Springtime Books For Preschoolers

It is the first day of Spring and we are expecting a BIG Snowstorm. 😞 A great way to remedy this situation?

We can dream of warmer days.

Orrrrrrrr...How about a few book ideas that you can read with your child? 😉

Here is a list for you to enjoy.

1 ~ Planting a Rainbow

Young children will enjoy learning about colors and flowers with this new edition of one of Lois Ehlert's most popular titles in a brand-new format.

2 ~ The Snail and the Whale

When a tiny snail meets a humpback whale, the two travel together to far-off lands. It's a dream come true for the snail, who has never left home before. But when the whale swims too close to shore, will the snail be able to save her new friend?

3 ~ It's Spring! 

A beautifully illustrated rhyming story about spring.

The robin told the rabbit...
The rabbit told the deer...
The deer told the duck...
Then all the birds began to sing
To tell the bears, "Wake up, it's spring!"

4 ~ Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo

Little things can have a big impact, as in this funny Beginner Book by Dr. Seuss (writing under the name Rosetta Stone) and Michael Frith. When a little bug sneezes, he unknowingly sets off a hilarious chain reaction that wreaks havoc clear across town. From a toppled turtle to a sinking ship to a disrupted circus parade, Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo! takes a hysterical look at consequences in a way that only Dr. Seuss can.

5 ~ The Little Gardener

Discover what it takes to become a little gardener with this interactive board book that's perfect for spring and summertime reading. 

It takes more than just seeds and water. Lift the flaps in this bright board book and find out all you need to know in order to create and care for your very own garden!

Shovel.
Pail.
Rake.
Ho.
Tiny seeds in a row.

Compost water.
Rain.
Sun.
Seeds sprout, one by one.

6 ~ And Then It's Spring 

Following a snow-filled winter, a young boy and his dog decide that they've had enough of all that brown and resolve to plant a garden. They dig, they plant, they play, they wait . . . and wait . . . until at last, the brown becomes a more hopeful shade of brown, a sign that spring may finally be on its way.

7 ~ Spring is Here (Bear and Mole Stories)

Sniff. Sniff. Sniff. Spring is in the air. Mole can smell it. But Bear is still asleep after his long winter nap. How will Mole wake up Bear so they can celebrate together? When a knock, knock, knock and toot, toot, toot can't get Bear out of bed, Mole cooks up a special treat.

Spring fever is catching in this vibrant story of friendship.

8 ~ The Tiny Seed (The World of Eric Carle)

Eric Carle’s classic story of the life cycle of

a flower is told through the adventures of a tiny

seed. This mini-book includes a piece of

detachable seed-embedded paper housed on the

inside front cover. Readers can plant the entire

piece of paper and watch as their very own tiny

seeds grow into beautiful wildflowers.

9 ~ Bear Wants More 

When springtime comes,

in his warm winter den

a bear wakes up

very hungry and thin!..."

Bear finds some roots to eat, but that's not enough. He wants more! With his friends' help, he finds some berries, clover, and fish to eat, but that's not enough. Bear wants more!

10 ~ Terry Treetop and the Lost Egg

Terry joins his family for a camping excursion. A lost egg sends him on an adventure in nature, where he meets different animal moms and learns about their eggs, their life cycle and their habitat. Terry manages to help someone in need, while gaining beautiful friendships along the way.

Free Educational Websites For Elementary Students

We know how much kids today love to have their "screen time." Whether you give them 20 minutes a day, 30 minutes a day, or more. Why not make it educational AND fun for them? There are many websites out there that want this very combo for your children. They understand the importance of keeping them engaged while learning.

Here are some of our favorites:

www.coolmath-games.com

Coolmath games is a brain training site for everyone where logic, thinking, and math meets fun and games. This site advertises that they are violence-free, so play without worry.


www.funbrain.com

Funbrain is an educational online site for kids of all ages. The site calls itself "an amusement park of math and more." Funbrain is geared towards children up to 13 years of age and is chock full of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and more.


www.makemeagenius.com

Makemeagenius.com is full of videos on science subjects such as physics, the solar system, and the human body. All videos are kid-friendly.


www.timeforkids.com

Time for kids is a site from the creators of TIME magazine. Your children will find several articles related to current news written just for them.


www.kids.nationalgeographic.com

Learn interesting facts about animals, nature, and more.  Your young learners will get a chance to watch animal cams and if they're lucky, maybe even a birth or two :)


www.scholastic.com/teachers/student-activities

Here you will find activities broken down by grades geared towards children all of the way to seniors in High School.


www.bbc.co.uk

BBC History for kids is full of games, quizzes and fact sheets taking children on a journey through ancient history, world history, and lands far far away.


www.highlightskids.com

From the creators of the Highlights magazine comes a website full of fun art activities, science experiments, and stories.


www.discoverykids.com

Here children can enjoy games, puzzles, and quizzes on studies of current events and science.


www.pbs.org

Not only can your children enjoy the educational shows on PBS, but they can also play games featuring their favorites.  Those games include math and language.

Pre-Writing Activities ~ The Montessori Way

Learning to write can be a frustrating exercise for many young children.  Especially when they haven't mastered the art of holding the pencil properly.  Once they conquer this monumental task, the skies the limit.  <=== I know.  Sounds a bit dramatic, but ask any 2 or 3 year old who is learning and they'll tell you that it isn't easy.  Ask a 4 year old and don't be surprised if they snap that pencil right in half with a growl.

But over time, with a little practice and determination they will see results.

Handwriting will improve greatly.
Coloring in the lines will become easier.
Buttoning their own jacket will be a snap ((See what I did there?))

Here are some great ways for you to help your child at home.  They will thank you later :)

1 - Sand tray

All you need is a shallow tray and sand.  That's it. This activity is a great sensorial exercise which will keep your child busy for a while.  I highly recommend changing it up from time to time.  You can use sand, salt, or sugar.  Another way is using rice.  In the past, I dyed the rice different colors to add to the sensory experience.

Check out this video and see how the sand tray can be a valuable tool in the writing process.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvJuRgj7pbA

2 - Pinwork

This is one of my absolute favorite activities for young preschoolers.  It will aid in small muscle control, concentration, and pencil grip.  I like to use stencils of different shapes or animals (sometimes holiday oriented images) in black marker or black pencil on construction paper.  You will need a push pin which, if you will notice how your child holds it, is EXACTLY how they should be holding a pencil. 😲

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I bet some of you are wondering why you didn't think of that.  I know I did. Walk them through the process of tracing the black line with their push pin.

Watch this video to see exactly how this activity can be effective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_z2J2ijG1E

3 - Tracing

Use a yellow highlighter on a white piece of lined paper.  Draw the letters A - Z and allow your child to trace with a pencil. Another preference in the classroom is their name.  Children love to see their name on paper.

One thing I highly recommend is teaching your child lowercase letters before upper case. Remember that those are the letters you see most when reading.  They are also the letters they see most in their names.  Everything they are learning above is a preparation for reading 😄

They're well on their way!

Develop longer focus and attention through Practical Life activities

Do you get tired of seeing your child always gravitating to the Practical Life (PL) area?  Well, I'm here to tell you, that it is not necessarily a bad thing for them.  Did you know that activities such as transferring, spooning, scooping, and washing dishes are beneficial to their learning process? <---Yes! I said washing dishes.

Practical Life.  The area of the classroom that not many understand.

This isn't about "playing" as so many would like to think.  PL offers many interesting ways for children to develop necessary skills like hand-eye coordination, longer focus, and attention span.

WHAAAAAAT???  "They do all of that?"

Why yes. They do, actually. Every activity in PL has an important function.  Tweezers?  Excellent for pincer grip, which inevitably aids in proper handling of a pencil. Table washing? Focus, focus, focus! (Sorry, I didn't mean to shout) You know that child in the classroom that spends fifteen minutes a day washing the table? When have you ever seen a 3 and 4 year old focus on ANYTHING for that long?

"Whoa!  I never thought of it that way."

That's OK.  Not many do.  PL is the foundation of the Montessori classroom.  These exercises provide a host of other valuable assets to the child.  Besides improving focus, attention span, and hand-eye coordination, they help in developing control, independence, care for self and environment, as well as order.

Activities are also developed to work left to right. Orderly thought patterns, perhaps?  Maybe.

You too, can do these activities at home with your child. Let them help you in the kitchen.  Hand them a broom. Guess what?  They can even assist in setting the table.  Children want to imitate what we adults can do.  Allow for extra time in the morning and let them dress themselves.  You will be surprised what your little one can accomplish.