Providers Helping Childen Prepare for School

There is no one quality or skill that children need to suceed in school. A combination of things contributes to their success. These include good health and physical well-being, social and emotional maturity, language skills, an ability to solve problems and think creatively, and general knowledge about the world.

As a provider you can make sure that the children in your care receive the support and opportunities necessary to develop in each of these areas.

The following two charts contain : a list of qualities and behaviors typical of children in each age group ("What to Expect"); a list of things that help children grow and learn ("What They Need"); and a list of things that providers can use to reinforce children's learning ("Suggested Activities"). Each chart is age specific and can be used as a guide for program development.

CHILDREN BIRTH TO ONE YEAR
WHAT TO EXPECT WHAT THEY NEED SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Babies grow and change dramatically during their first year. They begin to:
  1. Develop some control over their bodies. They learn to hold their heads up, roll over, sit up, crawl, stand up and, in some cases, walk.
  2. Become aware of themselves as separate from others. They learn to look at their hands and toes and play with them. They learn to cry when parents leave, and they recognize their name.
  3. Communicate and develop language skills. First babies cry and make throaty noises. Later they babble and say mama and dada. Then they make lots of sounds and begin to name a few close people and objects.
  4. Play games. First they play with their hands. Later they show an interest in toys, enjoy "putting in and taking out" games, and eventually carry around or hug dolls or stuffed toys.
  5. Relate to others. First they respond to adults more than to other babies. Later they notice other babies but tend to treat them like objects instead of people. Then they pay attention when other babies cry.
Babies require:
  1. A loving care giver who can respond to their cries and gurgles;
  2. Someone who gets to know their special qualities;
  3. Someone to keep them safe and comfortable;
  4. Opportunities to move about and practice new physical skills;
  5. Safe objects to look at, bat, grab, bang, pat, roll, and examine;
  6. Safe play areas;
  7. Opportunities to hear language and to make sounds.
  8. At least one person who provides security and love. This first and most basic emotional attachment is the start for all human relationships.
  9. Many different safe things to play with and inspect. Objects you have around your home offer many possibilities.
  1. Include happy rituals in your children's schedule. For example, at naptime, sing the same song every day, rock them, or rub their tummy.
  2. Gently move a newborn's arms and legs. Or tickle her lightly under the chin or on the tummy. When she starts to control her head, lie on the floor and put her on your chest. Let her reach for your nose, or grab your hair. Talk to her and name each thing she touches.
  3. Sing and cuddle with a baby. Hold her snuggled in your arms or lying face up on your lap with her head on your knees. Make sure the head of a newborn is well-supported. Sing a favorite lullaby. If you don't know lullabies or rhymes for babies, make up your own! Dance with a baby.
  4. To soothe her when she's upset, put her head on your shoulder and hum softly or listen to recorded music as you glide around the room. To amuse her when she's cheerful, try a bouncy tune.
  5. Let a baby look at, touch, and listen to a variety of objects. Ones that are brightly colored, have interesting textures, and make noises are particularly good. Be sure that any item you give a baby will be safe in his mouth, since that's where it probably will end up. Inspecting things also helps them coordinate and strengthen their hand muscles.

CHILDREN ONE TO TWO YEARS
WHAT TO EXPECT WHAT THEY NEED SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Children this age:
  1. Are energetic (walk more steadily, run, push, pull, take apart, carry, and climb on and grab things);
  2. Are self-centered;
  3. Are busy (like to flip light switches, pour things in and out of containers, unwrap packages, and empty drawers).
  4. Like to imitate the sounds and actions of others (by pretending to do housework or yardwork, for example);
  5. Want to be independent and do it themselves (and express this by saying "No!");
  6. Can be clingy;
  7. Can have relatively short attention spans if not involved in an activity;
  8. Add variations to their physical skills (by walking back-wards or sideways, for example);
  9. Begin to see how they are like and unlike other children;
  10. Become more sensitive to the moods of others;
  11. Play alone or alongside other toddlers;
  12. Increase their vocabularies from about 2 or 3 words to about 250 words and understand more of what people say to them.
Children this age require:
  1. A safe environment for exploring;
  2. Opportunities to make their own choices ("Do you want the red cup or the blue one?");
  3. Clear and reasonable limits;
  4. Opportunities to use big muscles (in the arms and legs, for example);
  5. Opportunities to manipulate small objects, such as puzzles and stackable toys;
  6. Activities that allow them to touch, taste, smell, hear, and see new things;
  7. Chances to learn about "cause and effect"--that things they do produce certain results (when a stack of blocks gets too high it will fall over);
  8. Opportunities to develop and practice their language skills;
  9. Chances to learn about kindness and caring about others' feelings.
  10. Opportunities to hear a lot of words in order to learn to communicate themselves. Talk about the "here and now" things.
  1. Finger puppets. Cut the ends off the fingers of an old glove. Draw faces on the fingers with felt-tipped pens. Glue yarn on for hair. Have the puppet talk to your children. "Hello. My name is Tanya. What a great T-shirt you have on! I like the rabbit on the front of your T-shirt." Or have the puppet sing a simple song. Change your voice when the puppet talks or sings. Encourage your children to speak to the puppet. Put finger puppets on your children to give them practice moving their fingers one at a time. The next time you want help cleaning up, have the puppet make the request: "Hello, Maria. Let's put these crayons back in the box and these toys back on the shelves. Can you get me the ball?"
    Puppets provide another opportunity to talk to children and encourage them to speak. They also help children learn new words, use their imaginations, and develop their hand and finger coordination.
  2. Pillow jump. Give your toddler some pillows to jump into. Toddlers usually figure out how to do this one on their own!
  3. Box car. Give your toddler a large grocery box to push around the room. He may want to take his stuffed animal or toy for a ride in it. If the box isn't too high--you'll most likely find your toddler in there, too!
  4. Basketball. Sit about 3 feet away from your toddler and hold out a large plastic laundry basket. Let him try throwing a ball into the basket.
  5. Table tent. Cover a table with a sheet that's big enough to reach the ground on three sides. This makes a great playhouse that's particularly good for a rainy day and you can still monitor the activity.
  6. Jingle bells. Sew bells onto elastic that will fit comfortably around your children's ankles. Then watch (and listen to) the fun while he moves about or jumps up and down.
    These skills help children gain control over their large muscles. They also help children learn important concepts such as up, down, inside, outside, over, and under.

Adapted from Helping Your Child Get Ready for School-What We Can Do To Help Our Children Learn by Nancy Paulu and Wilma P. Greene (1992) U.S. Department of Education. For information on this book contact the U.S. Government Printing Office Order Desk at 202/512-1800. The GPO stock number for this book is 065-000-00522-1.

Also accessible at http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents.html.

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