The summer before your child goes to Kindergarten is often filled with excitement, anticipation, and wonder at whether your child will be ready to start their "formal" education. Early childhood experts agree that one of the best ways for children to learn and prepare for school is through play. During play, children are problem-solving and interacting, meaning they are gaining important communication and social-emotional skills. These are the skills that will allow them integrate into a new school environment, and continue to learn and grow! Check out the list of books below to help parents—and help teachers help parents—get children playing in meaningful ways that will support their development and school-readiness.
Kick-Start Kindergarten Readiness
Many families of young children want to learn ways to support their little ones in preparing for and getting the most out of kindergarten. With easy-to-share parent letters and simple, fun activities for families to do together at home, Kick-Start Kindergarten Readiness is the perfect tool for early childhood teachers to involve families in understanding and supporting the rich learning taking place in your preschool classroom.
Playful Activities for Reading Readiness:
Laying a Foundation for Literacy
Playful Activities for Reading Readiness will help pre-K and kindergarten teachers provide children a firm literacy foundation. These expert-approved tips are correlated to the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and kindergarten Common Core State Standards.
School-to-Home Connections: Simple Strategies for Early Childhood Educations
School-to-Home Connections is bursting with ideas for early childhood educators. Inside, you’ll find simple ways to explain developmentally appropriate practice to parents, ideas on partnering with them on their child’s journey to school readiness, and tips for nurturing families’ active involvement in the school community.
Loose Parts Learning in K-3 Classrooms
Loose parts. You have heard the term, probably in the context of promoting engaging play with open-ended, natural, and manufactured materials that can be manipulated with limitless possibilities. In this book, discover how a loose-parts mindset promotes active learning in the early elementary classroom, enhancing curriculum and ensuring connection to state standards.
Boosting Brain Power
52 Ways to Use What Science Tells Us
Boosting Brain Power provides 52 strategies - one for every week of the year - to help teachers stimulate healthy brain growth in young children. In addition to well-researched strategies, each snippet of information offers teachers evidence-based instructions on how to bring the concepts to life in the classroom.
Play Today
Building the Young Brain Through Creative Expression
When young children are engaged in imaginative play, they are not just having fun; they are developing skills and concepts that are foundational to their learning. Play Today offers dozens of easy-to-do scenarios that will spark open-ended play explorations.
Where Does My Shadow Sleep?
A Parent's Guide to Exploring Science with Children's Books
Young children are investigators by nature, just like scientists. They question our world, asking Why? How? When? and What if? With the help of the stories and activities in Where Does My Shadow Sleep? take the time to watch, wonder, ask questions, talk about, and explore the world of science with your child.
How Many Ways Can You Make Five?
A Parent's Guide to Exploring Math with Children's Books
Children’s books can bring math concepts to life. With the help of the stories and activities in How Many Ways Can You Make Five? you and your child will have a blast reading about, talking about, and exploring the world of math.
Everyday Play
Fun Games to Develop the Fine Motor Skills Your Child Needs for School
Fine motor skills are a stepping-stone for school readiness, and Everyday Play gives you the tools you need to make developing those skills easy and fun! Organized by age for easy reference, the dozens of creative activities in Everyday Play are inexpensive, require few or no materials, and are easy to do with your child.
Seven Skills for School Success
Activities to Develop Social & Emotional Intelligence in Young Children
Best-selling author Pam Schiller provides information, activities, and experiences that develop the seven skills children need in order to become successful learners. These include the ability to relate to and play with others, express feelings, and understand how others feel.
Is Your Child Ready for School?
Finding the Best Grade Placement
Educators and parents are often puzzled by students who are obviously very bright yet do not work up to their full potential. The difference between loving school or hating school can be as simple as making sure each child is in the right grade.
