Grade PreK • Student Selected Activities How to Support Your Child

Grade PreK Student Selected Activities

How To Support Your Child

Supporting play with your child can be done with common materials found around the house. You don't need a device, workbook, or pre-packaged materials. Repurposing unwanted or older items encourages creativity and flexible thinking.

Suggestions

• Encourage dress up with clothing, shoes, and accessories. Describe the items using robust language.
• Play "house" - take on a new family role, such as the baby!
• Encourage symbolic representations of real objects. A block can be a phone, a tablet, a train, or a car. An empty box can be decorated to look like an animal or house. Model expressive language, varied vocal tones, and new vocabulary.
• Set up a school center. Let your child be the teacher; let them teach you, other family members, pets, even dolls! Suggest different subjects like reading, mathematics, art, etc.
• Provide paper, pencils, crayons, and markers. Write grocery or shopping lists; remember, scribbles and letter-like symbols are the foundation of writing! Pretend to go shopping at the market or mall in your home. Count how many of each item goes into the "shopping cart."
• Open a bakery. "Bake" cookies with clay and take turns selling them to each other. Model common store language such as "how can I help you?" "how much does this cost?" and "what do you recommend?".
• Use empty boxes, Legos, or blocks to build together. Suggest favorites such as towers, space ships, farms, etc. Encourage your child to move pieces around and try out different ways to build a structure. Work around a problem by demonstrating persistence and problem solving.
• Provide time for your child to play alone, too! Independent play supports executive function skills such as inhibitory control, working memory, reasoning, and planning. It also allows children to try out different skills and behaviors in a low-risk situation, and supports curiosity and independence.