Literacy and Numeracy - the Foundation for Future Learning

Written by Maria Steinborn

Make Use of Travel Time!
• Sing, recite repetitive rhymes, poems or tell stories while you are in your car
• Ask children to notice environmental print road signs, billboards and commercial signage
• Get them to notice the alphabet in the environment ? i.e. the first letter in Esso or Co-op
• Count things that they can observe in their environment ? green cars, the number of bus stops between home and school
• Have children name things as you pass them
• Play word games and counting games in the car
• Discuss and share the experiences
• Look for shape in the environment

Engage and Involve Children in Household Activities
• Have them help writing grocery lists
• Help with cooking, reading recipes, measuring etc.
• Read directions
• Count place settings as they set the table
• Empty the dishwasher, counting and categorizing cutlery
• Save milk caps for sorting and counting
• Sorting laundry (find pairs of socks)
• Share the work load

Find Some Quality Time
• Read together
• Discuss TV shows that you have watched together
• Make the why question part of what you ask your children
• Eat breakfast or supper as a family
• Find play time - color, have family game nights
• Read a magazine together