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 be added for extra value!

If you enjoy this e-zine, please pay it forward and send it to a friend.
If you received THE WHOLE CHILD from a friend and you would like to subscribe, please sign up at Shirley's Preschool Activities.

February 2009, Issue #058

1. Hello from Shirley

Here in the southern hemisphere, our new school year has just begun. It has taken us two weeks to settle in to our new routine.

I am starting my fourth child in Grade 1 (only 2 more preschoolers left!) so they dynamics of our homeschooling day have shifted yet again.

2. Take a look at Shirley’s Preschool Activities

PLEASE NOTE:
At long last I have added a SITE MAP to help you navigate my site more easily. You might like to bookmark this page for easy reference.

Being the start of a new season, I thought it fitting to add some pages to my site about School Readiness and School Maturity.

As parents and caregivers of preschoolers it is important for all of us to understand the difference between these two terms and to share that info with other parents.

More importantly you need to tell parents how significantly they can influence their preschool children’s development towards school readiness by extending their children’s field of experiences through doing activities like those supplied in this newsletter.

You are welcome to forward this letter or the links below to anyone whom you think will benefit from it.

[Click here for info on how to link to my site or to this e-zine in YOUR newsletter, blog or website.]

• School maturity is a term used to denote a biological growing process in a child’s development, including both physical and mental maturity. (Click here to learn more.)
• School readiness refers to a stage in a child’s development when she is ready to learn in a formal learning environment and can do so effectively and without emotional disturbance. It is not a fixed point as growth and maturation is an ongoing process. It is a condition indicating that the child is ready to learn. (More...)

Below you will discover how adults can help children develop school readiness skills in just minutes per day!

As you can see from the banner above. Site Build It are running another special offer for infopreneurs.

Click on the banner to take advantage of this opportunity to use your knowledge and expertise to generate an additional source of income - like I did!

3. Quote

"Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved.”

William P. Young, The Shack

4. Tips

1. To show your child that each one of them is unique and special to you, plan a special day or a special outing suggested by the child. After being away on business for a month, my husband recently gave each child a ‘Daddy Day’ where they could each plan the agenda for a day with their daddy. Some chose individual activities, while others included the rest of the family too.

2. Being that time of the year when Valentine’s Day looms on the horizon, I thought I’d give you a link to my thoughts on preparing our children to make healthy choices in their relationships. Refer to last year’s February Issue of the this newsletter

5. Book Reviews

Take a look at some of our favourite books that I recommend for preschoolers and/or their parents on the Amazon Store page of my site.

The Princess and the Kiss by Jennie Bishop

This is a story that teaches children about the preciousness of their purity. The princess was give a kiss when she was born which was carefully protected by her parents until she was old enough to have it. Then suitors came calling, Prince Romance, Prince Peacock, Prince Treasure Chest and many others and the princess had the task of choosing a good man. How would she do it? This book is aimed at children from age 4-8. It's best for girls, but boys can learn from it too.

The Squire and the Scroll by Jennie Bishop

A young boy sets out on a journey accompanying a knight who has to retrieve the light stolen from their kingdom by an evil dragon. Along the way there are various tests and deadly traps to overcome to succeed on the mission. Only by remembering the words in the scroll which his parents taught him, is the boy able to accomplish the mission when the knight falls by the way. This is another tool for teaching little boys the value of moral courage. Sisters will also enjoy the story.

ABC Fun & 1-2-3 by Shirley Erwee

"...Your book has been a prayer answered - your suggested programme fits our lifestyle / current routine just about perfectly. I was desperate for something, other than seat work, for my curious little girl - and you've thought of everything to inspire her without the rigidity of school. Many many thanks!

(Sarah, Mummy to Emma 6, Rebekah 3, and Jessie 3mo - South Africa)

If you are South African, you can buy books and CD's online at www.kalahari.net and www.loot.co.za

6. Readiness Activities

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed. It’s a free download. Repeat these activities often - with your own variations too!

February

1. Gross motor skills

Body Awareness: Ask your child to touch the following body parts, first on her own body and then for variation, on a doll or with her eyes closed: Head, Arms, Legs, Stomach, Back Later on in the year, ask her to point out her eyes, nose, mouth, hand, feet and thumb.

2. Fine motor skills

Tactile perception: Place two objects, such as a small ball and a teaspoon inside a pillow case. Ask your child to remove one of them by placing his hand inside the pillowcase without looking. Add other objects to make the game more fun and challenging.

3. Visual skills

Shape perception: Let your child feel the difference between a round object like a ball and angular object, like a wooden block by feeling it with her eyes closed. Then show her that the ball can roll easily, but the block cannot. If you have a shape set toy, let her feel the difference between circular shapes and other shapes that have corners.

4. Auditory skills

Auditory Discrimination: In a quiet moment, encourage your child to identify sounds that he may hear in your environment. E.g. the hum of a fridge or computer, a car passing, a barking dog, bird calls, wind, etc.

5. Mathematical skills

Spatial relations: using toy farm animals, place two animals facing the same direction. Ask your child which one is walking in front and which one is behind. Place another object or animal some distance away from the two and ask which animal will reach it first and which one will be last.

6. Language and thinking skills

Classification: Mix together about 10 each of two sets of toys that have small parts, such as construction blocks and farm animals. Ask your child to sort them into two separate groups. You can expand the game by adding more parts or a third set of objects for her to sort.

7. Faith-building

Teach your children self-control. They need to learn fast that some behaviours are not acceptable and that you expect them to behave appropriately. They need to honour their parents in the way they speak and behave.

Greetings until next month
Shirley
About Shirley

Home l Preschool Themes l l Ideas by Subject l Preschool Curriculum l Homeschool Help l Free Kids Games l ABC Fun & 1-2-3l Free Printables