Kindergarten is a wonderful time for young children. I was so lucky my two children had fantastic kindergarten teachers. Kindergarten activities include lessons on kindergarten math, reading, writing, crafts, science and kindergarten themes to capture the child's imagination.

Here are some ideas to help you kindergarten child becoming ready for writing.

Provide a range of materials to encourage writing and drawing. All the material don't have to be new for example, envelopes from your mail, store catalogs for cutting and pasting pictures, scissors, paste, old magazines and of course pens, pencils, textas, coloured markers.

Write together. When you make a shopping list encourage your child to make one too. When you write cards, letters, encourage your child to add to yours or write their own. Leave messages for other family members.

Write signs and labels for things around the house with your child. A sign for their door is a good place to start.

Explore various ways in which we write, instructions, stories, messages, lists, recounting something that has happened.

Discuss varous type of writing in the books you have at home. Talk to your child about books that give information compared to story books.

This wonderful book sets out a simple, easy to follow preschool and kindergarten curriculum. It has step by step kindergarten lessons, kindergarten printables, and kindergarten worksheets.

Are you looking for kindergarten themes to help your child learn? Children learn from the world around them. "Children who are read to and encouraged to explore their world, will want to learn to read and write in their own time, and will also require much less 'teaching', if they are not pressured to do so before they are ready." Shirley Erwee author of ABC Fun & 1-2-3

Kindergarten Reading

Make a regular time for reading together.

Talk about books. Use the pictures to predict what is going on. Ask your child to make suggestions.

Provide a range of reading material that interest your child.

Join the local library.

Find signs, read recipes, store catalogs, packets, boxes and other household items.

Give books as gifts or treat. Much better than sweets. Select books that are age appropriate. Books that rhyme, have rhythm and repetition and predictable ides. These will help you child read them by themselves faster.

Read old favorites again and again and soon your child will be reading them to you.

Show an interest in reading yourself. Lead by example, have a family reading time. Let you child see you reading.

Discuss parts of a book. Front and backcover, holding the book the right way, turning the pages, show the child the title, discuss the characters in the story, and familiar words.

Talk about the author of a book and read other books by the same author. Find things that are similar about the books.

Explore the pictures in books to decide where the story is taking place. Compare events and places with those your child knows.

Read aloud together. Look for clues in the book to tell you how to say what is written eg. "talking marks", bold print and italics.

Show your child that the writing in books should make sense. Tell them what to do when the meaning isn't clear. Re-read the tricky section, look at the pictures for information, have a go at unknown words.

Most importantly read to your child!

Encourage you child to use greetings and farewells in various situations, such as making friends and introducing themselves.

Show you child how to use the telephone. Teach them what to say when they answer and how to take a message.

Sing rhymes, jingles, songs. Say poems and chants together. Read favourite rhymes and stories aloud with expression.

Practice following directions and giving instructions.

Model the use of eye contact when someone is speaking to you. Show your child how to be an active listener. Ask them to look at you when you are speaking and do the same when they talk to you.

Encourage you child to use appropriate volume and expression in different situations. Role play favorite characters from stories.

Provide a range of toys and materials to encourage talk and description.