Give young children an early edge in numeracy and literacy

(NC) More than 40 years of research has found that preschool children need an early introduction to the three R's of reading, writing and arithmetic to succeed at school.

Dr. Michael Luther, an Educational Specialist with Kumon Math & Reading Centres, suggests parents give their preschool children a head start in learning by working with them on the following fun activities:

MATH

Count tangible objects, such as cubes, pennies or toys, aloud in an organized manner.

• Teach one-to-one correspondence by showing how several objects can represent a number. For example, show how two apples represent the number "2." Then, show your child how to add and subtract blocks (up to 10) and write numbers to represent each operation.
• Sort varied beads into categories, based on characteristics such as size, colour, thickness or shape.
• Pile blocks according to one, two, three or four attributes. For example, ask your child to pile all the "large yellow blocks" (two attributes) or "small red striped blocks" (three attributes).
• Visit your local Kumon Math & Reading Centre to discuss early paced academic programs for supplementing your preschool child's education.
• Demonstrate serial order skills by arranging measuring cups, measuring spoons or blocks, by ascending or descending sizes.
• Teach patterning using tiles, stickers or Lego blocks.
• Fill-in puzzle books that include dot-to-dot number formations, geometric shapes and camouflaged figures.

READING

• Read aloud to your child daily.
• Read and reread captivating, age-appropriate books, such as Dr. Seuss, Robert Munsch and Dennis Lee, to your child.
• Let your child choose age-appropriate books at the library.
• Add emphasis and drama to your reading voice and make lots of gestures and faces to bring books to life.
• Read at a slow pace, with occasional stops to encourage your child to fill in the gaps with their own words from memory or make-believe.
• Take turns reading favourite passages, as young children love repetition.

WRITING

• Teach children how to draw shapes first and then letters using thick pencils.
• Begin written work with dot-to-dot ABC upper and lower case letter formations.
• Write down your child's made-up stories and then encourage them to copy your letters.
• Have children draw picture stories or comic strips, and add dialogue later.
• Teach your child repeated spelling and use rhyming word families (e.g. shake, bake, flake, take, etc.) to help them remember these words.
• Refer to a "Dolch" word list, which contains the most frequently found words in children's school books, as a guide for teaching spelling. (Dolch lists are available through your school or on educational web sites.)