Spend time with your child this summer to make sure that he or she
is ready to start school—it is the best gift you can give. Here are
some activities that will be fun for both of you.
Word Play. Have fun with the sounds in words. Clap
out the rhythm of your name and have your child do the same. Then
try other people's names (Jon-a-thon, La-toy-a).
Say words that start with the same sound as your child's name:
Sam, soap, and sandwich.
Say the word slowly so that you hear the first sound. Have your
child try to do the same.
Find the rhyming words in Mother Goose or other rhymes.
Say two words and ask your child if the words begin with the
same sound. If your child can do this, then try words that end
with the same sound.
Suggested books for this activity are Sheep on a Ship by
Nancy Shaw, Hand Rhymes by Marc Brown, and any collection
of Mother Goose Rhymes or children's poetry.
You’ve Got Mail. Have your child draw
a picture and write (or scribble) a note to himself/herself.
Address the envelope and write the return address.
Talk about why you write a return address and why it is
important to know your own address.
Put a stamp on your letter and explain why.
Take the letter to a mailbox or the Post Office and ask: “How
long do you think it will take for the letter to come back
to us?” See if you are right.
To have writing materials ready to use, make a writing box.
Decorate a shoebox and put writing materials in it such as:
pencils, crayons, note pad or scrap paper, scissors, glue stick,
scraps of yarn or cloth, old greeting cards, stickers. You
can keep this in a special place in the house for writing/drawing
projects.
Take the writing box with you when you travel (by car, bus,
subway, plane).
Lift the flap on an envelope to make the shape of a “house.” Write
your address on it and have your child decorate it. Put it
on your refrigerator.
Send a card or letter to a friend or relative.
Have your child draw a picture of someone they love and mail
it. This is a good opportunity to talk about feelings: loving
someone, missing someone, being sad, being happy, or mad, etc.
Suggested books include Letter to Amy by Ezra Jack
Keats, Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell, Dear
Mr. Blueberry by Simon James, Loving by Ann Morris.
