Helping Your

Preschool Child
U.S. Department of Education

Margaret Spellings

Secretary 

First published in June 1993. Revised 2002

and 2005.

This booklet is in the public domain.

Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in 

part for educational purposes is granted. While

permission to reprint this publication is not

necessary, the citation should be:

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Communications and Outreach

Helping Your Preschool Child

Washington, D.C., 2005

To order copies of this publication in English 

or Spanish write to:

ED Pubs

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U.S. Department of Education

P.O. Box 1398

Jessup, MD 20794-1398

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or call in your request toll-free: 1-877-433-7827

(1-877-4ED-PUBS). If 877 is not yet available 

in your area, call 1-800-872-5327 

(1-800-USA-LEARN). Those who use a 

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or order on-line at: 

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information, please contact the Department’s

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Children’s books, magazines and programs are

mentioned in this booklet as examples and are

only a few of many appropriate resources.

Listing of materials and resources in this book

should not be construed or interpreted as an

endorsement by the Department of any private

organization or business listed herein.

With activities for children from infancy through age 5

U.S. Department of Education

 Office of Communications and Outreach

Helping Your

Preschool Child
Foreword Contents

The first five years of a child’s life are a time of tremendous physical, emotional, social

and cognitive growth. Children enter the world with many needs in order to grow:

love, nutrition, health, social and emotional security and stimulation in the important

skills that prepare them for school success. Children also enter the world with a great

capacity to learn. 

Research shows clearly that children are more likely to succeed in learning when their

families actively support them. Families who involve their children in activities that

allow the children to talk, explore, experiment and wonder show that learning is both

enjoyable and important. They motivate their children to take pleasure in learning and

to want to learn more. They prepare them to be successful in school—and in life.

There is a strong connection between the development a child undergoes early in life

and the level of success that the child will experience later in life. When young

children are provided an environment rich in language and literacy interactions and

full of opportunities to listen to and use language constantly, they can begin to acquire

the essential building blocks for learning how to read. A child who enters school

without these skills runs a significant risk of starting behind and staying behind. 

President Bush believes that all children must begin school with an equal chance at

achievement so that no child is left behind. To that end, he signed the No Child Left

Behind Act, which proposed reforms expressing his confidence in our public schools and

their mission to build the mind and character of every child, from every background,

in every part of America. While the No Child Left Behind Act is important because it

ensures that public schools are teaching students what they need to know to be

successful in life, it also draws attention to the need to prepare children before they

start school. You and your family help to create this critical foundation by talking,

listening and reading to your child every day and by showing your child that you value

learning and education. 

This booklet includes activities for families with children from infancy through age 5.

Most of the activities make learning experiences out of the everyday routines in which

you and your child already participate. Most use materials that are found in your

home or that can be had free of charge from your local library. The activities are

designed to be fun for both you and your child as well as to help your child gain the

skills needed to get ready for school. Enjoy them! 

Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................................................i

Ready to Learn...................................................................................................................................................................................1

Activities................................................................................................................................................................................................11

Babies................................................................................................................................................................................................13

Developing Trust ........................................................................................................................................................14

Touch and See! ............................................................................................................................................................16

Baby Talk..............................................................................................................................................................................17

Toddlers .......................................................................................................................................................................................18

Shop till You Drop.....................................................................................................................................................21

Puppet Magic ...................................................................................................................................................................22

Moving On ........................................................................................................................................................................24

Music Makers ................................................................................................................................................................25

Play Dough .......................................................................................................................................................................27

Read to Me!.......................................................................................................................................................................28

Preschoolers .............................................................................................................................................................................32

Getting Along..................................................................................................................................................................35

Chores .................................................................................................................................................................................. 36

Scribble, Draw, Paint and Paste..................................................................................................................38

Letters, Letters Everywhere ............................................................................................................................40

Rhyme It!.............................................................................................................................................................................41

Say the Sound ................................................................................................................................................................43

Matching Sounds and Letters.......................................................................................................................44

My Book................................................................................................................................................................................45

Hands-on Math ...........................................................................................................................................................46

What About Kindergarten?..........................................................................................................................................49

Taking Charge of TV...............................................................................................................................................................52

Choosing Child Care .............................................................................................................................................................. 55

Bibliography ...................................................................................................................................................................................58

Acknowledgements................................................................................................................................................................61

Ready-for-School Checklist ...........................................................................................................................................62
Scientists who study how the brain works have shown that children learn

earlier—and learn more—than we once thought possible. From birth

through age 5, children are developing the language, thinking, physical,

emotional and social skills that they will need for the rest of their lives. 

This booklet is for families and caregivers who want to help their

preschool children to learn and to develop the skills necessary for success

in school—and in life. 

The booklet begins with information that will help you prepare your child

to learn and to get ready for school. The major portion of the booklet

contains simple activities that you can use with your child. These activities

are only a starting point. We hope that you and your child will enjoy

them enough to create and try many more on your own. 

In addition, the booklet provides suggestions for how to monitor your

child’s TV viewing and to choose good TV programs and videos and how

to choose suitable child care. It also provides a checklist to guide you as

you prepare your child to enter kindergarten.

As a parent, you can help your child want to learn in a way no one else

can. That desire to learn is a key to your child’s later success. Enjoyment is

important! So, if you and your child don’t enjoy one activity, move on to

another. You can always return to any activity later on.

Introduction

Helping Your Preschool Child Helping Your Preschool Child i

“The ages between birth and age 5 are 

the foundation upon which successful

lives are built.”

—Laura Bush
Helping Your Child Header Here 

1 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Ready to Learn

Helping Your Preschool Child 

How well children will learn and develop and how well they will do in

school depends on a number of things, including the children’s health and

physical well-being, their social and emotional preparation and their

language skills and general knowledge of the world. 

Good Health and Physical Well-Being

Seeing to it that your preschool child has nutritious food, enough

exercise and regular medical care gives him* a good start in life and

lessens the chances that he will have serious health

problems or trouble learning later on. 

Food

Preschoolers require a healthy diet. After your child is

born, she requires nutritious food to keep her healthy.

School-aged children can concentrate better in class if

they eat balanced meals that include servings of breads

and cereals; fruits and vegetables; meat, poultry and

fish and meat alternatives (such as eggs and dried beans

and peas); and milk, cheese and yogurt. You

should see to it that your child does not eat

too many fatty foods and sweets. 

Children aged 2–5 generally can eat the

same foods as adults but in smaller portions.

Your child’s doctor or medical clinic adviser

can provide you with advice on what to feed a baby or a

toddler who under the age of 2. 

If you need food for your child, federal, state and local programs can help.

For example, the federal nutrition program, called the Special

Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC),

distributes food to low-income women and their children across the

country. Food stamp programs also are available. If you want more

information or want to find out if you are eligible for food stamps, call or

visit your local or state health department. Your local librarian can help

you find names, addresses and phone numbers.

Exercise

Preschoolers need opportunities to exercise. To learn to control and

coordinate the large muscles in his arms and legs, your child needs to

throw and catch balls, run, jump, climb and dance to music. To learn to

control and coordinate the small muscles in his hands and fingers, he

needs to color with crayons, put together puzzles, use blunt-tipped—

safety—scissors, zip his jacket and grasp small objects such as coins. 

If you suspect that your child has a disability, see a doctor as soon as

possible. Early intervention can help your child to develop to his full

potential.

2

* Please note: In this book, we refer to a child as “him” in some places and “her” in others. We do this to make the

book easier to read. Please understand, however, that every point that we make is the same for girls and boys.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

★ Curiosity: Children are naturally

curious and must remain so to get the

most out of learning opportunities. 

★ Persistence: Children must learn to

finish what they start. 

★ Cooperation: Children must be able to

get along with others and learn to share and take turns. 

★ Self-control: Children must learn that there are good and bad ways

to express anger. They must understand that some behaviors, such as

hitting and biting, are not acceptable. 

★ Empathy: Children must have an interest in others and understand

how others feel. 

Here are some things that you can do to help your child develop these qualities. 

★ Show your child that you care about him and that you are dependable.

Children who feel loved are more likely to be confident. Your child

must believe that, no matter what, someone

will look out for him. Give your baby or

toddler plenty of attention, encouragement,

hugs and lap time. 

★ Set a good example. Children imitate what

they see others do and what they hear

others say. When you exercise and eat

nourishing food, your child is more likely to

do so as well. When you treat others with

respect, your child probably will, too. If you

share things with others, your child also will

learn to be thoughtful of others’ feelings. 

4

Medical Care

Preschoolers require regular medical checkups, immunizations and dental

care. It’s important for you to find a doctor or a clinic where your child

can receive routine health care as well as special treatment if

she becomes sick or injured. 

Early immunizations can help prevent a number of diseases

including measles, mumps, German measles (rubella),

diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hib (Haemophilus

influenzae type b), polio and tuberculosis. These diseases

can have serious effects on your child’s physical and

mental development. Talk to your doctor about the

benefits and risks of immunization.*

Beginning by the age of 3 at the latest, your child also should have regular

dental checkups. 

Social and Emotional Preparation

Children start school with different degrees of social and emotional

maturity. These qualities take time and practice to learn. Give your child

opportunities at home to begin to develop the following positive qualities. 

★ Confidence: Children must feel good about themselves and believe

they can succeed. Confident children are more willing to attempt

new tasks—and try again if they don’t succeed the first time. 

★ Independence: Children must learn to do things for themselves. 

★ Motivation: Children must want to learn. 

3 Helping Your Preschool Child 

* Please note: Some parents and doctors do not agree that immunizations are important. Others have objections to them based

on religious or cultural teachings. 

If you share things with

others, your child also

will learn to be

thoughtful of others’

feelings.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

★ Let your child do many things by herself. Young

children need to be watched closely. However,

they learn to be independent and to develop

confidence by doing tasks such as dressing

themselves and putting their toys away. It’s

important to let your child make choices, rather

than deciding everything for her. 

★ Encourage your child to play with other children and to be with

adults who are not family members. Preschoolers need social

opportunities to learn to see the point of view of others. Young

children are more likely to get along with teachers and classmates if

they have had experiences with different adults and children. 

★ Show a positive attitude toward learning and toward school.

Children come into this world with a powerful need to discover and

to explore. If your child is to keep her curiosity, you need to

encourage it. Showing enthusiasm for what your child does (“You’ve

drawn a great picture!”) helps to make her proud of her

achievements. 

Children also become excited about starting school when their parents

show excitement about this big step. As your child gets ready to enter

kindergarten, talk to him about school. Talk about the exciting things that

he will do in kindergarten, such as making art projects, singing and

playing games. Be enthusiastic as you describe all the important things

that he will learn from his teacher—how to read, how to how to count

and how to measure and weigh things. 

6

★ Provide opportunities for repetition. It takes practice for a child to

crawl, pronounce new words or drink from a cup. Your child doesn’t

get bored when she repeats things. Instead, by repeating things until

she learns them, your child builds the confidence she needs to try

new things. 

★ Use appropriate discipline. All children need to have limits set for them.

Children whose parents give them firm but loving discipline generally

develop better social skills and do better in school than do children

whose parents set too few or too many limits. Here are some ideas.

★ Direct your child’s activities, but don’t be too bossy. 

★ Give reasons when you ask your child to do something. Say, for

example, “Please move your truck from the stairs so no one falls

over it”—not, “Move it because I said so.” 

★ Listen to your child to find out how he feels and whether he

needs special support. 

★ Show love and respect when you are

angry with your child. Criticize your

child’s behavior but not the child. Say,

for example, “I love you, but it’s not

okay for you to draw pictures on the

walls. I get angry when you do that.” 

★ Help your child make choices and work

out problems. You might ask your 4-

year-old, for example, “What can we do 

to keep your brother from knocking over your blocks?” 

★ Be positive and encouraging. Praise your child for a job well done.

Smiles and encouragement go much further to shape good

behavior than harsh punishment. 

5 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Talk about the exciting

things that he will do in

kindergarten, such as

making art projects,

singing and playing games.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

★ Talk to your child, beginning at birth. Your baby needs to hear your

voice. Voices from a television or radio can’t take the place of your

voice, because they don’t respond to your baby’s coos and babbles.

Your child needs to know that when he makes a certain sound, for

example, “mamamamamama,” that his mother will respond—she

will smile and talk back to him. The more you talk to your baby,

the more he will learn and the more he will have to talk about as

he gets older. 

Everyday activities provide opportunities to talk, sometimes in detail,

about what’s happening around him. As you give your child a bath, for

example, you might say, “First let’s stick the plug in the drain. Now let’s

turn on the water. Do you want your rubber duck?

That’s a good idea. Look, the duck is yellow, just

like the rubber duck we saw on ‘Sesame

Street.’” (See “Baby Talk,” page 17.)

★ Listen to your child.

Children have their own

special thoughts and feelings,

joys and sorrows, hopes and

fears. As your child’s language

skills develop, encourage her

to talk about her thoughts and

feelings. Listening is the best

way to learn what’s on her

mind and to discover what she knows and

doesn’t know and how she thinks and learns. It also shows your

child that her feelings and thoughts are valuable. 

8

Language and General Knowledge

Children can develop language skills

only if they have many opportunities to talk, listen and use

language to solve problems and

learn about the world. 

Long before your child enters

school, you can do many things to

help her develop language. You can:

★ Give your child opportunities to play. Play is how children learn. It

is the natural way for them to explore, to become creative, to learn

to make up and tell stories and to develop social skills. Play also

helps children learn to solve problems—for example, if her wagon

tips over, a child must figure out how to get it upright again. When

they stack up blocks, children learn about colors, numbers,

geometry, shapes and balance. Playing with others helps children

learn how to negotiate. 

★ Support and guide your child as she learns a new activity. Parents

can help children learn how to do new things by “scaffolding,” or

guiding their efforts. For example, as you and your toddler put

together a puzzle, you might point to a piece and say, “I think this is

the piece we need for this space. Why don’t you try it?” Then have

the child pick up the piece and place it correctly. As the child

becomes more aware of how the pieces fit into the puzzle, you can

gradually withdraw your support.

7 Helping Your Preschool Child 
★ Ask your child questions,

particularly questions that

require him to give more

than a “yes” or “no”

response. If, as you walk

with your toddler in a park,

he stops to pick up leaves,

you might point out how

the leaves are the same and

how they are different.

With an older child, you might ask, “What else grows on trees?” 

★ Answer your child’s questions. Asking questions is a good way for

your child to learn to compare and to classify things—different kinds

of dogs, different foods and so forth. Answer your child’s questions

thoughtfully and, whenever possible, encourage her to answer her

own questions. If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so.

Together with your child, try to find the answer. 

★ Read aloud to your child every day. Children of all ages love to be

read to—even babies as young as six weeks. Although your child

doesn’t understand the story or poem that you read, reading together

gives her a chance to learn about language

and enjoy the sound of your voice. You

don’t have to be an excellent reader for

your child to enjoy reading aloud

together. Just by allowing her to connect

reading with the warm experiences of

being with you, you can create in her a

lifelong love of reading. (See “Read to

Me!” page 28.)

9 Helping Your Preschool Child 

★ Be aware of your child’s television viewing. Good television programs

can introduce children to new worlds and promote learning, but poor

programs or too much TV watching can be harmful. It’s up to you to

decide how much TV and what kinds of shows your child should

watch. (See Taking Charge of TV, page 52.)

★ Be realistic about your child’s abilities and interests. Set high

standards and encourage your child to try new things. Children who

aren’t challenged become bored. But children who are pushed along

too quickly or who are asked to do things that don’t interest them

can become frustrated and unhappy. 

★ Provide opportunities for your child to do and see new things. The

more varied the experiences that she has, the more she will learn

about the world. No matter where you live, your community can

provide new experiences. Go for walks in your neighborhood or

go places on the bus. Visit museums, libraries, zoos and other

places of interest. 

If you live in the city, spend a day in the country. If you live in the

country, spend a day in the city. Let your child hear and make music,

dance and paint. Let her participate in activities that help to develop her

imaginations and let her express her ideas and feelings. The activities in

the next section of this booklet can provide your children with these

opportunities. 

10

You don’t have to be an

excellent reader for your

child to enjoy reading 

aloud together. Children who aren’t challenged become bored.

But children who are pushed along too quickly

or who are asked to do things that don’t interest

them can become frustrated and unhappy.

Helping Your Preschool Child 
Helping Your Preschool Child 

can call her attention to words that appear often or that she has learned to

recognize from other reading.

Each section begins with a list of accomplishments and behaviors that are

typical for the children in the age group. This is followed by a list of things

that you can provide to help your child learn and grow. Again, because each

child learns at his own rate, you should consider the lists only as guidelines. 

As you use the activities, please remember the following points: 

★ Some of these activities, although listed for a particular age group,

are beneficial for children in all of the age groups. Reading aloud, for

example, is important to children from the time they are born. By

modifying an activity, you enable your child to continue to enjoy it

as she grows and develops. 

★ Find activities that interest your child. If you pick an activity that is

too hard, your child may get discouraged. If it’s too easy, he may get

bored. Or if your child seems uninterested in an activity, try it again

at some other time. Often children’s interests change as they grow.

Try to give your toddler or preschooler a choice of activities so that

he learns to think for himself. 

★ The activities are meant to be fun. As you and your child do an

activity, be enthusiastic and

avoid lecturing to her about

what she is learning and how

important it is. If your child

enjoys the activity, her

excitement for learning will

increase. 

12

Activities

The activities in this section are designed to help you prepare your child

to learn and develop. Most of the activities are simple and easily can be

made part of your daily routines. As you do

the activities, remember that repetition is

important, especially for very young children.

Children enjoy—and learn—from doing the

same activity over and over.

The activities are organized by the following

age groups:

Babies = Birth to 1 year old

Toddlers = 1 to 3 years old

Preschoolers = ages 3 to 5

Keep in mind that children don’t always learn the same things at the

same rate. And they don’t suddenly stop doing one thing and start doing

another just because they are a little older. So use the ages as guides as

your child learns and grows and not as hard and fast rules. For example,

an activity listed for the toddler age group may work well with a baby. On

the other hand, the activity may not interest another child until he

becomes a preschooler.

In addition, the activities change to meet the needs of children in the

different age groups. Reading aloud activities are good examples. Reading

aloud with your baby involves showing her a book and largely telling the

story without placing too much emphasis on the actual written words.

With older infants and toddlers, you stick closer to the written words and

ask your child to identify or name pictures that go with the words. As

your child develops language skills, you shift some of the story “reading”

to her. When your child starts to recognize letters and perhaps words, you

11 Helping Your Preschool Child 

When your child starts to

recognize letters and perhaps

words, you can call her attention

to words that appear often or

that she has learned to recognize

from other reading.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

What Babies Need

Babies require 

★ Loving parents or caregivers who

respond to their cries and gurgles and

who keep them safe and comfortable; 

★ Opportunities to move about and to

practice new physical skills; 

★ Safe objects to look at, bat, grab, bang, pat, roll and examine; 

★ Safe play areas; and 

★ Many opportunities to hear language, to make sounds and to have

someone respond to those sounds. 

Developing Trust

Feeling your touch, hearing your

voice and enjoying the comfort

of physical closeness all help

your baby to develop trust.

What You Need 

Music 

Whatto Do 

★ Gently move your newborn’s arms and legs. Or tickle her lightly

under the chin or on the tummy. When she starts to control her

head, lie on the floor and put her head on your chest. Let her reach

for your nose or grab your hair. Talk to her and name each thing that

she touches. 

14

Babies 

Birth to 1 Year Old

Whatto Expect

Babies grow and change dramatically during their first year. They begin to

★ Develop some control over their bodies. They learn to hold their

heads up, roll over, sit up, crawl, stand up and, in some cases, walk. 

★ Become aware of themselves as separate from others. They learn to

look at their hands and toes and play with them. They learn to cry

when their parents leave and to recognize their own names. 

★ Play games. Babies first play with their own hands. Later they show

an interest in toys, enjoy “putting in and taking out” games and

eventually carry around or hug dolls or stuffed toys. 

★ Relate to others. Babies first respond to adults more than they do to

other babies. Later they notice other babies, but they tend to treat

these babies as objects instead of people. Then they pay attention

when other babies make sounds. 

★ Communicate and develop language skills. Babies first cry and

make throaty noises. Later they babble and say “mama” and

“dada.” Then they make lots of sounds and begin to name a few

familiar people and objects. They begin to enjoy hearing rhyming

and silly language.

Helping Your Preschool Child 13

They learn to look at their hands and

toes and play with them. They learn to

cry when their parents leave and to

recognize their own names.

Babies need to become attached to

at least one person who provides

them with security and love. This

first and most basic emotional

attachment is the start for all

human relationships.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

Touch and See! 

Whenever they are awake, babies are hard at work, trying to learn all about

the world. To help them learn, they need many different things to play with

and inspect. Objects you have around your home offer many possibilities. 

What You Need 

★ A wooden spoon with a face drawn on the bowl 

★ Different textured fabrics, such as velvet,

cotton, corduroy, terry cloth, satin, burlap

and fake fur 

★ An empty toilet-paper or 

paper-towel roll 

★ Pots, pans and lids 

★ An old purse or basket with

things to put in and take out 

★ Measuring cups and spoons 

★ Boxes and plastic containers 

★ Large spools 

★ Noisemakers (rattles, keys, a can

filled with beans) 

Whatto Do

★ Let your baby look at, touch and listen to a variety of objects. Objects

that are brightly colored, have interesting textures and make noises

are particularly good.

★ Put one or two of the objects in a play area where your baby can reach

them—more than two may confuse him. (Many of the objects will

interest toddlers and older preschoolers. For example, babies love to

inspect a paper towel roll. But a 4-year-old might use it as a

megaphone for talking or singing, a telescope or a tunnel for a toy car.) 

16

★ Place your baby on your belly. Some research has shown that such

contact releases chemicals called endorphins that help your child feel

comforted. In addition, such contact builds stomach and back muscle

strength that is essential as your child learns to crawl.

★ Sing and cuddle with your baby. Hold him snuggled in your arms or 

lying face up on your lap with his head on

your knees. Make sure the head of a newborn

is well-supported. Sing a favorite lullaby. 

★ Include happy rituals in your baby’s schedule.

For example, at bedtime, sing the same songs

every night, rock her or rub her tummy. 

★ Pick up your crying baby promptly. Try to

find out what’s wrong. Is he hungry? Wet?

Bored? Too hot? Crying is your baby’s way of

communicating. By comforting him, you send

the message that language has a purpose and

that someone wants to understand him. 

★ To entertain your baby, sing an action song.

For example: 

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!

If you’re happy and you know it and you want the world to know it,

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! 

If you don’t know lullabies or rhymes, make up your own! 

★ Dance with your baby. To soothe her when she’s upset, put your

baby’s head on your shoulder and hum softly or listen to recorded

music as you glide around the room. To amuse her when she’s

cheerful, try a bouncy tune. 

15 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Babies begin to understand 

how the world works when 

they see, touch, hold and shake

things. Inspecting things also

helps them to coordinate and

strengthen their hand muscles.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

★ Change the game by touching the nose or ear and repeating the

word for it several times. Do this with objects, too. When she hears

you name something over and over again, your child begins to

connect the sound with what it means.

★ Point to and name familiar objects. By hearing an object named over

and over, your baby learns to associate the spoken word with its

meaning. For example, “Here’s your blanket. Your very favorite

blanket. What a nice, soft blanket!”

Toddlers

1 to 3 Years Old

Whatto Expect

Between their first and second

birthdays, children 

★ Are energetic, busy and curious;

★ Are self-centered;

★ Like to imitate the sounds and actions of

others (for example, by repeating words that parents and others say

and by pretending to do housework or yard work with adults); 

★ Want to be independent and to do things for themselves; 

★ Have short attention spans if they are not involved in an activity that

interests them; 

★ Add variations to their physical skills (for example, by walking

backwards); 

18

Baby Talk

Babies love hearing the voices of the people in their lives. 

What You Need 

No materials are required

Whatto Do 

★ Talk to your baby often. Answer her coos and

gurgles. Repeat the “ga, ga’s” she makes and smile

back. Sometimes, you can supply the language for

her. For example, when your baby stretches her arm toward her

bottle and says, “ga-ga-ga,” say, “Oh, you’re ready for some more

milk? Here’s your milk. Isn’t it good!”

★ Say or read to your child nursery rhymes or other verses that have

strong rhythms and repeated patterns of sound. Vary your tone of

voice, make funny faces and sing lullabies. Play games such as

“peek-a-boo” and “pat-a-cake” with him.

★ Play simple talking and touching games with your baby. Ask,

“Where’s your nose?” Then touch her nose and say playfully,

“There’s your nose!” Do this several times, then switch to an ear or

knee or her tummy. Stop when she or you grows tired of the game.

Helping Your Preschool Child 17

From the very beginning, babies try to

imitate the sounds that they hear us make.

They “read” the looks on our faces and our

movements. Talking, singing, smiling and

gesturing to your child helps her to love —

and learn to use—language.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

What Toddlers Need

1- to 2-year-old children require 

★ Opportunities to make their own choices:

“Do you want the red cup or the blue one?”;

★ Clear and reasonable limits; 

★ Opportunities to use large muscles in the

arms and legs; 

★ Opportunities to use small muscles to manipulate small objects, such

as puzzles and stackable toys; 

★ Activities that allow them to touch, taste, smell, hear and see new things; 

★ Chances to learn about “cause and effect”—that things they do cause

other things to happen (for example, stacking blocks too high will cause

the blocks to fall); 

★ Opportunities to develop and practice their language skills; 

★ Opportunities to play with and learn about alphabet letters and

numbers; and 

★ Opportunities to learn about books and print.

2- to 3-year-old children require opportunities to 

★ Develop hand coordination (for example, by holding crayons and

pencils, putting together puzzles or stringing large beads); 

★ Do more things for themselves, such as dressing themselves; 

★ Talk, sing and develop their language skills; 

★ Play with other children and develop their social skills; 

★ Try out different ways to move their bodies;

★ Learn more about printed language and books and how they work;

★ Do things to build vocabulary and knowledge and to learn more

about the world, such as taking walks and visiting libraries,

museums, restaurants, parks and zoos.

20

★ Begin to see how they are like and unlike other children; 

★ Play alone or alongside other toddlers; 

★ Increase their spoken vocabularies from about 2 or 3 words to about

250 words and understand more of what people say to them; 

★ Ask parents and others to read aloud to them, often requesting

favorite books or stories; and

★ Pretend to read and write the way they see parents and others do.

Between their second and third birthdays, children 

★ Become more aware of others;

★ Become more aware of their own feelings and thoughts; 

★ Are often stubborn and may have temper tantrums; 

★ Able to walk, run, jump, hop, roll and climb; 

★ Expand their spoken vocabularies from about 250 to 1,000 words

during the year; 

★ Put together 2-, 3- and 4-word spoken sentences; 

★ Begin to choose favorite stories and books to hear read aloud;

★ Begin to count; 

★ Begin to pay attention to print, such as the

letters in their names; 

★ Begin to distinguish between drawing and

writing; and 

★ Begin to scribble, making some marks that are

like letters. 

19 Helping Your Preschool Child 
Helping Your Preschool Child 

Puppet Magic

Puppets are fascinating to children. They know that puppets are not alive,

yet they often listen to and talk with them as if they were real.

What You Need 

★ An old, clean sock

★ Buttons (larger than 1 inch in diameter to prevent swallowing) 

★ Needle and thread 

★ Red fabric

★ Ribbon

★ An old glove 

★ Felt-tipped pens

★ Glue

★ Yarn 

Whatto Do

★ To make puppets: 

—Sock puppet: Use an old, clean sock. On the toe-end of

the sock, sew on buttons for eyes and nose. Paste or sew

on a piece of red fabric for the mouth. Put a bow made

from ribbon at the neck. 

—Finger puppets: Cut off the fingers of an old glove.

Draw faces on the ends of the fingers with felt-tipped

pens. Glue on yarn for hair. 

22

Shop Till You Drop 

Shopping for groceries is just one of many daily routines

that you can use to help your child learn. Shopping is

especially good for teaching your child new words and

for introducing him to new people and places. 

What You Need 

★ A grocery shopping list 

Whatto Do

★ Pick a time when neither you nor your child is hungry or tired. 

★ At the grocery store, put your child in the grocery cart so that he

faces you. Take your time as you walk up and down the aisles. 

★ Let your child feel the items that you buy—a cold carton of milk, for

example or the skin of an orange. Talk to your child about the items:

“The skin of the orange is rough and bumpy. Here, you feel it.” 

★ Be sure to name the objects that you see on shelves and talk about

what you are seeing and doing: “First, we’re going to buy some cereal.

See, it’s in a big red and blue box. Listen to the great noise it makes

when I shake the box. Can you shake the box? Now we’re going to

pay for the groceries. We’ll put them on the counter while I get out

the money. The cashier will tell us how much we have to pay.”

★ Encourage your child to

practice saying “hi” and

“bye-bye” to clerks and

other shoppers. 

★ Leave for home before

your child gets tired or

grumpy. 

21 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Children need to hear a lot of words

in order to learn how to communicate.

It’s particularly helpful when you talk

about the “here and now”—things that

are going on in front of your child.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

Moving On 

Toddlers love to explore spaces and to climb over, through and into things. 

What You Need

★ Stuffed animal or toy 

★ Large board boxes 

★ Pillows 

★ A large sheet 

★ A soft ball 

★ A large plastic laundry basket 

★ Elastic 

★ Bells 

Whatto Do

★ Pillow jump. Give your child several pillows to jump into. (Toddlers

usually figure out how to do this

on their own.) 

★ Box car. Give your child a large

cardboard box to push around the

room. He may want to take his

stuffed animal or toy for a ride in

it. If the box isn’t too high—you’ll most

likely find your toddler in the box as well. 

24

★ Things to do with puppets:

—Have the puppet talk to your child: “Hello. My name is Tanya.

What’s yours? Kaylee. That’s a pretty name. What a

great T-shirt you have on, Kaylee! I like the rabbit

on the front of your T-shirt.” Or have the puppet

sing a simple song. Use a special voice for the

puppet. 

—Encourage your child to talk to the puppet,

answering its questions and asking questions of her

own. 

—Put finger puppets on your child’s hand to give him practice

moving his fingers one at a time. 

—The next time you want your child to help you clean up, have the

puppet make the request: “Hello, Max. Let’s put these crayons

back in the box and these toys back on the shelves. Can you get

the ball for me?” 

23 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Puppets provide another opportunity for

you to talk to your child and encourage

him to talk to you as well. They also help

your child to learn new words, use his

imagination and develop hand and finger

coordination.

Movement activities help children to gain control of their

large muscles. They also help children to learn new words

and important concepts such as locations: up, down, inside,

outside, over, behind, beside and under.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

Whatto Do

★ Have your toddler try banging a wooden spoon on pots, pans or

plastic bowls; shaking a large rattle or shaking a securely closed

plastic container filled with beans, buttons or other noisy items; and

blowing through toilet-paper or paper-towel rolls. 

★ Sing or play recordings of nursery rhymes. Have your toddler

participate actively. Even if he can’t recite the words, he can imitate

your hand movements, clap or hum along. 

★ As your child becomes more physically coordinated, encourage her to move

to the music. She can twirl, spin, jump up and down, tiptoe or sway.

★ Find recordings of all kinds of music for your child to listen to. Help

her learn to clap out rhythms, to move to both slow and fast music

and to listen carefully for special sounds in the music. 

Here are a few tips to get your child to sing:

—Sing yourself. Sing fairly slowly so that your child can join in.

Discourage shouting. 

—Start with simple chanting. Pick a simple melody, such as “Mary

Had a Little Lamb,” and sing, “la, la, la.” Add the words later.

—Make singing a natural part of your daily routine—let your child

hear you sing as you work around the house or sing along with

songs on the radio or TV or with your own CDs or recordings.

Encourage him to join in. 

26

★ Basketball. Sit about 3 feet away from your child and hold out a

large plastic laundry basket. Let her try throwing a large, soft ball

into the basket. 

★ Table tent. Cover a table with a sheet that’s big enough to reach the

floor on all sides. This makes a great playhouse that’s particularly

good for a rainy day. 

★ Jingle bells. Sew bells onto elastic that will fit comfortably around

your child’s ankles. Then watch (and listen) as he moves about or

jumps up and down. 

As you do an activity, talk, talk, talk with your child about what the two

of you are doing!

Music Makers 

Music is a way to communicate that all

children understand. It’s not necessary for them

to follow the words to a song; it makes them

happy just to hear the comfort in your voice or

on the recording or to dance to a peppy tune. 

What You Need 

★ Music 

★ Noise makers (rattles, a can filled with beans

or buttons, empty toilet paper rolls, pots,

pans, plastic bowls) 

25 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Introduce music to your child early. Music

and dance help children learn to listen, to

coordinate hand and body movements and

to express themselves creatively.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

★ Talk with your child about

what you are doing as you

make the dough. Let your

toddler or preschooler help

you with measuring and

adding ingredients.

★ Let your child handle some

dough while it is still slightly

warm and some when it has

cooled off to teach him about temperatures.

★ Give some of the dough to your toddler or preschooler so she can

pound it, stick things in it, make impressions in it and make her own

animals, houses and people from it.

Read to Me!

The single most important way for children to develop the knowledge

they need to become successful readers later on is for you to read aloud to

them often—beginning when they are babies. 

What You Need 

★ Board books, predictable books and books that label

and name concepts (such as colors, numbers, shapes) 

★ A children’s dictionary (preferably a sturdy one) 

★ Paper, pencils, crayons, markers 

28

Play Dough 

Young children love to play with dough. And no wonder! They can squish

and pound it and form it into fascinating shapes. Helping to make play

dough lets children learn about measuring and learn to use new words.

What You Need

★ 2 cups flour 

★ 1 cup salt 

★ 4 teaspoons cream of tartar 

★ 2 cups water 

★ 2 tablespoons cooking oil 

★ Food coloring 

★ Food extracts, such as almond, vanilla, lemon or

peppermint

★ Saucepan 

★ Objects to stick in the dough, such as Popsicle sticks and

straws 

★ Objects to pound with, such as a toy mallet 

★ Objects to make impressions with, such as jar lids,

cookie cutters and bottle caps 

Whatto Do

★ To make play dough:

—Add the food coloring to the water. Then mix all of

the ingredients together in a pan. 

—Cook over medium heat, stirring until it forms a soft ball. 

—Let the mixture cool. Knead slightly. Add food extracts to different

chunks of the dough to make different smells. 

27 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Cooking with you—following

the steps in a recipe—is the

perfect way for your child to

begin learning how to follow

directions and how to count

and measure. It can also teach

him how things change.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

and point to letters and words; then point to the pictures they stand

for. Your child will begin to understand that the letters form words

and that words name pictures. He will also start to learn that each

letter has its own sound—one of the most important things your

child can know when learning to read.

★ As you read, talk with your child. Encourage her to ask questions

and to talk about the story. Ask her to predict what will come next.

Point to things in books that she can relate to in her own life: “Look

at the picture of the penguin. Do you remember the penguin we saw

at the zoo?” 

★ Reread favorite books. Your child will probably ask you to read favorite

books over and over. Even though you may become tired of the same

books, he will enjoy and

continue to learn from hearing

them read again and again.

★ Read “predictable” books to

your child. Predictable books

are books with words or

actions that appear over and

over. These books help

children to predict or tell

what happens next. As you read, encourage your child to listen for

and say repeating words and phrases, such as names for colors,

numbers, letters, animals, objects and daily life activities. Your child

will learn the repeated words or phrase and have fun joining in with

you each time they show up in the story. Pretty soon, she will join in

before you tell her.

30

Whatto Do 

★ From the time your child is born, make reading aloud to your child a

part of your daily routine. Pick a quiet time, such as just before you

put him to bed. This will give him a chance to rest between play and

sleep. If you can, read with him in your lap or snuggled next to you

so that he feels close and safe. As he

gets older, he may need to move

around some as you read to him. If he

gets tired or restless, stop reading.

Make reading aloud a quiet and

comfortable time that your child looks

forward to. 

★ Try to read to your child every day. At

first, read for no more than a few

minutes at a time, several times a day.

As your child grows older, you should be able to tell if she wants

you to read for longer periods. Don’t be discouraged if you have to

skip a day or don’t always keep to your schedule. Just get back to

your daily routine as soon as you can. Most of all, make sure that

reading stays fun for both of you!

★ Give your baby sturdy board books to look at, touch and hold. Allow

him to turn the pages, look through the holes or lift the flaps. As

your child grows older, have books on shelves or in baskets that are

at his level. Encourage him to look through the books and talk about

them. He may talk about the pictures and he may “pretend” to read

a book that he has heard many times. 

★ For a late toddler or early preschooler, use reading aloud to help him

learn about books and print. As you read aloud, stop now and then

29 Helping Your Preschool Child 

When reading books is a regular

part of family life, you send your

child a message that books are

important, enjoyable and full of

new things to learn.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

Preschoolers

Children 3 to 5 Years Old

Whatto Expect

Between their third and fourth birthdays, children 

★ Start to play with other children, instead of next to them; 

★ Are more likely to take turns and share and begin to understand that

other people have feelings and rights; 

★ Are increasingly self-reliant and probably can dress with little help; 

★ May develop fears (“Mommy, there’s a monster under my bed.”) and

have imaginary companions; 

★ Have greater large-muscle control than toddlers and love to run, skip,

jump with both feet, catch a ball, climb downstairs and dance to music; 

★ Have greater small-muscle control than toddlers, which is reflected in

their drawings and scribbles; 

★ Match and sort things that are alike and unalike;

★ Recognize numerals;

★ Like silly humor, riddles and practical

jokes; 

★ Understand and follow spoken

directions;

★ Use new words and longer sentences;

★ Are aware of rhyming sounds in

words;

★ May attempt to read, calling attention to themselves and showing

pride in their accomplishment;

★ Recognize print around them on signs or in logos;

32

★ Be enthusiastic about reading. Read the story with expression. Make

it more interesting by talking as the characters would talk, making

sound effects and using facial expressions and gestures. 

★ Buy a children’s dictionary—if possible, one that has pictures next to

the words. Then start the “let’s look it up” habit. 

★ Make writing materials such as crayons, pencils and paper available. 

★ Visit the library often. Begin making weekly trips to the library when

your child is very young. See that your child gets his own library

card as soon as possible. Many libraries

issue cards to children as soon as they

can print their names (you’ll also have

to sign for your child). 

★ Show your child that you read, too.

When you take your child to the

library, check out a book for yourself.

Then set a good example by letting your

child see you reading for yourself. Ask

your child to get one of her books and

sit with you as you read your book, 

magazine or newspaper. Don’t worry if you feel uncomfortable with

your own reading ability. It’s the reading that counts. When your

child sees that reading is important to you, she may decide that it is

important to her. 

★ If you are uncomfortable with your reading ability, look for family

or adult reading programs in your community. Your librarian can

help you locate such programs. Friends and relatives also can read

to your child and volunteers are available in many communities to

do the same. 

31 Helping Your Preschool Child 

The books that you pick to

read with your child are very

important. If you aren’t sure

what books are right for

your child, ask a librarian to

help you choose titles.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

What Preschoolers Need

3- to 4-year-old children require opportunities to 

★ Play with other children so they can learn to listen, take turns and share; 

★ Develop more physical coordination—for example, by hopping on

both feet; 

★ Develop their growing language abilities through books, games,

songs, science, math and art activities; 

★ Develop more self-reliance skills—for example,

learning to dress and undress themselves; 

★ Count and measure; 

★ Participate actively with adults in reading-aloud activities;

★ Explore the alphabet and print; and

★ Attempt to write messages.

4- to 5-year-old children need opportunities to 

★ Experiment and discover, within limits; 

★ Develop their growing interest in

school subjects, such as science, music,

art and math;

★ Enjoy activities that involve exploring

and investigating; 

★ Group items that are similar (for example, by size, color or shape); 

★ Use their imaginations and curiosity; 

★ Develop their language skills by speaking and listening; and 

★ See how reading and writing are both enjoyable and useful (for

example, by listening to stories and poems, seeing adults use books

to find information and dictating stories to adults). 

34

★ Know that each alphabet letter has a name and identify at least 10

alphabet letters, especially those in their own names; and

★ “Write,” or scribble messages.

Between their fourth and fifth birthdays, children

★ Are active and have lots of energy and may be aggressive in their play; 

★ Enjoy more group activities, because they

have longer attention spans; 

★ Like making faces and being silly; 

★ May form cliques with friends and may

change friendships quickly; 

★ Have better muscle control in running,

jumping and hopping; 

★ Recognize and write the numerals 1–10;

★ Recognize shapes such as circles, squares,

rectangles and triangles;

★ Love to make rhymes, say nonsense

words and tell jokes; 

★ Know and use words that are important

to school work, such as the names for colors, shapes and numbers;

know and use words that are important to daily life, such as street

names and addresses;

★ Know how books are held and read and follow print from left to right

and from top to bottom of a page when listening to stories read aloud;

★ Recognize the shapes and names of all letters of the alphabet and

know the sounds of some letters; and

★ Write some letters, particularly those in his own name.

33 Helping Your Preschool Child 
Helping Your Preschool Child 

★ Be physically affectionate. Children

need hugs, kisses, an arm over the

shoulder and a pat on the back. 

★ Tell your child that you love him.

Don’t assume that your loving

actions will speak for themselves (although they are very important). 

Chores 

Any household task can become a good learning game—and can be fun. 

What You Need 

★ Jobs around the home that need to get

done, such as: 

—Doing the laundry 

—Washing and drying dishes 

—Carrying out the garbage 

—Setting the dinner table 

—Dusting 

Whatto Do 

★ Tell your child about the job you will

do together. Explain why the family

needs the job done. Describe how you

will do it and how your child can help. 

★ Teach your child new words that are associated with each job: “Let’s

put the placemats on the table first, then the napkins.” 

36

Getting Along 

Learning to get along with others is very important for children’s social

development. 

What You Need

★ No materials required 

Whatto Do

★ Give your child lots of personal attention and encouragement. Set

aside time when you and your child can do enjoyable things

together. Your positive feelings for your child will help

him to feel good about himself. 

★ Set a good example. Show your child what it means

to get along with others and to be respectful. Let her

hear you say “please” and “thank you” when you

talk to others. Treat people in ways that show you

care what happens to them. 

★ Help your child find ways to solve conflicts with

others. Help him to figure out what will happen if he

shows his anger by hitting a playmate: “James, I know

that Zoe took your truck without asking. But if you hit

her and you have a big fight, then she will have to go

home and the two of you won’t be able to play any more

today. What’s another way that you can let Zoe know you want

your truck back?” 

★ Make opportunities for your child to share and to care. Let her take

charge of providing food for birds. When new families move into the

neighborhood, let her help make cookies to welcome them.

35 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Learning to work with and

get along with others

contributes to children’s

success in school.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

Scribble, Draw, Paint and Paste 

Young children are natural artists and art projects can spark young

imaginations and help children to express themselves. Scribbling also

prepares them to use writing to express their ideas.

What You Need 

★ Crayons, water-soluble felt-tipped markers

★ Different kinds of paper (including construction

paper and butcher paper)

★ Tape 

★ Finger paints 

★ Paste

★ Safety scissors

★ Fabric scraps or objects that can be glued to 

paper (string, cotton balls, sticks, yarn) 

Whatto Do 

★ Give your child different kinds of paper and different writing

materials to scribble with. Coloring books are not needed. Crayons

are good to begin with. Water-soluble felt-tipped marking pens are

fun for your child to use because she doesn’t have to use much

pressure to get a bright color. Tape a large piece of butcher paper

onto a tabletop and let your child scribble to her heart’s content! 

★ Spread out newspapers or a large piece of plastic over a table or on the

floor and tape a big piece of construction paper or butcher paper on top.

Cover your child with a large smock or apron and let him finger paint. 

★ Have your child paste fabric scraps or other objects such as yarn,

string or cotton balls to the paper (in any pattern). Let her feel the

different textures and tell you about them. 

38

★ Doing laundry together provides many opportunities for your 

child to learn. Ask him to help you remember all the clothes that

need to be washed. See how many things he can name: socks, 

T-shirts, pajamas, sweater, shirt. Have him help you gather all the

dirty clothes, then help you make piles of light and dark colors. 

★ Show your child how to measure the soap and have him pour 

the soap into the machine. Let him put the items into the

machine, naming each one. Keep out one sock. When the washer

is filled with water, take out the mate to the sock. Let your child

hold the wet sock and the one that

you kept out. Ask him which one

feels heavier and which one feels

lighter. After the wash is done,

have your child sort his own things

into piles that are the same (for

example, T-shirts, socks). 

37 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Home chores can help children

learn new words, how to listen 

and follow directions, how to

count and how to sort. Chores

can also help children improve

their physical coordination and

learn responsibility.
39 Helping Your Preschool Child Helping Your Preschool Child 

Letters, Letters, Everywhere 

Sharing the alphabet with children helps them begin to learn the letter

names, recognize their shapes and link the letters with the sounds of

spoken language.

What You Need 

★ Alphabet book

★ Alphabet blocks

★ ABC magnets

★ Paper, pencils, crayons, markers

★ Glue 

★ Safety scissors

Whatto Do

★ With your child sitting with you, print

the letters of her name on paper and

say each letter as you write it. Make a

name sign for her room or other special

place. Have her decorate the sign. 

★ Teach your child “The Alphabet Song”

and play games with him using the

alphabet. Some alphabet books have songs and games that you can

learn together. 

★ Look for educational videos, DVDs, CDs and TV shows such as

“Between the Lions,” “Blue’s Clues,” and “Sesame Street” that

feature letter-learning activities for young children. Watch such

programs with your child and join in with him on the rhymes

and songs. 

40

Here are a few tips about introducing

your child to art: 

—Don’t tell the child what to draw

or paint. 

—Don’t “fix up” your child’s

drawings. It will take lots of

practice before you can

recognize what he has drawn—

but let him be creative! Invite

your child to talk to you about what he is drawing

and to identify by name each object in the picture. 

—Give your child lots of different materials to work with. Show her

how to use new types of materials. 

—Find an art activity that’s at the right level for your child and let

him do as much of the project as possible. 

—Display your child’s art prominently in your home. Point it out to

visitors when your child is near to hear the praise.

Art projects also help children

to develop the eye and hand

coordination they will later

need as they begin to write.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

★ Read nursery rhymes to your child. As you read, stop before a

rhyming word and encourage her to fill in the blank. When she

does, praise her.

★ Listen for rhymes in songs that you know or hear on the radio, TV or

at family or other gatherings. Sing the songs with your child.

★ Around the home, point to objects and say their names, for example,

sink. Then ask your child to say as many words as he can that rhyme

with the name. Other good easily rhymed words are ball, bread, rug,

clock and bread. Let him use some silly or nonsense words as well:

ball—tall, call, small, dall, jall, nall. 

★ Say three words such as cat, dog and sat and ask your child which

words sound the same—rhyme.

★ If your child has an easy-to-rhyme name, ask her to say words that

rhyme with it: Kate—plate, late, wait, date, gate. 

★ If a computer is available, encourage your child to download and run

rhyming games. 

42

★ Place alphabet magnets on your

refrigerator or on another smooth,

safe metal surface. Ask your child to

name the letters she plays with and

the words she may be trying to spell. 

★ Wherever you are with your 

child, point out individual letters in signs, billboards, posters, food

containers, books and magazines. 

★ Encourage your child to spell and write her name. At first, she may

use just a few letters for her name; for example, Jenny might use the

letters JNY.

★ Line up several alphabet blocks and have your child say the name of

each letter. Have her use alphabet blocks to spell her name.

★ Give your child a page from an old magazine. Circle a letter on the

page and have him circle matching letters.

Rhyme It!

Rhyming helps children start to pay attention to the sounds in words,

which is an important first step in learning to read. 

What You Need

★ Books with rhyming words, word games or songs

Whatto Do

★ Play rhyming games and sing rhyming songs with your child. Many

songs and games include clapping and bouncing and tossing balls.

41 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Children who know the names

and the shapes of the letters 

of the alphabet when they

enter school usually have an

easier time learning to read.

Rhymes are an extension of children’s 

language skills. By hearing and saying rhymes,

along with repeated words and phrases, your

child learns about spoken sounds and about

words. Rhymes also spark a child’s excitement

about what comes next, which adds fun and

adventure to reading.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

★ As you read a story or poem, ask

your child to listen for and say the

words that begin with the same

sound. Then have her think of and

say another word that begins with

the sound.

★ Help your child to make up and say silly sentences with lots of

words that start with the same sound, such as, “Tom took ten toy

trucks to town.”

Matching Sounds and Letters

Although children can be taught to match most letters with the sounds

that they represent, be prepared to give them lots of help.

What You Need 

★ Pieces of paper

★ Paper bag 

Whatto Do 

★ Say some sounds for letters, such as /p/, /h/ and /t/ and have your

child write the letter that matches the sound.

★ As you read to your child, point out words that begin with the same

letter as her name: Megan and morning, Liza and land, Sophie and save.

Have her find other words that begin with that sound.

★ Write letters on pieces of paper and put them in a paper bag. Have

your child take a piece of paper from the bag and say the name of

the letter and the sound that it represents. Then have him say a

word that begins with that sound.

44

Say the Sound

Listening for and saying sounds in words helps children learn that spoken

words are made up of sounds, which gets them ready to match spoken

sounds to written letters. This, in turn, gets them ready to read.

What You Need 

★ Old magazine

★ Book of nursery or nonsense rhymes

Whatto Do 

★ Say four words that begin with the same

sound, such as big, ball, basket and balloon.

Ask your child to tell you the first sound in

each word, /b/*.

★ Say four words, such as cap, hop, cake and

camera. Ask your child which of the words

starts with a different sound.

★ Say four words, such as stop, top, mop and hop.

Ask your child to tell you what the last sound is in each word, /p/.

★ Give your child an old magazine. Sit with him and point out objects

in the pictures. Ask him to say the sounds that the objects start with.

Change the game by saying a sound and having him find an object

in a picture that starts with that sound.

★ Have fun by helping your child say tongue twisters such as “Peter

Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,” and nonsense rhymes such

as “Hey Diddle, Diddle,” as well as more modern nonsense rhymes

such as those of Dr. Seuss.

43 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Helping your child learn to

pay attention to sounds in

words can prevent reading

problems later on.

* Please note: A letter between slash marks, /b/, shows the sound that the letter represents and not the name of the letter. 
Helping Your Preschool Child 

★ On the outside cover of the booklet, print your child’s name. Explain

to him that this is going to be a book about him. 

★ Let your child talk about what he will draw on each page. As he

talks, print on the page what he says. Here are some examples: 

—Other people in my family 

—My favorite toys 

—My favorite books 

—My friends 

—My pet 

—My neighborhood 

—My home (or My bedroom) 

★ Encourage your child to read

his books to family members

and visitors.

Hands-on Math

Hands-on activities that involve counting, measuring and using number

words are a good way to introduce your preschooler to math. 

What You Need 

★ Blocks 

★ Dice or dominoes 

Whatto Do 

★ Talk about numbers and use

number concepts in daily routines with your child. For example: 

—“Let’s divide the dough into two parts so we can bake some cookies now

and put the rest of the dough in the freezer for cookies next week.” 

46

★ Sit with your child and play “I Spy.”

Look around the room and say, “I

spy something that starts with /s/.

What is it?” If you like, add clues

such as “We use it to cook our

food.” (stove) “It’s where we wash

the dishes.” (sink)

My Book

Many preschoolers like to talk and have a lot to say. Although most can’t

yet write words themselves, they enjoy dictating stories for others to write

for them. 

What You Need 

★ Paper 

★ Paper punch 

★ Safety scissors 

★ Pencil, pen, crayons 

★ Yarn, pipe cleaners or staples 

★ Paste 

Whatto Do 

★ Make a booklet of five or six pages.

Your child can help punch holes close

to one edge and thread yarn through

the holes to keep the pages together. You can also bind the book

with twisted pipe cleaners or you can staple the pages together. 

45 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Matching sounds with letters

helps your child to learn that

the letters he sees in written

words represent the sounds he

says in words. This is an

important step in becoming a

successful reader.

Making this book will help your

child develop both spoken and

written language skills and give

him more practice using the

small muscles in his hands.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

—Where you live (addresses, telephone

numbers): “These shiny numbers on

our apartment door are 2–1–4. We

live in apartment number 214.” Or:

“When you go to play at Terry’s

house, take this note along with you.

It’s our phone number: 253–6711.

Some day soon you will know our phone number so you can call

me when you are at your friend’s house.” 

★ Provide opportunities for your child to learn math as he plays. For

example: 

—Playing with blocks can teach your child to classify objects by color

and shape. Blocks can also help him to

learn about depth, width, height and

length. 

—Playing games that have scoring, such

as throwing balls into a basket,

requires your child to count. Introduce

him to games that use dice or

dominoes. Have him roll the dice and

count the dots. Let him try to roll the

dice and match numbers. 

—Counting favorite toys. 

48

—“We’re going to hang this picture six inches above the bookshelf

in your room. Let’s use this ruler to measure.” 

—“How many plates do we need on the table? Let’s count: One for

Mommy, one for Daddy and one for Jenny. How many plates does

that make? Three! Great!” 

★ Talk about numbers that matter most to your child—her age, her

address, her phone number, her height and weight. Focusing on

these personal numbers helps your child learn many important math

concepts, including: 

—Time (hours, days, months, years; older, younger; yesterday,

today, tomorrow). To a young child, you might say, “At 2 o’clock,

we’ll take a nap.” When you plan with a preschooler, you could

point out, “It’s only three days until we go to

Grandma’s house. Let’s put an X on the

calendar so we’ll know the day we’re going.” 

—Lengths (inches, feet; longer, taller, shorter):

“This ribbon is too short to go around the

present for Aunt Susan. Let’s cut a longer

ribbon.” 

—Weight (ounces, pounds, grams; heavier,

lighter; how to use scales): “You already weigh

30 pounds. I can hardly lift such a big girl.” 

47 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Reading aloud counting

books or books with

number concepts can

support your child’s

math learning.
What About Kindergarten?

49 Helping Your Preschool Child Helping Your Preschool Child 

3. Find out in advance what the school expects from new kindergarten

students. If you know the school’s expectations a year or two ahead of

time, you will be in a better position to prepare your child. Sometimes

parents and caregivers don’t think the school’s expectations are right

for their children. For example, they may think that the school doesn’t

adequately provide for differences in children’s learning and

development or that its academic program is not strong enough. If you

don’t agree with your school’s expectations for your child, you may

want to meet with the principal or kindergarten teacher to talk about

the expectations. 

4. Visit the school with your child. Walk up and down the hallways to

help her learn all the different rooms—her classroom, the library, the

gym, the cafeteria. Let your child observe other children and their

classrooms. 

5. Talk with your child about school.

During your visit, make positive

comments about the school—your

good attitude will rub off. (“Look at

all the boys and girls painting in this

classroom. Doesn’t that look like

fun!”). At home, show excitement

about the big step in your child’s life.

Let him know that starting school is a

very special event.

50

The activities in this book will help your child get ready for kindergarten.

As the first day of school approaches, however, you may want to do a few

more things to set your child on the path to school success. 

1. Find out if the school that your child will attend has a registration

deadline. Some schools have a limited number of slots for children.

Start early to find out your school’s policy and the procedures. 

2. Learn as much as you can about the school your child will attend

before the school year begins. Schools—even schools in the same

district—can differ greatly. Don’t rely only on information about

kindergarten that you have received from other parents—their schools

might have different requirements and expectations. You will want to

find out the following: 

★ The principal’s name; 

★ The name of your child’s teacher; 

★ What forms you need to fill out; 

★ What immunizations are required before your child enters school; 

★ A description of the kindergarten program; 

★ The yearly calendar and daily schedule for kindergarten children; 

★ Procedures for transportation to and from school; 

★ Available food services; and 

★ How you can become involved in your child’s education and in 

the school. 

Some schools will send you this information. In addition, some schools

will hold orientation meetings in the spring for parents who expect to

enroll their children in kindergarten the following fall. If your school

doesn’t plan such a meeting, call the principal’s office to ask for

information and to arrange a visit. 
Helping Your Preschool Child 

By the time they begin kindergarten, children in the United States have

watched an average of 4,000 hours of TV. Most child development experts

agree that this is too much. But banning TV

from children’s lives isn’t the answer. Good

TV programs can spark children’s curiosity

and open up new worlds to them. A better

idea is for families and caregivers to

monitor how much time their children

spend watching TV and what programs

they watch. 

Here are some tips that will help you

monitor and guide your child’s TV viewing: 

★ Think about your child’s age and

choose the types of things that you

want him to see, learn and imitate.

★ Look for TV shows that 

—teach your child something,

—hold his interest,

—encourage him to listen and question,

—help him learn more words,

—make him feel good about himself and

—introduce him to new ideas and things. 

★ Keep a record of how many hours of TV your child watches each

week and what she watches. Some experts recommend that children

limit their TV watching to no more than 2 hours a day. However, it’s

up to you to decide how much TV and what kinds of programs your

child should watch.

52

Talk with your child about the teachers she will have and how they

will help her learn new things. Encourage your child to consider

teachers to be wise friends to whom she should listen and show

respect. Explain to your child how important it is to go to class each

day. Explain how important and exciting the things that she will learn

in school are—reading, writing, math, science, art and music.

6. Consider volunteering to help out in the school. Your child’s teacher

may appreciate having an extra adult to help do everything from

passing out paper and pencils to supervising children on the

playground. Volunteering is a good way to learn more about the

school and to meet its staff and other parents. 

When the long-awaited first day of kindergarten arrives, go to school with

your child and be patient. Many young children are overwhelmed at first,

because they haven’t had much experience in dealing with new

situations. They may not like school immediately. Your child may cry or

cling to you when you say goodbye each morning, but with support from

you and his teacher, this can change rapidly. 

As your child leaves home for her first day of kindergarten, let her know

how proud of her you are! 

51 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Taking Charge of TV
Helping Your Preschool Child 

★ Watch TV with your child, so that you can answer questions and talk

about what she sees. Pay special attention to how she responds, so

that you can help her to understand what she’s seeing. 

★ Follow-up TV viewing with activities or games. Have your child tell

you a new word that he learned from a TV program. Together, look

up the word in a dictionary and talk about its meaning. Or have

him make up his own story about one of his favorite characters

from a TV program. 

★ Include the whole family in discussion and activities or games that

relate to TV programs. 

★ Go to the library and find books that explore the themes of the TV

shows that your child watches. Or help your child to use her

drawings or pictures cut from

magazines to make a book

based on a TV show.

★ Make certain that TV isn’t

used as a babysitter. Instead,

balance good television with

other enjoyable activities for

your child. 

54

★ Learn about current TV

programs, videos and DVDs

and help your child to select

good ones. “Sesame Street,”

“Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,”

“Blue’s Clues,” “Between the

Lions,” “Reading Rainbow,”

“Barney & Friends,” “Zoom,” and “Zoboomafoo,” are some shows

that you may want to consider. Many other good children’s

programs are available on public television stations and on cable

channels such as the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. 

★ If you have a VCR or DVD player, you may wish to seek out video

versions of classic children’s stories and books, such as the Babar

stories and the Children’s Circle series, “Stories for the Very Young”

and “More Stories for the Very Young.” For your very young child,

try the “Baby Einstein” series.

★ Parents’ Choice, a quarterly review of children’s media, including TV

programs and home video materials, can help you to choose titles

that are suitable for your child. (For more information, see the

Parents’ Choice Web site: http://www.parents-choice.org/; or write

to: Parents’ Choice Foundation, Suite 303, 201 West Padonia Road,

Timonium, MD 21093.) You can also read about programs in TV

columns in newspapers and magazines. Cable subscribers and public

broadcasting contributors can check monthly program guides for

information. 

★ After selecting programs that are appropriate for your child, help

him decide which ones he wants to watch. Turn on the TV when

one of these programs starts and turn it off when the program ends. 

53 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Parents’ Choice, a quarterly review

of children’s media, including TV

programs and home video

materials, can help you to choose

titles that are suitable for your child.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

★ Check with local agencies for listings of licensed childcare providers.

Many communities have resource and referral agencies that can help

you to identify the childcare

programs that best meet your

needs. Again, ask your local

librarian to help you locate the

addresses and phone numbers

for these agencies. 

★ Start looking for childcare early,

particularly if you have a special

program for your child in mind.

Some programs have long

waiting lists. 

★ Gather information. Whether you are looking for a day-care provider

or for a caregiver to come into your home, interview the person at

length and check references carefully. Before you meet with the

person, develop a list of questions. If you are considering day-care

centers, visit each one—more than once. Don’t rely only on good

reports about the center from other people. Centers that work well

for other parents may not work well for you. As with any kind of

childcare, check the center’s references carefully. 

No matter what kind of childcare you are considering, look for care

providers who: 

★ Are kind and responsive. Good care providers enjoy being with

children, are energetic, patient and mature enough to handle crises

and conflicts. 

56

Choosing Childcare

Choosing the right kind of

childcare for your baby,

toddler or preschooler is

important for your child’s

safety and well being. It is

also important because

these early experiences

affect how prepared your

child is for school. Here

are some tips to guide you

in choosing childcare: 

★ Think about the kind of care that is best for your child. Some

possibilities to consider are (a) a relative; (b) a day-care provider,

usually someone who takes care of a small group of children 

in her own home; (c) a childcare center, which generally offers a

curriculum and staff with educational backgrounds in early

childhood development; and (d) a caregiver who comes to your

home. 

★ Decide which kind of childcare fits your budget. For low-income

parents, programs such as the federally funded Head Start are

available. (For more information about Head Start, go to the Web

site: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb/.) State-funded childcare programs also are available. Your local librarian can help you

find addresses and phone numbers for these programs. In addition,

many families are entitled to child-care credits on their income tax

forms and some businesses offer their employees low-cost or nocharge childcare. 

55 Helping Your Preschool Child 

Centers that work well for

other parents may not work

well for you. As with any kind

of childcare, check the center’s

references carefully.
Helping Your Preschool Child 

Armbruster, Bonnie B., Lehr, Fran and Osborn, Jean. (2001). Put Reading

First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read. Kindergarten

Through Grade 3. Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy (available

online at www.nifl.gov).

Dickinson, David K. and Tabors, Patton O. (2001). Beginning Literacy with

Language: Young Children Learning at Home and School. Baltimore, MD: Paul

H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Dittman, L. L. (2000). Finding the Best Care for Your Infant or Toddler

(brochure). Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of

Young Children.

Gopnik, Alison, Meltzoff Andrew N. and Kuhl, Patricia K. (2000). The

Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us about the Mind. New York:

Harper Perennial.

Hannigan, Irene. (1998). Off to School: A Parent’s-Eye View of the

Kindergarten Year. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education

of Young Children.

Karnes, Merle B. (1984). You and Your Small Wonder: Activities for Parents

and Toddlers on the Go. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

Levin, Diane. (1998). Remote Control Childhood? Combating the Hazards of

Media Culture. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of

Young Children.

Miller, Karen. (1985). More Things to Do With Toddlers and Twos and Ages and

Stages. Chelsea, MA: Telshare Publishing Co. 

58

Bibliography

★ Have experience working with young children and like them. Find

out how long the providers have worked with preschoolers, why

they are in the child-care field and whether they provide activities

that are appropriate for your child’s age. Observe the providers with

other children. Do the children seem happy? How do the providers

respond to them? 

★ Recognize the individual needs of children. Look for care providers

who are considerate of different children’s interests and needs and

who can provide your child with enough attention. 

★ Have a child-rearing philosophy that is similar to your own. Find out

what kind of discipline the providers use and how they handle

problems. 

Be certain that the childcare facility is clean and safe. Check to see that it

is full of equipment and materials that will allow your child to explore

and learn, including plenty of books and separate areas of different kinds

of activities. 

57 Helping Your Preschool Child 
Helping Your Preschool Child 

Miller, Karen. (1985). More Things to Do With Toddlers and Twos. Chelsea,

MA: Telshare Publishing Co. 

Simon, Sarina. (1996). 101 Amusing Ways to Develop Your Child’s Thinking

Skills and Creativity. New York: Lowell House.

Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts. (2001). Activities to Implement

the Prekindergarten Curriculum Guidelines. Austin.

Texas Reading Initiative. (1998). Beginning Reading Instruction: Practical Ideas

for Parents. Austin: Texas Education Agency.

Warner, Sally. (1991). Encouraging the Artist in Your Child. New York: St.

Martin’s Press.

60

Neuman, Susan B., Copple, Carol and Bredekamp, Sue. (2000). Learning

to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children.

Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young

Children.

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1999). Ready to

Go: What Parents Should Know about School Readiness. Washington, DC.

Rich, Dorothy. (1988). Megaskills: How Families Help Children Succeed in

School & Beyond. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Sears, William. (1989). Your Baby: The First Twelve Months. Hauppauge, NY:

Barron’s Educational Series. 

Trelease, Jim. (2001). The Read-Aloud Handbook. New York: Penguin. 

The activities in this booklet were adapted in part from the following

sources: 

Honig, Alice S. (1982). Playtime Learning Games for Young Children.

Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. 

Karnes, Merle B. (1984). You and Your Small Wonder: Activities for Parents

and Toddlers on the Go. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

Krueger, Caryl Waller. (1999). 1001 Things to Do With Your Kids. New York:

Galahad Books.

59 Helping Your Preschool Child 
Acknowledgements Ready-for-School Checklist

61 Helping Your Preschool Child Helping Your Preschool Child 

The following checklist, although not exhaustive, can help to guide you as

you prepare your child for school. It’s best to look at the items on the list

as goals toward which to aim. They should be accomplished, as much as

possible, through everyday routines or by enjoyable activities that you’ve

planned with your child. If your child lags behind in some areas, don’t

worry. Remember that children grow and develop at different rates. 

Good Health and Physical Well-Being

My child: 

___ Eats a balanced diet

___ Gets plenty of rest

___ Receives regular medical and dental care

___ Has had all the necessary immunizations

___ Runs, jumps, plays outdoors and does other activities that help

develop his large muscles and provide exercise

___ Works puzzles, scribbles, colors, paints and does other activities that

help develop her small muscles 

Social and Emotional Preparation

My child: 

___ Is learning to explore and try new things

___ Is learning to work well alone and to do many tasks for himself

___ Has many opportunities to be with other children and is learning to

cooperate with them

___ Is curious and is motivated to learn

___ Is learning to finish tasks

___ Is learning to use self-control

___ Can follow simple instructions

___ Helps with family chores 

62

This publication was originally written by Nancy Paulu, with updates for

the current edition completed by Fran Lehr and Jean Osborn. Illustrations

were done by Adjoa Burrowes and Joseph Matos.

This booklet has been made possible with the help of many people and

organizations, including Reid Lyon of the National Institute of Child Health

and Human Development, who reviewed drafts, provided materials and

suggestions and generously contributed from their own experiences. In

addition, a special thanks to Todd May and Menahem Herman in the

Office of Communications and Outreach for their help in

managing the design, development and production of this booklet.
Language and General Knowledge

My child: 

___ Has many opportunities to talk and listen

___ Is read to every day

___ Has access to books and other reading materials

___ Is learning about print and books

___ Has his television viewing monitored by an adult

___ Is encouraged to ask questions

___ Is encouraged to solve problems

___ Has opportunities to notice similarities and differences 

___ Is encouraged to sort and classify things

___ Is learning to write her name and address

___ Is learning to count and plays counting games

___ Is learning to identify and name shapes and colors

___ Has opportunities to draw, listen to and make music and to dance

___ Has opportunities to get first-hand experiences to do things in the

world—to see and touch objects, hear new sounds, smell and taste

foods and watch things move 

63 Helping Your Preschool Child 

On January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the No

Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This new law represents his

education reform plan and contains the most sweeping changes to the

Elementary and Secondary Education Act since it was enacted in 1965. It

changes the federal role in education by asking America’s schools to

describe their success in terms of what each student accomplishes. The act

contains the president’s four basic education reform principles.

★ Stronger accountability for results

★ Local control and flexibility

★ Expanded options for parents

★ An emphasis on effective and proven teaching methods

In sum, this law—in partnership with parents, communities, school

leadership and classroom teachers—seeks to ensure that every child in

America receives a great education and that no child is left behind.

For more information on No Child Left Behind, visit the Web site at

http://www.nochildleftbehind.gov or call 1–800–USA–LEARN.

No Child Left Behind
U.S. Department of Education 

 Office of Communications 

 and Outreach

400 Maryland Avenue, SW • Washington D.C. 20202