Success in School and beyond |
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Sunday February 27, 2011 |
Your Twin County United Way has been privileged to celebrate the family during these past 5 weeks. It is our hope that we have encouraged you to engage in the life of your children. Today, it is vital that we all step up and make an impact on our future by investing our time, energy, & resources into the present life of our kids. Securing the success of our kids in school is of utmost importance and early parent engagement is one of the keys to securing this.
We believe that words, sounds, storybooks, songs and nursery rhymes are the building blocks of literacy. By building your child’s literacy skills today, you prepare them for success in their school career and beyond. The following are some ideas on ways you can give your child a head start by beginning now.
READING
Babies:
- Provide your child picture books with simple objects or faces.
- Give him board or cloth books with pages that turn easily and won’t tear.
- Offer him books with soft, rough or bumpy textures to touch and feel.
Toddlers & Preschoolers
- Have your child point to familiar objects – numbers, colors, letters.
- Ask your child to tell stories about the pictures.
- Choose books about topics of interest like animals or trains – and big events like toilet training or the birth of a new sibling.
TALKING and LISTENING
Babies:
- Talk to your child about what you see and what you are doing.
- Listen as she communicates with coos, smiles, laughs and cries.
Toddlers & Preschoolers
- Have conversations where you take turns talking and listening.
- Talk about the events of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
- Play hide-and-seek, talking about what you see as you look. Your child will listen closely while she hides.
SINGING
Babies:
- Play music and watch as your child bounces and babbles to the beat.
- Sing favorite songs over and over again.
Toddlers & Preschoolers
- Teach your child songs that have hand movements.
- Teach him simple sing-along songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”
WRITING
Babies:
- Encourage your child to hold soft toys or rattles which help develop grasping skills.
- Play with puzzles that have oversized numbers and letters.
Toddlers & Preschoolers
- Let your child play with and trace magnetic or foam letters and numbers.
- Allow her to draw freely and creatively.
Remember that engaging in the early development of your children is one of the most important things you can do as it will result in lasting change for our entire community and our future workforce. Your Twin County United Way invites you to join us in engaging in the early life of our children and help build a strong future for our community. We also invite you to find ways to GIVE, ADVOCATE, or VOLUNTEER. Visit us at www.tcuw.org for more information.
Thanks, Lewiston Tribune! During the month of February, Twin County United Way is partnering with the Lewiston Tribune to CELEBRATE THE FAMILY
Every year at this time there is a special feature called "Celebrate the Family" in the Lewiston Tribune. It publishes Sundays starting with the last Sunday of January through the last Sunday of February. Your Twin County United Way is committed to celebrating the family by submitting articles that draw our attention to the importance of family & LIVING UNITED.
