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Success in early childhood education begins with the right tools. Before your child heads off to preschool or kindergarten in Pembroke Pines, take him or her shopping for a new backpack. Very young learners won’t need to carry much, but having their own backpack can foster a sense of ownership regarding their education. For some quick tips on choosing the right backpack, watch this featured video.

This expert discusses the importance of selecting the right size of backpack. Preschool students need a much smaller bag compared to elementary school students. Avoid having your child’s name monogramed on the bag, as this can be a safety risk. If your child is in first grade or beyond, look for a bag with a few pockets for better organization. Cushioned straps are also a plus.

Although it’s common to introduce students to the idea of writing research reports in third or fourth grade, fifth grade is usually the year when students are asked to produce a three-or four-page paper that is well-researched and coherently organized. It’s tough for parents to walk the line between offering homework help and making sure the students do the work themselves. One effective solution is to enroll your child in an after school program near Pembroke Pines. After school activities can include professional homework help.

Research

First, your fifth-grader needs to identify a topic of interest. The teacher may assign a broad topic, such as the Revolutionary War or the Industrial Revolution. Help your child choose one narrow topic from these broad categories, such as famous ride of Paul Revere or the invention of the cotton gin. Take your child to the library and browse books to identify a topic and begin researching it. Then, have him or her do some Internet research using a child-friendly browser. Teach your child how to recognize authoritative websites.

Organization

Encourage your child to organize his or her notes and thoughts during quiet study time in the after school program. At this stage, your child should begin developing an outline. Some kids struggle with this, but it may help for students to think of different sections as categories. For example, categories of information for a paper on poison dart frogs might include what the frogs look like, what they eat, and where they live.

First Draft

The introduction and conclusion are common problem areas for fifth graders. If your child struggles with this, you can have him or her write the body of the paper first, and then go back to do the intro and conclusion. The introduction is an appropriate place to get a little creative. Your child could mention a fun fact about the topic. For example, he or she might start by writing that a single golden poison dart frog is toxic enough to kill 20,000 mice. This can provide a nice transition into a paragraph that discusses how the frogs’ bright colors warn predators of their toxicity.

Final Draft

Students should get into the habit of finishing their papers ahead of time, and setting them aside for a day or two before proofreading and revising. In addition to polishing the draft during after school care, your child can read the paper aloud to you to see how well the sentences and paragraphs flow.

Most parents love to do as much as they can for their kids, but it’s also important for children to learn how to do things for themselves. When your child reaches preschool age, he or she will start taking steps toward independence. Your child’s preschool teacher in Pembroke Pines will support these tendencies by encouraging him or her to use language to express needs and wants , rather than resorting to temper tantrums.

Some preschoolers display their independence by saying the word “No!” frequently. This can get frustrating, and it’s a problem that is best dealt with proactively. Instead of making open-ended statements, like “Let’s get ready for bedtime,” try giving your child a choice of two options. This lets your child feel in control of the situation, and it reduces the use of the word “No.” For example, you could say, “We can read the turtle book or the magical fairy book before bedtime. Which one do you want?”

Children begin working on their language skills as soon as they’re born. By the time they reach pre-kindergarten age, at about four years of age, children are getting ready to learn how to read. At this stage, pre-k teachers in Pembroke Pines focus on improving their students’ verbal language comprehension, which is crucial for early literacy. Talk to your child’s teacher about the language comprehension activities being used in the classroom, and ask about the activities you can do at home with your child.

Act out scenes in books.

If you aren’t already reading to your child daily, you should start right away. Pre-k students need intensive and ongoing exposure to reading materials, as this early exposure sets a foundation for literacy. In addition to reading aloud to your child every day, you can encourage him or her to dramatize the stories. Use hand puppets, dolls, or stuffed animals to act out scenes with the various characters. Children tend to ask for their favorite book to be read to them over and over again. Use your child’s intimate knowledge of his or her favorite story. Ask your child to tell you the story, using a puppet or doll as a prop. He or she probably won’t recite it line-for-line, but getting the gist of the story right is a sign of comprehension.

Relate ideas in books to real-life encounters.

Pre-kindergarten teachers recommend discussing books and asking questions as you read them with your child. One approach you can use is to compare items or characters in the book to your child’s own experiences. For instance, you could say, “Look at that giraffe. Didn’t we see one like that at the zoo?” or “ Frances sure does like bread and jam . What’s your favorite thing to spread on toast?”

Play Simon Says.

Not all language comprehension activities start with a good book. Children in pre-kindergarten classes can start learning how to handle two-step directions. You can help your child work on his or her comprehension of multi-step directions by playing Simon Says. Start with easier directions such as, “Take two steps forward and then one step backward.” Then, progress to directions with more complex vocabulary words, such as “Touch your elbow and make a joyful face.”