Kindergarten Screening Tools - Following Directions

Area Tested: Following Directions

Following directions - your child listens to two step and three step directions and then is to perform the task(s).

Activities to strengthen following directions:

1. Play board games together

2. Obstacle course

3. After you've given a few directions at once, have the child verbally repeat them back to you

4. Order and sequencing, for example being able to tell you what happened in the beginning, middle, and end of a story

5. Write action words on several notecards. Shuffle them up and select a few, read them to your child and see if they can perform them in order.

5 Essential Rules for Stranger Safety

I ran across this article in Parents magazine January 2009 issue but now is a good time to review it. Many of us are sending preschool graduates out into the big wide world this school year! If you don't know exactly what to say when it comes to strangers, this is a must-read.

Security Check: 5 Rules for Stranger Safety

Cover a Sneeze!

Use a squirt bottle and pretend to "sneeze," spraying your captive audience. Whoever got wet now has your germs! Next demonstrate a "sneeze" into the crook of your arm or covered with your hand. Did your child get your germs that time? Nope, you've trapped them.

Bless you!

Clever Clean-Up

**When outdoor toys get grungy and grimy, provide a bucket of warm soapy water with a sponge and a hose. When cleaning up is presented in a fun way, it no longer feels like work.**

Spilt Milk

**Don't cry over spilt milk, or other spills for that matter. Encourage independence by proving a dish of soapy water, a sponge, and some paper towels for easy clean up. Praise your child's efforts!**