Anyone needing educational ideas
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Anyone needing educational ideas
| Mon, 10-09-2006 - 11:59am |
Hi, I am a stay at home mom and I am wanting to give back to all of you moms who have been so supportive and helpful to me in your encouragement and devotion to your children. If anyone needs help with educational ideas I am a teacher and I would love to help.
I work from home sometimes which may delay my response at times.
I work from home sometimes which may delay my response at times.

Marlene
come see how cute I am!!
http://grahamarteta.blogspot.com
first time mother to Graham, our little sweetie, born 4 weeks early on 1/18/06
Chicago
Babies need a great deal of personalized attention.
They need to be responded to. Your son needs you to coo back and forth
with him in turn-taking talk. Like all babies, he needs leisurely
bathtub time and picture-book-sharing time.
He needs to be carried and taken to see the world outside from the
windows in your home. He needs to be wheeled around outside
(well bundled up against the
cold, of course!).
He needs to sit safely in a grocery cart while
you chatter about all the yummy foods you are putting into the cart.
One great activity that you can personalize: Cut out/ or take pictures
of products that you get at the store/ (build up a book of of pictures
in the next few months glue them on a strong piece of paper, laminate
them or cover with clear contact paper, punch a hole in each card and
put a piece of yarn through making a book for the grocery store. When
you are at the store say to your baby, we need to find _____ at the
grocery store, can you help me find it. This is something that you
can do for a number of years. It helps to make going to the store a
team effort and builds your babies vocabulary. Of course he may not be
able to respond to this right away, but over time he will come to see
going to the store as something that he can play a positive role in.
It also helps in avoiding the things that are not on the grocery list
like high in sugar cereals, toys and candy. He will see that there are
boundaries and a plan to follow, encouraging him to obey and grow up
knowing that he needs to listen to others and interact positively.
Play a variety of interactive games with your baby. He will so enjoy
"This little piggy goes to market." He will really enjoy your sitting
on the floor and holding his hands as you both pretend to row while
singing" Row, row, row your boat." Be a real, talkative companion with
your baby.
Your baby will enjoy your company even when you are busy doing work for
the family. He will enjoy banging with your pots and pans in the kitchen
on the floor while you are preparing meals. As your son enjoys rich,
leisurely, language-filled interactions and as you play games with him,
he will learn how to positively interact and will learn that he has a
responsibility to take charge and be responsible in positive ways which
will build his character toward a hard working student in school, and
eventually in being a productive, listening, interactive father for
his own children someday. This may be a lot to get atarted with, but
when you are ready fill free to request more ideas. I hope you find
this information helpful
Kristi
My first thought is, what have you done with him thus far? Meaning, if you have had pleanty of time to really bond and he is ready for a setting outside of the home, then I would say seek options. On the other hand if he is in need of discipline most of the day it is far better to take the time to correct him because behavior problems in the classroom disrupt the learning of all the children in the class. I am not assuming that he is a behavior problem but it is so important to have that dicipline in place because otherwise, what need will he have of directions when asked to sit down etc...
Ok, so off the soap box of possible worse case scenarios.
Options, see if there is a Head Start program or a preschool round up or a situation where he could be a peer in a Special needs classroom. All of which can be found by asking your local district offices (if you live in a large suburb, go to all district areas that you would be comfortable driving to daily).
Other thoughts, I work at a Presbyterian Preschool and have found that it is actually cheaper than most private preschools. It is less than regular child care and they have a solid foundation. I believe that it only makes sense to have soothing scripture for young child who often fear the dark, are learning how to be a good friend, and need direction before there personlity is set at the young age of 5. Until then they are at least impressionable.
A lot of home school groups have amazing networks of other moms who may have a desire to help too. Post a flyer through your local board.
I hope this helps,
Anna
You might be really surprised at how little needs to be purchased. There are many things that you can do a few of which are.
Read his books on to a cassette tape, then he can listen to them over and over again, while you are working at home. Put the books and tapes (with a mini picture of the book on it) this will encourage him to take ownership of his work when he is cleaning up by putting them away. Have five books out like this at most, to many could be frustrating for him and this way you don't have to feel pressured to quickly read them all.
Let your child explore things like white rice that was mixed with different colors of food coloring after it has had time to fully dry. Or connect text to life, example oatmeal and the 3 little bears. Have fun and sometimes be a child with him.
Go to public events that are free, like the library store time, see what other things they offer, along with if they know of other things that may be going on in the area. He needs to enjoy life and be a child, but make sure that you set boundaries. Without discipline, you child is actually more likely to get more frustrated because they seek discipline and structure, they want to know that you will stay the same and that in that you will always love them.
This is a handout that I had put together for the parents in my class, just helping them to realize that this is what research is telling us and that we want to positively encourage every parent to continue one day at a time:
§ As parents and teachers we MSU, Make Stuff Up as we go along in those unexpected moments where we wish we would have thought before hand about.
§ 10 Things People Need and Few are selling
1. Nutrition: 40% of all children have weight problems.
o Remind children to have their 5 colors, Red, orange, green, blue, brown (fruits and vegetables).
o Drink more water, not sugar water.
2. Sleep: (for Pre-Kindergarten 7:30-8:00 bedtime for them to function properly)
o Without the right amount of sleep children will become:
§ Easily Irritable
§ Have poor problem solving ability: can result in school violence
§ May be easily confused with ADD/ needs for medication when they simply need sleep.
o As adults, sleep deprivation may been see through poor problem solving ability situations like road rage.
3. Fresh Air and Sunshine
o Over bundling can make kids sick
o Sun = Vitamin D (we need it to be happy, it is only stored in the body for two weeks)
o Fresh Air, cleans nasal passages
4. Exercise- increases endorphins, which make you know better.
§ Cardio should be 3-4 times per week.
§ Or laughing
5. Darkness at night
o Pediatricians recommend not using a night-light as soon as possible; it stops the mind from sleep, keeping the mind thinking about what needs to be done.
o If children are afraid of the dark give them a water gun to shoot the bad guy, they may not use it but they have it in case they know that they need it.
6. Silence
o Children need to hear the quiet; it helps them to learn how to think.
o It helps the brain develop the ability to problem solve, and it helps to alleviate stress.
o Spending quiet time looking at the clouds, funding rolly polly bugs, fishing (quiet or you’ll scare the fish), and other quiet times with children help them to learn that there doesn’t always have to be a television on.
7. Solitude – time alone to prepare for being self-disciplined
o Playgrounds have few, if any quiet places, add a reading area or a tree for children that desire to read or draw. This is important for children who are sad because of a pet dying or something in their life that is stressful.
o Don’t sign your children up for every activity available; it will pull you away from family time and healthy meals. Children will know stressed when they are always on the go and will know uneasy.
8. Children Playing (for parents too)
o It is so important to your children when you play with them.
o Spend about 20 minutes a day playing with them on the floor, their eye level or below. Let the child pick what they want to play with and how to play it even if they change the rules because it is creative play, this is the child’s outlet.
o Boys playing with dinosaurs might be rough, but let them learn through their play. They may even discover resolution for the dinosaurs by putting band-aids on them, or tow trucks for car wrecks.
o If you listen to them in their creative time they will be better at listening to you.
o Lassie was a loved show because the problem was always resolved in the end and everything was ok.
9. Limits
o If children have Time outs without discipline, they don��t understand why. Explain to them why they are sitting out, ask them if they know why, their perception is important to see so we know that they understand and to make sure that they are getting confused about why.
o Get the family up on time
o Give children chores
o Dinner on time
o Let them buckle their seat to become independent
o Go to bed on time
o Consistency
o The word Disciple comes from the word Disciple, which means to teach.
o No family can function in constant chaos.
o Self-Discipline Without discipline and a routine children will grow up to be careless.
§ Yelling at them = them becoming angry
§ Don’t always ask children W questions, it is us not taking responsibility. If we ask them “what are you doing that for?” or “why did you do that?”, they will be confused and angry.
§ Self-Discipline is from a discipled family.
10. Love and Touch
o Parents, hold your children, rub them on the back if they are tired, let them know you love them.
***Tough Love, let them struggle a little now so they can handle it on their own. If they never struggle they may never truly achieve on their own.
I hope this helps, if you have questions feel free to contact again any time.
Anna
Kristi
Make sure you look in to any churches or stay at home moms that might have a child care? I work from home most of the week and I guarantee there are other teachers out their who do too. The thing that can be leary in some preschool programs is called "Happy Bear", basically your child learns about bad people who might try to hurt him, which is good to know in order to protect himself. However, knowing the scientific parts of your privates in preschool is, in my opinion, not appropriate. Just thought you deserved to know. The only other thing is politics, which seem to be everyone; except of course in private schools. This could be anywhere from evolution to movements on topic being voted on in local ballots.
As far as how often, I would say that it would be best to talk with your husband, but as a teacher I would say up to three days per week, until he gets the routine down and then seems to desire more learning. Closer to the end of the year you could even have him there every day, in preparation for a Kindergarten routine.
I am glad to hear that you are involved in getting your children ready for school in so many ways. His teachers will thank you for it.
Have a great day,
Anna