Child Development

142 A positive attitude Your child should feel positive about pre-school; so that he/she is enthusiastic and tries hard at all the activities in which they are involved. You can help your child to feel this way before starting school by being positive yourself. When you discuss pre-school in front of your child talk enthusiastically about it and mention special things that you know your child is going to enjoy, such as story- time and outside play. On the other hand comments that may seem quite innocent to you like, \"I'll miss you when you start pre-school\", may be picked up in a negative way by your child. 142

143 Self confidence The more confident your child is about his/her abilities, this will allow the option for him/her to cope with unfamiliar activities. Encourage your preschooler by reassuring them about what they'll do at pre-school and how they'll be able to cope with anything. Point out their strengths. \"The teacher's going to love your drawings when you get to pre-school\". Have a realistic expectation of your child's ability and potential achievements. If you are always expecting your children to do more than they capable of, then you’re always going to be disappointed. Good listening Most information will be conveyed to your child verbally at preschool unless your child becomes good at listening or he/she will miss much of what goes on. You can help develop your child's listening skills at home in practical ways. Read about stories to your child and suggest he/she looks at the pages while listening. Clap out a simple rhyme (Such as two fast beats, a slow beat and a fast beat) and ask your child to repeat it. 143

144 Inquisitiveness Curiosity is one of the main driving forces behind a child's learning and your child should be keen to ask questions. You can encourage this by always treating your child's question seriously and answering them at the level which is appropriate to his age and understanding. Explain to your child that once he/she gets to pre-school children will have to take turns asking questions and that they shouldn't shout out. Respect for others Co-operation between children is essential at school. Your child begins to learn of other people's feelings and to respect their wishes. Help your child to develop a sense of consideration by giving lots of opportunities to be helpful at home, for example, help each other tidy up the toys or lay the table for supper. Praise him/her when they show consideration for others. 144

145 Low aggression Your child should be able to resolve minor arguments at pre-school without becoming aggressive. You can encourage your child to keep his/her aggressive feelings under control by having a structured and disciplined environment at home, one that's neither too strict nor too permissive. Explain to your child about the effects of aggression. \"If you snatch Sophie's toys away from her, she won't want to play with you.\" As your child grows How do you determine which principles to defend and when to go along with your child? Ask yourself the following five questions. Is this going to cause physical or psychological damage, or is it just something that bugs you? 145

146 Fighting over every uneaten vegetable, unbuttoned shirt or unmade bed can get you into an endless series of emotionally draining and unproductive arguments. Are you caught up in a power struggle for no good reason? If your anger seems out of proportion to the crime, you've picked the wrong battle. If you go along with your child, how are you going to feel about it tomorrow? Thinking about the long-term consequences of giving in will help you determine the importance of the issue. Do you have a compelling reason to deny your child’s requests? If you don't, you're going to lose credibility or end up yelling because you don't know what else to do. If you do have a valid rationale, it'll soon become evident. For example, if you quite reasonably insist that your child wear a jersey on a cold winter's day, he/she will quickly realize that they need it once they step outside. Finally, are you or your child just too tired now to get into a lesson on hygiene, nutrition or decorum? 146

147 There are times when it's okay to let your child have the first, last and only word. If you’re tired three-year-old wants to skip his/her bath or wear a track-suit to bed, it might be a good time to say yes. You may decide that certain issues aren't worth fighting over at all. After a lot of thought, religiously enforcing the rules can become a burden for you and your child. If you're always focused on being consistent, you might overlook creative solutions that are good for your family By allowing your child to have a favourite food once a week, let him/her feel that they have some say in the weekly supper line-up. Parents often fear that one exception to the rule will set dangerous precedent. They might worry that they're being too permissive if they agree to their children's offbeat requests. In other words, if you let your child wear his batman cape to school once, will he insist on wearing it to church on Christmas Day too? Parents can make occasional exceptions without setting the stage for a breakdown in family order. And if you think you might be giving into your child's wishes too often, take stock of your feelings the next time you do. When you are able to define your own bottom line - saying no when it's possible you may well discover a pleasant change in your home. 147

148 Not only is it more fun to bend the rules from time to time, but you may discover that your child co-operates more. Indeed, one of the best reasons to pick your battles is that we all need a little leeway sometimes. Children whose parents cut them some slack now and then feel understood - and over time they, too, will learn to be more understanding and flexible. You may find that your child's self-confidence grows as he/she gets more opportunities to make or occasionally break family policies. The parent should know when to say \"Okay, why not?” It helps to know that in your child's eyes serving cereal for supper on occasion doesn't make you any less authoritative as a parent. When you as a parent know you are in charge, you don't have to say no all the time. Parents, who bolstered their self esteem, get higher marks and more confidence. Helping children discover Children like playing outdoor activities like playing with see-saws, swings, stepladders, jungle gyms, and walking on beams. They can play with balls, throwing to each other; learn to play tennis, cricket, bat balls to one another or hide and seek. 148

149 Children can practice jumping over heights by using a rope or elastic over benches that are not too high, about medium height would do. This should be done only with the supervision of an adult and in this way, they can learn to jump heights carefully. Races can be run with each other. A pre-schooler should learn to be physically fit and try to ride his bicycle during his free time. They can lie on their backs and pretend to ride bicycles by making big circles with their legs. Go to the shops with an adult, take walks around your neighbourhood and you will notice lots of cars, trucks, bicycles, vans pulling trailers and maybe some buses that carry passengers to and from work daily. Ask an adult to explain to you the purpose of this kind of traffic on the road and whatever it is that you want to know. There are four kinds of transport. Transport by rail, air, sea and road. A pre- schooler can travel in any of the above-mentioned. This can be done if one is going on holiday. A child can travel in a school bus with an adult and experience the new sceneries while travelling, see new sights of nature and see the different kinds of people getting onto the bus and challenging daily life. 149

150 People can travel by ship and see the water that surrounds us, by air and experience the feeling of an aeroplane, by train and experience the feeling of the railway tracks changing all the time and of conductors fetching your tickets. Postage is transported by air which one of the fastest transports available. Now most of us are connected to the internet, and mail is faster in response. To go to places nearby it is fun to go by car but if you wish to visit a faraway country then the quickest method is by aeroplane. Swimming is another way of discovering new ideas or experiences. It is one of the fun-filled activities. On a warm day they can swim and splash in the water, with an adult. Carts can be made for children to play with; they can use their bicycles or tricycles to play with. Children can feel confident, as these activities can be played freely and it could be done without having to play with dangerous objects. Somewhat different for a child is when it rains and he/she can play in the rain. Providing your child is wearing a water-proof jacket and gum-boots. If you have a pond in your yard, watch the raindrops hit the water and bounce off. If you have geese or ducks then watch them in the rain because they enjoy the rainy weather. Geese and ducks love to stand in the rain. Children can draw umbrellas while indoors, rain-coats, boots or even a rainbow too. 150

151 One could draw a rainbow to show how you can see it through the sun after the rain. Stick pictures of rainy weather and of the clothing used. Rain brings lots of water to plants. Parents or teachers should explain to children the purpose of water. Rainwater is preferred for plants more than water out of taps. People use umbrellas to protect themselves from the rain and water-proof jackets and gum-boots are used for the same purpose. Watch animal tracks and trails It is best to watch animals if you are in a park or a large garden, and even on a farm. Follow trails or tracks of animals on dusty or muddy paths. If some animal's tracks are not easy to find, ask an adult. Animals are best to watch quietly as when you are noisy or if they see you, they will be scared to come close. They would want to run away. Bird’s nests are found on top of trees. If you find a branch that is low enough to reach and when you see a nest then you can take a peek inside. If there are eggs do not touch them. 151

152 In and around your home Keep a watch for pets around your neighbourhood or maybe you have a pet that seems strange to you sometimes. You can follow your pet's trails too. Animals that are big can leave big footprints and animals that are small would leave small footprints. It could be your next door neighbour's dog or your pet rabbit. One could put some flour on the ground to see animal's tracks, that's if you don't have much of a sandy path. On the flour you will find some footprints, if you are lucky, you could wet the yard and maybe you could still see their tracks. Children can compare the footprints to the ones they previously saw. Encountering outdoor activities For a child to explore and find out new experiences is something exciting. Going to the shops When mum is going shopping she can take the children too. While in the shops they can look at the different prices of items, the label of each one and they can have a look at the frozen foods and fresh produce in comparison. 152

153 At the bakery they can see the prices of the rolls, buns and freshly baked bread and cakes and at the deli one can see the cold meats, like ham or salami. Shops and supermarkets are not the only places your child can explore. They can look around their neighbourhood at bus stops and post offices. At the post office your child can buy stamps and find out about the stamps of other countries, and learn about each kind. One can enquire about the sizes of envelopes and find out on the time taken to deliver a standard mail. At the bus stops, children can observe the different kinds of buses that stop to fetch passengers and the time-table of the bus schedule for the day. Ask the bus driver about the cost of bus tickets. Around your neighbourhood you can observe your neighbour's gardens. What do they have in their gardens? Do they have lovely flowers? Is their garden looking neat? Are your neighbours friendly or not? Do they all have vehicles? One could go to the butchery and look at how the meat is cut and priced. Point out to your child the different signs that you see when travelling. 153

154 Signs like 'Children only', 'Pedestrians crossing’, 'Danger', 'Cyclists', 'Motorists', 'Stop Signs, ‘No Entry’ or ‘No Overtaking?’ Children can learn from it and mention these to you at a later stage to refresh their memories. About nature – trees Children are not always aware of the different types of trees, as trees are much too high for them to reach and they seldom come across them. Trees to us are important and children should take care of tree around them. The many kinds we have are mostly used for making of paper, fire wood, and for most people a shady spot in their gardens or as to beautify our surroundings. Pine trees may look solid but contain about 55% water. Some furniture is made out of Pine wood. Most dining room tables, chairs, lounge suites and wall units are made out of different types of wood like Oak, Pine, or olive wood. Olive wood from Olive plants. 154

155 Children should be able to point out the types of barks on trees. Talk about short trees or branches of trees that have different shapes and designs. How big or small are the branches or leaves of the trees? How old is a certain tree? How can you tell the age of a tree? Trees can be seen in parks or all around you. Look at the roots of a tree and you can compare them to other trees. See if the tree has roots that spread out on the ground. Palm trees should be planted away from your homes because it needs space for their roots to grow. Does a tree have big or small roots? How much space do the branches take in your yard? 155

156 Chapter Three Educational trips Field trips help to enrich a child's pre-school experiences. Talk about what they are going to see before they go on the trip. Make them familiar with the trip so that they'll know what to expect. Briefly discuss the trips; you can take a notebook to make notes, or a camera to take pictures of the places that you are visiting. In this way you can remember your field trips well enough to talk about. Children can learn to be disciplined when going on field trips. They can learn new concepts. This is what opens a child’s eye to the outside world. Field trips allow children to become more observant, to explore places and to know more about other places. They do learn as their teacher explains to them about the places they are going to and what it entails. When a child has reached the stage of going to pre-school or a day-care centre it is time for that child to start communicating with people and outdoor life. Lots of trips can be taken, like excursions, which are done at a certain time of the year at schools or pre-schools. The teacher can organise transport and have the children arranged in a class group. A certain amount of children are in each group. One could even walk on a field trip. Wearing comfortable shoes is necessary. 156

157 Suggested activities Talk to children about their school and what goes on in the day. The postman comes to deliver the mail at the school, the garbage lorry comes to fetch the garbage, the gardener tends the garden and mows the lawn and the cleaners clean the windows and the classrooms. Tell the children what each person does and then question them on each. Allow children to watch each person performing his duties. Every pre-school is located in a community and teachers in these pre-schools are well assured of the children having hobbies to enrich their learning experiences. Hobbies make children advanced in learning activities. Organising educational trips Trips can be organised in your community to help your children to learn more about their immediate surroundings. When teachers organise field trips they should try one like going to a store, where children can have new experiences. When families take their children shopping, they seem to hurry along. If you take your time when shopping with children they can learn a lot more from this outing. 157

158 You could let them push small trolleys, and small items could be put into these trolleys. When organising educational trips it must be done well in advance. Teachers must know the interests and concerns of the children when planning a trip. In planning excursions you need to be simple, discuss it and read about it. Give information to the children in class on the area you are going to, if they are interested. Teachers need to determine a safe route and should not be responsible for more than four children. The teacher should show the children how to cross the street if the trip is a walking one. The purpose of this trip must be known to the teacher and children. A parent can join in on a trip if possible. Excursions are most advanced for children. They begin to understand and ask questions about their trips and the different places they visit. A fee is paid for the transport that has been arranged or they walk on their field trips, depending on the distance of the trip. Children can be taken to libraries to see the different kinds of books, the arrangement of books and to see how to use the books on the shelves. They can get to know what the librarian does in the library and what other people's jobs are like there. Books like fiction, non-fiction, suspense, story books, fairytales, encyclopaedias and lots more can experienced with pre-schoolers. 158

159 They will have an idea of what a library looks like on the inside and get to know the rules. They should be quiet in the library because other people could be reading or studying and being noisy can disturb them. Another place that children can be taken to on a day out is the police station. It can be a good learning opportunity. Here, with teachers, they can find out about the procedure in a police station. Questions can be asked. Why do policemen wear uniforms? What's the purpose of having to carry guns? What kind of a vehicle does a policeman drive? Children should observe issues on trips like this. A trip to the dairy is an idea too, one of the best for children. It can be very exciting. Children can observe about how milk is processed and about its products. Teachers can explain to the children that a cow gives us milk and it's always pasteurised before we drink it. From milk we get our dairy products like cheese, and butter. We get beef from a cow, pork from pigs and explain other varieties too. 159

160 Outdoor life is a lot of fun for pre-schoolers. If your child is travelling in a bus with the supervision of an adult, allow him/her to sit close to a window so one can observe what the bus driver is doing. The child will see the kind of uniform the bus driver is wearing and will be able to see how the bus driver controls the steering wheel while driving; this can be a woman or a man driving the bus. Another way for children to learn about every day routine is to observe the workers on the streets. Tell your child the name of these workers and the reasons for them wearing gloves. They sweep our streets and keep them neat and tidy. In the process learn of the names of the streets too. Pet Shop An adult can take children to a pet shop. The parent or the teacher can organise a trip like this. At the pet shop you can ask children about the kind of pets that are kept in the shop. Ask if the pets in the shop are the common kind or are they the pets of the unusual kind. What kind of food do they eat? 160

161 Ask yourself a question. \"Do you want to get a pet for your child?\" Children can be taken with teachers or with an adult to observe their surroundings. One can point out to children the various shops and buildings that are around them. They can point out the names of streets, shops, the stop signs and the products sold in the shops and at flea markets. Point out churches, mosques, temples, synagogues, old and new buildings, health clinics and halls that have specific functions. Go to a playground and sit and observe. You can talk about the people walking by and the reason for them walking. Why are certain children on the street and some not? What do people in our community centre do? Emphasise to the children that a community centre has lots of entertainment for the people in the area. 161

162 There is entertainment for the young and the old. The people of our community can go for picnics in the park go to churches, temples, mosques and there are fun and game centres for children as well as a gym for those who want to work out and exercise. People can go to health clinics and fetch medication or have their health checked when necessary. There are classes or tuition given to children to increase their abilities. Tuition like singing, dancing, acting plays, puppet shows and many other activities for all ages. There are speech and drama classes, art, sculpture, painting and drawing, music, and dancing tuition. This is to increase your child's experiences and vocabulary. Discuss the different kinds of people that live in our community because it's what our community consists of. Lots of educational trips can improve children's speech, behaviour and give them new ideas and concepts. Getting to know about the area they live in and learning more about people they are familiar with, this is only valuable if they understand or grasp the reason for field trips. 162

163 Field trips can allow children to explore in many ways. Parents can be involved as well as teachers depending on where the activity is taking place. A parent can arrange to take their child to a certain place or the teacher can do it. Educational trips are best if your child copes and has an idea of what it is expected, and then it will be enjoyed. A trip should always be an enjoyable one and not a confusing one. Visiting new places will get your child to overcome boredom of being at pre-school for a long period. It can be a monotonous subject if your child works at pre-school for the period given and there is not much change of scenery. Learning through trips It's most important to discuss the purpose of the outdoor trips to the children involved, at all times. They should be allowed to work in groups to relate to one another. 163

164 A trip organised to visit a Secondary School can teach children about the approaches of that school and compare it to their pre-school. At the Secondary School they get to see how the pupils are taught. A tour around the school helps the children to know the differences between a pre-school and a Secondary School. Schools have flower gardens and they have caretakers in charge of these gardens, preschoolers should learn of the people working in a secondary school. There's a tea lady that makes tea for the staff at school. These are the observations that a child should be aware of at a Secondary School. The teachers at a Secondary School are more experienced than those at a pre-school. During their tour they can have a look at the classrooms, see how each subject is taught and how it differs from the work taught at pre-school. It could be a learning process for pre-schoolers and help them to understand the procedures of teachers and pupils at a Secondary School. Children can be asked questions about the trip during or afterwards. Teachers should be able to explain to children the differences of each school. 164

165 Children learn new differences about a Secondary School as the pre-school is not as big as the Secondary School. Desks are provided at a Secondary School and a higher level of education is taught in a formal way, whereas in a pre-school, a child is taught in an informal way, and there are no desks provided and the level of education is a pre-primary education, a much lower level. Children need to go out and experience the new world. They need to know about their neighbourhood, the shopping centres close by, and their community, learn safely. They should know the reasons for people in our community and why we have different schools, different cultures, languages and nations. Pre-schoolers need to learn, to share, to be friendly, and to be happy, sad, angry, scared and panicky. General learning comes easily. Trips to the music centres If there is a music centre in the area that you live in, then your child can visit one with an adult. At the music centre children can learn the different types of music that's available; they can hear the sounds of the speakers and ask the person in charge to play a certain tape or a compact disc that they like. 165

166 You could buy it or listen to it at the music centre. There are different kinds of music that one can actually listen to. At the music centre you will find instruments that one can play music with, like the triangle, drums, bells, tambourine, a guitar, violin, or a saxophone. Ask questions about these instruments or about anything you would like to know about music. What kind of music and instruments go together? How is the instrument played? What is it called? Does your child enjoy music? These questions can allow a child to know even more about the music and instrument used. Music could be listened to in many different ways like in different languages, cultures and can make you feel relaxed. Lots of children enjoy music at a young age. 166

167 Religious celebrations Children should be taught of different cultures that are in a classroom when they are at pre-school. Most pre-schoolers do not realise that they have a child from a different culture in the same class or who sits next to him/her at school. They should be told about it and will only understand once explained. Children need to know about other cultures too. A trip can be organised to visit the religious places of different religions can observe the procedures of each one, and your child can see what is performed by the people in each of these religious places. Friends of your child can invite your child to a cultural function that can be different to learn and experience on his/her own. Many children like new experiences and this is great for your child. 167

168 Helping children learn through trips Pre-schoolers enjoy going on trips and to explore new findings daily. When having day outs they show excitement. Teachers should take children to places where they can have an educational interest and it should be of their standard level. The museum is a good idea, where children can learn of the different collections that are kept in glass cabinets and the historic reasons for keeping precious ornaments in museums. These could be different kinds of badges of soldiers that are centuries old. There are many antiques, given to the museum as donations. You can see varieties of coins and shells. Animals of all sizes can be seen too. Questions can be asked about these animals, reptiles and collectables. Which is the oldest animal in the museum? Why certain objects are kept in a glass cabinet? Are there many protected species? Dinosaurs are found in museums too. Children can make notes of what they have seen and been told about in their notebooks in order to remember what they have learned. 168

169 Going to a demolition site At this site, buildings that are not in use get broken down and replaced by new ones. Children notice the changes in their city, if told so or see this taking place. Going to a florist All sorts of questions come up. What do these flowers smell like? How is it that plants grow indoors and outdoors? What kind of plants are they? Do you like flowers and plants? Do you enjoy planting? Are you allergic to plants? You can see the flowers and feel them too. Children can learn how to water these plants and feel the textures of each. They can see how the police officer helps other children cross streets safely, especially at an intersection. Watch how he controls traffic. The uniform he is wearing? 169

170 A special trip can be arranged in advance to go to a speech of safety first where you can be shown by the police how their two-way radios work and how children can be taught to avoid strangers. The officers at a police station can be observed. Visiting a shoe repair shop When going to have your shoes repaired you can see how this job is attempted by the shoe-maker. One can watch how the shoes are repaired. Children can ask questions about the tools used to repair shoes and in this way become familiar as to how it is done. Visiting the dry cleaners What are the smells like in the shop? What type of material do they dry-clean for the public? What is the cost of dry-cleaning clothing? How the clothing is hung up after dry cleaning? Why do people have this done for them? 170

171 Visiting a farm On bright sunny days it is great to visit farms. Children can look at different kinds of animals, chickens, ducks or geese. It will give them an idea of the daily adventures, on a farm. How it is that life on a farm is so different to life in a city? One can see rabbits, goats, sheep, bulls and tractors too. By allowing children to see how other people milk cows is a good experience. Life on a farm is mostly manual labour and can be an adventurous one too. Going to visit the bank Here teachers can plan a trip in advance in order to take the pre-schoolers to visit the bank. Questions asked about cheques. How are cheques made to a specific person? What are the purposes of credit cards? What are bank statements? Find out about withdrawal and depositing of money, and having a savings 171

172 account at an early age. A trip to your own city A trip like this can be done by just taking a walk around the area and into the city. When walking, children get to see buildings that are big and small. What types of buildings do they see? How many floors in the building? When was it built? Children have an opportunity to see robots, pedestrians crossing streets, vehicles passing by, trucks, cars, and know their area well. What is the purpose of robots? Where can one find certain stores? Children will get familiar with the streets and know what goes on in their area. Visiting photographic studios Find out about the kind of pictures photographers can have taken. What are the sizes of photos? 172

173 Do they have colour or black and white photos taken? Do they have a built-in flash in their cameras? Are their cameras big or small? Pre-schoolers like visiting places of different sites; they can be taken to the zoo, post office, fire-station, or the circus. They can attend classes to learn safety at home, or in their classroom. An organisation of a trip to the zoo can be fascinating. At the zoo they can observe the different sounds of animals, the eating habits, watch the animals caring for their young and how the care of animals is taken so naturally. Children can count the animals in their cages. The behaviour of animals can be noticed too. They behave differently in the presence of people and as a child can learn to imitate these animals, in their eating, walking or crawling. This strengthens children's muscles, it develops discipline and they enjoy themselves too. They can hop like kangaroos, imitate birds flying by spreading out their arms, try to eat like them and get great enjoyment in doing this. Toddlers can experience life in a natural way too. 173

174 They get to know the purpose of the environment centres, zoos or places where activities improves the knowledge of your child. This opens your child’s mind to the outside world. Is your child competitive? Once your pre-schooler starts to say things like, \"I'm going to win\" or \"I'm faster than you are.” You will know your child is becoming competitive. While children three years and younger show little interest in how well their peers are doing in an activity and are more interested in finding out about each other and their environment, from about four years they will start to compare what they're doing with other children. Before a child's ready to compete, he/she require being able to complete a task in sequence, without being reminded of what to do, and be able to make detailed comparisons. For this reason, it is noticed that children simply aren't mentally or physically ready to compete against each other until four or five years of age. Jack and the beanbag Here is the perfect winter playroom accessory for pre-schoolers. Made from durable brightly coloured fabric, this soft toy doubles as a chair. It has a durable, machine washable outer cover. Children of this age group love this kind of comfort. 174

175 A day in the life of a pre-schooler What does go on at a pre-school? Every pre-school wants to ensure that each child's given the opportunity to develop confidence, has an enquiring mind as well as the courage and skills to meet the challenges of formal school life. A pre-school isn't a smacking school, it is a talking school. Life skills, like how to make friends and decide between the jungle-gym and go-cart track are all part of every child's play. It is early in the morning and moms and dads rush to drop their children off, with smiles and goodbye hugs. The teachers at pre-school sit on a low stool at eye level with the pupils, greeting each with a warm hello. On a certain day like 'red day', children are asked to wear something red. This is one of the ways children can learn all about colours. While the children wait for their friends to arrive, they can play and paint on red paper. Soon they will be called to sit in a talking circle which happens once the children have put away toys. After a roll call, it is sing-along-circle time and then they will play a memory game with farm animal drawings. Every day their teacher chooses helpers, called servers, to do things for her. 175

176 A specific child is a server and has to choose a picture to show what kind of weather they're having - burr, today it's a cold day, but not too cold to play outside. Construction time again. They are hammering cloth, cork and felt onto wood making plenty of pretty shapes. Yayyy, it's free choice time. They can choose whatever they want to play. Children's favourite is the glop, coloured red because it's red day. Children can squeeze it until it's dry or mix water in it to make it runny. It has a funny feeling between their fingers. Their favourite activities are the messiest and noisiest. At pre-school there should be fantasy rooms, where children can dress up and play kitchens, mommies or even doctors. I think this patient is going to live. At the water table it can be fun pouring different sized cups of red water into funnels and tubs. Children can get some healthy exercises. Some children can climb while others are just learning to do it, so older ones must help those to climb up carefully. Then, it's tea-time at last and during this time children can have a well balanced diet like peanut butter on bread and fresh juice. But, first, they should give thanks. At pre-school children learn to be responsible for everything they do. If they make a mess they have to help clean it up. After tea, children can wash their cups and plates shiny clean. 176

177 The Methods at a pre-school A good pre-school should stimulate your child emotionally, intellectually and physically, even though, to the child, it seems like he's just having fun. Language enrichment, by telling stories using specific words linked to ideas, and making these words part of play, broadens a child's vocabulary. Many children have difficulty distinguishing orange from red, so the 'red day' theme linked the colour to the word 'red'. Cognitive (mental) skills are encouraged using games and toys. For, example, a child learns the abstract concept of 'amount' by pouring water into different- sized containers. Children are put in touch with their senses through sensory play. This is like the 'glop'. They experience the difference between rough and smooth, dry and wet. Outdoor play on jungle gyms and bicycles helps children discover their physical limits, how to climb, jump and perform physical skills needed in later life. Using his/her hands to paint cut and hammer builds a child's upper body muscles. These muscles are essential for fine motor skills and are often underdeveloped in young children who rely on TV for entertainment. 177

178 Using toys such as a hammer and nails, Lego and blocks, or playing with balls, develops visual-spatial skills. These are needed for tasks which require an understanding of space and objects in space. This includes walking without bumping into things, using tools and judging distances. Creativity should be encouraged from an early age. A child can often express himself better through play than in words. Painting, drawing, moulding and building all stimulate a child's imagination. An appreciation of beauty and a sense of accomplishment, as well as the self- discipline needed to finish a task, are all part of this process. In the activity room they can cut, glue and paint or play with dough. They need reminding on how to hold a pair of scissors. Some of the older children have to get ready for bigger school. These children learn about 'long and short' by cutting out paper kitties and puppies and matching the right pieces together. After a busy day children need to relax, so they can lie on mats and wait for their moms to come and fetch them, while their teacher tells them stories and sings to them. 178

179 Learning to listen TV seems partly responsible for turning children into bad listeners and ultimately poor achievers. This is because cartoons and other programmes often rely heavily on action rather than talking for its meaning. To sharpen your toddler's listening skills, be vigilant about how much TV he/she is watching and spend time reading stories aloud, singing songs together and reciting nursery rhymes. 179

180 Chapter Four Books for young children Pre-schoolers enjoy reading on their own, but their choice of books has got to be worth their while. When fetching books for young children from the library, or when buying story books, it should be with an understanding of their standard level of reading. Language is a part of children's development. They should be able to listen carefully and understand what is being read to them. Lots of young children are far better speakers than listeners. It's quite common amongst young children to perform at different levels. Books for young children should be of good vocabulary to allow the children to understand easily. Books that are read to young children should have big colourful pictures to encourage children to learn to read and understand each meaning of the pictures. Children should read books with lots of meaning and try to act scenes from these stories. 180

181 It is an educational learning process for children who enjoy reading and learning. Children enjoy looking at large, brightly coloured pictures of things they can relate to, for example, animals and people. Three year olds enjoy stories that are realistic from their own frame of reference. It is useful when stories are told to children rather than read. Having eye contact in the communication of the story, and to be seated comfortably when telling stories, is the best of all to the child and the person telling the story. Preferably a board to write words down (not too many words) of the story is advised. Draw pictures while telling the story. Books for young children should have big and clear numbers and writing. This kind of writing can be seen clearly by the child reading it. Do not tell stories to children that have a vocabulary that is over their age group, as this could confuse the child. Books should have stories that are not too long as children get bored with long stories. Short and exciting is more appropriate. 181

182 Learning to read books Parents should read aloud to their children, the books that are favoured by the children, gain an enriched intimacy and an enlivened field of conversation, debate and play. Parents should not use negative psychology to stimulate their children's interests in books. A child watching more than five hours of television a day will not have time to read widely and deeply as he/she is likely to be an impatient and reluctant reader wanting instant action and automatically recognisable stereo-type characters in books and in viewing. Most literature will truly be closed to a child in this way. When using the library Children should use the library often by browsing through books and to choose what interests them. Parents should tell stories continuously to enable the child to understand and be familiar with the words shown to them. Your child should be read to aloud for several years until they are able to read for themselves. Showing pictures of the stories and asking them questions can brighten their reading and understanding. 182

183 Books that have big writing, pictures and lots of colourful sites can enlighten your child's abilities. A child will feel more encouraged to read and would know what reading is all about. Types of books for young children The alphabets, numbers, animals, families, transportation, water conservation, clocks or books are some ideal books for young children that are going to pre- school. Books that children are familiar with are: Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Three Little Pigs, Jack and the Beanstalk, Town Mouse and Country Mouse, Pied Piper of Hamelin or How things work? How to tell the time? How are homes built? They will want to explore these books on their own. You could have records, tapes and books that have children's stories on them. These, children can listen to or read in the library with the help of a parent or the teacher in charge of the library or the librarian, depending on which library it is. 183

184 It could be the public library or the library at school. At the library it should be quiet and comfortable. Books on fruit and vegetables, plants and insects, educational information for children and not just plain stories like fairy tales or any other fantasy stories, but something that's realistic. The kinds of books that children can read are those that have adventure stories, books on shapes and colours, about nature or the aquarium. Young children often learn words and phrases that have no meaning for them. They cannot express their concepts in words. Preschoolers think in simple basic ways, so they have difficulty comprehending adult language that is abstract or too complex. They should develop themselves to reading at an early age to get to learn to write and comprehend easily. Development of reading involves mental, physical and emotional skills, mainly for the child's achievement. A book of educational subjects allows your child to question the subjects they are reading, like having books about animals is what you can question your child about. 184

185 Ask questions about the animal’s places. Where do the animals sleep? Where do they hibernate? What kind of animals are they? Does your child enjoy reading about animals? Organising our books Making pictures of your stories, that you have in mind, and you know the meaning of, can be useful to your child. Keep the sentences short and simple. Always use small letters do not use all capital letters. It is because it is the beginning of your child's learning experience; he/she won't have to rush into learning. Rhymes are one of the ways in which your child can remember good words. Poems can have an effect too. Books should not be too boring and should not have too much action either. Early experiences at home are of having a playroom. Have a book corner for your child, this allows an interest in books. 185

186 It's the expansion of abilities acquired in the early pre-school years. Learning to read is part of the child's developmental processes based on intellectual and physical skills. Early influences at home of reading readiness influence the child's readiness of reading. A teacher should be able to help pre-schoolers choose their books of their liking. Children should be free to choose, they should choose books that they enjoy reading. They can learn about the world and experiences of their own. To relate sounds, letters, capital letters, small letters, to develop their memory span, hearing and vision of words and sounds or words, eye movement from left to right, to enjoy reading and to concentrate on reading. Write down key words, to remember, to share words with other friends, and be socially involved with the same age group and discuss new vocabulary. Organise your reading books as such that they are capable of reading and understanding the books Children are able to learn to read when an adult, such as the parent or teacher, is involved in teaching them. 186

187 Learning through books Children can gain pleasure from reading books as most of them read as a hobby. Learning how to speak properly, new pronunciations, learn how to count, to do art, maths, science, safety hints, animals, plants, nature and about themselves. One can learn how to hold a book when reading it. There is a wide variety of books but it is good to read books that concern that specific age group only. There are books that have information on certain projects that you may need. Now information can be found online for your other requirements. Reading makes children confident after they have completed a book. Knowing what they have read about is most important. They can learn to respect one another, use new words all the time and to express their feelings if necessary. They can discover new phrases, sounds and meanings too. Getting a child interested in books can help his/her future ability so that a child can learn about shapes, sizes of objects, colours and being able to recognise with visual discrimination, simple shapes that can be asked about. This prepares them to recognise simple letters and words in reading regularly. 187

188 Children can learn short and long stories, rhymes and poems and be able to read pictures. They will be able to see the similarities of smaller items. Stories can be told and children can understand them better. Ask children to explain to the class about the stories they have read. Helping children to learn through books Children learn to think and listen to the story that has been told to them. A world of ideas and thoughts open up to children. They want to learn to read for themselves. They improve their own making of sentences and their way of speaking. This is what helps children to write their own stories. Books help children to use their imagination. Allow children to act the scenes from the stories for their teachers at pre-school. After the story has been told and the acts of the play have been done, allow them to tell parts of the story to refresh their memories. They can tell you the story in the right order too. Ask children to tell you about a certain incident in the story. Ask questions about the story. For example – What happened to the little boy? 188

189 What colour was the little girl's hair? Did she behave herself at dinner? Did they enjoy the story? Children can pretend to be the bad fox in the story. They can go outside the classroom and act scenes of the story, if permitted by the teacher in charge. A child should be able to tell the story more than once. Reading aloud to children allows them to understand and listen to the pronunciation of the words. A child that spends free-time reading has more chance of success than the one who does not read at all. Children read pictures long before books. You then hear your child using descriptive words which you have never heard before. A child has to perform scenes from a story to actually understand the meaning of it. If you, as the parent, are walking around the house, explain to your child the reason for this. In this way he/she will have many clear concepts based on experiences. 189

190 Some children start to read at an early age and some don't. Don’t pressure your child into learning, this happens naturally. A child should not be forced to read. One that does not learn to read at an early age is a child that will lack skills and concepts. Encourage him/her to talk by asking to point out items in a book. You can follow this by discussing the habits of a particular animal, for example, birds live in trees, and dogs live in kennels as examples. Show pictures of the story to your child and question about it. Ask these questions in the middle of the story and see how the concentration has been. Children can learn from rhymes. Nursery and number rhymes are learnt from books, the different, cultures that people made in our community, and about anything you need to know, no matter what subject, books are the answer for many of your questions. 190

191 Children could get books on the past history of their town that they live in. They could learn the history of the place they live in and maybe solve some mysteries. Get to know about other languages and nations of the world. How are other religions different from each other? You can perform disguises of other nationalities and look different from yourself. One can learn how different songs are sung in different languages. It can be very exciting when children disguise themselves as bears in a story and anything that is unique. 191