Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Interactive Online Lessons and Technology

So you want to use or are now using an online curriculum for your kindergarten age child. Have you made the right decision? Time will tell for sure. In the mean time, let’s explore what makes up a good online interactive curriculum. The first thing that comes to mind is educationally sound interactive lessons. A good online curriculum utilizes technology. Your child should learn to use a keyboard and mouse if they don’t already know how to do so. A good online curriculum integrates lessons in computer skills and applications right into their curriculum. Your child might even learn computer-based word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation skills using interactive lessons. The skills acquired in those lessons should then be practiced through assignments in other subject areas. New skills should not be learned in isolation, but rather they should develop and appreciation of how to apply and expand the new skills they are learning.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Health and Safety

Most kids are naturally germy. They tend to touch everything in sight. That is one way they learn about the world around them and that is o.k. That is also one very good reason kindergarten children need to learn about health and safety. Most good online curriculum will include these in their general course of study. Some of the topics may also be covered under the heading of social studies. Typical health and safety topics include, but are not limited to the following:

* Personal hygiene
* Good eating habits
* Good grooming
* Care of teeth
* Major body parts
* Physical fitness
* Safety to and from school
* Safety rules and symbols
* Fire safety
* Safety at home and in the community

You can and should extend your child’s online health and safety lessons in the home and the community so they completely understand the importance of health and safety rules that we all try to follow. Be a good role model for them when you are out and about.