Table of Contents

Helping Your Child
Get Ready for School

with activities for children
from birth through age 5

Appendices

Good Television Habits

Children in the United States have watched an average of 4,000 hours of television by the time they begin school. Most experts agree that this is too much. But banning television isn't the answer, because good television can spark curiosity and open up new worlds to children. Monitoring how much and what television children watch helps them, starting at an early age, to develop good viewing habits.

Too much television can be harmful because:

• It can expose children to too much sex and violence;

• Children can be unduly influenced by junk food and toy commercials;

• It can give children a poor model for good behavior before they have developed a clear idea of right and wrong;

• Young children do not have the experience and wisdom to understand complicated plots or scary scenes; and

• Sitting passively in front of the set for extended periods of time can slow young children's social and intellectual development.

Here are some tips to help children develop good television-viewing habits.

Keep a record of how many hours of TV your children watch, and what they watch. Generally, it's good to limit the amount to 2 hours or less a day, although you can make exceptions for special programs.

Learn about current TV programs and videos and select good ones. As parents, you know your children best. So, select TV programs and videos that are meaningful to your family. Some TV programs you may wish to consider include "Captain Kangaroo," Eureeka's Castle," "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood," Sesame Street," and "Shining Time Station." Many other good children's programs, such as Disney and Nickelodeon, are on public television stations and on cable channels.

If you have a VCR, you may wish to seek out videos made by Linda Ellerbee's Lucky Duck Productions. Of course, videos vary in quality, but versions of classic children's books, such as Babar or Snow White, are a good place to start.

Parents who would like help in finding good TV programs for children can subscribe to Parents' Choice, a quarterly review of children's media which includes television programs and home video materials. Write to Parents' Choice Foundation, Box 185, Newton, MA 02168. A subscription is $18 a year. A sample copy is $2.

You can also read about programs in TV columns in newspapers and magazines. Cable subscribers and public broadcasting contributors can check monthly program guides for information.

Plan with your children (starting at age 3) what programs to watch. After selecting programs appropriate for your children, help them decide which ones to watch. Turn the TV on when these shows start, and turn the set off when they are over.

Watch television with your children so you can answer questions and talk about what they see. Pay special attention to how they respond so you can help them understand what they're seeing, if that's needed.

Follow-up TV viewing with activities or games. You might have your child tell you a new word he learned on television that you can look up together in the dictionary. Or you might have him make up his own story about one of his favorite TV characters.

Include the whole family in discussion and activities or games that relate to television programs. Older siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents can all contribute. Make certain that television isn't regularly used as a babysitter. Instead, try to balance good television with other fun activities for your child.

Choosing Child Care

More and more children are in preschool or other child care settings before they enter kindergarten. Choosing the right child care is important because it can affect how prepared your child is for school. 

Some tips to guide you:

• Think about the kind of care you want for your child.

• Possibilities include (a) a relative; (b) a family day care provider, usually a woman who takes care of a small group of children in her home; (c) a child care center; and (d) a caregiver who comes into your home.

• Figure out what suits your budget and what you can expect to spend in your community. For low-income parents, the federally funded Head Start program (and in some communities Chapter 1 programs) are available. State-subsidized child care programs also are available, although most often more people need the subsidized care than there are spaces available. Many families are entitled to the child care credit on their income tax forms.

• Recognize that there are many ways to find good care. Ask friends and neighbors. Look in the Yellow Pages of your telephone book under "Child Care Centers." Look in the classified ads of your local newspaper, or place an ad of your own. Put up notices on your church or synagogue bulletin board, in grocery stores, local community centers, or at the employment office of local colleges or universities. Look for notices that other people have put up.

• If you are looking for a family day care provider, a local licensing agency can provide you with local listings. Many communities have resource and referral agencies that help parents identify the options that best meet their needs.

• Start looking early, particularly if you have a special program for your child in mind. Some programs have long waiting lists. Some may even require you to get on a waiting list before your child is born.

• Gather information. If you are looking for a family day care provider or for a person to come into your home, interview the person at length and check references. Before you meet with them, develop a list of questions. If you are looking at day care centers, visit them--more than once, if possible. Just because a person or a program worked for someone else doesn't mean it's right for you. With any kind of child care, check references.

No matter what kind of child care you are considering, look for caregivers who

• Are kind and responsive. Good caregivers are affectionate, enjoy children, are energetic enough to keep up with your preschooler, patient, and mature enough to handle crises and conflicts.

• Have experience with preschoolers and like them. Find out how long they have worked with preschoolers, why they are in the early child care field, and whether they provide activities that are appropriate for your child's age. Observe the caregivers with children. Do the children seem happy? How do the caregivers respond to them?

• Recognize the individual needs of your child. Look for caregivers who are considerate of different children's interests and needs and who can provide your child with enough attention.

• Share a child-rearing philosophy that is similar to yours. Find out what kind of discipline is used and how problems are handled.

• Be certain that the child care facility is clean and safe and is filled with things to explore that are appropriate for your child's age.

Ready-for-School Checklist

This checklist, although not exhaustive, can help to guide you in preparing your child for school. It's best to look at the items included as goals toward which to aim. They should be done, as much as possible, through everyday life or by fun activities you've planned with your child. If your child lags behind in some areas, don't worry. Remember that all children are unique. They grow and develop at different rates--and no one thing guarantees that a child is ready for school.

Good Health and Physical Well-Being

My child:

• Eats a balanced diet.

• Receives regular medical and dental care and has had all the necessary immunizations. Gets plenty of rest.

• Runs, jumps, plays outdoors, and does other activities that help develop large muscles and provide exercise.

• Works puzzles, scribbles, colors, paints, and does other activities that help develop small muscles.

Social and Emotional Preparation

My child:

• Is learning to be confident enough to explore and try new things.

• Is learning to work well alone and to do many tasks for himself.

• Has many opportunities to be with other children and is learning to cooperate with them. Is curious and is motivated to learn.

• Is learning to finish tasks (for example, picks up own toys).

• Is learning to use self-control.

• Can follow simple instructions.

• Helps with family chores.

Language and General Knowledge

My child:

• Has many opportunities to play.

• Is read to every day.

• Has access to books and other reading materials.

• Has his television viewing monitored by an adult.

• Is encouraged to ask questions.

• Is encouraged to solve problems.

• Has opportunities to notice similarities and differences.

• Is encouraged to sort and classify things (for example, by looking for red cars on the highway).

• Is learning to write his name and address.

• Is learning to count and plays counting games. Is learning to identify shapes and colors.

• Has opportunities to draw, listen to and make music, and to dance.

• Has opportunities to get firsthand experiences to do things in the world--to see and touch objects, hear new sounds, smell and taste foods, and watch things move.

Final Note

What We Can Do To Help Our Children Learn:

• Listen to them and pay attention to their problems.

• Read with them.

• Tell family stories.

• Limit their television watching.

• Have books and other reading materials in the house.

• Look up words in the dictionary with them.

• Encourage them to use an encyclopedia.

• Share favorite poems and songs with them.

• Take them to the library--and get them their own library cards.

• Take them to museums and historical sites, when possible.

• Discuss the daily news with them.

• Go exploring with them and learn about plants, animals, and geography.

• Find a quiet place for them to study.

• Review their homework.

• Meet with their teachers.

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