The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is upon us. This busy time of year provides students and their families the opportunity to take a welldeserved break from regular routines. It’s also important to keep students’ brains active and alert so they are ready to return to school picking up where they left off.
Lisa Bullock-Grotting, director of early learning at Mesa Public Schools, says learning is ongoing and never stops. It’s especially important during the holidays to keep students’ minds engaged in activities that make them think.
Research supports early literacy experiences as key to academic achievement, higher graduation rates, enhanced productivity in adult life, and a lifelong love of learning.
“Children have such a great capacity to learn when they are little; they absorb everything,” Lisa shares. “Their young minds are like sponges, which is the reason it’s important to make learning fun, during the holidays and all year long.”
Looking for ways to engage your young learner? Here are a few tips from Lisa.
- Read aloud to your child every day. Reading and talking to your child creates a bond, models the love of reading, and stimulates and strengthens their language and literacy skills.
- Get out and explore. Whether going to the park, taking a day trip for a family hike, or going to the zoo, there are many things to explore in nature and a variety of ways to keep busy and engaged.
- Go on a scavenger hunt. Children love to find things and having a list with pictures and words will keep them interested and busy for hours.
- Start a collection. Little ones enjoy looking for rocks, leaves, pebbles, and flowers.
- Bake sugar cookies. Use a variety of cookie cutters and decorate them using fun-colored glitter and icing.
- Narrate your adventures in the store or car and talk about what your child is doing.
- Assign age-appropriate responsibilities such as watering the plants, picking up toys, making their bed and pulling weeds.
- Do arts and crafts. Construct holiday decorations or cards using a variety of tools like chalk, pens, and crayons.
For more information regarding early learning programs, please visit mpsaz.org/earlylearning.