ELP I & II Summer Activities

Early Learning Program I and II Summer Activities

Dear ELP Parents,

We appreciate the opportunity to get to know each of your children! As summer begins, we would like to offer a few activities that can enhance development.

GROSS MOTOR SKILLS

Keep your child active!  A trip to the playground or park provides a wonderful opportunity for your child to build gross motor skills.  Kicking or throwing balls and riding scooters and tricycles are other great activities.  Many children begin swim lessons or survival swim lessons at this age.  No matter what activity you choose, please remember what is needed to keep your child safe.

FINE MOTOR SKILLS

There are many different activities available to facilitate fine motor development.  Drawing with crayons and sidewalk chalk and playing with play dough help to develop the muscles in a child’s hand.  Manipulating blocks, pegs, nuts and bolts are fun activities.  Stringing activities using stringing beads, cereal or pasta can be beneficial, and possibly delicious!  Puzzles are wonderful for developing fine motor skills and developing problem-solving skills.

COGNITIVE SKILLS

Talking with your child is vitally important at this age.  A recent New York Times article, “The Power of Talking to Your Baby,” by Tina Rosenberg states

“… the greater the number of words children heard from their parents or caregivers before they were 3, the higher their IQ and the better they did in school. TV talk not only didn’t help, it was detrimental.” 

Read, Read, Read!  The topic of the book does not matter.  Reading with your child helps build pre-reading skills.  Stories that have rhyming, like nursery rhymes or Dr. Seuss books, provide a cadence that is especially helpful in developing pre-reading skills.  The downtown library offers a wonderful summer program for toddlers. 

Some ELP Teacher Favorites inclue:

• Clifford Books
• Spot Books
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar
• Here Comes the School Bus
• Rainbow Fish
• The Giving Tree
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
• Nuts to You!!
• Beginner’s Bible Stories
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

The summer is a time when many families try to potty train their child.  There are many books for you to share with your child as you begin this process.  If you are interested in finding a book for yourself to guide you through the process we have listed some suggestions.  Find the book that fits with your parenting style and your child’s personality. 

 This list was compiled by Tera L. Montgomery, Ph.D.

Toilet Training: A Practical Guide to Daytime and Nighttime Training by Vicki Lansky. This book has a ton of very basic practical advice as well as some more advanced information for parents with specific issues. I really like how this book starts from the beginning and gives insight into different philosophies. It isn’t a book that tells you how to use a certain technique, but rather what things you should think about when preparing for potty training. The key statement in this book is patience. If you rush your child, it might backfire. There is scientific research cited and quotes from parents speaking to what worked for them. Overall, the book speaks to keeping things positive with your children when going through the potty training adventure.

Potty Training in One Day: A Guide for Today’s Parents by Narmin Parpia. This book is for parents that are ready to start and end potty training all at once. The technique described does require some preparation before you get started but many reviewers claim that the book lived up to its claim of potty training in one day. The biggest thing the book asks of you is to determine if your child is ready before you begin. There were an equal number of people who thought the book was helpful as not, so keep that in mind when considering this method of potty training.

The Potty Boot Camp: Basic Training for Toddlers by Suzanne Riffel. This book is another book of quick potty training at an early age. While not for everyone or every child, many parents found the advice in this book to be useful even if they weren’t following every single step. The book is a quick read, which is a definite plus for most parents, and the techniques were very straightforward.

The Everything Potty Training Book: Professional, Reassuring Advice to Help You and Your Child Through This Challenging Time by Linda Sonna. This book covers a number of different methods and gives pros and cons of each. The advice is sound and philosophies are discussed in a pleasant way. The book covers how to deal with issues and describes some trouble-shooting techniques. There is even a chapter on health related to potty training and special problems.

My Potty Activity Book +45 Toilet Training Tips: Potty Training Workbook with Parent / Child Interaction with Coloring and Creative Fun by Tracy Foote. This book is different because it allows you to be interactive with your child using coloring pages and other creative ideas during the potty training adventure. There is a progress chart to track what your child has accomplished along with lots of tips for parents during this potty training process.

Almost anytime spent with your child can be an opportunity to learn.  Their curiosity is boundless and they enjoy exploring new situations.  Each of us loves watching the children grow and develop.  Thank you again for sharing your precious children with us!

Love,

The Early Learning Program I & II Teachers

Save These Dates:

More information with specific times and locations for parent orientation events will be communicated over the summer!

Meet Your Teacher Morning – Monday, August 19

First Day of School – Tuesday, August 20

 A few things to remember before the start of school:

Your ELP child will need the following items before the first day of school. Please be sure to put your child’s name on the following:

• One large bag of diapers
• One change of clothes – appropriate for weather and size

Please note the following records must be in the school office before the first day of school. Students will be unable to attend school without the current information listed below:

• State of Florida Health Form (yellow)
• Immunization Record (blue)
• Copy of birth certificate or passport

The State of Florida Health Form and the Immunization Record are available in any physician’s office.

Important Medical Action Plan Form
IMPORTANT!!! If your child has any special medical condition, this form must be completed. Please return this information to the school office on or before the first day of school. If your child’s action plan includes an Epipen, Benadryl, inhaler, or any life-saving medications, you MUST supply the classroom teacher and extended day program, if applicable, with this medicine.

If you have any questions, please contact Susan Kwartler, Director of Enrollment, 388-2632 ext. 21, skwartler@stmarksdayschool.org.