Week 7 Term 3

 Hi Everyone,

Literacy

This week we have continued to practise identifying single letters and sounds that we have already been taught and the digraphs 'ck', 'ff', 'll', 'ss' . Our newly learnt digraphs are 'sh' as in ship and 'qu' as in queen. When we know these single sounds and digraphs automatically we become more successful readers and writers.

Next week Week 8

Ms Turner will be away all of next week (Week 8)

Kimochi Communication Key 3: Use a Talking Face and Body

This week, your child will learn the third Kimochis® Key to Communication: Use a Talking Face and Body. We will practice strategies for maintaining a positive facial expression and body language when experiencing upset emotions and conflicts instead of a mean or hurtful facial expression (Fighting Face) and body language. When your child can keep his/her face and body from looking aggressive or hurtful, others will be more willing to listen. Your child will learn how to notice and read the facial expressions and body language of others as a way to understand the emotion behind the words. Your child will also learn a communication tool called the Talking Hand. This is a positive and effective strategy your child can use to respond to peers or siblings when they grab.

During Daily Activities

• Guide your children to pay attention to facial expressions and body language during the day. “I see some Fighting Faces. Let’s change them to Talking Faces.” (Also guide the Talking Hand.)

• Point out your own or others’ positive facial expressions: “Look at Daddy’s face” or “My face is saying I appreciate how patiently you play with your baby brother.”

• Practice the Talking Hand gesture before a play date as a reminder.

• Acknowledge when your child displays positive values such as patience, generosity, and kindness by noticing and commenting on what these facial expressions look like. For example, “Pablo, look at Jacob’s face. His face is saying that he appreciates how kind you are to wait for him.”

Kimochi Feeling Happy: Taking Turns

This week, we will talk about how the feeling “happy” helps children remember to take turns. When children take turns, everyone feels happy. Taking turns can be difficult for young children because they need to regulate their impulses and have patience. Young children are just learning to master this as they move from the egocentric “me” stage to the more group-conscious “us” stage. Gentle reminders in the moment and acknowledgement when children take turns will help them learn about this democratic principle.

Your child will learn that taking turns works best when we each name our turn.

For example, when it’s your child’s turn, they can say, “My turn” and pat their hand on their chest to indicate this. You can do the same for your turn. This can also work with a sibling or friend. The hand movements (patting your own chest and pointing to your play partner) help to guide the back-and-forth action of taking turns. Your child will also learn some communication scripts that can help decide who will go first during play.

We will practice being kind and saying, “Would you like to go first?” and “Can I please go first next time?”

Hope you are having an amazing week.

Thanks

Kristie and the PPT team