Cure a Kinder Teacher's Pet Peeve

What is your five-year-old’s favorite word? Their name! Help them learn to print it with only the first letter capitalized. This is recommended by first grade teachers to kinder teachers because that is how they will need to print it in first.  You will also be helping in the reading process by emphasizing the lower case letters - as print is mostly lower case.

Many experts recommend teaching print in all caps first because the upper case letters are easier to form and many lower case letters have a similar form. This does make sense. But perhaps an exception can be made for a child's first name so they won't have to relearn it. 

How Parents Can Help 

Children of this age are tactile learners meaning they like to touch and feel to explore their world or use their five senses and movement. Here are some ways to help your child learn to print their name:

• Form letters with pretzels, M&Ms, cheerios, marbles, rocks, pasta, buttons, or whatever they like. Encourage your child to move their fingers over the letters. Make it fun and use lots of praise.
• Lightly print your child’s name and have them trace it in “rainbow” colors or using different crayon colors over the letters. Or make dots forming the letters and let them connect the dots. Children love markers, especially scented (buy washable).
• Put shaving cream on a surface. Help your child trace their name in the mixture. They will love to help you clean away those crayons marks and germs which the shaving cream dissolves.
• Make playdough and let your child roll out the play dough into worm or snake shapes. Then help them form the letters for their first name and run their fingers over the letters. Feel the stress release as you roll play dough snakes. Take deep breaths and enjoy being a child again.

My Favorite No-Fail Playdough Recipe

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 cups water

2 tablespoons cooking oil

4 teaspoons cream of tartar (spice section)

Mix and heat until ingredients form a ball. For different colors, divide into sections and add drops of food coloring then knead. Children also enjoy scents such as peppermint, orange extract or vanilla. This recipe can be halved but will last if kept in a tightly sealed baggie or covered container (the less air the longer the playdough will last).

No Cook Playdough

2 cups self-rising flour (may need to add more to desired consistency)

2 tablespoons Alum or Cream of Tartar

1/2 cup salt

2 tablespoons cooking oil

Up to 1 1/2 cups boiling water

Mix, knead, and store in a sealed baggie or covered container.

Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood for it alone

is the free expression of what is in the child's soul. ~ Fredrich Froebel

Would you like a glimpse into Kindergarten? Do you need inexpensive ideas, activities, and games to teach your child through play? Perhaps I can help save your sanity, one project at a time, with The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn. Both are bestsellers and also available on Barnes & Noble and Kobo. Ebooks are only $3.99.

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