Getting Your Child Ready for Kindergarten

You can help prepare your child for Kindergarten through your normal daily routines. Check out this great free app called Ready4K. 

Developed by educational researchers, Ready4K is an evidence-based text messaging program for parents of 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds provided at no cost. Each week, you will receive fun facts and easy tips to boost your child’s learning. Ready4K activities build on the things that you already do with your child -- like getting ready for school, eating meals together, and going to the store -- to make boosting your child’s learning fast, fun and easy. The research behind Ready4K shows that receiving fun facts and easy tips can significantly increase children’s learning.

(Taken from ready4k.parentpowered.com)

Signing up is fast and easy! Here is how it works:

• Enter your information to sign up
• Start receiving text messages
• Watch your child grow

Another resource is the link below which will take you to a video from the Minnesota Department of Education on Early Childhood Screening. This is required for children before entering into Kindergarten.  

Video by MN Dept of ED: Early Childhood Screening

Poison Prevention Week

Did you know that on September 26th, 1961, the United States Congress passed a joint resolution requesting that the President of the United States proclaim the third week of March National Poison Prevention Week? On February 7th, 1962, President John F. Kennedy responded to this request and proclaimed the third week of March as National Poison Prevention Week. The first National Poison Prevention Week was therefore observed in March 1962.

This year it is March 19th-25th. Please help us teach children about poison dangers. If someone may have been poisoned, call the toll free Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222), which connects you to your local poison center.

Free App to Help Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten

Ready4K is a text messaging program for parents of preschoolers designed to help them prepare their children for kindergarten. Each week during the school year, parents receive three texts about important kindergarten readiness skills. For example...

Click here for full article.

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There is a wide variety of pins such as "Learning Activities", "Recipes", "Parenting Tips", and "DIY." Pins are being added all of the time, so consider "Following" us.

The following link will take you to our page: Tiny Tots on Pinterest

HAPPY PINNING!

Tips to Help You Teach Your Child

Click here for some ideas from Children See Children Learn on teaching your child.

Top 10 Parenting Tips

1. Connect

Set aside 10 minutes of special time every day for each child. One day, they pick what to do. The next day, you pick. But focus all your attention on your child, with all your heart.

2. Control your own emotions.

No matter what the issue--bad grades at school, temper tantrums, refusal to eat dinner--before you intervene with your child, always start by calming yourself. Most of the time, an issue with your child may feel like an emergency, but it isn't. You can take a deep breath and step away in order to calm yourself and be the parent you want to be.

When Parents Should Be Concerned About Early Reading Skills

As the parent, you play an important role in your child's development. Children are continually gaining important knowledge and skills that will help them learn to read, write, and succeed in school when they get older. It is important that you observe your child carefully and regularly share your observations with teachers, caregivers and health care providers. Sharing information about skills and about possible concerns will avoid later frustration, if your child shows signs of struggle.

Early is Better

If your child is having difficulties learning, it's never too early to start looking for ways to help him or her experience success. Maybe you think your child should be able to do something that he or she is not yet doing. And maybe you think that, overall, your child's development is right on the mark. In either case, you can take the lead to find out if your child would benefit from some extra or specially targeted help. There are many people who share your goal of helping your child succeed. You can ask a teacher, school, or pediatrician to point you in the right direction. Remember, with the right instruction and support, almost all children can become successful readers right from the start. Here's what you can do next.