Supporting Families and Learning At Home
Stepping Stone School
Supporting Families & Learning at Home
At Stepping Stone School, our mission is to offer not only exceptional nurturing and education for our students, but also extraordinary support and care for all parents and families! Many families are finding new and creative ways to engage and educate their children while at home! We compiled a list of fun and educational activities and resources for you to use with your family!
Writing and Literacy Readiness
Blueberries for Sal Read Aloud
Blueberries for Sal – In the Caldecott Honor book, Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey, Little Sal and her mother are picking blueberries. As Little Sal drops blueberries into her tin pail and counts the sounds they make—“kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk!”—she meanders away from her mother and ends up trailing a mother bear. At the same time, the bear cub absentmindedly begins trailing Sal’s mother. A comedy of errors ensues as each little one follows the wrong mother.
Art & Creative Expression
Forgo the paintbrushes and make these pretty tulips with forks and paint. Children will love using a different medium to paint with and as it’s such an engaging craft it will keep them occupied for hours. Begin by putting different colors of paint onto a paper plate then press the backside of the fork in the paint. Print this onto the paper to create your tulip. Repeat with different colors and add stems.
Writing letters to family is an excellent community connection idea as well as an excellent writing activity! Many young children enjoy sending and receiving mail!
These activities are taken from Teaching Early Math Skills with Favorite Picture Books available from Scholastic Professional Books. Meeting Math Standards: Number and Operations
- Computation
- Adding and subtracting
- Using objects to compute;
using mental computation
Character Development
Teaching Children to be Trustworthy
During the month of April, Stepping Stone School will focus on the character development trait of trustworthiness. Developing an attitude of trust, being trustworthy, and building trust with one another takes time, but through responsive caregiving, children learn in a manner which supports the development of trust.
- Physical needs are met. Responding to the physical needs of a child like feeding him when he is hungry and cleaning him when he is dirty, the child learns to trust those who are caring for them.
- Language needs are met. Caring adults learn to interpret children’s attempts to communicate their needs, whether through cries, coos, signs, or actual words and this communication builds trust.
- Social and emotional needs are met. Smiling and making eye contact builds social connections at the very earliest stages. Discussing feelings when a child feels happy or sad helps him understand and to develop the vocabulary he needs to share his feelings with others.
- Cognitive needs are met. As children develop, they learn to build upon foundations of trust as they explore the world around them. With the support of caring adults, children discover and problem solve, make connections, and take risks. They learn because of relationships built on trust.
Physical Development
For more in this Mindful Series Click Here
IDEA
By bringing awareness to our breath we increase focus, reduce stress and learn self-regulation techniques.
-Breathe-
Cookie:
Breathing in we smell the cookies and breathing out we go “mmmmmmm” while resting one hand on belly and one on chest. Do you notice your belly getting big as you smell the cookies?
Tarzan:
Breathing in and breathing out while thumping chest like Tarzan. Do you notice a vibration in your throat and chest?
Doctor:
Breathing in and breathing out with tongue out letting out an “ahhhhhhhh” . When you let out an “ahhhhhhhhh” how do you feel?
Ocean:
Breathing in as arms lift and as they release down letting out a “shhhhhhhhh” as you breathe out. When you let out a “shhhhhhhhh” how do you feel after?
Bumble Bee:
Breathing in and letting it out with a “buzzzzzzzzzz” perhaps noticing vibration in our chest.
Snake:
Breathing in and breathing out with a “hissssss”. Does it tickle your tongue? Let’s try again!
Lion:
Breathing in and breathing out with tongue out as you “roooooaaaaaarrrr”. Does breathing like a lion give you energy or make you tired? Or perhaps neither?
Written by Katherine Banker, Founder and Executive Director of Bliss Kids Yoga.
Cognitive & Phonological Development
Challenge your Mind with The Thinkery At Home!
Thinkery has created a new online series called Thinkery at Home. The series features science experiments, story times, and hands-on activities to keep the little one’s hands busy and minds stimulated! You can view 10 of their favorite hands-on activities to do at home listed here!
Emotional & Social Development
Identifying and labeling feelings (your own and others’) is a valuable life skill that takes lots of practice. Social-emotional activities are not only fun and engaging for little ones, they spark essential conversations that lead to deeper understanding. To get started all you need are the attached printable sheets, some play dough, and a few miscellaneous items like eyes or pipe cleaners!
