Today it seems as if everyone, including young children, are plugged in. Playing games, using educational apps, watching YouTube videos, thumbing through social media—screen time is a part of our culture. And while technology has become a critical tool in our lives, it has also been linked to emotional and health risks, including the tendency to sit instead of being physically active, sleeping problems, social isolation, and bullying.
There will be focus throughout this year on mastering letters, sounds, and words. You’ll watch with delight as she takes her first steps toward reading and writing correctly, especially when those activities are linked, both at school and at home. Help your kindergartner have fun with language in everyday life this year and watch as her vocabulary explodes.
She will learn key fundamentals of math this year, too, and there will be countless ways (no pun intended) to encourage this. Educational standards vary across states, districts, and schools, and no two children learn at exactly the same rate, so don’t panic if your little one doesn’t start to read at the same time as the neighbor’s kid.
