Kicking It K-Ready Style
BY DEBORAH PEEL
Just ask the expert & grandparent…
“P
arents, you really are a hero to your child. How can you use that
unconditional love and faith wisely? Play together, laugh together and learn
together all summer long. Dedicate a little time each day to playful activities that
help reinforce your child’s kindergarten readiness skills. Help your child be k-ready
at kindergarten entry.”
Georgia Conroy
Mother of 4, Grandmother of 6
Retired Kindergarten Teacher and First 5 Siskiyou’s Volunteer Reach Out and Read
Coordinator
W
hat does “the summer slide” make you
think of? Squeals of delight on a hot
afternoon as children bodysurf down
a watery backyard Slip ‘N Slide? Actually, summer
slide is a not-so-hot term used in the education
world to describe students losing academic skills
and knowledge over the summer break. When your
child is going from preschool, TK, or homeschool
to kindergarten it’s important to avoid that summer
slide by kicking it k-ready style.
“Short, hands-on activities keep learning fun,”
says Georgia Conroy, a kindergarten veteran,
retired after 27 years in the classroom. “Summer is
a great time to mix it up with indoor and outdoor
activities. Your child’s interests can guide you to
activities that help them practice numbers and
letters, cooperation, following instructions, writing
their name and using motor skills to cut shapes out.
Slow down, keep your child’s knowledge fresh, and
enjoy the growing process. It’s amazing to watch
little ones problem solve when we give them the
time and encouragement.”
GEORGIA’S SUMMER-FRIENDLY TIPS
Reinforce and grow your almost-kindergartener’s
essential skills. Spend purposeful time together
doing simple things like talking, cuddling, reading,
playing a game, or taking a walk – but don’t involve
phones, TV or other distractions.
Think of ways to use every day experiences to
practice literacy, numeracy and social skills. You can
count steps from the car to the store, and ask your
child to look for red shoes or blue shorts, etc. Then
start giving more complicated, two-step directions
like, “find your ball and I’ll meet you at the front
door.” This helps prepare your child to listen and
follow instructions – something kindergarten
teachers truly appreciate.
OUTSIDE PRACTICE IDEAS
• Sidewalk Chalk or Water-Paint: make shapes,
numbers, letters and write their name.
• Letter/Number Hunt: hide letters or numbers
around the yard; have the child find and name
them.
• Build It: forts, pretend caves and fairy houses;
use materials found around the house.
• Tactile Letter Dig: bury tactile letters in a
sandbox or tub of sand/dirt; have the child dig
for them and name them.
• Cloud Math: lay on the grass to count the
clouds; use words like “more,” “less,” and ask
“what comes next.”
• Read Books: read in fun places like under a tree,
in a tent, or at night with a flashlight.
INDOOR PRACTICE IDEAS
•
Daily Reading: picture books, fairy tales,
counting books, alphabet books and true books
about animals. Make it active; point out print,
talk about new words and things the child likes
about the story.
•Magnetic Play: use magnetic letters or alphabet
puzzles to practice letters.
•Play-Doh: roll into a snake and arrange it into
different numbers, shapes, or letters.
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• Letter Bingo: write 5 to 8 letters on a piece of
paper. Call out a letter; let the child daub it with
a bingo marker or a washable marker.
• Card Games: play Memory or Go Fish; sort a
deck of cards by color, by suit or by number.
• Music: play, sing and dance to children’s music;
try Pandora’s First 5 Kids station!
• Cook: let the child practice measuring and
preparing food with you.
• Creation Station: give children easy access to
all kinds of materials; writing/drawing with paper
and markers, colored pencils, crayons, supervise
cutting up newspapers and lightweight paper
with age-appropriate safety scissors, re-use/repurpose empty paper towel/toilet paper tubes,
yarn, buttons, chenille stems (items around the
house) and encourage creativity – making pictures,
rockets, puppets, robots, flowers and more.
GETTING OUT
It’s also fun to get out of the house for summer
adventures. Check out summer reading programs at
your local library or special day camps through your
local recreation department. Getting out might also
mean the start of a family tradition like camping at
the beach, having a picnic in a shady nook, walking
in the forest, or barbecuing and making s’mores.
As you slide into summer, use some of Georgia’s
ideas or some ideas of your own to help your little
learner kick it k-ready style. Keep it fun and keep
the learning rolling all summer long. Ó
GOOD STUFF
Music: First 5 CA Kids Station
www.pandora.com
Local Libraries: Find the branch near you!
www.buttecounty.net/bclibrary/Home.aspx
www.everylibrary.com/county/Glenn-CA.html
www.shastalibraries.org
www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/content/library-branches-0
Watch Me Thrive From 0-To-5!
FIRST 5
GLENN COUNTY
first5glenncounty.com
first5shasta.org