Preschool Newsletter
April 2024 Updates
Welcome to the KESD Early Childhood Team Newsletter. We hope you find it both informational and fun.
The Early Childhood Team (in no special order):
- Carla Ciardelli, Early Childhood Program Coordinator
- Zohara Zarfati, Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator
- Tracy Towle, PreK Special Educator
- Maureen McNally, PreK Special Educator
If you are interested in a special topic, have a question, or would like to share something, please email Zohara Zarfati, Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator at zzarfati@kingdomeast.org.
Note: Please make sure to include "for newsletter" in the Subject line of the email.
KESD Preschool & Kindergarten Roundup
If you have a child who will be 3 or 4 years old before September 1, 2024, your child is eligible for preschool! If you have a child who will be 5 years old before September 1, 2024, your child is eligible for kindergarten!
Roundup appointment times will be offered to incoming preschoolers and kindergarteners between Tuesday, May 28th to Friday, May 31st. Once you register for preschool or kindergarten, you will be contacted to set up your Roundup day and time at a school location.
You will find registration and Roundup information here:
Did you know?
Nutrition & Eating
Why is my child a picky eater? Why won’t my child eat? - Listen to this short video by a food therapist, who will address those questions and will suggest some strategies to try. Please remember that every child is different and we want to respect and celebrate each step they make in their development. Video Link: "How to help your child want to join you at the table and explore new foods"
Find the Fun in Food!
Playing with food is a teaching opportunity to explore and desensitize to new foods! Continuing with our food exposure theme this month, here are some cool ideas to create with your students. None of us want to “waste” food but we can pick a special day for food art or maybe ask students to choose a picture of food art to copy. And…have fun creating!
Things to Do
Happenings in the Area:
Children’s Storytime
Exposure to reading behavior is crucial for development in language, emotional, social, and attention skills. Exposing children to a rich world of words and stories, is no different than exposing them to a variety of foods. Finding a way to make it a social event expands children’s joy with books. Check the children’s story time at Cobleigh library.
When: Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.
Toys, Games or Apps of the Month
Truce Play & Toy Guide
Toys and play are some of the best tools to teach young children new skills and practice them on their own or with others. Here is a guide you can visit overtime to get new ideas, and promote creative and constructive play with your students:
Communication
A few words from KESD speech and language supervisor, Lisa Durstin:
Developmental milestones: Each child develops uniquely, even within the same family, and may meet certain milestones earlier or later than others. Your child may not reach each milestone until the end of their age range. Talk with your child's doctor if your child does not reach many of the milestones based in their age range.
What should my 3-4 year-old child be able to do?
- Compares things, with words like bigger or shorter.
- Tells you a story from a book or a video.
- Understands and uses more location words, like inside, on, and under.
- Uses words like a or the when talking, like a book or the dog.
- Pretends to read alone or with others.
- Recognizes signs and logos like STOP.
- Pretends to write or spell and can write some letters.
- Correctly produces t, k, g, f, y, and –ing in words.
- Says all the syllables in a word, even if the sounds are in error.
- Says the sounds at the beginning, middle, and end of words even if the sounds are in error.
- By age 4 years, your child talks smoothly. Does not repeat sounds, words, or phrases most of the time.
- By age 4 years, your child speaks so that people can understand 75% of what they say. Child may make mistakes on sounds that are later to develop—like l, j, r, sh, ch, s, v, z, and th.
- By age 4 years, your child says all sounds in a consonant cluster containing two or more consonants in a row—like the tw in tweet or the –nd in sand. May not produce all sounds correctly—for example, spway for “spray.”
Book of the Month
This month we would like to mention the Canadian author Robert Munch. Here are a couple samples of his many wonderful books:
“I HAVE TO GO!” is a delightful book created for the toilet training period. There is nothing better than hearing it read by the author himself, Robert Munch. I HAVE TO GO!
And another book your kids will surely love to hear over and over again about a boy who struggled to calm himself down at sleep time. Would you tell this story right before bedtime? Mortimer
Gross & Fine Motor Skills
Fingerplays with Ms. Nina
Joke of the Month
Why shouldn’t you give Elsa a balloon? Because she’ll “Let it Go”!
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Photo Gallery
If you would like to share a special activity of your students, please email Zohara Zarfati, Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator at zzarfati@kingdomeast.org.
Visit the Early Childhood Education Page On Our Website!
Carla Ciardelli, Early Childhood Program Coordinator | Email: cciardelli@kingdomeast.org
Zohara Zarfati, Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator | Email: zzarfati@kingdomeast.org
Tracy Towle, PreK Special Educator | Email: ttowle@kingdomeast.org
Maureen McNally, PreK Special Educator | Email: mmcnally@kingdomeast.org