Helping Your Child Get Ready for School continued...

Birth to 1 Year

What to expect

Babies grow and change dramatically during their first year. They begin to

• Develop some control over their bodies. They learn to hold up their heads; roll over; sit up; crawl; stand up; and, in some cases, walk.
• Become aware of themselves as separate from others. They learn to look at their hands and toes and play with them. They learn to cry when parents leave, and they recognize their name.
• Communicate and develop language skills. First babies cry and make throaty noises. Later they babble and say mama and dada. Then they make lots of sounds and begin to name a few close people and objects.
• Play games. First they play with their hands. Later they show an interest in toys, enjoy "putting in and taking out" games, and eventually carry around or hug dolls or stuffed toys.
• Relate to others. First they respond to adults more than to other babies. Later they notice other babies but tend to treat them like objects instead of people. Then they pay attention when other babies cry.

What they need

Babies require

• A loving caregiver who can respond to their cries and gurgles;
• Someone who gets to know their special qualities;
• Someone to keep them safe and comfortable;
• Opportunities to move about and practice new physical skills;
• Safe objects to look at, bat, grab, bang, pat, roll, and examine;
• Safe play areas; and
• Opportunities to hear language and to make sounds

Developing Trust

Newborn babies need to become attached to at least one person who provides security and love. This first and most basic emotional attachment is the start for all human relationships.

What you'll need

Loving arms
Music

What to do

1. Include happy rituals in your baby's schedule. For example, at bedtime, sing the same song every night, rock her, or rub her tummy.

2. Pick up your crying baby promptly. Try to find out what's wrong. Is she hungry?. Wet? Bored? Too hot? Crying is your baby's way of communicating. By comforting her you send the message that language has a purpose and that someone wants to understand.

3. Gently move your newborn's arms and legs. Or tickle her lightly under the chin or on the tummy. When she starts to control her head, lie on the floor and put her on your chest. Let her reach for your nose or grab your hair. Talk to her and name each thing she touches.

4. Sing and cuddle with your baby. Hold her snuggled in your arms or lying face up on your lap with her head on your knees. Make sure the head of a newborn is well-supported.

Sing a favorite lullaby

To entertain your baby, sing an active song. For example:
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!
If you're happy and you know it, and you want the world to know it,
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!
If you don't know lullabies or rhymes for babies, make up your own!

5. Dance with your baby. To soothe her when she's upset, put her head on your shoulder and hum softly or listen to recorded music as you glide around the room. To amuse her when she's cheerful, try a bouncy tune. Feeling your touch, hearing your voice, and enjoying the comfort of physical closeness all help a baby to develop trust.

Touch and See!

Babies are hard at work whenever they are awake, trying to learn all about the world. To help them learn, they need many different safe things to play with and inspect. Objects you have around your home offer many possibilities.

What you'll need

A splinter-free wooden spoon with a face drawn on the bowl Different textured fabrics, such as velvet, cotton, corduroy, terry cloth, satin, burlap, and fake fur
An empty toilet paper or paper towel roll
Pots, pans, and lids
An old purse or basket with things to put in and take out
Measuring cups and spoons
Boxes and plastic containers
Large spools
Noisemakers (rattles, keys, a can filled with beans)

What to do

1. Put one or two of the items to the left in a safe play area where your baby can reach them (more than two may confuse him).

2. Let your baby look at, touch, and listen to a variety of objects. Ones that are brightly colored, have interesting textures, and make noises are particularly good. Be sure that any item you give your baby will be safe in his mouth, since that's where it probably will end up.

3. Use these items for all age groups. Many of them will continue to interest toddlers and older preschoolers. For example, babies love to inspect a paper towel roll. But with a 4-year-old, it can become a megaphone for talking or singing, a telescope, or a tunnel for a toy car. Babies begin to understand how the world works when they see, touch, hold, and shake things. Inspecting things also helps them coordinate and strengthen their hand muscles.

1 to 2 Years

What to expect

Children this age are

• Energetic (walk more steadily, run, push, pull, take apart, carry, and climb on and grab things);
• Self-centered; and
• Busy (like to flip light switches, pour things in and out of containers, unwrap packages, and empty drawers). Between their first and second birthdays, they
• Like to imitate the sounds and actions of others (by pretending to do housework or yardwork, for example);
• Want to be independent and do it themselves (and express this by saying "No!");
• Can be clingy;
• Can have relatively short attention spans if not involved in an activity;
• Add variations to theft physical skills (by walking backwards or sideways, for example);
• Begin to see how they are like and unlike other children;
• Become more sensitive to the moods of others;
• Play alone or alongside other toddlers; and
• Increase their vocabularies from about 2 or 3 words to about 250 words and understand more of what people say to them.

What they need

Children this age require

• A safe environment for exploring;
• Opportunities to make their own choices ("Do you want the red cup or the blue one?");
• Clear and reasonable limits;
• Opportunities to use big muscles (in the arms and legs, for example);
• Opportunities to manipulate small objects, such as puzzles and stackable toys;
• Activities that allow them to touch, taste, smell, hear, and see new things;
• Chances to learn about "cause and effect"--that things they do produce certain results (when a stack of blocks gets too high it will fall over);
• Opportunities to develop and practice their language skills; and
• Chances to learn about kindness and caring.

Shop till You Drop

Shopping is just one of many routines that can help your child learn. lt's especially good for teaching new words and introducing preschoolers to new people and places.

What you'll need

A short shopping list

Shopping is one of many ways to surround children with meaningful talk. They need to hear a lot of words in order to learn to communicate themselves. It's particularly helpful when you talk about the "here and now"--things that are going on in front of your child.

What to do

1. Pick a time when neither you nor your child is hungry or tired.

2. At the grocery store, put your child in the grocery cart so that he faces you. Take your time as you walk up and down the aisles.

3. Talk about what you are seeing and doing: "First, we're going to buy some cereal. See, it's in a big red and blue box. Listen to the great noise it makes when I shake the box. Can you shake the box? Now we're going to pay for the groceries. We'll put them on the counter while I get out the money. The cashier will tell us how much we have to pay."

4. Let your child feel the items you buy--a cold carton of milk, for example, or the skin of an orange. Talk to your child about the items. "The skin of the orange is rough and bumpy. Can Rochelle feel the skin?"

5. Be sure to name objects you see on a shopping trip.

6. Let your child touch a soft sweater or try on a hat or a mitten. Find a mirror so he can see himself. Talk as you go. "Feel how soft the sweater is. Who's that in the mirror? Is that Andre?"

7. Let your child practice his "hi's" and "bye-byes" on clerks and other shoppers on your outings.

8. Keep talking, keep moving, and let your child "help." "In this store we need to buy some buttons. You can hold the cloth next to the buttons so I can find the right color." Putting your toddler's hands in the right position can help him learn to understand your directions.

9. Leave for home before your child gets grumpy.

Puppet Magic

Puppets can be fascinating. Children know that puppets are not alive. And yet, they move and talk like real living things. Try making one at home.

What you'll need

An old clean sock
Buttons (larger than 1 inch in diameter to prevent swallowing)
Needle and thread
Red fabric
Ribbon
An old glove
Felt-tipped pens
Nontoxic glue
Yarn

What to do

1. Sock puppet. Use an old clean sock. Sew on buttons for eyes and nose. Paste or sew on a piece of red fabric for the mouth. Put a bow made from ribbon at the neck.

2. Finger puppets. Cut the ends off the fingers of an old glove. Draw faces on the fingers with felttipped pens. Glue yarn on for hair.

3. Have the puppet talk to your child. "Hello. My name is Tanya. What a great T-shirt you have on! I like the rabbit on the front of your T-shirt." Or have the puppet sing a simple song. Change your voice when the puppet talks or sings.

4. Encourage your child to speak to the puppet.

5. Put finger puppets on your child to give him practice moving his fingers one at a time.

6. The next time you want help cleaning up, have the puppet make the request: "Hello, Maria. Let's put these crayons back in the box and these toys back on the shelves. Can you get me the ball?"

Puppets provide another opportunity to talk to children and encourage them to speak. They also help children learn new words, use their imaginations, and develop their hand and finger coordination. Children will make many mistakes when they learn to talk. Instead of correcting them directly, reply by using the right grammar. For example, if your child says, "Michael done it," reply, "Yes, David, Michael did it." Speak slowly and clearly so that your child can imitate your speech. Use full, but short sentences, and avoid baby talk.

Moving On

Toddlers love to explore spaces and climb over, through, and into things.

What you'll need

Stuffed animal or toy
Large cardboard boxes
Pillows
A large sheet
A soft ball
A large plastic laundry basket
Elastic
Bells

What to do

1. Pillow jump. Give your toddler some pillows to jump into. Toddlers usually figure out how to do this one on their own!

2. Box car. Give your toddler a large box to push around the room. He may want to take his stuffed animal or toy for a ride in it. If the box isn't too high--you'll most likely find your toddler in there, too!

3. Basketball. Sit about 3 feet away from your toddler and hold out a large plastic laundry basket. Let him try throwing a ball into the basket.

4. Table tent. Cover a table with a sheet that's big enough to reach the ground on all sides. This makes a great playhouse that's particularly good for a rainy day. Watch out for bumped heads!

5. Jingle bells. Sew bells onto elastic that will fit comfortably around your child's ankles. Then watch (and listen to) the fun while he moves about or jumps up and down. These skills help children gain control over their large muscles. They also help children learn important concepts such as up, down, inside, outside, over, and under.

2 to 3 Years

What to expect

Children this age are

• Becoming more aware of others and their own feelings;
• Often stubborn and may have temper tantrums;
• Developing a great interest in other children and enjoy being near them (although they are usually selfcentered);
• Able to jump, hop, roll, and climb;
• Developing an interest in pretend play--playing at keeping house, for example, or pretending to cook and care for a baby;
• Expanding their vocabularies (from about 250 to 1,000 words during the year); and
• Putting together 2, 3, and 4-word sentences.

What they need

Children this age require opportunities to

• Develop hand coordination (with puzzles or large beads to string or by scribbling, for example);
• Do more things for themselves, such as putting on clothing;
• Sing, talk, and develop their language;
• Play with other children;
• Try out different ways to move their bodies; and
• Do things in the community, such as taking walks and visiting libraries, museums, informal restaurants, parks, beaches, and zoos.

Read to Me!

The single most important way for children to develop the knowledge they need to succeed in reading is for you to read aloud to them--beginning early.

What you'll need

Good books
A children's dictionary (preferably a sturdy one)
Paper, pencils, crayons, markers

What to do

1. Read aloud to your child every day. From birth to 6 months your baby probably won't understand what you're reading, but that's okay. You can get her used to the sound of your voice and used to seeing and touching books.

2. To start out, use board books with no words or just a few words. Point to the colors and the pictures and say their names. Simple books can teach children things that will later help them learn to read. For example, they learn about the structure of language--that there are spaces between the words and that the print goes from left to right.

3. Tell stories. Encourage your child to ask questions and talk about the story. Ask her to predict what will come next. Point to things in books that she can relate to in her own life: "Look at the picture of the penguin. Do you remember the penguin we saw at the zoo?"

4. Look for reading programs. If you aren't a good reader, programs in your community like Even Start can provide opportunities for you to improve your own reading and to read with your child. Friends and relatives can also read to your child, and senior citizen volunteers are available in many communities to do the same.

5. Buy a children's dictionary--if possible, one that has pictures next to the words. Then start the "let's look it up" habit.

6. Make writing materials available.

7. Watch educational TV. Programs such as "Sesame Street" and "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" help your child learn the alphabet and the sounds they represent.

8. Visit the library often. Begin making weekly trips to the library when your child is very young. See that your child gets a library card as soon as possible. Many libraries issue cards to children as soon as they can print their names (you'll have to countersign for them).

9. Read yourself. What you do sets an example for your child. The ability to read and understand makes for better students and leads to better job opportunities and a lifetime of enjoyment.

Music Makers

Music is a way to communicate that all children understand. It's not necessary for them to follow the words to a song. It makes them happy just to hear the comfort in your voice or on the recording or to dance to a peppy tune.

What you'll need

Your voice

Music
Music makers (rattles, a can filled with beans or buttons, empty toilet paper rolls, pots, pans, plastic bowls)

What to do

1. Sing a lullaby to a cranky infant.

2. As children approach their first birthdays, they begin to like making music themselves. Have them try banging a wooden spoon on pots, pans, or plastic bowls; shaking a large rattle or shaking a plastic container filled with beans, buttons, or other noisy items (make sure the container is securely closed); and blowing through empty toilet paper rolls.

3. As toddlers pass their first birthdays, they can actively participate in nursery rhymes, even if they can't recite the words. They can imitate hand movements, clap, or hum along.

4. As preschoolers become more physically coordinated, encourage them to move to the music. They can twirl, spin, jump up and down, tiptoe, or sway.

5. Here are some tips for getting young children to sing:

• Sing yourself. Sing fairly slowly so children join in and enjoy themselves. Discourage shouting.
• Start with simple chanting. Pick a simple melody, such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb," and sing "la, la, la." Add the words later.

Introduce music to your children early. Listening to you sing will help them learn to make their voices go up and down--even if you can't carry a tune! Music and dance teach preschoolers to listen, to coordinate hand and finger movements, and to express themselves creatively.

Play Dough

Young children love to play with dough. And no wonder! They can squish and pound it and form it into fascinating shapes. Here's a recipe to make at home.

What you'll need

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Food coloring
Food extracts (almond, vanilla, lemon, or peppermint)
1 medium saucepan
Things to stick in the dough (popsicle sticks, straws)
Things to pound with (like a toy mallet)
Things to make impressions with (jar lids, cookie cutters, or bottle caps)

What to do

1. Add the food coloring to the water. Then mix all of the ingredients together in a pan.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring until it forms a soft ball.

3. Let the mixture cool. Knead slightly. Add food extracts to different chunks of the dough if you want different smells.

4. Give some to your toddler or preschooler, so he can pound it, stick things in it, make impressions in it, and create all kinds of things.

Play dough is a great way to develop hand muscles and be creative. And cooking together, with all the measuring, is the perfect way to begin learning mathematics. Letting your child handle some dough while it is still slightly warm and some when it has cooled off is a terrific way to teach him about temperatures. Play dough can be made ahead of time and stored in an air-tight bag or container.