These children are not too young to learn a daily routine. Every morning sing the same “Good Morning” song with added hand gestures, greet each child by name, and read a book. Make sure to point to the words as you read them.
The children will begin to recognize and react to the sounds of language as they build their vocabularies. They will show interest in you and the other children as they begin to show an awareness of what is happening around them.
Cover a table or part of the floor with a large piece of light-colored butcher paper. Allow your little Picassos and Monets to experiment with washable paints. Let them use a variety of paint tools – brushes, sponges, and paint rollers. As they work, talk about what you see them doing.
This fun art activity will be a fun writing exploration for the children. They will enjoy working with each other as they imitate one another and you and explore objects in a new way. They will also improve their coordination.
Singing songs and performing fingerplays is a great way to transition from one activity to another. Make up simple songs to help the children know that it’s time to clean up or to wash their hands. Encourage the children to sing – or babble – along with you.
The children will love to hear the songs and fingerplays as they build their oral language and literacy skills. Repeating these songs will help them understand that things happen in an order. This will help them build a trusting relationship with you and other adults.