School Readiness

I Know My ABCs

Have a look at some activities you can do with your child, to help them practice their ABCs. 

1. Read some ABC books

Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert

Alphabet Soup by Kate Banks

2. Make play-dough letters

3. Play some games

Alphabet Hide and Go Seek: Hide letters from the alphabet around the room and have your child find them one at a time and tell you what letter it is.

Climb the stairs: Put a letter on each step. The child says each letter as they climb the stairs (can lay on floor if there are no stairs). 

 4.Rhyming Riddles

You: “I'm thinking of a word that rhymes with cat and begins with b”

Child: bat!

 
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School Readiness

 I Can Write My Name

Here are some activities to try that help your child practice writing their own name.  

1. Sing Name Songs: 

Bingo Name Song: 

There is a child that I know best
And Noah is his name oh,
N O A H, N O A H, N O A H
And Noah is his name oh
 

Willobee-wallobee

Willobee-wallobee wee, an elephant sat on me.

Willobee-wallobee, woo , an elephant sat on you.
Example. Willobee wallobee winda. (use W for the 1st letter in your child’s name)
an elephant sat on Linda

 2. Tracing

Print your child’s first name, showing them slowly how to make each letter. Have them trace over your printed example.

 

3. Try out this Name Puzzle: 

• Write your child’s name on a paper, one in black marker and one in red marker.
• Use the pointer to say each letter aloud. Ask your child to copy you.
• Cut out each letter in the name in red.
• Mix up the pieces.
• Have your child help put the name puzzle back together, using the black strip as a guide.
• Then have your child try the puzzle without the name as a guide.
 

School Readiness

I Can Count to 10

Here are some activities to try at home to help your child practice counting to 10. 

1. Play Simon Says

You: “Simon says take 2 steps forward”
Child: moves forward 2 steps.
 
2.Count with books

Try a completion prompt:

You: “Oh wow! There are lots of polar bears on this page. Let’s see, 1, 2, 3, 4, ____”

Child: 5!
 
3. Practice around the house

Have your child dial a telephone number for you when you need to use the phone. Point to the numbers and read them aloud for your child. 

 4. Practice out and about

When you are walking or driving, “How many signs on the side of the road are there from here to grandmas (or school)?
 
5. Songs and poems are great too 

 One, two, buckle my shoe,
 Three, four, shut the door,
 Five, six, pick-up sticks,
 Seven, eight, lay them straight,
 Nine, ten, start over again.

School Readiness

I Know My Shapes

Try some of these activities to help your child practice naming shapes. 

1. Make a Shape Book

Take a few sheets of construction paper and fold them in half, and put together like a book. Have your child search in old magazines and newspapers for shapes. (triangles, circles, squares, rectangles). Cut them out and paste one shape on each page of your book.

 2. Tracing Shapes

Cut out a circle, square and triangle from a large piece of cardboard. Give your child a large sheet of paper on which to make a picture or design by tracing the shapes .

 3. Making Lunch

When you’re cutting your child’s sandwich, ask them if they want it in squares.

4. Making Shapes with Toothpicks

Put toothpicks on the table and instruct them to make various shapes (ask them to make a circle and see how many actually try!)

School Readiness

I Know My Colours 

Try some of these activities to help your child practice reciting the colours of the rainbow. 

1. Sing the Rainbow Song

 Red and yellow and pink and green
 Purple and orange and blue
 I can sing a rainbow, 
 sing a rainbow, 
 sing a rainbow too.
 

2. Play “I Spy” with colours

You: “I spy with my little eye, something that is blue”

Child: Looks around the room and guesses what you picked.
 

3. Read books about colours

Some great ones are: Red is Best by Kathy Stinson, Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh and Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert .  

5. Everyday

Use colours in daily conversations. For example, tell your child the colour of their snack before eating it, or their clothes before they put them on.

 6. Toys

Play with colourful toys like building blocks and balls