After reading the article
"Cramming for Kindergarten Tests" by Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah in the February 14th edition of the Chicago Tribune, I was shocked at how competitive enrollment at the Chicago magnet schools had become. Who knew a parent would consider hiring a tutor for their preschooler? There are many websites that provide the cognitive learning experiences that were detailed in the article.
I found worksheets for preschool and elementary grades at
TSL Books. Com. What's great about this site is that you can choose grade level and skill level. It includes preschool skills such as coloring the word "red" with a red crayon or more advanced skills such as geometry reviews for fifth graders. Lots of options here.
Kidsland.tv is a fun website where a child can learn cognitive or life skills in Playland, learn English or math skills in Studyland, play Sudoku, smart games or brain games in Gameland, read various books in Storyland, or dance in Danceland and sing in Musicland. The graphics are charming and voices funny and I can see where a child would enjoy his experience there. Kidsland also provides the parents with a report card to chart your child's progress.
At
Kidslearningstation.com you'll find a variety of worksheets including phonics and some that work with fine motor skills. Again, lots of options here.
These are just three sites I found by searching by "kids cognitive learning". There were many more. I hope this encourages you to take that first step to enriching your child's education. You'll also find it fun and one wild ride!
Last week we had a program based on dental hygiene in our K-2 Storyhour. Students from the Prairie State Dental Hygiene program gave an awesome presentation on brushing, flossing, brushing your tongue and all around oral hygiene. I was so proud of the creative questions the children asked. One boy asked what other alternatives there were to mint toothpaste and toothpastes that contained dyes, as he cannot have either. Another asked about brushing your tongue. So proud of my K-2'ers and the dental hygienists!
