• Holding a book properly.
• Reading a book from front to back.
• Turning pages from the right-hand corner.

As your child begins to recognize words, try pointing to the words as you read them. Your child might like to point to familiar words also.

When you read books with your child take the time to talk about the book. When children actively participate in discussing the book it increases their comprehension and vocabulary. Some things you might want to talk about as you read the story are:

• What will happen next in the story?
• What would you or your child have done in that situation?
• What are the characters thinking?
• What do you see in the picture?

If it is a rhyming book, stop before you get to the rhyming word and see if your child knows the word. Look for the shape or the color of the month while reading. As you talk about the book your child may begin talking about something that is completely unrelated. Follow your child's lead. In the child's mind there is a connection and this is an excellent opportunity for your child to practice thinking and verbal skills.

Preschools often request the same story over and over again. Sometimes it is hard for parents to keep reading the same story, but your child will be learning more about reading each time you read that story "one more time."

Reprinted from Family-Friendly Communications for Early Childhood Programs, Deborah Diffily and Kathy Morrison - Editors

Use a 9"x13" cake pan. You can use this with many different sensory activities. Start with water. Put 1" of warm water in the bottom of the pan. Place the pan on the kitchen table with a towel underneath. Keep an extra towel on hand for spills. (You will notice different sensory materials are suggested for each month of the year.)

In the beginning you will probably only want to give your child one or two measuring cups and a spoon or two. As the child becomes more experienced with the activity he will be ready for more items. You can add a variety of items such as matchbox cars, measuring cups, funnels, small dump trucks, farm animals, little people, etc. You can recycle items that would otherwise be thrown away such as cottage cheese containers, thread spools, packing peanuts, etc.

What Children Learn From Sensory Activities

Sensory activities give your child opportunities to learn through their senses. These activities naturally encourage children to explore physical properties. Through this exploration children learn math and science concepts, enhance physical skills, and gain language skills.

While sensory activities give children the opportunity to develop many skills they are especially suited to math and science concepts. Some math concepts children might learn include: empty/full, many/few, shallow/deep, heavy/light, etc.

Children become little scientists when they are involved in sensory activities. Their curiosity leads them to experiment. The experimentation teaches them about the properties of liquids and solids, gives them the opportunity to make predictions about "what will happen if..." and develops their observational skills.