Preschool Activities - Using Alligators And Apples To Teach The Letter "A"

The Overall Experience

When approaching preschool from an educational perspective, it's important to remember that at that tender age children learn holistically, that is from the whole experience, as opposed to from the individual parts of the experience. This is why educators integrate a variety of experiences including song, crafts, and activities into a typical preschooler's day, which helps to reinforce both social lessons and educational development.

Among the most common topics for preschool educators to cover is the alphabet, since it helps to provide children with, literally, the building blocks for reading and writing. Try integrating some of these preschool activities into lesson plans about the alphabet in general or when focusing on this letter in particular.

The Letter A: Apples

A is often the place where educators begin their alphabet exploration, seeing It 's the first letter of the alphabet:. Preschool activities and crafts as it focuses on two children, the letters A favorite places things apples and alligators.

This craft called Shaker Apple, requires red paper plates, or posters and red, brown and green card and a small amount of noise producers, such as dried beans, rice, button or small stones. To begin, cut a series of red apple-shaped pieces of paper or poster paint the paper plate.Also, cut out some small stems from the brown construction paper and green leaves from the green construction paper.

Glue or staple the stem and leaves to the top of one of the apples. Next, glue or staple two apples together, leaving a small hole for the insertion of the noise makers. After the noise makers have been slipped in, glue or staple the rest of the shaker. For added fun, have children compose a short song about how much like apples.

Not all preschool activities should involve cutting, pasting or stapling, such as this version of Bobbing for Apples. This activity requires a large bucket and a number of small apples. Fill the bucket up with water and place the apples in the bucket. If the children are having difficult grasping the apples, try cutting the apples into smaller slices.

One at a time, children are to try and retrieve an apple from the bucket without using their hands. This activity is popular around Halloween, and provides an excellent opportunity to begin educating the children about a healthy diet and lifestyle.

The Letter A: Alligators

Finally, here's a game that children really enjoy called "Feed the Alligator". To begin, draw a large alligator head on a piece of green poster board. Make sure the alligator has a mouth that's approximately double the size of a beanbag. Cut out the mouth, and add paper teeth if desired.

Tape the alligator head to a chair or small table. Now it is time to remove the alligator standing a few feet and tried to throw a beanbag feed through the mouth. If the pre-work is too easy, increase the difficulty by children are further away from the crocodile.

How to Choose the Best Preschool Curriculum for Your Child

So many mommies seek to find the most efficient preschool curriculum for teaching their precious preschooler.

I admit I was one of them. When my little girl was three years old, I began my quest. I wanted to be the best mommy ever, giving her a head start in academics. Especially reading!

A dear friend of mine, settled my anxious heart by simply saying, "take it easy, at her age there's no need to buy expensive curriculum, just go to a superstore and pick out a $7.99 preschool skill builder workbook, find free preschool activities online and make it fun!"

I took my friends advice, bought a few books, found some preschool websites and had lots-n-lots of fun building wonderful memories in which I want to share with you.

Our preschool schedule was easy and flexible. I used the skill builder activity book three days a week. In addition to that, we did lots of reading, singing, fun puzzles, educational videos, and explored several sites online together. I have them all as a pre-school curriculum. But in reality it was just time with her, played by an educational purpose.

I was thinking two or three activities a day. The time I spent in teaching was no more than 10 to 20 minutes. Just enough to keep their attention on the issue at hand, and then we went to "not play" assignments.

But while our non-game tasks, learning has taken place as well. Finally, there arewas homemaking skills to acquire. (grin) When Jamie and I went to the grocery store I made it a learning experience for example: "Jamie, please count how many milk cartons we have in our buggy. You are right! 1-2-3-4-5 " - "What sound do you hear in the word egg?" eh, eh, eh,ggg? - "Will you get 5 round oranges for me and place them in this clear bag?"

When we did laundry, I had her sort the clothes by color. When she took a bath, we would play name that sound with a set of foam alphabet letters and so forth.

One thing I want to emphasize though, descriptive language is very important in teaching your preschooler. Talk to your child in such a way you would an adult using the proper names and descriptions for objects and experiences. Children have a natural affinity for learning. If you present them with intelligible words, their vocabulary and speech will grow abundantly. You can give your child a heads up in English class by simply starting now at the preschool age!

I learned very quickly in the early years of parenting, that a preschool child learns best in a relaxed atmosphere. When mommy smiles, speaks with a pleasant voice, and spends time playing with her child there is a special kind of bonding that takes place... the bond of love. So, let me gently remind you when irritation arises within, give yourself an attitude check and refocus your thoughts and lower your tone of voice. Your child will not only learn early academics from you but also godly character. (big smiles)

To sum it up... let me pass on the advice of which my friend gave me, take it easy during the preschool age. Buy some skill builder books, bookmark a few websites and make the learning atmosphere relaxed and fun!

Your preschooler will love being read to, seeing things, making things, creating things, talking about everything, asking questions and playing outdoors. Remember... enjoy this bonding time with them for it truly a blessing!

Listed below are a few items I've used with my first born. Please don't spend too much money on preschool curriculum you can get creative and find good resources for very little money online or at your local superstore. Don't forget to use the library too; their books are free but only for a little while!

Suggestive Preschool Resources to Used

Preschool Skill Builder/Activity Books

Preschool Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills - From School Specialty Children's Publishing. We used this workbook a lot. The pictures are rich in color, and perforated. Subjects include reading, mathematics, language arts, and writing. You can find this workbook at Amazon.com which you can find them as low as $2.00 a workbook. ISBN 1-56189-374-9

My Heavenly Helper Preschool Skill Builder and Activity Guide - McGraw Hill Children's Publisher offers a skill builder activity book that I found very helpful in teaching Bible lessons to my preschooler. This particular workbook focuses on concepts such as the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, sequencing, same and difference. Pages are perforated black and white. ISBN 0-7696-2907-5

A Must Have Preschool Educational Video

Letter Factory Video by Leap Frog - This particular pre-reading video is a must have for preschoolers. I recently noticed our local library with a copy. But I suggest you buy a copy for your family library. Your preschooler will learn letters, phonics and listening skills in no time. Creative production to say the least. ISBN 0-7907-8894-2

Free Preschool Curriculum Found Online

Starfall.com - An "absolutely" free website that teaches children to read. Perfect for preschooler too. You can put your preschooler in your lap and click through the alphabet shows. Be sure to let them click your mouse, they'll love discovering they can interact with the show! FREE printables too.

LetteroftheWeek.com - Letter of the Week was written and compiled by Katrina Lybbert. She created this site from her experiences teaching her 4 children at home. She offers free preschool curriculum. If you have children younger than preschool, you'll find her website very useful too.

Three keys to teach your child letters

Learning the alphabet is an important part of training your children especially when it comes to writing, reading and learning. It 'important that children not only learn to recite the letters in order, but also to recognize the letters in the correct order. Also, after mastering basic recognition, children should learn, is the sound of each letter and how to write.

While many parents recognize the importance of learning the alphabet, their baby is notalways sure how to teach children the alphabet to go through. Many parents spend a lot of money on expensive products and programs designed to teach the alphabet, but not really necessary and in fact quite counterproductive.

As an adult see all the tools, programs, or books you need in your quest to help the ABC to teach your child. You already have everything you need in your head (your knowledge of the alphabet) and in your home.There are three simple keys to teach your child the alphabet:

* The tease

* Make it real

* They do it regularly

The most important rule to remember when teaching children to ensure that learning is fun. If you can make teaching in a game, a trade or a song, then your child is a willing participant and enthusiastic. If you are in something boring or something that looks like work then you have to learn your child is struggling at every step of the road.Your child wants to spend time with fun with you, because the lessons fun time you spend together, so look both forward to the experience? Just because a lesson was quite fun to make your child want to do it again and again, does not diminish its value. Learning can be fun and learned something that was so funny, it's much more likely to stay with the child in the long term as a lesson that was forced. If you are learning the alphabet fun for your childYour child can learn, the long-term success - knowledge of the alphabet and a zeal for then you will have accomplished two very important steps.

Young children need to experience their world through their senses. Want to learn more traditional methods - sight and hearing - but often prefer an approach that includes tactile touch smell and taste. The more you can the letters of the alphabet to life for the child and give the child accesslearn to write in a way that its meaning can then use the easier it will be. The use of the real world for your teaching not only save money but also help teach your child the value of literacy.

preschool children learn to a surprisingly quick pace, but because they are learning and experiencing new things that they forget what they have learned can be just as fast. Therefore, it is important that teaching is an integral part of the day the child. This does not meanThey have set aside a separate table of the day, teaching alphabet can happen often in the grocery store, car or at the kitchen table. It 'important that you constantly bring the characters to your child in various forms, and constantly reinforcing the acquisition of the alphabetic principle. after your child masters the alphabet Also be sure to regularly review the letters so as not to lose consciousness.

If learningthe alphabet fun and consistent then your child will have a real advantage when the time comes, learn to read.

Coloring book and its usefulness

Drawings are very useful for children. It maintains not only her but also to enrich their imagination, improve motor skills, helps to identify, expand the world around them and their perspectives.

There are hundreds of different topics, see the coloring pages of cartoon characters funny pictures much information as alphabet, numbers, and so on. And coloring books in preschool children many already know, thanks> Alphabet and how to count them. Portraying one of the letters coloring pages you can learn to write letters and be able to see him make the process of learning to read too. Sun Coloring Pages are very educational tool for young minds.

Children are very curious, so the image during the color will be a lot of questions drawn from the trays. And all the information that children receive in this pleasurable activity absorb like a sponge.

By stainingchildren or parents can control the mood and feelings. For example, in different situations in green or purple dog and elephant can take to become patchy, and many children like to know what color should already be.

Many coloring pages come with operations: point to point connection, match couples, where the concepts of place in the photo count how many shades of green on the image in this maze the way to help get the kittens out the firemanTree and many others. These are all examples of everyday things kids can learn from simple pages to color.

coloring books can also be used to help children and young people's creative toys with his own hand, only with color images, scissors and glue.

All of the above reasons that demonstrate Coloring is a great learning tool for children.

Super Coloring is one of the best sites that I found on the Internet, have a coloring bookAll topics from the alphabet of the zoo animals, holiday themes on religious themes.

Teaching preschoolers to read - Five Steps to Literacy

Some children begin to read the school, while others do not seem to have no idea what a book is like alphabet or recognize letters of the alphabet. While kindergarten is a great opportunity for children to develop their reading skills, it is difficult for even the best teachers, the children the kind of one-to-one, the parents. Even from the time children reach kindergarten, their attitudes toward reading are already deeply ingrained. For children grow to love reading, the necessity of Bookspart of their lives almost from the day they were born. It's never too early to start "teaching" children to read. It is not a "hot case", formal education or unnecessary video. The key to raising book lovers make books part of the lives of children. In other words read! Read your child from the day of birth, you read for yourself, note the words, talk to your children understand proclaiming delight your syllables in the language and the pleasure of the written word andthe chances that your children will naturally want to learn. The following five points are for parents of children 4-5 years and want to prepare their children for reading at the high school.

1. Read. Your child is never too old to be read. Cuddles on the dubbing Cornies given and have fun together. And let your child see you reading for fun. Learn to read the signs, magazines, the backs of cereal boxes, TV Guide, and, of course, good books (see my websiteHttp://www.compulsivereader.com The Compulsive Reader if you need help in selecting books for adults!).

2. Know your child. Children learn in different ways. Some children learn to read all instinctively recognize words. These films for children memorize and recite the text to make the connection between the words they say and the words on the page. For a child like this, let them pretend to read as much as possible. Have them fill in missing words for you "read"Parents and grandparents, and always have many books around. For most children, you probably need to do some 'Phonics (teaching the sounds of words). There are many resources voiced in the market but the best I've found is a free Web site: http://www.starfall.com It starts with the letter sounds and builds up slowly with games, activities and posters. You can do as much or as little as you and your child, but as an interactive, colorful, and presented asgame, you might discover that they are even reluctant readers looking for.

3. Games. Games for the recognition of words such as "I Spy" with letters, puzzles see road signs, writing, memory, speech and the letter and even Scrabble Junior are all excellent ways of teaching as a poster that you can, friezes and other resources point of light.

4. Scripture. Writing helps children understand how to construct letters, words, words into phrases and sentences to build ideas and books. Write little notes to your children and thenhelp them read it (I love my kids lunch boxes in the notes - keep it simple, with smiling faces love or hearts). Helping children to write a book together with stapling pages. Cut and paste pictures on a sheet of paper and then write about it. Have your children write a simple letter to a favorite relative and post it. There are many ways to play with the letter.

5. Keep it up. The year before starting school is a good time to start teaching your childand if you read a short reading activity of the type described above are listed every day, chances are good that with the school to start, at least, the desire to start reading. This is a wonderful leader of literacy, a love of reading and a positive experience to start school.

Alphabet Stencils - Product Review

Teaching the letters of the alphabet in a class in a school environment at home, or simply help your preschooler get a leg up on learning the alphabet, the "Hands-On Learning: Alphabet Stencils" pack is for you.

The "Hands-On Learning" is an excellent tool for teaching the alphabet. Pack This package offers a fun, fun for students to learn the word form of the letters and letter /Association with the letters of the alphabet stencil and stencil word picture cards. On the trail of letter templates and the image of the model, not only trains / muscular coordination mind required for writing, but also reinforces the reminder. Learning is the name of the letter, the shape of the letter and the sound of the letter is the key to the formation of the word / image association for reading and writing required.

The "Hands-on Learning Alphabet Stencils" packwell built and well-organized. The letter templates and image masks are made of sturdy 3 / 64 inch thick cardboard and covered on all sides with a plastic surface for easy cleaning and durability.

The pack contains 26 (26) letter of the models and 26 (26) alphabet stencil image. The card template letter is 4 ¼ inches wide and 5 cm in height with a push-out letter that the 3 1 / 4 inches wide and 4 inches high. The alphabet of imagesTemplate card is 3 ¼ inches wide and 5 cm in height with a push-out image, which varies slightly depending on the size specified for the object. The term for the object in the image is printed on paper template for easy reference. Pressing the letter or the picture is a positive and a negative model for use in practice, drawing on the letter and the word for the object to get the picture.

Each "Hands-On Learning: Alphabet Stencils" includes:
* 26 (26) LetterStencil
* 26 (26) word / image-pattern
* Four (4) Every non-toxic crayon
* A teaching guide with tips and tricks

All terms above have been packed in a well-constructed, sturdy box. The box is very colorful with Model "A", "apple", "F" and "fish" and decorated with a plastic coating for protection and durability.

The "Hands-On Learning: Alphabet Stencils" pack and go home would be a resource for training oris a very useful tool for teaching the alphabet.
I highly recommend this teaching tool.

24. August 2008: Ling Robert Biel, Sr.

Kindergarten - 9 questions to discover if your child is ready to start kindergarten

Although kindergarten is not mandatory in many states to choose their child, most families begin their formal education in this setting. Kindergarten is thought by most educators, the foundation for a child's educational experience was. It is believed that as a child is exposed to the letters and their sounds, numbers and patterns, and other early scientists to determine if they are able to learn to read. The only question seems to arise is, at what age a childshould begin this training.

Most school districts have strict policies about the age of a child if they have to enter the asylum application. This specific age groups in the United States. In some districts, a child must be five years before July of their intention to enter the school. Other Places To set a deadline of September 1. The closing date is usually December 1 means that students in school districts in four yearsthe first months of kindergarten, when their birthday is later this year.

These recommendations are just the birth of each family to determine if their child is ready to go to school. With the nursery now a full-day program in many U.S. cities, the program may be too severe for some children even if they have already celebrated their fifth birthday.

The family must decide when the time is right for their child. Here are 9 questionsFeel free to discuss before sending your child to kindergarten

They recognize letters and numbers 1-10?
Can you recite the alphabet?
Read it with you when you share a favorite book?
They can print their name?
If you are excited about the prospect of going to school?
They have siblings already attending a school?
They spent time in the garden for children, where academics were stressed?
They can perform their attention and directInstructions for ten to fifteen minutes?
It can take from six to seven hours a day away from you without disturbing?
If the answer to five or more of these questions is yes, your child is ready for school. Otherwise, have a family discussion about the possibility of waiting for the next school year. Many schools do not allow a child to repeat kindergarten if the child is not successful. The child is expected to continue to the first class without the benefit of furtherEducation. Many children suffer from self-esteem and other psychological problems, if this occurs. Make sure your child is mature enough and ready for school before entering kindergarten.