Designing your own activities!

Suggestions

Think about simple, fun, enriching activities that families would engage in together (like cooking, shopping, going to the park, riding bikes, reading labels, recipes, checklists for a nature walk etc).

5 Important points to consider:

One- Have some fun! Enjoy reading and sharing time together. Read to enjoy the story for yourself and for your little listener.

Two- Take their cues. Listen to your voice and watch how your child is reacting...use inflection in your voice and make it funny sometimes! Never make it a forced time, especially if your child’s cueing you that she/he’s ready to move on.

Three- Interaction is the key. Talk about the pictures, what might happen next, what your child likes, what the characters might feel, and connect the story to your child’s life.

Four: Read some more... children may want to read the same book over and

over.

Five: Make the characters come alive!

Language in Routines:

Suggestions

- Use descriptions of what is happening...or what will happen soon. Narrate your internal thoughts.

- Use questions.
- Narrate your child’s thoughts and feelings (or what you think he/she might be thinking!)

- Rituals and routines are a great time to model and interact with positive language.

- Use transition times as opportunities for song.

- Song is a wonderful tool to help children learn new words, listen, and transition. Use the transition songs and get creative to personalize them!

Language in Routines:

Examples of Rhymes

Song is a wonderful tool to help children learn new words, listen, and transition. Use the transition songs and get creative to personalize them!

MUNCH! MUNCH! MUNCH! CHAT DURING LUNCH

While reading a recipe, show your child how you are gathering and collecting your ingredients. Also, point out print on the cereal box and slowly sound it out for them. Be sure to point out the words as you read it for them.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?

Tune is Muffin Man

Do you know what time it is?

It's ........... o' clock in the (evening, morning, afternoon).

We are putting our toys away

Tune is Farmers in the Dell

We are putting our toys away

I hope we won't take all day

To have more fun, we'll get it all done

We are putting our toys away.

Tidy Up

Tune is Jingle Bells

Tidy Up, Tidy Up put the toys away

Tidy Up, tidy up, we are finished for today

Tidy Up, Tidy Up put the toys away

For we will get them out next time we'll play again

Hand Washing Song

Tune: Row Row Row Your Boat

Wash, wash, wash your hands

Soap will make them clean!

Scrub the germs till they fall off

Germs go down the drain.

All images courtesy Google.