How can family members play a role in the kindergarten experience?

• Volunteer in the classroom.
  
• Volunteer from home (prepare classroom materials).
  
• Chaperone a field trip.
  
• Attend a school-wide event.
  
• Read to your child daily. Try to make reading a meaningful experience, not a daily chore.
  
  • Locate, name, and discuss the parts of a book.
  • Identify the author and illustrator; discuss their roles.
  • Take a picture walk prior to reading. Have your child make predictions before and during reading, and evaluate predictions at the end of the story.
  • Change your voice for character roles; have fun!
  • Check for comprehension by asking questions as you read.
  • Have your child locate sight words in the story.
  • Have your child retell the story in his/her own words; change the ending to the story.
• Play games to promote phonological awareness (ability to notice and play with sounds)
  • Read or say familiar nursery rhymes together.
  • Sing songs that contain rhymes.
  • Read rhyming books (omit the rhyming word and have your child respond with one).
  • Make or practice alliterations (Jumpy Jack and Jazzy Jill jingled Joyful Jenny’s jumbled jewelry).
• Be aware of the Everyday Math spiraling curriculum; the outcomes progress quarterly.
  • Play board games that practice and reinforce the Everyday Math skills.
  • Play Everyday Math games, both online and home edition games.
  • Practice skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s (up to 100 and beyond).
  • Recognize opportunities for math connections in your day-to-day life.
• Complete homework assignments with your child.
  
• Support the kindergarten curriculum; reinforce what is taught in school.
  
• Donate items for classroom use.
  
• Recycle instresting throw-aways for our classroom learning centers (Art Center or Writing Center, for example). Donate a natural artifact to the Science Center.
  
• Does your career or hobby pertain to one of our thematic units of study? Consider sharing what you know with the students.
• Submit your ideas for theme-related projects and crafts.
  

How can family members support the teacher?

• Use the kindergarten website as a resource.
  
• Read the kindergarten newsletters, as well as all kindergarten and school related announcements and bulletins that come home with your child.
  
• See that your child eats a nutritious breakfast before coming to school. Children sometimes think they have a stomach ache when they are merely hungry.
  
• Encourage your child to look at the person speaking, and to follow directions the first time they are given; be consistent.
  
• Purchase standard sized book bags (without wheels), lunch boxes, coats, clothing and shoes, etc. that your child can manipulate independently.
  
• Label all belongings that are brought to school.
• Have your child wear sneakers to school every day; tie double knots in all shoelaces. Sneakers are required in order to use the playground equipment and to participate in gym class.
  
• Have your child leave toys, jewelry, and hair accessories at home. Empty pockets before coming to school.
  
• Empty your child’s take-home folder and book bag daily, even on Friday.
• Communicate with the kindergarten team. Bring concerns directly to the teacher or school administration.
  
• Ask your child about his or her day at school. Show enthusiasm about school. Share success stories with your child’s teacher; report kudos to your school administrators.
• Encourage your child to use tissues and wash hands. Germs spread quickly in the kindergarten classroom.
  
• Have your child use the bathroom before coming to school. Children will work toward using the bathroom during scheduled bathroom breaks. During lesson time, the children will wave the “t” hand sign and be excused to the bathroom quietly.
  
• Encourage independence with personal needs, such as problem solving, completing tasks, and personal hygiene.
• Keep a sight word ring (or similar prop) in your car and at home; review and practice sight words often, both in isolation and in context. Sight word recognition will be assessed and graded each marking period.
• Visit the public library. Help your child get his or her own library card.
  
• Limit TV use.
  
• Join the PTA.

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