August 2005 Activities

Lesson Plan

- August 2005 Activities-

Preparing a child for school relies on parents. Preschool classes, day care centers, Sunday school classes and other environments play a part in exposing a child to different situations. Parents play many roles and allowing a child to begin on a positive step in school is very important. Here are some ways to keep the learning FUN.

#1 A child is around 8 years of age before they comprehend occurrences more than one day away. At 12 years they manage to understand one week. Around 16 years of age they understand the time frame of a month. Children need help in managing their time with chores, activities, school, and study.

Divide a sheet of paper into 9, 16 or 25 squares. Decide on the goal to be reached and write a step toward reaching the goal in each square.

For example, a child studying for a unit science test would make a 9 square paper. Each square would be written with a study technique they could do alone or with a partner.

Make vocabulary cards from words in the unit
Have an adult ask you questions about the unit
Make an outline of the chapters
Answer the questions orally at the end of the chapters
Explain to an adult what this unit is about and mention major facts
Read aloud pages of the unit with a parent
Look and review all pictures and graphs in the unit
Practice with vocabulary flashcards
Read aloud pages of the unit with a parent (you can’t do this too much)

When a child completes a square cross it out. When 3 squares or the whole page is crossed out, give a simple reward such as a later bedtime or extra phone/computer time.

This idea works well for weekly chores – it allows a child to pick what needs to be done yet all the work in the squares will get done.

#2 Children are often intrigued with scales. This activity introduces the vocabulary words of light and heavy.

Gather 3 or 4 objects to weigh with a scale. You can use a bathroom scale or a food scale. First encourage a child to place the objects in order from lightest to heaviest. Now weigh the objects to see if correct.

It is easy to challenge a child to think with this activity by asking questions like...

How much do all the objects weigh?

How many pounds or ounces are between the heaviest object and the lightest object?

How much does an object weigh in metric measurement?

#3 When a child is beginning to read they first must know the alphabet. This activity allows you to see how well a child recognizes the letters and if they know letter sounds.

You will need a thin dark sock and plastic alphabet letters. Begin by showing a child 2 letters and secretly place one in the sock. Let the child feel the outside of the sock to discover the shape of the letter and then determine the name of the letter.

You can make it more difficult by choosing between 4 or 5 letters or an older child may not need to see the letters before placing in the sock. Depending on the age of the child ask the name of the letter and the sound it makes. An older child can use this same idea for spelling practice. Place all the letters to a spelling word in the sock.

Let the child place his hand in the sock and by feeling pick the first letter of the word and place on a table. Continue for the next letter until the word is spelled correctly.

Let me know by e-mail what your favorite activity was this month. I am compiling information for a resource book and want your input. Thanks.

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