A world of words

Dear Readers,

Words are everywhere in the world and are everywhere you go. Sometimes your child is reading words and you do not know it.

Let me give you an example: While my husband and I were driving to take care of some business one evening after, work our 7 year old daughter was in the back seat of the car. We did not realize that she heard us mentioned eating at a certain restaurant when we completed our business. As we were driving back towards the restaurant, both my husband and I could not find the restaurant that we knew we had driven past no more than 30 minutes ago. Our daughter must have realized that we were lost, because she said “I saw that restaurant we just passed it, Dad it is back there" (pointing in the opposite direction). Both my husband and I looked at each other strangely because we knew that surely our 7 year old daughter did not see the restaurant because we were looking for it and did not see it. Because our daughter sounded so sure of herself, she persuaded us turn the car around and go back in the opposite direction and sure enough the restaurant was where she said it was.

Both my husband and I learned that night to listen to your children because they know what they are talking about because they can and are reading!

Self-Help Skills

Dear Readers,

Every child is different and develops at different rates. Here are a list of Self-Help Skills to determine what your child can do.

There are no wrong or right answers,this is a way for you to determine what milestones to expect and watch for:

Washes and dries face
Rinses mouth after brushing teeth
Blows nose
Buttons front buttons
Zips front zipper
Puts on socks
Puts on shoes on left and right correctly
Dresses completely without assistance
Inserts belt in belt loops

Pre-Writing Skills

Dear Readers,

Every child is different and develops at different rates. Here are a list of Pre-Writing skills to determine what your child can do.

There are no wrong or right answers,this is a way for you to determine what milestones to expect and watch for:

Copies the letters of the alphabet
Draws a person with 2 body parts
Holds paint brush with thumb and fingers
Finger paints with fingers
Paints lines, shapes and dots
Copies shapes (square, circle, triangle, rectangle)
Copies simple words (yes, no, boy, girl)
Repeats 4 digits
Repeats 3 digits
Points to "big" objects when asked
Can place item in a cup or bowl
Can remove a lid from a box when looking for objects
Knows the difference between empty and full
Can match item
Can give you 3 items when asked
Can answer questions

Happy Father's Day

Dear Readers,

B4 Literacy sends a special Father's Day greeting to all Fathers-to-Be and Fathers!

Always know that you are a pillar which holds the family foundation together!

A special Father's Day poem for Fathers from B4 Literacy

F - Faithful Fathers, you are a gem to behold
A - Always protecting, always bold
T - Teaching and leading by example, you are
H - Happy to see your fruits unfold
E - Every eye is watching your seeds as they grow
R - Remember they love you more than they can say and will try their best to show you on your special day!

Copyright, June, 2009

Brain Games

Dear Readers,

Did you know that writing Greeting Cards is a fun, yet educational way for your child to learn.
Supplies needed: card stock paper or blank greeting cards, envelopes, colored pencils, crayons or markers, stamps to mail the greeting card.

If your child is old enough to write letters have them write the words that they want to say. Do not worry about spelling, that is all in the fun of reading the card (this card of course will be one that the receiver will want to keep and compare with other cards as the child gets older and learns to write better.)

If you child is not old enough to write, have your child tell you what he/she wants to say and you write the card for them. It is important to write exactly what the child speaks no matter how it sounds. This too is the beauty of the card now and later on as other cards are compared.

Source: Brain Games for Preschoolers, Eion

Gross Motor Skills

Dear Readers,

Every child is different and develops at different rates. Here are a list of Gross Motor skill to determine what your child can do.

There are no wrong or right answers,this is a way for you to determine what milestones to expect and watch for:

Hangs from a bar on the playground
Touches toes with both hands
Marches rhythmically to music
Skips on 1 foot
Walks up and down a set of stairs alternating feet independently
Kicks a ball while standing still
Pedals tricycle around wide corners
Throws a ball overhand
Stands on tiptoes with hands on hips

Quote of the Day

Dear Readers,

“We read to know we are not alone.”
C.S. Lewis

It's Summer Reading Time

Dear Readers,

Oh how I long for those long days of summer. When I was a child I remember how long the days were in the summertime when school was out. One on my fondest memories of summer is reading outside under a tree. I would grab a blanket and a my favorite book and lay down on the ground and read, read, read.

Try reading outside with your toddler. Here are some of the benefits: your child will enjoy being outside, he/she will enjoy reading outside, and he/she may end up falling to sleep.

Fine Motor Skills

Dear Readers,

Dear Readers,

Every child is different and develops at different rates. Here are a list of Fine Motor skills to determine what your child can do.

There are no wrong or right answers,this is a way for you to determine what milestones to expect and watch for:

Can build a tower of 3-4 cubes or other items
Can put pegs in a pegboard
Can place 1 cube in a cup
Can beat 2 items together (spoons, lids, cups)
Can pound, squeeze or pull clay
Unscrews lid of bottle
Can make a ball of clay
Uses pencil sharpener

Language Skills

Dear Readers,

Every child is different and develops at different rates. Here are a list of Language Skills to determine what your child can do.

There are no wrong or right answers,this is a way for you to determine what milestones to expect and watch for:

Points to 12 body parts
Names 13 pictures of common objects (Example: book, Television, ball)
Points to pictured object when asked
Names 8 pictures of common objects
Uses personal pronouns - I, you, me
Points to 8 body parts
Reads favorite books independently
Listens "attentively" to stories
Asks who, what, when, where, why, and how questions
Speaks in 2 word sentences
Points to pictures in a book

Quote of the Day

Dear Readers,

"If you can read this, thank a teacher."
Anoymous teacher

Cognitive Skills

Dear Readers,

Every child is different and develops at different rates. Here are a list of cognitive skill to determine what your child can do.

There are no wrong or right answers,this is a way for you to determine what milestones to expect and watch for:

Repeats 4 digits
Repeats 3 digits
Points to "big" objects when asked
Can place item in a cup or bowl
Can remove a lid from a box when looking for objects
Knows the difference between empty and full
Can match item
Can give you 3 items when asked
Can answer questions