4 Keys to Prep Your Toddler for K & Life Success

How can you most effectively reach your toddler-to-four-year-old to prepare for Kindergarten and life success? Be aware of how a young child learns everything about life. The senses are the keys to unlock your ability to reach your child's developing mind.

The most basic senses of taste, sucking, feeding and getting his physical comfort met are always present and need to be satisfied first. Then we need to focus on the 4 sense keys of Sight, Sound, Touch, Doing.

Before inviting your child into a desirable learning activity, see that all distractions are eliminated or minimized in the area of sight, sound, touch and doing (or activity). Turn off the TV, Radio, Music, Computer. Find a place with enough light but not too much, enough heat but not too much, and without other activities.

Sharing a picture book is a fun and very important activity for preparing your child for Kindergarten. Choose a book that has clear and engaging images without distracting backgrounds, so that you and your child may focus easily on one image per page. See Teddy Bear's Favorite Pictures sample pages on amazon.com. Also, you could cut images out of a magazine and paste them on a blank piece of paper, one image per page, to create such an image without distracting background.

When you invite your child to participate in an activity with you, like reading a picture book together, focus on the 4 key areas again:
Sight= Your Facial Expression. Children watch your facial expression to know your attitude toward them and toward what you are doing. Be positive. Smile.
Sound=Your Tone of Voice. Children hear your tone of voice to know how you feel about them and what you are doing. Be enthusiastic. Have fun. " Let's read this book together.
Touch=Your Touch. Children are comforted calmed and brought to full receptivity by your cuddly loving touch. Learning neural pathways are opened to receive who you are, what you have to say, and what you show them, especially if you are their mom or a consistent care provider. You've established a trusted place in their awareness. Be loving. This is your together moment.
Doing=Your Actions Bring your child to your lap. You have their attention. Your child wants to learn everything you do. Show the book cover and read the title to them.

In the reading process, again use the 4 key areas to reach your child:
Sight=What You Are Showing Your Child Your child may think you are "reading the pictures". That's ok. They are actively trying to make sense out of what you are showing them on this flat page.
Sound=Speak Clearly With a Smile in Your Voice. Use simple words to name the object on the page. Make the sound associated with it (if any). Your child is correlating the sound you make consistently with the image you show them. If you repeat this sound /picture experience 20 days they will learn to say the sound with the picture, as is appropriate to there age and stage of development. If the picture is of a cat, say"cat", and say"meow".
Touch=Hold Your Child on Your Lap. Your child is most comfortable and aware of what you are showing him or her when touching your body. Have him cuddle next to you if not in your lap.
Doing=Help Your Child Point at the Parts You are Describing. If the picture is of a cat, say "ear" and help your child point to the cat's ear in the picture. Bring the action back to your child's natural sense realm and point to child's ear and say "ear". I also like to have a reward at the end of shared book time together. The last picture to be shared in my book Teddy Bear's Favorite Pictures is of a cup, and I suggest to have a cup of something your child likes ready to give at the end , as you say,"You've done such a good job reading.Would you like your cup?" The reward also ties the pictured cup back into the child's sense realm of their own cup.

By using these 4 keys you can have an enjoyable time with your child and bring the world of books to life for them. By doing this fun activity, as close to daily as possible, you are getting your child off to a great start toward Kindergarten readiness, with more confidence and learning skills that will benefit them for lifelong success.

(Note: if your child does not relate to 4 keys interaction by age 3 years seek advise of your pediatrician. Also, see www.firstsigns.org )

These are part of the reading techniques we use successfully with our home-reading program.
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