Introduction
The extended activities supports school curriculum helps to increase children’s learning outcome and enables them to make connection with outside world. This paper discusses different activities whose objectives are aligned to accomplish NAEYC standards and ensure participation of both parents and children.
Tell me a Story
In “Tell me a story” activity, the children tell his or her parents a story. The objective of this activity is to increase their learning’s in all school subjects besides helping them to improve their language and literacy (Barbour, 2012). In addition, this activity will help children to expand vocabulary, exercise "story telling", practice grammar and exercise communication skills.
The “Tell me a story” is a reading activity that must be conducted as a part of everyday routine i.e., after dinner, at bed time or a fun time at lounge etc. Alternately, one small corner could be made for reading with soft blanket and pillows. In this activity, the child will be asked to look at the different images or toys that will be provided by the parents. Then different questions will be asked from the children such as what is this, what it does, what will happen next, etc. Then they will be asked to create a story in their own words. After the activity, the child must be given lots of encouragement which will increase his interest in the activity. This activity will require different interesting images or toys (Ellis, Morgan, and Reid, 2013).
Treasure Hunt
“Treasure hunt” activity is all about hunting different things from a big box and relates them to different shapes, to count them and to measure their sizes. This activity will help to accomplish different objectives i.e., to understand shapes, use counting techniques, understanding measurements etc which will help them to understand and increase maths knowledge.
The “Treasure Hunt” activity will require a big box that will consist of different items such as clock, can, buttons of different shapes, calculator, cereal box, cream jar etc. The other things require will include measuring scale (Ireson, 2008). The activity will require child to collect different things from a big box that will be provided by parents. After that the child will collect items from the box and will relate it with different shapes. The child will have to refer to school lessons to identify correct shapes. Then he or she will also be asked to count them and measure them using measuring scale. The measurement of each item will enable child to understand difference of inches and centimetres.
Pans and Pots Musical Activity
Children love music and enjoy music activities. Different music activities could be conducted at home such as “Pans and Pots musical activity”. The objective of this physical activity is to help children to learn different sounds and pitch of the sounds. In addition, this activity will also help children to learn to use beat of the sound before starting or ending a game which he could use while playing with other children. Besides this, the child will also learn to differentiate between a sound that comes out using wooden, plastic and steel spoon.
The “Pans and Pots musical activity” will require a wooden spoon, plastic spoon, steel spoon and different light weight pots and pans that are of small size. Using these materials, the child will be asked to make music. He or she will be encouraged to sing along the rhymes and poems that are learned in the class room (Ellis, Morgan, and Reid, 2013). While the child makes music, the parents can also use the words such as tap, bang, soft and loud etc to make him recognize the sound that he or she makes. The parents could also show what these words mean by body language and voice. For example, saying loud by covering ears or saying soft by speaking in whisper.
Fun with Colours
The “Fun with Colours” is an art activity that keeps children busy for hours. This activity involves making things using different materials and colouring or drawing different things that are around them or fascinates them (Barbour, 2012). The art activity aims to increase thinking, visualizing, learning and drawing skills throughout the development of continuum.
The “Fun with Colours” activity require different materials such as colour crayons, chart papers or drawing book, different colour glaze paper, glue, scissor and pencil. The child will draw the thing what fascinates him or her with the help of parents on glaze paper. Then he or she will cut the drawn item and paste it on drawing sheet or chart paper. In addition, the child could be asked to draw any thing on chart paper or drawing book and colour them with their favourite colours. While using colours, the child must be encouraged to use primary and secondary colours that were taught them in class room i.e., to mix two or three primary colours to make secondary colour.
Dancing Raisins
“Dancing Raisins” activity helps children to learn more about science. The curiousness of child encourages them to explore with science which enables them to learn a lot about themselves and their outside world (Ireson, 2008). The objective of this activity is to help children to raise different questions, explore objects and materials and make observations etc.
The “Dancing Raisins” activity will involve can of colourless soda, several fresh raisins and a tall clear plastic glass. After pouring soda in clear glass, the child will be asked why bubbles are rising to the top; where the answer will be provided according to the lessons taught in the school. Then the child will be asked to drop raisins in the class, where initially the raisins will sink, then rise and then again sink to the bottom. This rising and sinking activity will encourage child to raise different questions which will be answered to them by the parents or by the school teacher.
Draw a Map
The “Draw a Map” helps children to locate the place where they live and understand the surrounding places that help to increase knowledge of social studies. The objective of this activity is to physically understand the maps, places and directions.
The materials required by “Draw a Map” activity include pencil and a sheet of paper. With the help of hints that are provided to them by parents, the child will draw map which could be like from school to home, from best friend’s home to his/ her home, from home to shopping mart or park etc (Ellis, Morgan, and Reid, 2013). Through drawing map, the child will learn to make use of map symbols and learn distances besides recalling the streets and other symbols. This activity could be extended to a week’s time.
Conclusion
In a nut shell it could be that different activities that are supported by parents at home help to increase the learning of children. Moreover, at home the children could physically involve in activities that are taught to them in the classrooms. The different activities that are discussed in this paper will expand the child’s development throughout the continuum.
References
Barbour, A. C. (2012). Learning at Home, PreK-3: Homework Activities that Engage Children and Families. Canada: Skyhorse Publishing Inc
Ellis, G., Morgan, N. S., and Reid, K. (2013). Better Behaviour Through Home-School Relations: Using Values-based Education to Promote Positive Learning. Routledge Publishers
Ireson, J. (2008). Learners, Learning and Educational Activity: Foundations and Futures of Education. Routledge Publishers
