When we think about how to prepare our children for school we think about teaching them their colors, shapes, how to count etc. How often do we think about how our daily activities help prepare them for school?
Many of the things that we and they do on a daily basis are preparing them for reading and arithmetic as well as for the disciplines of schoolwork.
When a child learns to pick up all the toys in their room without being prompted to get each one- they are learning to be thorough.
When they learn to “Go in your room and put your pants in the drawer, then come back and ask me what’s next.” – they are learning to follow multi-step directions.
When they learn to set the table, putting three pieces of silverware, a cup, and plate at each place- they are learning sequencing and pattern recognition.
When they learn to put the silverware away in the drawer, sorting it by size, and putting each piece in a neat stack in the right place- that is reading and math readiness.
The list could go on and on and I’m not even talking about what they learn as we talk to them and have conversations with others in their presence.
When we start to recognize how much school readiness we have the opportunity to provide every day we can make the most of every “teaching moment”!
What things do you do that are “teaching moments”?