Community Corner

Mom Talk Q&A: How Are You Preparing Your Toddler for School?

Let us know your thoughts and sound off in our comment section.

Welcome to the fifth Mom Talk session on Hampton Bays Patch.  This week’s question focuses on ideas for preparing your toddler for school at home.

Kindergarten is not the same as when we were young.  Back when many of us started school, Kindergarten was pretty much set-up like today’s pre-school with playtime and naps with a focus on socialization.  Times have certainly changed — now children are expected to know all their numbers, letters, letter sounds and how even how to write their names before they even reach kindergarten.  That’s not even mentioning a list of sight words they are supposed to be able to recognize.

With all the information five-year-olds need know before stepping foot inside an elementary school, a lot of the responsibility is put on parents to start their child’s education.  In fact, I got a letter home from my daughter’s pre-school recently that urges parents to work diligently with their children on letter recognition.

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Personally, I work with my children on a regular basis, incorporating the stuff they are supposed to know into everyday play. We count everything; we talk about colors and shades; when my children ask for something, I’ll ask them what letter the item they wants starts with; and we read and then read some more.   We also work on the computer and amazingly; my four-year-old can navigate children’s educational websites with ease. I also try to challenge my kids with vocabulary works by using less simplistic words to describe things.

For this week’s Mom Talk, we’d like to hear how you educate your children at home. Maybe you created a set of flash cards with sight words or maybe you do letter projects with your children. Whatever method you use, feel free to share them in the comment section that appears below this article.

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Also, be sure to come back next week, same time for a new question.


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