We have been working on the letter A and since Josh is quite fond of animals, he was thrilled with these simple concept activities.
We first read various books about different types of animals. We had open ended discussions about the places animals live and what they eat.
Consistently introducing new vocabulary words to Josh is a goal of great significance. For this activity in particular, terms such as habitat, prey and extinct were incorporated.
Don’t be afraid to teach your little ones BIGGER words. Their brains are wired for language development and it’s pivotal to nurture.
We also have a morning routine where we review the month, day of the week and weather. Josh is extremely imaginative and usually brings his stuffed animals to participate. He personifies them by creating distinct voices and unique conversations for each one. They are avid members of our morning circle time.
I then recreated and labeled the habitats we read/discussed on different sheets of construction paper. Since Josh is a kinestheic learner (aka little mover), stamping was a perfect way to engage not only his attention, but fine motor skills. Children in general learn best when all their senses are being utilized.
The key is to make learning fun! Talk, describe, narrate and let your child lead the activity.
We then practiced writing the capital form of letter A.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin