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One of the things our school district recommended to prepare children for kindergarten was a set of self-sufficiency skills: tying shoes (or wearing velcro shoes to school), buttoning, zipping, and snapping clothing, and opening lunch containers like milk boxes on their own.
I searched for milk boxes at the grocery store but it seems that they can only be purchased at bulk school supply companies or from schools themselves. They might be found at doughnut shops as well, though I haven't looked lately.
The other day I found cartons just like milk boxes filled with Tropicana orange juice. These were at my grocery store.
If you want to give your child practice opening milk boxes, you might look for similar boxes in the orange juice section of your grocery store.
And starting now, have your child open every type of food he or she eats, including string cheese, yogurt, plastic containers, and other types of drinks. The first time I had to demonstrate how to open the juice container, but from now on I will have my child do it himself.
By the way, I believe most of these preparing-for-kindergarten tips apply to homeschoolers as well. Though there may be no rush for a homeschooled child to learn some of these skills, most of them will come in handy for any child.
That is a great idea to have them practice those skills at home. I didn't know that they needed to know that before they started school. My daughter right now has a good grasp on how to open different things since she likes to take things and hide. She usually figures out how to open them on her own or just make a big mess!
ReplyDeleteShe'll be ready! Lots of practice! :) I don't think they absolutely need to know these things before school starts, but the teachers can't help every single child at lunchtime or tying shoes without it taking a long time. I've been assured the teachers will also work with each child on these skills and others. The more children who already know some of these skills, the smoother the school days go. That's my understanding, at least. :)
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