It is now April and we are getting ready to celebrate Easter. It is exciting to think about the Easter bunny and an Easter basket, but we also need to remember to take time to say our prayers and to be thankful for everything God has given to us and done for us. 

This month you can also celebrate nature and the beginning of spring. Everyday you can look in your yard or out your window and notice the beautiful changes in nature. You can encourage the children to count all of the different colors they see, such as a blue sky, green grass, a yellow flower, etc. Point out how the trees are growing leaves and some may even have flowers on them. It is a good time to appreciate the beauty that God and nature have given us. 

I will continue sending weekly lesson plans, videos of me reading to the children, and "zooming" the class. It was so nice to see the children's faces! As you know I am always available to contact via email. Here are some updated extra ideas for the children to work on throughout the month. 

Academics: Sing the letters of the alphabet, counting numbers 1-20, recognizing their name and the letters in it, saying their last name, finding basic shapes (circle, triangle, square, rectangle, oval, and diamond) in the house, introducing their address. 

Fine motor: Making shapes out of play-doh, drawing a picture of what they see outside, building with blocks, pulling zippers up and down, dressing themselves and other independence skills (ex: feeding), lacing or hole punching, working with stamps, and picking up small objects. 

Gross motor: Kicking a ball, catching/throwing a ball, riding tricycles, running, jumping, or climbing.

Reading: Talking about the illustrations on each page, talking about the main character or different parts of the story, drawing their favorite part of the story, asking what they think is going to happen next, and talking about the book cover and where the title is. 

Social skills: Play time, pretending, imagining, having your child wait or take turns, talking about their feelings, and cleaning up their toys.