The Learning Partnership offers some tips to ease the transition

With school starting next week, thousands of preschool children across Canada will be embarking on their journey of lifelong learning - and the first part of this adventure starts with Kindergarten. Just like when a family is planning a vacation, parents and their children should be prepared for the adventures that await them in the classroom.

To help ease the transition into the classroom, The Learning Partnership (TLP), a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to championing a strong public education system in Canada, is providing strategies and resource ideas that will enable parents to help prepare their children for the start of Kindergarten by introducing early literacy and numeric learning skills…

Top tips for early learning and a successful transition into Kindergarten
include:

- Take every opportunity that comes along to talk to your child - ask questions and answer questions. This will not only develop the child’s language skills but also nurture curiosity.

- Read to your child and talk about books to help develop your child’s
listening skills and an interest in stories and print.

- Talk to your child about letters and numbers and do fun activities with them to help your child develop number and letter awareness. For example, when at the grocery store make a game of looking for items with a letter that is the same as your child’s initials.

- If English is your second language, speak to your child in the language that is most comfortable for you. ESL parents should continue reading and talking in their first language to their children.

- Initiate activities with resources such as crayons, safety scissors, construction paper, glue and playdough to help your child develop the finger control and the coordination they need for writing as well as encourage their creative expression.

- Chant rhymes and sing songs to help your child play with language as well as hear and recognize sounds and learn new words.

- Introduce your child to their teacher, bring them to their new classroom so they are familiar with their new environment, and know what their school day will be like…

Source: CNW Group
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2006/28/c8792.html