Class Website- Ms. Schock's Pre-k Owlets
Parent Resource Center / Project Enlightenment- click HERE
Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (SEFEL) Resources-
http://challengingbehavior.cbcs.usf.edu/index.html
Online read-aloud/games-
https://firstbook.org/- Free online books to read on your computer and with every one you read, Pearson donates a book to one of the children's charities. You can choose which charity you are reading for by signing up as a free member or just read and let them decide. It's a win-win!
http://www.storylineonline.net/- The Screen Actor's Guild site featuring famous actors/actresses reading stories aloud.
Song and dance ideas-
http://www.cosmickids.com
http://www.gonoodle.com
http://drjean.org
Websites with kids activities or Kinder readiness games-
http://www.starfall.com
http://www.abcya.com/preschool_games.htm
http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.php
http://www.everythingpreschool.com
http://www.sproutonline.com/games
http://pbskids.org/games/
Fine motor practice/early handwriting - http://www.hwtears.com/parents (check out products link for samples)
We call the tripod grasp "croc fingers"- bring the tips of the index and middle fingers down to the tip of the thumb and have their crocodile practice "biting the crayon." Another helpful idea is to have them hold a cotton ball down with their ring and pinky fingers while holding a crayon to encourage the appropriate grasp. Using pincer clothespins to pick up things like cotton balls also helps develop those muscles.
Toilet training resources- I have toilet trained over a hundred kids (literally!) in my time as a preschool teacher and highly recommend Azrin & Foxx's Toilet Training in Less than a Day. It was published over 30 years ago and is a tried and true resource. Another great book is Toilet Training for Individuals with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities by Maria Wheeler. For some kiddos, it still takes a weekend or two of intense practice, but if your child is 4 and still in diapers, or indicating when they are wet or soiled, we encourage you to try this. So pick a weekend to get comfy in the bathroom and have at it! :)
http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/A-Potty-Training-In-One-Day4.html
Television and computers- There are many good educational programs online, on tv, and on phone and tablet apps that encourage language development (I really like using closed captioning to expose kids to print awareness while they watch tv)... BUT please know that too much "screen time" discourages communication. Save the in-car DVDs for long car trips and keep them talking during the daily drives! Play "I Spy" looking for letters or colors out the window, sing songs along the way, talk about where you are going, what you are going to do next or what you and your child will do when you get there. Running errands are GREAT for working on communication skills. : )
Parent Resource Center / Project Enlightenment- click HERE
Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (SEFEL) Resources-
http://challengingbehavior.cbcs.usf.edu/index.html
Online read-aloud/games-
https://firstbook.org/- Free online books to read on your computer and with every one you read, Pearson donates a book to one of the children's charities. You can choose which charity you are reading for by signing up as a free member or just read and let them decide. It's a win-win!
http://www.storylineonline.net/- The Screen Actor's Guild site featuring famous actors/actresses reading stories aloud.
Song and dance ideas-
http://www.cosmickids.com
http://www.gonoodle.com
http://drjean.org
Websites with kids activities or Kinder readiness games-
http://www.starfall.com
http://www.abcya.com/preschool_games.htm
http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.php
http://www.everythingpreschool.com
http://www.sproutonline.com/games
http://pbskids.org/games/
Fine motor practice/early handwriting - http://www.hwtears.com/parents (check out products link for samples)
We call the tripod grasp "croc fingers"- bring the tips of the index and middle fingers down to the tip of the thumb and have their crocodile practice "biting the crayon." Another helpful idea is to have them hold a cotton ball down with their ring and pinky fingers while holding a crayon to encourage the appropriate grasp. Using pincer clothespins to pick up things like cotton balls also helps develop those muscles.
Toilet training resources- I have toilet trained over a hundred kids (literally!) in my time as a preschool teacher and highly recommend Azrin & Foxx's Toilet Training in Less than a Day. It was published over 30 years ago and is a tried and true resource. Another great book is Toilet Training for Individuals with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities by Maria Wheeler. For some kiddos, it still takes a weekend or two of intense practice, but if your child is 4 and still in diapers, or indicating when they are wet or soiled, we encourage you to try this. So pick a weekend to get comfy in the bathroom and have at it! :)
http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/A-Potty-Training-In-One-Day4.html
Television and computers- There are many good educational programs online, on tv, and on phone and tablet apps that encourage language development (I really like using closed captioning to expose kids to print awareness while they watch tv)... BUT please know that too much "screen time" discourages communication. Save the in-car DVDs for long car trips and keep them talking during the daily drives! Play "I Spy" looking for letters or colors out the window, sing songs along the way, talk about where you are going, what you are going to do next or what you and your child will do when you get there. Running errands are GREAT for working on communication skills. : )
Educational Apps we have used in class:
- Breathe, Think, Do -Teach Me Kindergarten
- Teach Your Monster To Read - StoryBots
- Letterland Rainbow Writing - Endless Apps : Reader, ABC, 123
- LetterSchool - ABC Mouse
- Monkey Wordschool Adventure - Avokiddo Apps: ABC Ride, Emotions, Beck and Bo
- Monkey Mathschool Sunshine - Starfall Apps: ABCs, Learn to Read
- Monkey Preschool Lunchbox - Toca apps: Doctor, Robot Lab
- Sesame Street Apps: The Monster at the end of this book, Alphabet Kitchen
- Duck Duck Moose Apps: Chatterpix, Moose Math, Word Wagon, Fish School HD, Park Math HD
- Breathe, Think, Do -Teach Me Kindergarten
- Teach Your Monster To Read - StoryBots
- Letterland Rainbow Writing - Endless Apps : Reader, ABC, 123
- LetterSchool - ABC Mouse
- Monkey Wordschool Adventure - Avokiddo Apps: ABC Ride, Emotions, Beck and Bo
- Monkey Mathschool Sunshine - Starfall Apps: ABCs, Learn to Read
- Monkey Preschool Lunchbox - Toca apps: Doctor, Robot Lab
- Sesame Street Apps: The Monster at the end of this book, Alphabet Kitchen
- Duck Duck Moose Apps: Chatterpix, Moose Math, Word Wagon, Fish School HD, Park Math HD