old, Jon-Jon, helps himself to cereal unassisted.
This week, he offered to make cereal for the baby each morning of the week and tidy his little brother's two clothing drawers in return for a fee! I am only too glad to have the help! This initiative on his part was prompted by using the Ka-Ching! Business Parenting Course that I mentioned above, as he had to think of once-off tasks to do to earn money!
5. Quote
"A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter." Proverbs 11:13
"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins." Proverbs 10:12
"In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise." Proverbs 10:19
Last week I encouraged you to speak only good of your children's father. Actually, this should apply to what we say of anyone!
These
verses from Proverbs remind me of the saying: "If you've nothing good to say,
then don't say anything!"
6. Readiness Activities
To download the printable pdf you will need to have installed
Adobe Reader - opens in new window.
The Whole Child - Week 24-25 Activities - printable pdf
Week 24
Mathematical
SkillsAsk your child to count ten objects. Then remove them one by one and ask her to tell you how many remain. If she struggles use a lower number, like 3 or 5 objects.
Gross Motor Skills
Encourage your child to ride a bicycle (with supporting side wheels). She should become confident and navigate corners and obstacles with relative ease.
Fine Motor Skills
Give your child a bean
bag, or make one by placing a sealed sachet of rice inside a sock and
knotting it closed. Ask your child to throw it up and catch it in one
hand. Then repeat the exercise with the other hand.
Auditory Perception
Language and Thinking
Faith
Start teaching your
child the days of the week. Tell her which activities regularly happen
on certain days of the week in your lives.
Use the free
printable Bible coloring pages that my teenaged daughter has
added to my site, along with your children's Bible stories. Meghan will
be adding more soon, so bookmark the page. Remember that there are also
easy, printable Bible
Memory Verses
with illustrations to help non-readers too. Go to
http://www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com/free-printable-preschool-worksheets.html
Visual
Perception
Mathematical
Skills
Gross
Motor Skills
Let your child
complete some dot-to-dot pictures. This develops visual closure.
Give your child a
small amount of money to spend. Help to learn the value of that amount
of money and show her what products she can buy with it. A loaf of
bread, or a bar of chocolate, an ice-cream cone or a pack of stickers
etc
Encourage your child
to tuck her chin onto her chest, squat down and do a forward roll on
the floor. If she does this with ease, then see if she can do two in a
row.
Fine
Motor Skills
Let your child roll a
marble around the inside of a the lid of a cake tin. She must focus on
the marble and follow its circular motion with her eyes, without moving
her head.
Auditory
Perception