In the northeastern part of the United States, we are blessed with radical changes in the fall. Along with a drop in temperatures also comes a beautiful display of colors on the trees. Winds and rain then strip the trees of their artwork, and we are then left with the task of raking and burning or disposing of the dead leaves. Although adults may get frustrated at the workload, children are able to use their senses to take in all that autumn has to offer.
If you are fortunate enough to see this transition, use it as an opportunity to help your child learn about their senses. Take the time to let her smell the leaves and then listen to them crunch under her feet. Identify the array of colors on the leaves. Gaze at a fire, listen to it crackle and smell the smoke as leaves are being burned. Feel rough leaves and dry leaves. Use your eyes to search for different shapes of leaves and make leaf rubbings to show off to friends and family. Listen to geese flying overhead. Watch animals such as chipmunks and squirrels get ready for winter because it is just around the corner, and when it comes, winter will bring its own set of changes to explore with your senses.
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Written by BRWI Staff on October 5, 2011
Syllables can be a tricky concept for young children to grasp. They are still learning to master one-to-one correspondence, and listening for something you are not able to touch can be very difficult. Here is a game that requires on chalk and an open space outside, and yet it helps children see, hear, and even move to the syllables in a word.
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Written by Laura on July 25, 2011
The next time you are at the beach and your child needs something to do, send her on a beach stone scavenger hunt. She will have fun searching while at the same time reinforcing what she knows about textures and other descriptive words.
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Written by BRWI Staff on July 18, 2011
Our children are bombarded by bright lights, pungent scents, and blaring sounds, and it can often be difficult to draw their attention to small or simple items. Here is an activity to help you get your child to focus on a few objects while using their concentration skills to determine what’s missing.
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Written by BRWI Staff on May 4, 2011
You don’t have to wait until nighttime and turn out the lights for this activity. Simply find a piece of material to use as a blindfold. Give your child a few crayons and a piece paper. Have her sit safely in a chair, and then place the blindfold on her eyes. Now have her draw. She doesn’t have to draw any particular picture, and scribbling is fine. The idea is to simply give her
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Written by BRWI Staff on December 8, 2010
When I was student-teaching in a kindergarten classroom, there was an activity my classroom teacher suggested that the students really enjoyed that also helped them learn how to form their letters. It was fall, so we used pumpkin seeds as our main material. We began by giving each child a piece of card stock which had the letter “P” on it. The letter was about six inches tall and wri
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Written by Laura on October 18, 2010
Water is one of those fascinating aspects of our worlds that draws in young children and adults alike. It seems to spark curiosity and wonder like no other material. Children are captivated with it no matter if it is in the pool or bathtub or if it is in the dog’s dish. You can use this curiosity to help your child learn about their five senses.
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Written by BRWI Staff on August 11, 2010
When learning about syllables, some children may have a difficult time hearing the separations within the words. It may be that syllables are simply a difficult concept or, perhaps, that a child is not an auditory learner. In either case, it may help to be able to “see” the syllables. Try the following activity to help your child visualize the syllables within a word. On a sunny, ho
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Written by BRWI Staff on May 10, 2010
Years ago, when I taught at a preschool during their summer session, I was introduced to an activity that captured both my attention and that of the children. Using an old-fashioned hot plate, children were able to create artwork like I had never seen before. The process stimulated, not only visual senses, but touch and even smell, as well.
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Written by Laura on May 5, 2010
Young children learn new vocabulary words by hearing them as they are used in conversation. Parents do not need to make flashcards (which the children couldn’t read anyway) or drill children with lists of words found in a vocabulary book. Children naturally pick up new words when they hear them. Most parents have experienced just how quickly children can learn a new word and use it in the
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Written by BRWI Staff on March 19, 2010
Our goal is to give you the tools and confidence to teach your preschooler the joy of reading and writing.
Sponsored by Bridges Reading & Writing Institute -- teaching the JOY of reading and writing to students in preschool through 12th grade.
