things to do over the summer to prepare for Pre-K

i feel like i used to be so good. we would do letters, numbers, colors, shapes and for the past year, IDK what happened!!
my LOs go to school twice a week and seem to know colors/shapes....

what else can i do to prepare them and HELP them in school. in sept they will be in pre-k for a half a day.

do you set aside time over the summer day to prepare them? like breakfast we work on letters, etc?
i would like to get some sort of a schedule. it was much easier before a baby, lol!

 

My boys were "prepped" I guess you can say, in the sense I had more time. Then I had Annabella. And well I had twin toddlers, and then I took on watching another child. Annabella got nada! The kids will be fine. Just use your knowledge in every day life. Kids are always listening. Point out the red slide. Climb UP stairs. Slide DOWN the slide. Look at the blue sky. Point out the EXIT sign on a door. Or the STOP sign at the street. Talk about the letters in their names and the sounds they make. Color. When coloring write letters and have them think of things that start with various letters, etc.

I wouldn't necessarily say, "ok. Today we are going to work on letters a t w. and colors red and green." Just have fun! So much "learning" to be done, that I wouldn't worry about being structured and scheduled.

As for Annabella, she knows letters, numbers, colors, shapes, etc. Not because I sat her down and talked about it one on one, but because its part of everyday life.

Ok, and maybe Dora, Diego, mickey, curious George, and a few others helped...

 

I think your kids will be fine- just by asking this question you are aware of the typical things whey'd learn in pre-k and they know them.

What I think I need to focus on for pre-k in the fall is life-skills and complete independence therein. My guys won't have lunch at school but I think they will have a snack- so they need to be able to open it everyday, able to work their clothing, etc. They are mostly good but I'll confess I don't let them open things like yogurt and I should.

 

I've never spent a minute on structured or "formal" prep with my kids and they did just fine in pre-k. We did a lot of the things Meaghan suggested - incorporated colours, numbers and shapes into our every day lives. It's amazing what they pick up just by living it every day. Just enjoy this summer with them!

 

Ditto the others. Play. Have fun. Use descriptive words in everything you do. I never "prepped" my older 2 kids and they are both doing great in school.

 

One of the best things you can do to "prep" your kids is getting them a lot of social time with other kids. Don't worry about the academics, that will be covered in Pre-K (plus I bet they know more than you realize), rather concentrate on social skills like sitting in one spot while eating or being read to, transitioning between activities when they don't want to, and how to deal with kids other than their siblings who might have different styles/rules/behaviors. Also, self-care skills like getting dressed themselves, potty time, etc.
One of the other best things you can do to "prep" your kids is go outside and play, play, play! Studies are just beginning to show how much learning occurs when kids are allowed to spend unstructured time in nature. It teaches curiousity, concentration, self-direction, sorting/classification, physics, colors, change, etc, all just by letting them play without imposing any sort of agenda on them.

 

I did not prep my two for pre-k. I can tell you they learned colors, shapes, letters, numbers, how to write, color, cut, glue, learned songs, learned how to follow a routine (in the sense of we do this at this time, every class). The only thing I would suggest is that they are bathroom independent and are aware that they will be listening to the teachers while they are there. That was one of things I did prepare my kids for before they started pre-k and when I met with the teachers before they started, the teachers told us the daily routine, so I told them what that was and what to expect.
I think the most important thing is listening, following directions and playing well with peers. Good luck!

 

Don't sweat it. They'll learn everything they need to learn in pre-k. You can just mention letters, colors or numbers while doing every day things, and they'll learn just fine.

 

This. Make sure they know how to use the bathroom appropriately (remove clothing, wipe, put clothing back on, flush, wash and dry their hands); for eating - open and close packages; using the appropriate utensil (a spoon with yogurt, etc.) and using napkins to wipe hands and mouths; zip, button, and velcro to open and close clothing, shoes, and outer garments; how to put on hats, mittens, scarves, sweaters; how to put on boots, shoes and socks; how to blow their noses. I'd let the teacher work on their academics once they get to Pre-K. And once they begin classes, you'll know the structure of the lessons, so you will be able to build off that.

GL!

 

I agreed with pps. You don't need to teach them colors, numbers,.. The most importance are independent bathroom and social skills. Kids learn very fast. You will be surprised.

My kids knew some by playing preschool apps. I didn't teach them anything. They have been going to preschool for 3 half days/week. They have been learning so much not just colors, numbers,.. They know the sun and mood cycle, butterflie life cycle, how to plant food,.. Most importance that they have fun and make many friends...

Relax and enjoy summer with your kids. They will know more than u expect them to. Gl!

 

thank you so much for all the responses!

they already know colors, shapes, can recognize some letters and can count up to 20. ive been talking to them since they were born. most people thought i was nuts, lol. they have great background knowledge.

being in education i need to make sure they're prepared.

apparently they wipe themselves at school. lmfao. i never knew that before bc they dont do it here!

i have been doing sound-letter relationships too....one can almost write his name and i just want to be sure im doing all i can for them. while it is the school's job, it's also mine to be sure they are on track!! :-D

 

You don't have to do anything too active. I think the most important thing is to read to them as much as you can. They will pick all the rest of the stuff up very quickly

 

IMO, there is nothing wrong with if parents teach kids before or not. If we believe its the best for the little one, we"ll do it

I still remember the summer before I entered my first grade. It was not fun. My mom sent me to some tutoring class for reading, writing, math. Also, at home I had to practice writing. In vn good writing is very important for students. I didn't have fun at all. At least all I remember was jut study and study. By the time I got in 1st grade, I knew the multiple boards, +/-/*/% math, could read newspapers but of course couldn't understand very thing all, could write sentences, already learned everything in the reading book. But I was not happy/excited at all. I still remember that feeling: so overloaded, "again?? I have to do this for ever." Even though I knew a lot, but I wasn't the best one in the class. From the first to the last yr of HS, I went thru the same process. I always felt like I study for my parents to be proud of me, not for me.

When I was in college, I had to work to support myself and pay for school expensives. I worked 1-2 job(s) for all 4 yrs in college. I realized one thing "if I don't study and get a degree and get a better job, I would be poor and work like crazy all my life." And first time in my life, I did study for myself. I did so well. And got good jobs.

I was nervous when the kids first started preschool. So I set up many educational games everywhere for them. But I only encourage them to play and learn. We never actually sit down and seriously learn anything. I don't want to force my kids. I want them to discover what they are interested in learning and explore. And I always offer learning opportunities. My kids get use to self study. They do it all by themselves. I believe our school system is well designed for kids. So if they spend time at achool, that's enough. We just focus on sports and physical activities at home. To me, healthy body healthy mind.