Kindergarden Readiness Help

[SunshineMama]

I am trying to help a 4.5 year old dcb get ready for Kindergarden. According to our state standards, he needs to be able to write his name.

I hate worksheets, but figure 5-10 minutes of practice per day will help him get ready. I printed some sheets where he could trace the letters of his name. The problem I am having, is that he is unable to even trace. I am trying to think of some fine motor skill activities to help him strengthen his fingers so he will be able to write better.

1. Do you have any good finemotor skill activities you would share that would help?

2. Any other ideas on how I can help him get ready for kinder? Thanks!

[Willow]

I always request the pre-K evaluation findings. In my school district parents can list my name and address and they forward it all on. Gives me great insight as to what we can work on here.


As far as the tracing goes would you consider making up sandpaper letters as opposed to just printouts?

Lacing cards and beads are great for working fine motor skills, so is building with tiny legos, practicing paper cutting, doing dot to dot worksheets, working with playdoh (ask kiddo to make a bunch of "meatballs" for a plate of dough spaghetti) etc.

[Blackcat31]

Another fun way to learn to write letters and trace things is to let them use rice or flour or finger paints and let them drag their fingers through it and make shapes, letters and numbers.

I also have big wooden stencil letters that allow the child to run his/her finger around the grooves forming the movements necessary to make the letter.

They also make several things to help a child learn to hold their writing utensils properly. I start out with triangular shaped crayons and big chunky pencils with foam attachments on them.

I also recently discovered these and LOVE them http://www.amazon.com/TWIST-PENAGAIN...f=pd_sbs_op_14

[MamaBearCanada]

Using large tweezers to pick up object pompons, cotton balls etc & sorting into icecube trays can help with the pincer grasp. I also get my kids to put their name on all their work - drawings, crafts, even if it's just a squiggles for the littles. It might help to start by having him trace lines, curves and circles first then talk about how the letters in his name are formed. I also have them write in baking soda, salt, rice in a bakin tray with a chopstick or something similar, on dry erase and chalkboards. To encourage him to write try having him write menus, signs, posters and cards - real world writing.

[MamaBearCanada]

Just saw all the errors in my above post! Must slow down when typing on my phone.

[MarinaVanessa]

I know you don't like worksheets but maybe you can start with worksheets to help him start the tracing. On a peice of paper I draw two inch vertical light lines with a pencil and then on the other side I do the same but make them vertical
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Once they sort of get the hang of it then I use different media for them to trace with like paint, chalk etc. And I might use different surfaces like the floor, chalkboard, table etc. Then it just gets progressively harder. after the straight lines we would do a simple zigzag /\ /\ /\ /\ < < < < > > > > etc.
Then you make the zigzags longer /\/\ /\/\ etc. Then you do circles and S shapes etc etc. He just has to get the idea of how to be able to trace. Once he can do that then you can have him trace his name and add it to all of his work. I found that starting with worksheets so that they get the concept works for me, then I can switch to a more hands-on aproach.

[youretooloud]

Is he right or left handed?

Does he cross the midline well? When he's putting on shoes, does he reach across his body to put each shoe on? Or is it hard for him? Does he tend to use both hands rather than reach across the page with one hand?

http://pinterest.com/search/boards/?q=pre+writing Here are hundreds of ideas that might help him.

I like using water paint on a block wall, or if it's too cold outside, use a chalk board inside.

[itlw8]

try painting on an easel it helps hold the brush correctly and an artists ALWAYS signs their work.

dcb could not or would not try to writ his name BUT he loved dinasours. so he wrote dinasaur names.

work sheets put these kids off trying you have to find something fun to fool them.

my ds liked to write in mud truely I swear.

[SunshineMama]

I always request the pre-K evaluation findings. In my school district parents can list my name and address and they forward it all on. Gives me great insight as to what we can work on here.

As far as the tracing goes would you consider making up sandpaper letters as opposed to just printouts?

Lacing cards and beads are great for working fine motor skills, so is building with tiny legos, practicing paper cutting, doing dot to dot worksheets, working with playdoh (ask kiddo to make a bunch of "meatballs" for a plate of dough spaghetti) etc.

When you say sandpaper letters, do you mean cutting out sandpaper in the shapes of letters? do you place them under the paper for texture?

[SunshineMama]

These are all excellent ideas! I will definitely incorporate them into our day! I'm excited to start creating some fun new activities

[kendallina]

There's already a ton of great ideas here, I'd also suggest using a salt tray. Just a paper plate or tray covered in salt. Then they can practice their letters, shapes, pictures, etc. Even the kids that didn't like to practice letters stayed at this one for 45-minutes.

The other one I'd suggest is doing their names in playdough. I just wrote up little cards (cardstock, not laminated is fine for one time use or can lamenate to extend the life) with one letter on each card, then they could roll the playdough and shape it to place on the card. Some rolled the dough to outline their letters, some broke off pieces to place on their letters. Playdough in general is a great way to strengthen fine motor skills, but this activity was a huge hit with all the kids and helped them with their letters.

[daycare]

tweezers

you can have the kid

sort items into small cups, jars, dishes and etc.

lacing cards

have them pull off stickers off a sheet and place them onto paper.

I also do not like worksheets, but for my kinder program, they have to. Al of my kids leave here able to write their FULL name, address and numbers 1-10.

All of my kids also leave here knowing full phonics and MOST (not all) can read basic BOB books, easy readers.

[bunnyslippers]

Fine Motor Activities:
- Put dots on a paper. have child cover each dot with a sticker
- Get and empty coffee can. Clip clothespins around the edge
- Fill a large ziploc bag with paint. Trace letters/shapes in the paint
- Draw straight lines on a paper, different lengths. Have child use scissors to cut only on the lines
- Theraputty, playdough, clay or silly putty are great for hand strength
- Draw small boxes on a pience of paper (like an inch or so). Have child draw a line from top to bottom in each box, staying inside of the box. Also try side to side. Eventually add letters to the boxes and have him copy into another box.
- Large tweezers to pick up small objects
- Cut a whole in the top of a coffee can lid. Have child push small plastic rings through the whole into the can
- Get some nail boards (board with lots of nails). Have child place small rings on each nail, or clip paper clips on them, or stretch elastics from one nail to another.

[daycarediva]

I know you don't like worksheets but maybe you can start with worksheets to help him start the tracing. On a peice of paper I draw two inch vertical light lines with a pencil and then on the other side I do the same but make them vertical
- - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - -

| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |

Once they sort of get the hang of it then I use different media for them to trace with like paint, chalk etc. And I might use different surfaces like the floor, chalkboard, table etc. Then it just gets progressively harder. after the straight lines we would do a simple zigzag /\ /\ /\ /\ < < < < > > > > etc.
Then you make the zigzags longer /\/\ /\/\ etc. Then you do circles and S shapes etc etc. He just has to get the idea of how to be able to trace. Once he can do that then you can have him trace his name and add it to all of his work. I found that starting with worksheets so that they get the concept works for me, then I can switch to a more hands-on aproach.

My kids LOVE the ones where you have to draw a line to connect. I can draw /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ from a capital to lower case letter, animal, etc and I ALWAYS print this style of sheet when I find them. I have a ton laminated and use dry erase markers.

I also want to suggest peg boards, nuts & bolts, that sort of thing. It really helped my dcb who is very into tools with grasping & strength (and he is now predominantly lefty)

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Practice the strokes in this order: horizontal line ----, vertical line |, circle o, cross +, diagonal lines /,\ , and then shapes: square, rectangle, and triangle.

A lot of great fine motor activities were suggested here. Those really need to be worked on and refined before writing.