Pre Christmas Party @ Garden House Hong Kong Preschool

Back to School Sept 2009 with H1N1 Precautions

We can expect quite reasonably that when the kids come back to school, they'll bring the virus back with them and we'll see a sort of seasonal flu outbreak. We'll see it probably in the fall rather than in the winter and spring. So we'll see it early.


Common-sense precautions: "Parents should monitor their children for flu-like illness: fever, cough, sore throat, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting," said Maldonado. Anyone with flu symptoms should stay home from school and work, she said, adding schools will be extra-vigilant in the coming months about sending home children who appear to be ill. Kids also should practice hand-washing and other health basics to avoid spreading germs. "Parents need to make sure that children know how to protect others by not coughing or sneezing around others, or by covering their coughing or sneezing,"

Be alert if you child have early flu like symptoms and consult with doctors first sign the parents see so we can prevent the virus from spreading to others. We can make a better learning environment for our kids if we work on it.

Toddler with Fever

Influenzia is still at it's peak in Hong Kong so we have to take extra precaution when our toddlers catches it and burns up with a fever. Fever is very common in childhood. It is often the first sight that your child is unwell.

Most often, fever is caused by infection, but it may also result from some other illness. A high fever does not tell you how serious the illness is. Your child's behaviour is generally more important. A child with a mild infection could have a very high fever. A child with a very severe infection could have no fever at all.

Most fevers are caused by viral infections. Fevers are a sign of the body's normal protective response to these viruses.

The types of fever that occur in children are usually not harmful. They do not cause brain damage or death. Some children (less than 1 in 20) develop seizures with fever. These seizures are not harmful and have no long-term effects.

The most important reason to treat fever in children is to make them comfortable so that they can drink and sleep well. The fever itself is not harmful to children. It is a normal part of fighting an infection.

My Kids having Early Summer Boredom Syndrome

1. Go swimming. Most municipal pools offer swimming lessons. Take your younger children to the pool, and have them learn how to swim. For older kids, who may already know how to swim, buy a swim pass to the pool. That way they can go and enjoy themselves. Family outings to the pool can be a fun (and cool) summer activity. For another water related activity, consider buying cheap squirt guns. These are a lot of fun, and they last long (and make less mess) than water balloons.

2. Parks and Recreation neighborhood activities. In my town, Parks and Recreation offers an afternoon program in neighborhood parks. Children can meet, with city-provided adult supervision, at the park to learn to play games, do crafts and participate in social play. In my town, this service is offered free for four hours every afternoon. Even in areas where these programs cost money, the fee is usually small.

3. Sports programs. There are a number of sports programs offered over the summer. My son is doing T-ball. Baseball, soccer, tennis, flag football, golf and basketball are all offered in many localities. While you don’t have to go through your city to participate in these programs, it is often less expensive if you do. Find out what’s available, and then sign your child up for something he or she will enjoy.

4. Amusement parks and fun centers. Not everyone lives near an amusement park. But there might be a smaller fun center nearby. While we don’t have an amusement park, we have a center with a kids’ go cart track, mini-golf and small rides. Find out if you can get a discount season pass to nearby fun centers and amusement parks. You’ll save a little money, and have someplace for your kids to go.

5. Nature walks and outdoor experiences. One of my favorite things to do with my son is go for nature walks. You can even do this in a local park — you don’t have to get out of town. Talk about trees and rocks, bushes and flowers, and see if you can spot wildlife. Many towns also have nature centers. You can check for planned nature walks, as well as day camps aimed at children. As a family, you can go camping, take day trips to picnic areas, go hiking or biking, or even visit the lake (or the ocean). Spending time outdoors is a great way to connect with your child — it’s one of the best family summer time activities.

6. The public library. Many libraries have summer time activities. Story time is a perennial childhood favorite. Many libraries also include craft days and book fairs. But, even if your library doesn’t have any of these things, it’s nice to go and pick out books. My son gets his books, and then I let him play on computers or read children’s magazines in the kid’s section while I get my books. It’s a great way to enjoy a little quiet “me” time while he is amused. Plus, you can check out movies as well, to spice up the summer rotation for little to no cost (depending on the cost of a library card in your city).

7. Zoos, aquariums and museums. Educational, fun and physically engaging! Many zoos, aquariums and museums have special children’s days and activities during the summer. You can get a season pass, and visit more than once. Check around town for national or regional historical sites and heritage centers. These types of outings also make great family memories.


8. Youth programs. I was a happily involved in 4-H growing up. There are a number of programs available for children ages 5 and up (younger children, ages 5-8, are actually Cloverbuds). Children meet in clubs and complete projects. My favorite projects included rocketry, geology, forestry and money management. And for older kids, there are conferences, retreats and activities. Other youth programs, such as Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts also offer low-cost, fun opportunities for kids of various ages and interests. And they’ll learn something, too!

9. Summer camp. Youth programs can take care of the summer camp thing, but if you just want a a good summer camp, you can check with the American Camp Association. This is something for kids who are a little older, though. Perhaps wait until your child is 8 or 9 before sending him or her off to summer camp. Shorter camps — one or two weeks — are a good choice, since it gives the kids the chance to do something fun for a reasonably length of time, but it doesn’t feel like you are trying to get rid of them.

10. Day camp. If overnight summer camp isn’t your thing, consider a day camp. These are normally fairly inexpensive, and provide a range of educational and fun activities for children of all ages. I’m sending my son to a day camp for four hours, three days a week for a month this summer. He can’t wait. It is something that keeps him busy and lets him interact with other children.

All Hong Kong primary schools, kindergartens closed for two weeks

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has announced that all primary and lower-level schools will close for a fortnight.The decision for the two-week closure, effective from tomorrow, was made after a cluster of influenza-like cases at St Paul's Convent School was found to be swine flu infections.The number of cases in the St Paul cluster was also raised to 12 from nine previously.

Authorities were unable to identify the source of the infection, making it the first cluster of human swine flu cases in the city without a known link to those travelling overseas, prompting the closures.Primary schools, kindergartens and nurseries will be closed until the start of the next school year if they are unable to resume school before the end of the current school year on July 10.

The Education Bureau has reached an understanding with principals that special arrangements will be made for Primary Five examinations, a key factor in getting into a good secondary school, if schools have to stay closed until the start of the new school year.

The schools will be closed until June 25 and the bureau will confirm their reopening or announce changes in plans on June 23.Territory-wide System Assessment exams, the Primary Six version of which is used by the Education Department to determine how many places in Band One schools to allocate to primary schools, scheduled for next Wednesday and Thursday have been cancelled.

''Given the global situation, [for] Hong Kong to have its own local cases is simply inevitable,'' Tsang said.''I believe the fellow citizens and the government have done all we can in postponing the arrival of the first indigenous case.'

'The move to shut primary schools rather than secondary schools was made because young pupils are more vulnerable to catching the virus, Tsang said.The closure affects nearly 510,640 students at 1,626 schools, according to enrollment figures from the 2008-2009 school year. There have been around 50 confirmed cases of swine flu infection in Hong Kong, but all the previous cases caught the virus while travelling abroad.

Source is provided by Hong Kong Standard Newspaper.

Helping Children Adapt To A New Sibling

Over the weekend my friends and I had a small gathering along with their kids. We had a lot of fun and hearing them wanting another baby this topic popped in my head and thought I should talk about it. Fearing that our child will feel neglected and getting less attention from their parents do occur often when the new born arrives home. The best way is for the parents to prepare their child for the new comer of the family.

Prepare children for the way they should behave with the new baby. Parents often worry that their older child may be too rough with the baby. As a result, they may emphasize many things children should not do with their younger siblings. Parents should give more attention to showing children ways they can have a safe and enjoyable time together. An older child needs to know how to play with a baby, how they can communicate, and how to handle conflict. Most sibling preparation programs do not work on the social skills a new brother or sister will need.

Parents help children with these skills as they give them suggestions and feedback on a daily basis. Children may also learn skills that set the stage for good sibling relationships by playing with other children. Children who play well with their friends are more likely to develop good relationships with their siblings (Kramer and Gottman, 1992). When your child is playing with other children, note her ability to manage conflict. See if she helps to keep the emotional climate pleasant. Child care providers also help children develop these skills. As they promote good peer relationships, they help children learn the skills they'll need for good sibling relationships.

IT'S ONLY TEMPORARY!

Some children regress in their behavior when a new child arrives. Children may be more demanding, have more toilet accidents, or they may have trouble sleeping. Although these problems can be annoying, parents shouldn't worry about them too much. They usually disappear in three to five months. Many children show signs of greater maturity when a new sibling arrives. They may take pride in showing that they are different from their little brother or sister because they can dress themselves. This is a great chance to praise children for helping in a stressful situation. Remember, though, that the same children who are showing off their new skills can also be showing immature behaviors.

IT'S NOT JUST LUCK WHEN KIDS GET ALONG

A good sibling relationship is more likely if parents value it. Parents should think about the way they would like their children to behave with each other. Then they should help their children learn to behave that way. If parents think it's important that siblings share, they should look for chances to praise this behavior. For example, "I like the way you and Joey are playing together with that truck." If parents value closeness and affection between siblings, they should look for examples of this behavior to praise. Parents should model the behavior they want to see in their children. They should avoid behavior that they don't want their children to imitate.

HELP YOUR CHILD LEARN HOW TO BE A SIBLING

Help your children find a role to play with their new sibling. Possible roles include assistant caregiver, teacher, helper, or playmate. As assistant caregiver, a child could fetch diapers, help entertain the infant, or help decide what the baby needs or is trying to express. Don't push children into a caregiving role, though, if they don't want it. If you do, they may feel that being a sibling is only a burden. Help the child find a different role to play, or wait until the baby is older and the children can interact together more successfully.

ONE LAST PIECE OF ADVICE

Babies seem to come into the world ready to adore their older siblings. Make sure your older children know how important they are to their brother or sister. It will give them a sense of pride and foster mutual enjoyment.

REFERENCES

Kramer, L., and J. M. Gottman, 1992. Becoming a sibling: "With a little help from my friends." *Developmental Psychology* 28:685-699.

Hot Summer Tips

Summer is finally upon us and this mean the heat is on the rise. The important thing to remember is to avoid over exposure to the sun and heat. Children are prone to be sensitive to the heat and be effect by it. Here are some tips for keeping cool this summer.
Fans and air conditioning indoors will certainly take off the heat.

• Outdoor activities should take place before 10:00 a.m. and after 2:00 p.m. to avoid the worst sun of the day.
• Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Encourage children to wear lightweight hats when they are in the sun.
• Sunscreen is a must when going out into the sun. Remember to check the label to be sure the sunscreen provides adequate protection and will not wear off quickly in water.
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• Bring water when you know you will be out in the sun for a long period of time. It is easy to lose fluids in the heat.
• Provide shaded areas for outdoor play during hot sunny days. When temperatures exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit, children should not be involved in strenuous outdoor play for long periods of time.

By taking precaution will prevent any mishaps such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps and most of all dehydration. So take these steps into consideration and have a safe healthy summer with your family members.

Signs of a Great Preschool

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) suggests you look for these 10 signs to make sure your child is in a good classroom.

1. Children spend most of their playing and working with materials or other children. They do not wander aimlessly, and they are not expected to sit quietly for long periods of time.
   
2. Children have access to various activities throughout the day. Look for assorted building blocks and other construction materials, props for pretend play, picture books, paints and other art materials, and table toys such as matching games, pegboards, and puzzles. Children should not all be doing the same thing at the same time.
   
3. Teachers work with individual children, small groups, and the whole group at different times during the day. They do not spend all their time with the whole group.
   
4. The classroom is decorated with children's original artwork, their own writing with invented spelling, and stories dictated by children to teachers.
   
5. Children learn numbers and the alphabet in the context of their everyday experiences. The natural world of plants and animals and meaningful activities like cooking, taking attendance, or serving snack provide the basis for learning activities.
   
6. Children work on projects and have long periods of time (at least one hour) to play and explore. Worksheets are used little if at all.
   
7. Children have an opportunity to play outside every day. Outdoor play is never sacrificed for more instructional time.
   
8. Teachers read books to children individually or in small groups throughout the day, not just at group story time.
   
9. Curriculum is adapted for those who are ahead as well as those who need additional help. Teachers recognize that children's different background and experiences mean that they do not learn the same things at the same time in the same way.
   
10. Children and their parents look forward to school. Parents feel secure about sending their child to the program. Children are happy to attend; they do not cry regularly or complain of feeling sick.

The following information is brought to you by National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Thank you for such useful information for our parents.

TV and ADD

The six year old dumps out the Tinkertoys and stares at them. He doesn’t have the slightest idea what to do with them. For Christmas, a seven year old girl is given Lincoln Logs. She is mildly curious at first. She briefly tries putting them together and then quits. “It’s too hard.” In an unfocused way, she wanders into the bedroom, turns on the TV and watches a Disney video.
Out on the front line, our schools literally reel as across America, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of kids are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). It is a diagnosis that has reached epidemic proportions. All across the land, parents seek answers to help them understand their learning disabled or ADD children.

What is this epidemic of ADD? How is it defined? Briefly, the children’s thinking easily fragments. It is hard for them to focus and carry through a task. Their attention wanders. Often the children are impulsive and have behavior problems. It does not seem to be a problem borne of poor parenting, for high achieving; loving and responsive parents have children who are part of the epidemic. There is a good indication that aspects of ADD are genetic. The father or mother may have had similar problems when they were younger. But genetic disorders are never epidemic in nature.

First, it is important to see how the definition of ADD has changed with time. Twenty-five years ago, ADD was seen as a true disorder of attention. That is, it was noted that children’s attention fragmented easily and they could not pay attention to television shows. This is no longer true. ADD children can pay attention to TV and are able to play video games. As a matter of fact, far from not being able to attend television, the playing of video games or watching TV is often used in the primary grades as a reinforce or reward for behaviorally disturbed and learning disturbed children. Video tapes are used as a teaching tool across the primary and elementary grade spectrum with increasing frequency.

ADD could more correctly be labeled an intention disorder. That is, the children fragment when they should be intending to do something – to accomplish a goal, start or complete a project. In my experience as a child psychiatrist, it appears the majority of children labeled ADD have no problem at all if they are being entertained, playing a video game, or watching TV. The entire problem seems to revolve around getting the job done, whether the job is putting Tinkertoys together, building with Lincoln Logs, focusing on a monopoly game, or completing a school assignment.

CRITICAL PERIODS

It is essential to briefly explore the “critical period” theory. This theory of development holds that there is an optimal time for particular types of learning. It holds that if the environment does not give the essential stimulation at the critical period, the optimal time for learning that concept or method of thinking is irreversibly lost. The theory holds, for instance, that language development should best take place in the second and third years of life. It is not that some people cannot learn a completely foreign language at a later time, but that it is much more difficult at a later time. The longer the environment “deprives” the individual of the critical input, the more difficult it will be to learn the concept or skill later.

To understand the “critical period” theory in relation to the ADD epidemic, the neurologic development of the third and fourth years must be examined. Eric Erickson noted the task of the three to five year old was Initiative and Industry. (Does this like a description of today’s preschooler, kindergartener or even first grade child? It does not!) It is very rare to find small children today that stick with any task, invested in mastery of doing something. Rarely, rarely today will one see a three to five year old working at mastering a task for more than a few minutes. Gone are the day of cutting figures from the Sears and Roebuck catalog and dressing them with tabbed clothes. Gone are the days of having a “market” in the corner of the play room with cans opened from the bottom so the child could sell food to his or her parents. Gone are the days when a toddler would be given a role of masking tape and be encouraged to completely cover a kitchen chair. Gone are most of the Tinkertoys, erector sets, and Lincoln Logs. Gone are the days when a child would be given a cloth and be told to sew on dozens of buttons in the pattern of her choice. Gone too, are the days of helping on household and farm tasks – gathering eggs, milking and quilting. Gone are the days of focus on memorizing , at an early age, psalms, stories and songs.

At an essential time of brain developmental readiness for task mastery, today’s three and four year olds, the children who Erickson characterized as being at the stage of initiative and industry, are watching television and enjoying video tapes.

And therein lies the basic problem. In fact, most of the items for younger children in Toy-R-Us reflect an emphasis on sensory input, and rudimentary motor skills, but rarely encourage creativity, task focus, job completion and mastery. Even if they are offered for sale – Tinkertoys, Legos, Lincoln Logs, and alphabet blocks are not the big sellers. What sells big are the video films and video game: Game Boy, Nintendo, the Little Mermaid and Aladdin. Those are the items that make millions. And of course children are exposed to more child movies than ever before. When parents “do” something with small children now, it rarely involves really “doing” anything. The parent watch TV with children, enjoy the televised game together, go to the movies or may, more rarely, go to the zoo. John Rosemond, M.D., a pediatrician, notes the things a child is not doing when watching TV: Scanning, practicing motor skills, practicing eye-hand coordination, using more than two senses, asking questions exploring, exercising, initiative or motivation, being challenged, solving problems, thinking analytically, exercising imagination, practicing communication skills, being either creative or constructive.

But it is more than that! Today’s parents, who themselves grew up in front of the TV, do not know how to do things with their children. Even if they know of the importance of helping small children with focus and task completion, they, themselves, don’t know how to make a kite or tin-can telephone. They don’t know how to cover chairs with masking tape, they don’t know about the corner grocery where the child sells cans of food opened from the bottom. They don’t know about sewing on buttons with their child or making paper dolls. But most importantly, they know nothing of the developmental necessity of doing something with their preschool aged child. They, themselves, grew up with Big Bird and Sesame Street. And now they go to movies and watch TV as a family. And when their three and four year old child gets bored, they, as good parents, have a library of “good” videos - “Disney” videos- for the child to watch.
Indeed, most “involved” parents today, encouraged by the popular parenting advice are concerned with what their child watches. Parents worry about sex and violence on TV. Most are more concerned with quality than quantity.

A grandfather recently spoke to me after a lecture: “What you say about TV and a lack of internal focus is absolutely true. I have two wonderful granddaughters, one six come and one four. They are active, bright kids. But you know, I noticed, even before hearing you, that after they have watched a morning of video tapes, they come out of the room, sort of floating, spacey, really. They wander aimlessly for awhile. They have a “lost” air about them, and then they come up to me, and they say,” What can I do?” I told their mother that it takes them about one hour to recover from two video tapes. And generally these aren’t spacey kids! They don’t watch that much TV. But think of the poor little kids that watch it day after day!”

Real education is dialog!!! Real education involves a feeling of mastery, ability to respond to situations, to articulate ideas, and respond thoughtfully. Whether we talk about leadership, creativity, responsibility, or motivation, we are describing action. Television encourages passive response. Certainly it encourages absorption, and arguably understanding but it does not, and cannot, by its very nature, encourage doing, mastery, task completion, creativity, independent thinking – all those things associated with being a functioning and productively busy human being. School must, by their nature, focus on doing and task completion.

Recently, a businessman and his wife, fed up with amount of time their elementary age children sat in front of the TV, bet the children $200 apiece that they could not go one year without watching TV in the home. The kids took the parents up on the bet and they won. To the parents amazement, the children asked the parents not to return the TV to the home. The kids had found, over the year, that it was just too much fun to be doing things with their parents and in a self-motivated way. They realized after a year that they had been missing out on something important.

Taking the “critical periods” theory into account, we cannot say that all children who don’t learn to focus, concentrate, and master a task during the third and fourth years are doomed to never learn it. However, I believe strongly that most such children grow under a definite handicap, and it is much more difficult to learn to focus, create, and achieve a sense of mastery later.

By Foster W.Kline, M.D.

Storytelling & Imaginative Play

The important of Storytelling & Imaginative play. Remember how peanut butter tasted when you were a kid? Ever wonder why they don’t make it like that any more? Ah--sad to say, it’s made the same; we adults just don’t taste the same. In childhood, taste is intense; vision is intense, smells are overwhelming, and every day is an adventure where all is new, mysterious, awesome and wondrous.

The early child wants to explore the world and play in it all the time. "All I want to do is make things and sing," my seven year old sang out. Making things, including a joyful noise, is a pretty good agenda, wouldn’t you say?

Childhood, when lived fully, prepares for adulthood perfectly. It’s a time of constant learning, and learning takes place through simply being a child, day dreaming, "let’s pretend" play, making things and doing nothing. The toddler sifting sand through fingers is learning--all action is learning; all learning is play and play is re-creation, the foundation of creativity.

The playing child is the imaginative child. He or she can imagine alternatives to a threatening or unfair situation and is far less prone to violence as a solution than the child who can’t play. The child who has no inner world of images to draw on can’t imagine alternatives to his immediate sensory world, and so has no hope of changing things.

Without imagination the child will not be able to grasp abstract issues or subjects later. Unable to see the boat or truck in the matchbox, the child will be unable to "see" alternatives to violence when the going gets rough; he will not be able to "see" with the inner eye what the outer mathematical symbol stands for; he will not be able to “see” a solution unless that solution is presented graphically from without.

So nature’s prime agenda in childhood is to develop imagination--ability to create images not present to the sensory system, and this takes place through storytelling and play. A little girl told me she liked radio so much more than television because the pictures on the radio were more beautiful. Like pictures in stories, the radio pictures were beautiful because they were her own, products of the awesome creative power inside her.

Harvard’s Howard Gardner points out that an infant-child not played with never will learn to play; the child who can’t play and is not told stories doesn’t develop imagination. That child’s childhood only partly unfolds, and their intelligence and well-being are at risk. This means that to help our children we as adults must rediscover play, "let’s pretend," storytelling--and love. Then we can awaken the same in our children.

Finally, the child needs time just to be a child--time to daydream, leave the outer world of corrections and demands and enter the quiet inner world of the heart. From this inner world, the balance with the outer world is found; memory and learning are assured, and the child lives in the natural joy that learning about his wonder-filled world should bring.

written by: Joseph Chilton Pierce (revised and reprinted with permission from the Suncoast Waldorf Association)
Joseph Chilton Pierce is the author of several books and articles on childhood, including the bestselling book Magical Child.

Be creative in learning

Kids love the idea of treasure hunting and the challenges they go through in obtaining an object. Being a creative parent is not necessarily an easy task with busy schedule through out the day. We can help in giving you an idea for a game which you and your child can do together. This can enhance your child's recognition skills and increase their learning process. You can assist them a long the way and its quite rewarding for you and your child.

All you need is a container, uncooked rice, numbers and alphabets from 10 dollar stores where you can find. Just have your child locate these hidden numbers and alphabets then specify by reading them out loud to you. If you don't want your child to use bare hands you can offer them to use a tong to pick up these objects from the container. Depending on how old your child is do take precaution that they don't swallow the uncooked rice. Try it out and have fun with your child on a rainy Sunday like today.

Preparation for kindergarten

Gathering information from the school that your child is going to attend is essential. Most Preschool or Kindergarten school have readiness checklist. This list will help prepare your child and foresee how they evaluate your child's skills. Using these guide will help parents better understand what the expectation the school have and how ready your child is before entering the preschool.

• speak clearly enough to be understood
• be happy away from home
• handle all his personal needs, such as going to the bathroom and tying shoes
• play well with other children, share toys and games, and respect others' property
• make simple choices
• express his own needs and wants in an age-appropriate manner
• follow rules, especially safety rules
• follow a series of three directions
• tell the right hand from the left
  
• use crayons, paints, paste, and clay appropriately
  
• draw rather than scribble
  
• tell or retell a story
  
• answer questions about a short story
  
• listen to a story for at least five minutes
  
• work independently for five or more minutes
  
• listen to a rhyme and hear similarities and differences
  
• recognize similarities and differences in the sizes, shapes, and colors of objects
  
• copy simple shapes
  
• compare objects by size
  
• bounce and catch a ball showing the hand-eye coordination necessary for reading and math

As a parent we can help our child to establish better skill level so that are ready and set for challenges that might come before them before entering a preschool or kindergarten program.

Checklist for Kindergarten Readiness

Like any parent we are constantly learning new material and information about our child. So you ask when is it the right time for my child to enter a Kindergarten school or preschool program? Believe it or not there is a list that can help in making this decision for your child's educational needs. There is no perfect formula in making such decision but you can use this checklist to assure your child's performance in acquiring the skills below.

• Listen to stories without interrupting
• Recognize rhyming sounds
• Pay attention for short periods of time to adult-directed tasks
• Understand actions have both causes and effects
• Cut with scissors
• Trace basic shapes
• Begin to share with others
• Be able to recognize authority
• Button shirts, pants, coats, and zip up zippers
• Begin to control oneself
• Speak understandably
• Talk in complete sentences of five to six words
• Look at pictures and then tell stories
• Identify rhyming words
• Identify the beginning sound of some words
• Recognize some common sight words like "stop"
• Sort similar objects by color, size, and shape
• Recognize groups of one, two, three, four, and five objects
• Bounce a ball
• Count to ten
• Identify some alphabet letters
• Show understanding of general time of day
• Start to follow rules
• Manage Bathroom needs
• Separate from parents without being upset

Basically if the child has acquire most of these skills from the checklist and they are at least four years of age they should be ready for kindergarten. If your child shows healthy, mature, capable and eagerness to learn it must mean a degree of readiness. Teachers love to see children who are eager to learn and show responsiveness in the classroom environment.

We hope this topic is helpful for all parents and if other parents have other opinions or advice do drop us any comment. We love to hear from you at Garden House Preschool Blog.