Child Development

92 Making a collage Put out a variety of materials of different shapes, colours, textures, like wool, bottle tops, small plastic lids, paper plates, toilet rolls, crayons, and felt tipped pencils or felt-tipped pens. This is one of the best ways of learning as you learn the five senses and it's more of a learning experience. Making of shakers Make a number of shakers by putting small objects into a bottle and tighten the lid so that the objects do not come out of the bottle when shaking it. You can shake it and hear the kinds of noises it makes. Children can put uncooked rice, dry beans, beads, paper clips, marbles and small items like bits and pieces of hard plastic or little blocks into the shaker. 92

93 Finger painting Place some old newspaper on the table that you are going to work on with paint, and then children can use the different colours of paint with their fingers to make a variety of designs. They need to express their feelings in some way and painting is one of the ways in which they can express their feelings. Making clay sculptures Clay has a smooth touch. Children should be encouraged to experiment with clay even if it is messy. They can experience this as a positive and enjoyable art. Making of masks Masks can be made for children out of all kinds of shapes. Children should be given the opportunity to explore. They can express themselves and gain more confidence in trying to create things for themselves. They can draw a face on a paper plate and any facial expression can be made. Eyes can be cut out, the mouth and nose can be drawn and they can hold the mask in front of their faces, this is very easily done. 93

94 Making objects out of boxes Children can make cars out of boxes. They can find toilet rolls to make the wheels, it can be painted too. They can make lots of different structures out of boxes. Cutting and sticking of shapes Children can cut shapes and stick in their picture books, shapes like oval, triangle, rectangle, square, circle and diamond shaped cardboard. Pictures can be cut out of old magazines and pasted onto pieces of cardboard. During baking You can help your child to bake cakes of all different shapes and sizes. A cake can be made round, in the shape of a car, train, house, butterfly or whatever shape or size you want it to be. 94

95 Professional bakers can help you to do it. Draw family faces in each circle or oval shape you cut out of a book or of the shapes you've drawn. Creativity is an extremely important foundation for an intelligent and aware approach to life. Children can only express themselves when they are free to explore their art. They should express their own images through art. Help children to design family cards. These cards can be decorated and words of their imagination can be written on the inside. Having to know about a class tree Ask each child to draw themselves, or the members of their families, on each branch of a class tree and place each branch on the tree. Names of friends can be written as well. Children can find objects, they can find leaves in the garden that have different shapes and sizes or twigs, and they can use paint to draw a colourful class tree. The leaves and twigs can be used after it has been painted, to make their own class tree. 95

96 During the paint procedure allow children to feel the texture of leaves, they can paint the leaves and make prints on plain white paper and then textures of the paint can be felt. Different designs can be made. Organise an excursion or a day out to the recycling waste material area. A list of waste material can be brought to school. It can be empty cans of canned vegetables or fruit, empty toilet rolls, plastic jars, jam tins, empty pickle bottles, spice bottles, margarine containers, ice-cream containers, cotton reels, sweet wrappers, milk cartons, cigarette cartons, polystyrene, or egg trays. Big boxes that are not in use can be recycled. Children should be allowed to stick any of the above items together, they can be constructive with this waste material as it can be painted or coloured with crayons. Going to places of art or to some festival can make your child learn lots of new ideas and thoughts. By allowing your child to attend parties at their friends’ homes, or for an excursion to a different place, it enables your child to be more of an extrovert and to feel free when in the presence of other people, and not to be shy. A child should feel free to ask questions about the new environment and to observe new surroundings. 96

97 Creativity Creating a bind out of construction paper is one way a child shows creativity. Cooking dough can provide children with many opportunities for creative activities. Creativity may result in new ideas or new thinking, new creating and new experiences. Encouraging children's creative nature makes a difference for a child going to pre-school. During creativity identify how the child goes about working with the materials provided. Not all children work at the same pace, some complete their art, and some don't. Some children get tired and some don't. There are a few factors that teachers should bear in mind at all times, especially with regards to young children. Children should be encouraged to share and experience their creative work. 97

98 Ask children to draw their own experiences and stories. Creativity is a way a child makes something, a way of thinking or acting. Young children are creative and they can do things in a unique way. Both child and teacher benefit from creativities. Children become creative when they are able to solve problems, redefining situations, demonstrating and showing flexibility. Teachers should teach children of the change that is natural in life and that many problems that we have do not have easy answers. Materials are needed for creative work an apron to be put on when working with paint and old newspaper to cover the table you are going to work on. Use of sponges or cotton wool can make your art work exciting. The time you need can be unlimited, you can have hours of fun. Playing house is part of a child's creativity. Children should not be hurried; they should be doing their work at their own pace. Keep them relaxed when working. It allows children to be imaginative. 98

99 What would happen if we had no transport? What would happen if all flowers were white and the surroundings we lived in were all white too? What would happen of everybody did what everybody else did? What would it be like of everybody lived in the same kind of houses? Another question to be asked is, How many different ways certain items are used? In how many different ways can a knife, a spoon, or certain tools be used? All these questions allow your child to think and to be creative. Try to find out the interests of children and what it is that they can do. What are the different kinds of drawings and paintings they can do? What are they mastering at their age? Permit children to work with friends. This gives them new ideas to learn differently. Activities that children are working at should be fun for them. When children are provided with proper material they can create their own fun. Children must feel rewarded and satisfied for their efforts. 99

100 Modelling of clay is special for children. The feeling of clay motivates the continuation of the activity. The imaginative use of colour and shape and form can help provide children with the reading readiness skills necessary for later schooling. Children can have something to create about by outdoor trips. Pre-schoolers look in many different ways, touching, patting, poking, and even tasting are ways for looking for children. When they are involved in creative activities they may express strong feelings and emotions. By allowing them to work with other children, they will learn to respect the feelings of others. Pre-schoolers continually learn new ways to create materials and activities. Pre-schoolers (2-5 yrs) Their interest holds for 10-15 minutes. Simple activities should be planned in advance. Children should be spoken to about their activities before they approach them. They should not be bored as they have a short period of concentration. 100

101 Outdoor discovery activities Playing with water is a great way to spend quality time with your pre-schooler and you don't need a pool. A little time, imagination and a few simple accessories can introduce your child to concepts like wet and dry, warm and cold, transparency and colour provide a wonderful afternoon's entertainment. Splash happy Bath time is the ideal time to introduce water games. You don't have to buy bath toys, plastic containers or any shape and size will do. Throw a ping-pong ball into the bath so that your child can see how it makes the water ripple and it floats immediately to the surface, whereas a cup filled with water sinks to the bottom of the bath. Show your toddler how a dry sponge soaks up water and in this way they can watch water passing through the holes, the same can be tried with a strainer. 101

102 Blowing bubbles This is a game that pre-schoolers find enormously entertaining. See who can blow the biggest bubble, or blow bubbles for your child and see how many are popped. Here's a tried and trusted bubble recipe. Dissolve a tablespoon of soap powder in a cup of boiling water and allow it to cool. You can try this method to blow bubbles. Use a piece of wire that has a round end to blow bubbles that are big enough for the circle to hold. Water play is a wonderful way to stimulate your child's senses and a bath is superb entertainment of little splashes. During the hot summer days your child will appreciate periodic cool swims particularly if you add some entertaining bath toys. You can put your child in a pool outside in a shady spot and partly fill it with cool water. Stimulate your child's hearing by encouraging him/her to listen to the different sounds water makes when poured from a jug, when running from a tap and when splashing hands and feet in water. Bubbles can be made when washing with soap. 102

103 Encourage children to play with boats and other toys in the water. Give them some ice-cubes to play with so they can see it dissolve. Even though water can be messy, children do have fun with it. Water comes out of hose pipes, sprinklers, and taps. One can play with water by using tea pots, kettles and out of strainers, cups and buckets. Ask your child questions about water. How hot or cold is it? How do you get ice-cubes with water? Do you enjoy water? What do you use water for? Is water precious to us? How much fun do they have with water? Do they love splashing in water? Skittle action Half fill 10 plastic cool drink bottles of the same size with water. Seal the bottles and then stand them in four rows (four at the back, three in the next row, two in the second row and one in the front). 103

104 Your child should stand about 2 metres away and roll a large rubber ball towards the skittles. The aim of the game is to knock over the front one so that it falls and knocks over the rest. As your child's aim improves, he'll be able to stand further away and use smaller balls. Playing skittles will help improve hand-eye co- ordination and will provide hours of fun. A Day on the Farm This is a common activity for your child. It is organised by the teacher to spend a day on the farm. If you live on a farm then you are lucky. Children living on farms or visiting farms can discover lots of new ideas and explore new surroundings. In this way children have an idea of what goes on daily on a farm. There are lots of cattle, bulls, pigs, goats, sheep, ducks, chickens, geese, ponies and even birds. There are many kinds of farm life depending on what kind of farm it is. There are different kinds of farms that only breed specific kinds of animals. 104

105 These are the different kinds you get; on your visit to these farms ask questions about it. Some animals are pets on farms, some are not pets, and they are just wild animals that live around close to the farm. The buck or antelope mainly move around at night so one cannot see them much in the day. There are a number of questions that can be asked on trips like this. How is it that we get pork, beef and mutton? How do we get chickens to eat? How do we get our eggs? Where does milk come from? Where does cheese and butter come from? When children are taken to a farm, often they enjoy it a lot and learn from it. They become adventurous. There are tractors on farms that are at work daily, and lots of labourers, in some farms trees are used for firewood and to make paper. These trees are chopped down and supplied to companies to be manufactured for people's useful needs. Children grasp things easily; exploration and experiences are needed for pre-schoolers. 105

106 A Day at the Lake Having a day out with your child at the lake can be very much of an exciting activity for your child. They become very playful. This gives your child that experience of looking out more on an eventful day. A child loves to be somewhere different. Foods that can be taken for small snacks can be sausage rolls, pies, or sandwiches that your child enjoys. You could have a barbecue, if you feel up to it. Allow your child to take a ball with, or toys that will be fun to play with. If there are four or five children the merrier it will be. They can play and have fun and see some wild life, if there is any. Talk to your child about the different kinds of trees around your picnic area. There may be swings nearby, if so allow your child to play on the swings for a while. It can be a good idea to join your child while on the swing. 106

107 Going on a holiday When going on a holiday try to get to places that have beaches or that are close to beaches. Having your child taken to the beach is wonderful because it is a learning experience. Carrying a first-aid kit is most important and don't forget to dress for the occasion. The sand on the beach has a fine and grainy texture. Children can build sandcastles and roll on the sand. They dig up sand and play with it in all different ways and while doing that they know what sand feels like. A big-rip tide? On the beach can be very dangerous. Try not to turn your back to the sea with your child, as the wave can be rough on both of you. The current of the wave is much stronger when your back is turned to it. To play with, children can find shells, nicely shaped stones on the beach. These can be used as a collection, to play with or can be kept in a cabinet at home for a display. It can be stuck on a board to be a fancy attraction to your child's friends or families. Show your child the different types of seaweeds that one can find on the beach. Always remember to be with your child when on the beach adult supervision is very important. 107

108 Toddler's tips Developing a sense of texture can help your child's fingers to become more sensitive to touch. Paint with butterscotch pudding - use both hands on the table. This could extend into body painting. Mix flour and water with hands, knead, pull and squeeze. Mess in the mud or play in the sandpit. Crawl through tunnels, over mats, carpets or roll over large balls. Hide under duvets, or large sheets of fabric. Have a messy day. Experiment with jelly (squish feet in it too). Paint on large surfaces with yoghurt or cream (Glass doors or windows - it's easy to spray down or wash off). Play with coloured ice-cubes that melt in water. Splash cooked spaghetti around in water. (At this age food products are more fun because much more exploration happens through the mouth). 108

109 Just because you, the parent, don't like the feel of something, try not to deprive your child of the sensation. Let your child explore freely within safe limits. You can do all the above, as well as. Finger painting Verbalise touch sensations \"Ouch, this is hot!\", \"Pat the dog gently, feel how smooth his fur is\", and \"This jersey is scratchy\". A parent plays such an important role in optimising the child's development, the learning curve is equally great for Mom. Children should not be compared with other children. You can wind up a musical toy and hide it behind an object in the room. Let your child try to find it. Let your child help you identify the washing. What is it? Who does it belong to? It can be fun to get your growing child to close his/her eyes and try to identify who it belongs to from the smell of the garment before it's been washed. Let them sort the socks into pairs and roll them up. 109

110 (An introduction to early maths) Allow children to help make the salad. Don't worry about bits that get tasted before being added to the main dish, Dad won't mind and there is time later for teaching the social niceties. Find a simple recipe and make cookies with your children. Dress up and let them pretend they have friends coming for tea, while the cookies are in the oven. Use the opportunity to talk and listen. Make your own ice-creams by freezing juice. Grow flowers. Water the garden together. General Do not interfere with children when they are playing. Encourage learning about different sounds by letting your child drop blocks into a variety of empty containers, cardboard, plastic, metal or wood. Nurture their curiosity. Let them open your eyes and ears to the wonderful world we take for granted. 110

111 Did you know? Children often fall or bump themselves because they are far sighted. They have limited depth perception and still have to master the art of judging distances. Young children tend to look at everything except where they are going, their feet, the person or thing they're trying to reach. By their third or fourth birthday, however, your child should have his navigation skills down pat. How to tie a shoe lace Between 4-5 years your child will become dexterous enough to tie their own shoelaces. First show them how to tie their laces, then take their hands in yours and practise a few times together. Then show them step by step how to tie the laces. They should be able to complete steps of tying shoelaces before you know it. Puppet play Put on your very own puppet show. 111

112 You will need: Wooden spoon, paint brush, wool and fabric scraps, cardboard, lace, glue, scissors, and some sequins. Spoon tunes Decide what type of character your wooden spoon puppet is going to be. Paint your puppet's face on the flat side of the wooden spoon and allow it to dry. Fold a piece of scrap material, the length of the spoon, in half. Cut a hole in the centre of the fold. Slide the handle of the wooden spoon into the hole. Tie a pipe cleaner or piece of lace around the puppet's 'waist' to keep the material in place. Cut arms from the cardboard and stick to the back of the puppet. Decorate your puppet using sequins for jewels, wool for hair, and add bits of silver or gold sweet papers for a crown or hat. 112

113 You will need: Paper cups, pipe cleaners, ping pong balls, wool, masking tape, drinking straw, stickers (optional), a thick felt-tipped pen, cardboard, scissors Cup characters Decorate the cup with coloured felt-tipped pens, or stickers. Cut short lengths of wool and stick to the base of the cup for the puppet's hair. Draw eyes on the ping pong balls, or stick on eyes. Glue eyes on the top of the puppet's hair. Cut a short length of pipe cleaner and twist around the end of another short length of pipe cleaner to form hands and arms. Push the arms onto either side of the cup and tape down on the inside to secure. Cut out two cardboard feet and draw on toenails. Push a short length of pipe cleaner into the feel? And tape the tape on the underside to secure. 113

114 Tape the other end of the legs to the inside bottom edge of the puppet and tape a straw to the inside bottom edge of the cup in between the legs for a handle. You will need: Empty toilet rolls, paint, paint brush, masking tape, string, cardboard Puppets on the move Paint the toilet rolls to look like a snake's body and leave to dry. Cut each toilet roll in half width ways. Cut the snake's head out of cardboard, paint and allow drying. Glue the snakes head to one end of a toilet roll. Thread a long piece of string through the snake's head and through each body piece. Tape the string to the inside of the last body piece. You can make similar moving puppets to this one by using tube pasta, beads or a combination of the two to make worms, caterpillars or flowers. 114

115 Caring for plants (seasonal activity) Children should know how plants grow. What is needed to grow plants? A child can plant his own seeds in order to know and care about plants. When buying seeds it should be bought for that specific season. Details are on the back of the package. Follow the instructions and all should be fine. Don’t use seeds that are well expired in date, they will not grow and you will be disappointed. When watering your plant, avoid soaking water too much into the stem of the plant because, in the process the stem can eventually break off, and you will be disappointed. Your plant needs water but there should be a certain limit. By using a watering can to water your plants, you not only save water, your plant is being watered gently and not with a force of water. 115

116 To make your own pot plant can be a good experience. Use rich soil for plants. You can use an ice-cream container for this. Fill the container with rich soil. Water your plant daily and do not use too much water, just a little each time. Plants do need water more than animals do. For your child to know more about plants an idea of watching documentaries or online information is helpful too, with parent help this can be tried and your child will enjoy doing this together with parents or the parent. Children should be taught at an early age about trees, or plants that we all have some interest for in our homes and gardens. They should be taught how to plant flowers or plants that they find interesting to them. Teachers can ask children to bring seeds of a certain plant and they can plant the seed together and watch it grow. Trees and plants are very important to us. We should take good care of our plants in our environment. On Arbour Day, just about everyone in the world plants a tree a special day for most people. This day signifies tree day. Every year a new tree is planted on this day and watching the one from before, on how it has improved on its growth. 116

117 A day for caring for plants, but that doesn't only happen on that day, this should happen every day. When children show their interest in plants at a young age they take good care of plants as they grow. Children are then aware that trees, plants or flowers should not be destroyed. There are many kinds of trees like Gum trees, Poplar, Wattle, Christmas trees, Oak, Pine, The Pride of India and many more. We have fruit trees like peach, apple, guava, plum, paw-paw, and of fig. There are trees that bear pretty flowers and there are those that don't have flowers. All these plants need to be taken care of. Flowers can be bought for your loved ones. They can be put into vases of water and you can see which stems are thick or thin, and long or short. Study leaves of trees and you will notice the differences, like the veins on the leaves. Children can examine roots of plants and trees. Roots of onion bulbs can be seen through the glass it is placed in, and you can change its water often. One can compare the roots of a bulb with other roots and see the differences. 117

118 Ground covers are good plants to have. These grow by just a small stem and before you know it the ground is covered with it. Hence the reason for the name Ground Covers. With a bit of talking to your plants and tender loving care, your plants can be taken care of and will grow beautifully. Cooking with young children Children enjoy cooking activities together in a kitchen. They learn best when using the sense of touch and taste. Children that have the maturity must be given the food and the ingredients to experiment with cooking. Children can watch adults working and thereafter they can try it on their own, still with adult supervision. Children come into contact with food all the time. They see food at home, stores, take-away, on streets and in recipe books. Cooking of food can get your child to learn new experiences, ideas and skills. They learn to describe foods while cooking. 118

119 It can help them to understand new concepts, and learn that salt and sugar gives taste to food, the difference in taste when salt or sugar is added. Changes are observed when children learn to work with food. Children learn to express themselves and increase their vocabulary, tastes of food being bitter or sweet, sour, hot or cold, and they notice the steam coming out of hot food. If it's taste is delicious or divine, the textures of the chicken, meat or fish, how well-spiced and what is required to make food tasty. Some people use fruit to cook with, like an apple or banana. Pouring liquids from one glass to another and mixing of foods. This develops good co-ordination with children. Measuring skills, Have each measuring spoon painted in different colours to give children an idea that each spoon has a different measure. They will know the exact limit to use when cooking. A child may need help in holding a hot pan when cooking. Parents or teachers will have to supervise, depending on where the activity is taking place. As children work together they learn social skills. 119

120 They can learn to cook differently too. In this way children learn about hygiene and health hints, and washing their hands before handling food. Their fingernails must always be clean and short and aprons should be put on when cooking. Do not allow your child to lick a spoon or fork while cooking. Utensils should be kept out of children's mouths. Teach children how to identify when an appliance is on or off. They have to know that when working with fresh produce, they should wash it thoroughly before cooking it. Blindfold your child and when tasting foods. You can play a guessing game and guess what it is by just smelling it. Make simple picture recipes for your child to understand it quite well. Compare tastes of foods together. Show your child the different spoons that you use when cooking. Allow your child to feel different kinds of foods, which is soft, hard, which tastes salty or too sweet, especially when adding sugar more than the required amount. Talk of the different spices too. Young children find it interesting to cook and experience new thoughts from it. Food activities are a natural part of the early childhood program. Children experience many designs, colours and shapes. Foods change in size when cooking. 120

121 It’s different for children when they see food uncooked and then cooked, something not many kids notice. The aromas and tastes of fruit and vegetables can be experienced. Children could help to clean and prepare vegetables with an adult. A way to know the tastes of orange juice that tastes like a whole orange; apple juice tastes like a whole apple, or even pear, grape or any other fruit juice. In the modern world we live in, there are many kinds of juices that are made. Their own juices can be made, but with the help of an adult. They can be familiar with descriptive words, which have real meaning; to describe food, as children have a more logical way of thinking. A child's small muscles and co- ordination develop when experimenting with foods. Slices of pear can be cut and used in a food experience to help children with their classifying skills. This provides a pleasant combination of social, maths and science experiences. 121

122 How? In cooking experiences children should be praised for their efforts, even if it is not up to standard. Children learn while having fun, they should be allowed to be open and creative in their food activities. Cooking with your pre-schooler is a great way to give the attention, sense of independence and accomplishment, that’s needed. A child is likely to show more interest in food if he/she had a hand in its creation. Encourage this interest by giving them own responsibilities, like breaking up green beans, sieving flour, mixing butter or pouring pre-measured cool liquid into a bowl - all under your watchful eye. Before you allow your child to help you in the kitchen, an acquired skill is needed; they’ll need to learn all about prime kitchen hazards - heat, glass, sharp edges, electrical points and moving parts. But, as long as your child develops a healthy respect for these dangers, and you watch carefully, cooking time should be free of mishaps. 122

123 Here are some guidelines for kitchen safety: Stirring, sifting and tasting should be done on a kitchen table or counter away from the stove. Discourage your child from turning on the stove or oven without your permission. Keep knives out of reach. Ensure pot handles are turned inwards. Don't allow your child to remove pots and pans from the stove or allow him/her pouring boiling water out of a kettle. See that your toddler doesn't put silver decorating balls up his/her nose or in the ears. Warn children not to put their fingers into a hot mixture. Use plastic mixing bowls rather than glass bowls. Cover plug points and unplug appliances when not in use. 123

124 Ask your child to keep cupboards closed at all times, so that you don't bump into them. While you are cooking show your child how water becomes steam when heated to a certain temperature. Flour becomes sticky dough and thick gravy becomes thinner when water is added. Your child will want to know why ice melts when warm water is added. See if a child distinguishes the difference between carbonated water and plain water by tasting it and by looking for the tell-tale bubbles. Most pre-schoolers enjoy washing up, so encourage your child to wash the plastic containers. Point out how a damp cloth makes removing dirt easier. Learning through discovery Early learning of discovery is very important for your child. The habits they learn should be from an early age. Varieties of activities are important. These learning programmes must be reflected in the daily programme or routine. No formal learning for children should be attempted, rather in an informal way. 124

125 Habits formed: Washing of hands a very important part of hygiene Taking care or interest in ones needs. Resting Cleaning away toys and objects after playing. Taking care of one’s possessions Speak politely Be well behaved when in public or at home. Activities that pre-schoolers can focus on: Blocks, modelling dough and puzzles are good activities for children. Some love to play fantasy games, while others may read a book. Give them a couple of empty paper bags or baskets and they can go 'shopping', filling up the bags with toys and books. A pair of toy telephones will get some conversations started. Children should choose their activity something they will be comfortable with and happy to perform. 125

126 Activities that can be tried together are preferable to competitive games that set one child up against another. Doing art work is especially popular with children. An idea is to buy a sheet of poster paper and cut it into a large shape, such as a house or a school bus and provide the children with a box of non-toxic crayons or use felt-tipped pens, to colour it in. Set out a basket of old clothes, hats, jewellery and shoes and let them play dress-up games. They can try making simple snacks. Invite children to help make their own sandwiches or milkshakes. Some children usually love building, and boxes of blocks and construction toys encourage co-operative play. Simple ball games, such as throwing and catching, are a good bet. Children have to learn through experiences on their own about health and safety in their early years. Without a parent or preschool teacher this may not be attempted freely. Health is the physical part of a child's life; something a parent should be open about when a child is not feeling well. Children have to get used to cleaning themselves daily, they need to know this. 126

127 They should learn to follow a routine. For instance, when a pre-schooler gets out of bed he/she may not brush their teeth, comb their hair or wash their face, things like this should be taught at an early age. Brushing of children's teeth should be a routine to them. They should be taught to brush their teeth after meals and sweets. At pre-school, teachers can demonstrate on how to brush their teeth and the kinds of toothpastes and toothbrushes that can be used. When a child's first tooth shows out explain to why it happened, and that in time a new one will replace it. Personal hygiene for your child This is for children to realise to keep their bodies clean, their toenails and fingernails clipped often and to make sure that they are clean at all times. Their hair has got to be washed thoroughly, combed twice a day and this can prevent it from knotting. 127

128 A child should be able to keep clean unless when playing outdoors, but after enough play they should be washed and dressed in clean clothes. Teaching children the functions of their body parts is very important. Always wash hands after touching dirty objects. If the child is unable to do this, the parent can help complete the task. Children should be taught to do tasks on their own, like putting on a shirt, shoes, allow children to become independent whilst performing these tasks. They should learn to be tidy and to put away toys after playing, leave the playroom neat at all times. It is showing responsibility from an early age. A child easily learns about hygiene when the parent or the teacher reflects it. It should be important that children learn simple basic tasks like hygiene in the classroom. The shelves or cupboards in the classroom should be neat at all times. Children's coats should be hung up neatly on racks. There should be sufficient waste baskets to get rid of papers and other dirt after a playful day, and paper towels for children to wipe their hands, if required. 128

129 At school Contagious diseases like chicken pox and measles should be spoken about to children by the teacher in charge. When a child is injured he/she should be treated immediately and a first-aid kit should be at hand. Safety for your child Your child should be safe in the environment chosen. If not familiar with the environment a child can get hurt accidentally with lots of obstructive objects on the ground, that hasn’t been removed before play, but, if under adult supervision, it can be minimised. There should be no obstructions for your child while playing. Toys that can stop your child from playing, riding a bike or from running should be kept out of the way. Children should be taught how to dial an emergency number. If you are in a situation where you are unable to dial the number yourself, your child can do it for you without any hassle. 129

130 Learning about safety of your child Learning about traffic and to cope with traffic is best to learn with real experiences. Take your child into traffic and cross a street, while traffic is moving or when in peak hours of the afternoon. This will show your child how it is done. Go to robots and allow your child to operate the buttons on robots at the pedestrian crossing and help your toddler cross the street while traffic has stopped for you. Always stop before going to the next street. Listen and see if there is any traffic coming from both directions before crossing the street. Walk along streets cautiously. Always be able to observe traffic and sounds too. During a fire allow your child to be calm. That is one of many reasons why your child should be taught about fire safety. They should practice this by using extinguishers, fire drills and how to call the fire department. What is poison? It can be foods, liquids, or creams. Millions of children die accidentally from drinking of liquids and eating all sorts of unusual foods. This is because children are not always supervised by adults. In these cases to prevent the many accidental cases it is advised to place stickers on bottles of liquids that are not meant to be drunk at all. 130

131 Stickers that say 'do not touch', 'inflammable', do not drink'. Children should be under adult supervision when taking medication and it should be medication only prescribed by your doctor. They should know what can and cannot be eaten or what can and cannot be drunk. Adults (teachers) should always watch children during the breaks, when at pre-schools, to see that the children do not decide to explore certain foods or liquids. Creams are not good to be put into a child's mouth. When certain forms of clay are used during an activity, always mention that it should not be eaten. Even when using a fruit or leaves of a tree when doing art, it should not be placed in their mouths. Children learn good habits in daily experiences, during breakfast, lunch and dinner. These are the factors that children should know when still young. 131

132 Expression of an individual This is when children work on their own with cooking dough, clay, pens, pencils, crayons, blocks, toys to play with or any playing objects. Making models out of blocks, or clay, drawing, painting, and colouring of books or experiencing music. Improvement of language Reading of rhymes, poems, stories, going to puppet shows, concerts, browsing through picture books, interpreting of pictures and drawings, to represent stories or acts and having debateable discussions. This is called passive language. Going through lots of activities can help your child to learn through discovery. Like going on excursions, going to interest corners, have objects or items of interest, having a children's corner, book corner, music corner, study corner, colour corner, nature corner about animals, or unique toys. These give opportunities to children to learn individually. 132

133 This invites the child to learn, to understand and observe their surroundings. At pre-school children can play in the playground and find playing objects, they can play with toys of their own or make some constructive toy to have fun with. Children can take off their shoes and put them on again. Teachers can observe if the child is putting the shoe in the right foot. They can do physical movements to develop their muscles. Fun and games Skittle playing, this is a super way to develop your child's concentration and manual dexterity. You can also encourage some gentle competition between your children during this game. Fashion dolls. Most little girls enjoy playing with glamorous fashion dolls and acting out real-life scenarios and little boys often enjoy playing with dolls based on popular TV characters. Pool activity, Goggles, snorkels or flippers are a great way to encourage your child to learn to swim. 133

134 Pre-school share-alike Children don't often share. They don't want another child of their age touching their toys, be it old or new. Those who have difficulty sharing need support and guidance. No-one likes to be told \"You've got to\", and it won't help foster feelings of generosity. Sharing simply isn't a concept pre-schoolers can understand. They think that the world revolves around them alone, and if someone doesn't like it, that's tough. A reluctance to share is pretty normal, at least until the age of three, but, as your child gets older he/she will become less egocentric and will start to identify with other's feelings. Sharing doesn't come naturally to a two year old, though this maybe done do it to please mom, if told so. Children have to acquire the ability to share and it's a skill that develops gradually over the first three years of life. Fewer than-threes are still very much into parallel play that is playing alongside other children, but not with them. At around three they start playing co- operatively. 134

135 Willing to share Although learning to share is an important part of a child's development, there are factors that will influence willingness. Feeling secure is important. If it’s part of a child's experience that when something is given away he/she never gets it back, or if a child never knows who or what will be there from day-to-day, he is less likely to be able to share. With a secure, consistent family life, whether with two parents or one, they'll be more ready to share. Children who haven't been with other children before starting pre-school and haven't had to share may find it more difficult, this situation is fairly rare. At pre-school children have opportunities to observe what's going on and learn how to behave, and adults assist children to share, help them to learn to negotiate and talk to them about taking turns and swapping. Sharing is among children, depends on the upbringing of the child. Playing safe outdoors Now that your child's bigger, children are becoming more dexterous and are able to tackle fairly complicated toys with ease. With your child's growing physical independence, he/she will start to enjoy toys which require specific balancing and cognitive skills. 135

136 At home ensure that any battery or electrically operated equipment is kept well away from water to prevent shocks. Your child is growing more independent and will probably become a regular at your local playground. It's important to ensure that the equipment your toddler uses is completely safe so that the likelihood of injury is minimal. In the playground ensure that your child uses equipment suited to size and abilities that all equipment has been correctly installed, slides and swings have soft surfaces beneath them to cushion falls and that dogs can't gain access to the playground. It’s important to ensure that your child doesn't use playground equipment in the rain and that suitable clothes are worn. For this reason, girls should avoid wearing long dresses on playground equipment. Always supervise your child or ensure your child at this age is with an adult who can watch him carefully. Pre-schoolers can be very adventurous. Playing out in the garden is just what children like doing and exploring the outside world. If you have a garden your child can play with other children and have that fresh air too. Parents could have home-made swings for their children to play outside with often, and make or buy a playpen that your child can have fun with. 136

137 Children can play with see-saws, slides, trampolines and there are games that a child can play even without the help of a parent. This allows your child to discover how to climb a step-ladder when he/she wants to go up to the tree- house. When children are playing make sure they are wearing comfortable shoes and clothing. Be aware of them getting cuts and bruises, or serious injuries. Outdoor life is most important for children as they can learn lots through discovery. If there is a stream nearby, with the help of an adult your child can go to the stream and see a few fish, tadpoles or frogs. Exercises are good too, this develops their muscles. They try lots of adventurous acts like flying a kite on a windy day. Have an empty plastic bag and ask your child if there is anything inside. It could be a bag of wind. They can stretch their arms up into the air to pretend to be catching something. It is a good way of strengthening their arms and exercising. 137

138 There are three main types of personality in young children: You'll probably be able to fit your own child into one of these categories: The easy child copes with new experiences and without any difficulty. The child is willing to try out new toys, new games and even new food without any complaint. The child has regular sleeping and eating patterns and adapts easily to changes in routine. A child that accepts discipline reasonably readily, usually following rules set at home and at pre-school. The easy child thrives at pre- school and moves happily from one learning activity to the next. This kind of child is self confident. In contrast, the difficult child is hard to manage. Even as a baby your child doesn't easily set into a sleeping and eating routine and the child doesn't react well to changes. They lack confidence and tend to cry a lot at pre-school, especially when the child has to cope with something new. The child doesn't respond well to discipline because it means fitting in with what other people want, so they challenge constantly. Lastly, there's the slow-to-warm-up child. 138

139 A child with this type of personality is passive. A child that is not too bothered about anything. If the child doesn't like the juice offered to at snack-time, they won't ask for something else. An individual that doesn't argue with other children or disagree with the teacher, tends to follow the pace and direction of others. The slow-to- warm-up child needs a lot of coaxing before doing what’s asked of him/her. Choosing the right school Different personalities are suited to different pre-school environments. While you may not be able to find a school that exactly matches your child's personality, it's worth thinking about the following suggestions when choosing. Outgoing, enthusiastic and talkative. Look for a school that encourages co-operation between children and has quiet areas that are free from distraction. Quiet, withdrawn, likes privacy and finds mixing a difficulty. 139

140 Look for a school that gently taxes the children and has plenty of group discussions that will help to draw him out. Creative, impulsive and likes learning new skills Choose a school that lets the children develop at their own pace and encourages imaginative play activities. Studious, easily upset by failure and not very sociable Choose a school that offers lots of 'problem solving' activities and gives plenty of 'merit' awards. But there may be no choice of school available If things go wrong Despite all your planning, you may find that your child's start at pre-school doesn't go according to what you'd hoped. Common problems include not settling when left at school each day, bickering with other children, not taking part in group activities and refusal to share toys. 140

141 So what do you do? The first thing is to stay calm and not to overreact; it won't help your child if you become anxious. Remember the most problems at pre-school are minor ones and can be sorted out, and do reassure your child. Your child may think that having to go to pre-school each day is the end of the world, but words of comfort from you will make your child feel more secure. Have another look at the pre- school you've chosen to be sure it's the right one for your child. If not, make the change. Alternatively, share your concerns with your child's teacher or the school principal. Try to look for a practical solution to your child's anxieties which may at least ease the situation, even if it doesn't solve it instantly. For example, your preschooler may feel less anxious in the beginning. He7she may ask to be allowed to take along a comforter from home to school. And finally the golden rule is to keep taking your buddy to school. Your child may be reluctant but take him/her anyway, reassuring all the time that you'll get things sorted out for. A child will benefit if you can help to develop these six key traits in his personality. 141