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!

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1. Reading with Children

"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents." (Emilie Buchwald)

Research has shown that reading to children significantly raises their potential for academic and life-long success.

The ability to read is an essential skill for learning, and if a child loves reading, she will become more skilled at it. This life skill will give her an advantage: She will gain not only knowledge, but also pleasure from the literature that she is able to read.

The converse is also true. A child who struggles to read, will struggle with conventional forms of learning and will always be frustrated when required to read. This could lead to all sorts of related problems, which in turn may affect the child's self esteem and behaviour patterns.

...so who wouldn't want to get their child hooked on books?

Unlike many other skills, such as writing, its never too early to start reading aloud WITH your child. In fact, research has even shown that there are benefits to reading aloud to a baby in the womb!

I love the words of a fellow South African book-lover, Jay Heale:

"You are not reading a book to a child; You are sharing a book with a child."

Did you know that reading to children makes them feel more loved?

As you cuddle up and share book together, you and your child will enjoy over 20 Benefits of Reading with Children.

There is a series of articles on my site about Reading for you to enjoy at your leisure:
1. Reading with Babies and Toddlers
2. Preschool Reading Together
3. Preschool Reading Activities and Games

2. Check my website

Coming up:
22 April is Earth Day – Earth Day Craft

Sunday, 9 May 2010 is Mother's Day

Mother's Day Ideas

Free Mother's Day Poems

Free Printable Mother's Day Card and Free Clipart

Mother's Day Basket Craft

3. Quote

"A house without books is like a room without windows." ~ Heinreich Mann

4. Tips & Advice

If you intend to nurture your child's love of literature you should regularly visit the library and explore both fiction and non-fiction books.

You should also start building a home library so that there are always favorite books on hand. I have listed some classics and some of our family favourites here: Our Favorites

Click here for more info and sample lessons: ABC Fun & 1-2-3

5. Readiness Activities

The following activities are aimed at ages 3-5. For older children, adapt the activity to their ability.

Click here for Back issues of The Whole Child publication. To download the activities in a printable pdf, click here.

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

1. Gross motor skills

Hold your child by the feet while he does a 'wheelbarrow' walk on the floor, supporting his body with his hands. This is an excellent strengthening exercise for the muscles of shoulder girdle. Let him rest every now and then.

2. Fine motor skills

Manual dexterity: Let your child pick up small objects such as plastic toys or shapes using clothes pegs.

3. Visual skills

Visual analysis: Cut large shapes such as a circle, square and triangle from paper. Then cut them in half and then place all the pieces on the table in front of your child. She must put them together to build the complete shape once more.

4. Auditory skills

Encourage your child to combine sounds and actions. When you make a sound like an animal, let him pretend to be that animal. You can also make the sounds of cars and other vehicles. More ideas are frogs (croak and jump), horse (neigh and gallop), an aeroplane, a train, a cat, a mouse, a bird,a chicken etc.

5. Mathematical skills

Choose a number and see how many times you and your child can spot it in a day. Look at post box numbers, road signs, address numbers etc.

6. Language and thinking skills

Active Language Development: Play the “why?” game with your child, but you both get to ask questions and give answers: Why do you wear clothes?
Why do we eat food?
Why does a car have wheels?
Why does a house have windows?

7. Faith-building

Pick one aspect of your child's character that needs training, such as perseverance, helpfulness (with a good attitude) or generosity (sharing) and make a focused effort to encourage and train your child in that area. Make sure you are setting a good example too. Praise her for her efforts.

Greetings until next month

Shirley

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