Teaching Your Toddler

Teaching Your Toddler ©

Theme for the Week April 11th-17th - Dinosaurs!

Grrrrr! What little person isn't fascinated by dinosaurs? If you check out this link, it actually gives you pronunciations! This helps a ton when you are reading books about dinosaurs like the ones we have featured below. Make a bagel stegosaurus, a shaposaurus, learn "dinosaur" in Spanish and sign language and much more!

In 1990, a new exhibition opened this week at the Smithsonian that featured dinosaurs made out of metal parts made by the sculptor/artist Jim Gary. It is also my son's 2nd birthday on the 12th so I chose something he loves as the theme for the week!

Letter of the Week: D - for Dinosaur. Point out things that start with "D" - daddy, deck, down, dog. Show your toddler a picture of both a capital D and a lower case d. Draw a D on paper and let him/her trace over it, or use your child's finger to draw it in the sandbox or dirt. Use bath tub or refrigerator letters to show him/her this letter as well.

Number of the Week: 9 - When you show your child anything say "9 daffodils" (or whatever you are counting). Write the number 9 on paper or show your toddler a flash card. Show your child 9 things at a time and count them - "one, two, three, four..." - so your child gets used to the pattern. If nothing else, hearing the number is good for him/her.

Songs of the Week: Dinosaur Songs - Preschool Express always has such funny little songs for toddlers/preschoolers. This week's collection is no exception!

Story of the Week: Dinosaur Stories - Here is a list from Maw Books Blog that has a whole bunch of great ideas for dinosaur stories. Recently, I searched my local library on-line and placed holds on all the books I wanted and in a couple of days, they were ready to pick up. Instead of trying to browse the shelves with a busy toddler, I picked them up, checked them out and was on my way. Here's a link to public libraries in the United States if you'd like to see if your local branch is here. Let me know if you use this link. I don't even browse anymore; I just hold books and go get them when they're ready.

Snack of the Week: Bagel Stegosaurus - You may have to scroll down on the page to get to this one but we liked it because it's relatively healthy! You can get creative on how you actually make this with your child.

Spanish Words of the Week: dinosaur - el dinosaurio, neck - el cuello, teeth - los dientes, claw - la garfa, tail - la cola. Also I just discovered 123TeachMe - it is a fabulous resource for Spanish - kid's activities, a verb conjugator, pronunciations - tons of great stuff. Check it out.

Do It Myself: Drink from a Cup - If you are trying to transition from a bottle or sippy to an open cup, try a small amount at a time (I learned that one the hard way too many times) in a small plastic cup or try a Dixie cup (although my son likes to crush those...). Be patient. It does take a bit of practice.

Activity of the Week: Clothespin Stegosaurus and Shaposaurus - We couldn't decide between these two. The Clothespin Stegosaurus teaches fine motor skills and the Shaposaurus teaches, well, shapes! Both are from No Time for Flashcards which is an AMAZING site. The best part is that it has step-by-step instructions with photos of her son making the projects! One of my new favorite kid craft sites!

Yoga Pose: Sphinx Pose - This is the closest thing we could get to a dinosaur this week. It is a fabulous back stretch. This link is from Yoga Journal. PS - Our kids always liked the Yoga Kids series if you'd like more ideas for doing yoga with your toddler.

Sign Language Sign of the Week: Dinosaur, Plant, Meat, Egg. If your toddler is still learning how to talk, sign language can be a great way for them to communicate. And as they get older, they'll pick up signs faster and it can be more of a fun thing versus a way to communicate.

Remember to read to your toddler every day, and to give your child a hug and tell him/her you love them. Hope you have a wonderful week!

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