Literacy First™ September Parent Ideas
Happy SEPTEMBER!
This month we are going to be doing some exciting activities at school, and we want you to be a part of the fun! This month’s theme is FRIENDSHIP, so your child will be hearing new stories about making friends, sharing, taking turns, and cooperation. Through a variety of classroom activities, your child will learn how to be a good friend, and other important social skills.
You can extend the learning at home with a few simple and fun activities. Check out the PARENT IDEAS for some ways you can engage with your child at home. Make it fun!
Meet a New Friend: Go to the park. Help your child meet a new friend. Have your child tell his or her name. Ask for the other child’s name. Encourage them to play together.
Compliments: Give your child a compliment about something they do well. Teach them how to give others compliments, too. Practice each day.
Play Date: Have a play date with a friend. Practice sharing, taking turns, and cooperating with simple activities like pretend play with costumes, or play dough (see recipe below).
Puppets: Use action figure toys, stuffed animals, or puppets to practice how friends interact with one another. Encourage your child to use a voice for each character. Ask, “What do friends say to each other? What would they like to play together?”
Friendship Bracelets: Use beads and string to make a friendship bracelet. Encourage your child to give it to a friend.
Friend Parade: Invite some of your child’s neighborhood friends over and have a parade with instruments, bikes, decorations, or whatever you choose. Have children take turns being the leader. Play Dough Recipe:
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 ½ cups boiling water
food coloring
Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar and oil in a large mixing bowl.
Add food coloring to the boiling water then into the dry ingredients.
Stir continuously until it starts to form a dough.
Allow it to cool down. Take it out of the bowl and knead it vigorously for a couple of minutes until it is no longer sticky.(If it is still sticky, add more flour until just right.)
Read these other books about friendship:
Friends by Rob Lewis
Friends by Helme Heine
Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg
Chester’s Way by Kevin Henkes
