Help Your Little One Get Ready For Kindergarten

Is your little munchkin ready for Kindergarten?  Have you done all you can to give them a head-start?  As a teacher and as a mother of a little one about to start Kindergarten, I know a few tricks to help your little one's transition into elementary school an easier one.  If you are anything like me, your main concern may be whether or not your kindergartener will miss you and be scared.  They are being thrown into a new environment, with new rules, new friends, and a new authority figure (AKA, the scary teacher).  You can help ease these fears by taking advantage of your school's kindergarten orientation.  Start by taking them on a tour of their new school.  Show them all the places they will visit, including the library, the cafeteria, the gym, and especially the office.   Bring them to their new classroom, introduce them to their new teachers and give them the opportunity to explore their room so that they can feel more comfortable.   If your school offers a chance to ride the school bus, don't skip it.  This may be scary for both parents and child alike.  It will extremely helpful to take this test run to ease any anxieties.    

Another concern that I have for children starting Kindergarten, is their lack of knowledge when is comes to school rules.  Of course their teachers will explain it all to them over the first few weeks of school, but if we give them advance knowledge of what will be expected of them, it will make the transition that much easier.  Children that have gone to preschool will have an easier time adjusting, but would still benefit from knowing what to expect.   You would be surprised at how many five year old kids are unaware that they have to stay on the task they are given and not go do something else when they get bored.  Teach your kids about listening to the teacher, raising their hands, walking in line.  Sounds obvious to us, but to those who have never been in school before, it is brand new territory.  While you may think that teachers will be looking for your child to know their ABC's and 123s, they are secretly crossing their fingers that their new class is full of independent students that know how to listen, follow directions, and stay on task.   With these three important skills, the teacher will be able to make better use of their classroom time.   If they have to spend a few months, trying to teach their class to listen, they lose out on time they could be teaching your kids to read and do math.

Over the school year, let your child see your enthusiasm for learning.  Read with them daily and encourage them to ask and answer questions about the book.  With your help, your kindergartener will have a successful year and develop a love for school.   

What other ways have you helped your children prepare for school?  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Educational Toys Planet Review

Since my children were born, their curiosity and thirst for knowledge was apparent.  The two of them have been soaking up knowledge around them since day one and never get tired of asking questions and discovery the exciting answers.  So it is no surprise that they were very excited to receive My First Penguin Kit from Education Toys Planet.

The My First Penguin Kit introduced my girls to life of a penguin.  They learned about the wide variety of species, they watched their own baby hatch and grow, they discovered the importance of feathers, and even shared the penguins Fish Pops!

My girls, like most children, believed that all penguins looked the same and were the same size.  They were excited to discover the differences in the penguins and especially excited to discover how tall an Emperor Penguin is.

Their favorite part of this Science Kit, was taking care of their baby penguin. Their baby started as an egg and they practiced trying to keep it warm with their feet. Next, we stuck in a bowl of water and waited for it to hatch.  Of course, my youngest didn't want the baby to be all alone, so she stuck some sea creature friends in the bowl too. Once the egg hatched, we had a tiny baby penguin.  But the fun didn't stop there.  We left the penguin the water for a few days and he grew so big that he couldn't fit in our bowl any longer.  So the girls took him out and played with him until he shrank again.  Then they stuck him in water again and her grew back!

You should head over to Educational Toys Planet and check out all of their great toys for kids of all ages.  From science kits to activity tables, you will find the perfect gift idea for the little loves in your life. 

Unlocked

I believe that all of us keep pieces of ourselves locked away from the rest of the world.  It is a simple way to protect what we fear will be ridiculed.  But why do we have to live with this fear?  Where does it come from?  My belief is that as kids grow up and work their way through the years of school, they begin to build a wall to protect themselves from being different.  To protect themselves from being bullied.

I just finished reading a new book from Karen Kingsbury called Unlocked.  This wonderful story focuses on the struggles faced by a family who have an 18-year-old son suffering from autism.  In the story, "Holden Harris,..., is locked in a prison of autism where he's been since he was a happy, boisterous three-year-old. At school he is bullied by kids who do not understand that despite his quiet ways and quirky behaviors, Holden is very happy and socially normal on the inside, where he lives in a private world all his own".  This novel touches on very important issues and reminded me of how important it is to teach our children that it is okay to be different.  Through the novel, I struggled to read about the bullying that took place in the high school.  It was even harder when you saw the teachers ignoring the issues.  The main main female character of the book, Ella Reynolds, struggled with ignoring the bullying of Holden and other students or standing up for them and being mocked herself.   It made me sit back and think, were there times that I ignored the issue and should have stood up for someone?

Later in the book, one of the students who was continually made fun of and bullied by the jocks, committed suicide.  This completely broke my heart that this child didn't see any other way of coping with the madness he lived through daily.  It was also disheartening to see that the mother didn't even recognize the signs of depression in her son because she was too busy trying to make ends meet.  I know we all have days that we just wish we could be alone and we don't even feel like talking to our family, but I pray that we can always remember to take time out for our children to remind them that they are loved and that they can share their fears and troubles with us.   In, Unlocked, Ella discovers that it is okay to stand up for others and the change in her are seen throughout the school and community.  "The greatest miracle is the change in Holden, himself, and everyone is stunned by the transformation they witness. Ultimately, the community comes to understand that many people walk around in a personal prison and that only by love and faith can the doors become unlocked, the way they dramatically do for Holden Harris".

I would encourage everyone of you to grab a copy of this book and then share it with a friend. It is a story that everyone needs to hear.  After finishing it, I'm sure you will be hooked on Karen Kingsbury.  She has an extraordinary gift and her writings are always inspirational and life-changing.  I've read them all and not a single one disappoints.  Happy reading!

School Bus Dilemma

At the start of the school year, I was very hesitant about putting my little baby on a school bus.  But after listening to my friends and thinking about how many children ride the bus everyday, I decided to be brave and let my little one stretch her wings.  From day one, our bus driver was very impersonal and angry looking.  No matter how many times us mom's pleasantly said hi or thank you to her, she would just continue to frown and not speak to us.   I, however, still let my daughter ride, because bad attitude doesn't equal dangerous driving.  Then as the days moved on, we noticed her driving getting faster and faster.  I kept telling myself that it was all a matter of perspective.  I wasn't on the bus, so it just looked like it was going faster.  So, I continued to let my baby ride the bus.  

Then last week, the kids at my daughter's stop got off the bus with frowns on their faces and tears in their eyes.  We immediately asked what was wrong, loud enough for the driver to hear, but she just closed the door and sped off.  Our kids told us that the 5th grade boys in the back of the bus were goofing off.  So to solve the problem, the bus driver threatened them. If they didn't sit down and behave, she would speed up and the slam on her brakes so that they would fall.  Well, they didn't listen and she followed through with her threat.  As a result, all the kids on the bus went flying forward into the seat in front of them.  One of the first graders at our bus stop even had a large red welt under his eye from where his face his the seat.  Many of the kids complained that they were hurt and the driver told them not to worry about it, their moms could get them an ice pack at home.  

Of course, all the parents were furious, and called or emailed the school immediately.  When the driver was confronted about the issue, she openly admitted to it.   And would you care to guess what they did after that?   They let her continue her bus route.  Really?!?!   Does my child's safety mean nothing???    After we learned the school could do nothing about it, many have written letters or called the director of transportation.  They're response is always the same.  It is under investigation.  When asked, what are they investigating, they say they can't talk about it.  And to make matters worse, this lady has done the same thing in the past and has also been in an accident with a bus full of children.  So in the mean time, everyone has pulled their kids off the bus.  I can't really put into words how I feel about this situation, but I am very disappointed in the school system.  If a teacher was even suspected of endangering a child, they would be suspended immediately.  Why aren't the same standards applied to bus drivers?  What are your thought about bus safety?  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Preschool: A Love, Hate Relationship

Every Monday, Wenesday, and Friday morning, my four-year old wakes up crying because she doesn't want to go to school.  She assures me that it is boring and she will miss me too much.  She tries to get out of it for an hour straight each day without fail.  She pulls out her saddest faces with tears in her eyes.  Then as we pull up to her school, the frown disappears and the happy girl takes her place.  She gets out of the car with the help of her teacher, says bye, and skips her way to class.  After school, she talks excitedly about her day and about all the fun she had.  She LOVES school...at least until the next morning.

First Day of School!

We all made it through the first day of school yesterday!  Yeah us!  It was an on the go type day.  My oldest was up and dressed for the bus at 6 am.  Unfortunately, the bus doesn't come to 8:30am, so she had a long time to wait.  When the bus finally arrived, I was expecting some sort of hesitation on her part.  I mean, this was her first time getting on a bus and driving away from me.  But no.  She saw the bus pull up and didn't even glance backwards in my direction.  She just walk right in and took a seat with her friends.  This completely devastated her sister, who began crying.  I was proud that my older daughter was so ready for school, but so sad for my younger one who had to watch her best friend drive away.  We did manage to get a little wave from the window.  So that was something. 

My youngest and I kept busy all day by going to the gym, playing games, reading books, and playing Webkinz Jr.  I think with all the Mommy one-on-one time, she is going to get over missing her sister real soon.  This also gives me about two weeks to help prepare her for preschool.  She is so excited about school, but she has never been anywhere without her older sister so it will be a little different. 

At 4 pm, we went back to the bus stop to pick up our very proud little first-grader.  She was so excited to be home, but so excited about school too.  She had so much to tell me, but kept forgetting what she was saying because she was so tired.  So we had a snack, and took a short rest while we watched a cartoon.  After the show, we were off to gymnastics.  She had just been moved up to the advance class, so she didn't want to miss it even though she was wiped out.  All in all, it was a good day.  I hope she comes home today just as excited. 

Meet The Teacher

Yesterday, my little first grader was able to meet her new teacher.  She was excited to see her first desk and her new friends.  Although I've heard nothing about her new teacher, she seemed very organized and very friendly.  I'm praying that these to traits will help make for a good year.  I cannot believe that today is our last day of summer.  The last day I get to spend the entire day with her until next summer.  (sniff, sniff)  Here's hoping to a fun year of learning, exploration, and friendship!

School is Near

Here are my little girls just one year ago.  This was my eldest daughters first day of kindergarten and she was so excited.  I remember how nervous I was to send her off to such a big school without me.  I think the knot in my stomach remained there for the next two weeks.  She, on the other hand, didn't get phased at all.  She loves school and was happy to go.  So as school is approaching (next week..eeek), her excitement level is rising.  Unfortunately for me, not only will she be going to school for a full day now, but my little one will be starting preschool too.  Really?!?  I have to let go of both of my girls!?!  I go back and forth about wanting to home school them, but they love it so much, I don't think they would be very happy with me.  So I will try to strong for them both! :)  Next week, I will post some new pictures of their first day of school.

Museum Fun!

This past weekend, my family traveled to Richmond to help my sister move into her new apartment.  But before the moving "fun" started, my husband and I took the girls to the Richmond Science Museum.  The girls had a blast exploring space, experiencing optical illusions, learning about exploration, studying the human body, petting snakes, and much more!

On the main level of the museum, the girls learned about  space.  They played a game that taught them about different orbits. They learned about the power of pressure as they launches their own rockets. They were even able to experience what it felt like to squeeze themselves into a little lunar module.  After testing every thing out.  They were really excited to go to the IMAX planetarium show.

Also on the main level of the museum, they learned about exploration.  We practiced using different maps and even how to read map symbols.  They tried on different outfits to match different exploration sites.  The girls even learned how to build a pyramid.   We actually had to build it twice so they could take turns putting the top on.  After building the pyramid, we had a pretend snack in  African explorers tent while listening to the wildlife around us.  When we went out to explore, we discover elephant footprints as well as a strong elephant odor.  Stinky!  We finished up the main level by pretending to fly a plane around the world.  From what I observed, I'm not sure if either of my girls should take up flying lessons. 

 On the second level of the museum we discovered snakes, turtles, fish, and rats that can play basketball.  The girls explored the junior ecologist lab and viewed crayfish and other small water animals under a microscope.  They didn't really have any desire to touch these animals, but when we into the next lab full of reptiles they decided they wanted to touch a snake.  So brave!  After the animal labs, we went through about 30 different hands on activities that explored the human body.

The basement level of the museum was probably the most fun for them.  There were many hands on activities for kids that invited them to explore and solve problems.  Their favorites included building an arch and blowing huge bubbles.  Building the arch was actually pretty tough.  It took all four of us to complete it.

The basement level also had a beach theme where the girls could watch waves, explore and touch sea creatures, and dig for seashells or shark teeth.

If you are ever in the Richmond area, I would definitely recommend the Science Museum.  We had so much fun and will definitely be back!

Camp: Part Two

Last week, I hosted a week long summer camp for my girls and their friends.  I've already talked about Monday and Tuesday, so today I'm going to finish up with a summary of Wednesday through Friday.  All in all we had a fabulous time.  I'm hoping that some of what I taught them or reviewed with will keep their brains in shape an ready for school to start in a few weeks.

Making Ladybugs out of Apples, Peanut Butter, Pretzels, and Raisins

Finished Caterpillars and Making Butterflies

On Wednesday, insects were our theme.  We started out by learning about different types of honey bees and how they live their lives.  They used a microscope to look at the different parts of the bee and to get a close up view.  They later used what they learned about parts of an insect to make an ant out of pretzels, marshmallows, icing, and mini M&M's.  Following along with the bees, we colored and cut out a hive with the letters -ee on it.  On the back of the hive we fastened a circle with letters on it.  We used the hive to practice -ee words, such as bee, fee, tee, tree, flee, etc. 

 We continued our insect theme, by using The Very Hungry Caterpillar to explore the life cycle of a butterfly.  We began by using clay to make an egg.  After the egg, we used a pipe cleaner, penne noodles, and circles cut out of construction paper to make a caterpillar.  Following the caterpillar, we used a Bendaroo to make the cocoon.  And finally, we used a butterfly pattern and Popsicle stick to make a flying butterfly.
During our insect theme, we also painted flower pots so we could plant seeds for the insects.

On Thursday, our theme was pizza.  I used the pizza theme to introduce fractions to the older group and review shapes with the younger group.  We used the Melissa and Doug Pizza, Veggie,  and Cake set, to practice our fractions in a store setting.  For example, a customer may order 2/5 of the French bread and the baker had to serve them the correct order.    This was probably the girls favorite game of the week. 
During pizza day, we made pretend pizzas out of foam shapes, as well as real pizza out of bagels and toppings.

Making Pizza Puzzle

Making a pizza out of shapes

On Friday, our main topic was money.  We learned the names and values of the penny, nickle, dime, and quarter.  We also learned the names of the presidents that live on those coins.  To practice counting and sorting of money, I had an egg hunt for the girls.  Each egg was full of different coins.  In teams of three, they raced to find their eggs, sort their money, and help me count the value.  We brainstormed reasons why we need money, how we can earn money, and why we should save money.  Six out of the nine girls thought the most important thing to save for was Disney World!  Two wanted to save so they could go to the beach.  And one wanted to buy herself a waterpark.  I wonder if the moms can figure out which their child chose?

Coloring a Penny While Singing our Penny Song

Practicing our Ballet Routine

Throughout the week, the girls also worked very hard to learn a ballet routine and earn money into their own piggy bank.  On Friday, they performed their routine for the moms and used their money to buy prizes out of the treasure box.  Thanks girls for a great week!

Camp: Part One

This has been a long, yet fun week.  I hosted a summer camp for my kids and some of their friends in my basement.  We learned, we played, we made a mess, and had fun!   The kids did so much better than I expected and I am so proud of all of them.  I figured since they all are such good friends, they would have a hard time concentrating on their activities, but I was wrong.  They usually got the loudest when their mom's came to get them.

On Monday, we focused on where we lived (read previous summer series post here) and on the food pyramid.  They  learned the different food groups and how to eat a well balanced diet.  They worked together as teams to sort bags of foods into their proper food group.  By the end of the day, everyone knew the proper piles the foods went in.  In between activities, the girls had the chance to view insects in a microscope and shells with a magnify glass.  They also enjoys playing with the cash register and selling food to their "customers".

 On Tuesday, we focused on colors.  We met Mr. Roy G. Biv (see previous summer series post here) and made rainbow out of Fruit Loops.  We also learned about the differences of primary and secondary colors.  The kids had a hard time remembering those big words, but they could remember which colors went in each group.  We used our homemade color wheels to help us mix icing.  The kids watched in awe as they saw that red and yellow actually make orange.  They used their different colored icing to decorate color wheel cookies.  The girls also made their own color books where they practiced writing sentences about a colored picture they drew. 

 Stayed tuned to hear about all the other fun activities we did this week!  What creative learning activities have your kids done this summer?  We are always looking for new ideas!  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Summer Learning Series: Children Museums

Every child loves summer. Summer is a time for playing outside, swimming in the pool, and hanging out with your friends. Unfortunately, summer is also a time when kids lose a lot of what they learned during the previous year of school. As an elementary school teacher, it was frustrating to watch my students struggle at the beginning of each year with objectives that they had mastered the previous year. As a parent, I want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to my children. This summer, I will be setting aside a little time each day for some fun learning activities for my kids. Starting in June, check in each Tuesday if you are looking for some activities for your kids. I will be posting a few things we did the previous week to share. Also if you are interested in doing the same thing, I would love to link up with all you creative moms out there! Just shoot me an email and let me know you are interested. (betweenthelines-kam@hotmail.com ) Let’s work together to help our children have a fun, but educational summer! 

Children Museums are great ways to encourage learning during the hot summer months. Not only are they a great break from the extreme heat, but they also encourage exploration and discovery. This past week the girls and I traveled to a discovery museum in West Virginia. Although, it isn’t as big as the ones in Richmond or Baltimore, it is an excellent place to set the kids loose and learn.

This particular discovery center is broken down into different themed rooms. The first room the kids explored was the air and water room. Here the kids learned about the water cycle, rivers, waterfalls, and the power of wind. I think they all had the most fun playing in the water, but they also enjoyed using air tubes to make music and ping pong balls fly.

The second room the kids discovered was all about sight. There were various rainbow activities to explore, optical illusions, and light activities. The girls particularly loved the light exhibit. In this exhibit the girls would stand in a dark room and strike a pose. Then a light would flash and their shadows would appear on the wall for them to see. Unfortunately, I couldn't take a picture of their fun shadow poses because of my flash.

The third room they explore was themed around space, gravity, and magnets. They had a lot to explore, but the girls spent the majority of the time dropping golf balls down a long winding ramp. So fun and so loud! They also enjoyed the exhibit where they could create their own constellations. My eldest daughter made a constellation that spelled her sister’s name.

The next room was a big hit. It was themed around plants and minerals. The kids were able to plant their own vegetable and flower garden. After harvesting their crop, they were able to take it into the playhouse and cut them up and serve them. The room also was full of “jewels” that they could explore with magnify glasses.

The fifth room was themed around animals. The kids explored the life cycle of a butterfly, the foot prints of many local animals, and the life of a honey bee. In this room, they had a “hive” of bees working to make honey. The girls enjoyed using the magnify glasses to get a close of view of the bees at work. They even found the queen bee!

The sixth room was dedicated to birds and the animals of the sea. There were various eggs to examine and sea creatures to explore. They enjoyed pretending to sit in the giant nest and listening to bird calls. My youngest found an eye spy tube and sat content for quite awhile.

The final room was filled with live animals. The girls had a chance to watch the caretaker feed the fish, turtles, and birds. They most enjoyed discovering the salt water animals. On the outside of the tank was a list of all the animals, and they turned it into an eye spy game.

If you live anywhere near Inwood, WV, I suggest you check out the Nature center at Jay Dees Fun Center. If not, look up children’s museum in your area. If you are lucky enough to live in an area close to several, they have a hopper membership that is good towards 100’s of museums all over the country. This summer, we already have plans to visit three more (Winchester, VA; Richmond, VA; Baltimore, MD). Pictures will of course follow! Have you discovered any great Children’s Museum’s? What was your child’s favorite part? Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!