ECCSPLORe-IT Family to School Connection    
 

February 2002 Volume 3, Issue 1

Interesting Websites

The Official Eric Carle Web Site

Dr. Suess' Suessville

Mother Goose on the Web

Children's Authors and Illustrators on the Web

Holidays on the Net

Holiday Calander from Blue Mountain

National Parent Information Network

Olympics

2002 Olympics Education

 

Author, Author!!

Many of our classrooms are studying different authors and types of stories. Eric Carle, Dr. Suess, Mother Goose, and Fairy Tales are a few of the authors and types of stories being studied. A variety of books and activities are used during this study. To add to your childıs experience, visit the library to checkout books by the featured author. While there or at home, visit some of the interesting web sites to find out more about the author. Children are excited to learn that authors have many of the same feelings, likes, and dislikes as they do. You and your child can
also write a note to many of the authors and illustrators on-line and receive a response. Remember how excited you used to get when you got mail? E-mail is just as exciting. Your child can learn many things from having these books, stories, and rhymes read to them or as they learn to read them. Many of the stories have repeated patterns that help children learn to tell apart the different sounds and to identify patterns, which are important skills for reading, math, and science. Other stories provide counting activities for children. Still other stories help children learn how to be a friend to others. Mother Goose, Fairy Tales, and Nursery Rhymes have been passed down from generation to generation, important in developing an understanding and appreciation of history. Ask your librarian for some books or stories from other cultures to see how many of the same themes appear in stories from other lands.

Upcoming Special Days      

In the next few weeks, several holidays are approaching, including Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Groundhog Day, Lincolnıs Birthday, Valentineıs Day, and Presidentsı Day. Children can learn from these days. Take time to talk to your child about Kingıs fight for civil rights and how presidents have served our country. Learn about groundhogs. What do they eat and where do they live? What is it supposed to mean if he sees his shadow? Everyone needs to be loved everyday, but Valentineıs Day is a special day to show people you love them. People give cards, hugs, flowers, and candy. You and your child can make a card to give to a neighbor to show you care. Other interesting days can be found on the Blue Mountain web site. January is Oatmeal Month, February is Black History Month, and March is Womenıs History Month. Have pancakes on February 12th, Pancake Tuesday. Make up your own holiday and have fun!

 
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ECCSPLORe-IT Family to School Connection

 

Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood Education

 

Phone: 309/298-1634

Fax: 309/298-2305

E-Mail: AA-Betz@wiu.edu

Mission: To develop and promote practices designed to improve educational opportunities for all children

We're on the Web!
See us at: www.mprojects.wiu.edu

Math at Home

Many parents want information on what they can do at home to help their child develop math skills. Here are a couple of suggestions for you to try. Snacks are loaded with different types of shapes.

  • Describe the different shapes, squares, triangles, circles, or lines.

  • Say, "Iım going to eat all my triangles first, what are you going to eat first?"

  • Talk using "math words".

    Use words like big, small, more, less, and numbers.

  • Let your child count and sort many things, like blocks, and other toys. Count along with your child.

2002 Winter Olympics      

The 2002 Winter Olympics will take place from February 8-24, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Your child can learn a great deal by watching and participating in the Olympics. Athletes from Canada and Mexico donıt have to travel nearly as far as athletes from Australia or Philippines. Try to have a map or globe of the world to help your child see what countries different athlete represent and where the countries are located. Talk about whether the countries are near or far away from the United States. You can also talk with your child about how people from other countries are like us‹they eat, have families, enjoy games, have feelings. How might they be different from us? Do they speak the same language? Is their weather the same as ours? Do they eat food like ours? Many of the events are timed. If you have a stopwatch or a watch with a second hand, help your child time the events to see who is the fastest. Have mini-events at home. Time who can run certain distance the fastest. Other events rely on beauty and artistic merit. Have a contest for the most creative way to move from one place to another. Make medals or awards to give to the winners. Play a special song during the medal ceremony‹maybe sing or hum The Star Spangled Banner.