1. Junior Infant Parent Information Meeting 2011 How to help your child

2. Outline Developing Independence The Literacy Experience Promoting Early Mathematical Skills

3. Developing Independence At school we encourage the children to develop their independence further: Jobs Regular routines Discussion of problems and helping each other

4. As a parent, you can help by Full school uniform, Tracksuit on P.E. Days letting your child hang up coat/put homework folders in the box himself/herself. encouraging your child to take out the morning activities, prepare their own work area. teaching your child to zip up his coat, tie scarf …

5. At home Let your child take out and prepare homework, check that the folder is ready to take to school. Give small jobs (responsibilities) at home

6. Morning Activities This is not only play. This encourages fine motor skills, independence, co-operation, conversation, friendship, reinforcement of activities.

7. Motor Skills Gross motor skills Fine motor skills Developmental milestones Daily activities: feeding, dressing, tying laces/buttons, using scissors, drawing, constructing models, making jigsaws.

8. Fine Motor Skills The development of writing Posture Use of writing tools ie crayons, markers, chalk, chubby pencils and materials Pencil grip Patterns, Mazes, letter formation

9. Literacy –Alphabet sounds –Sound books –Beginning cvc words and reading sheets

10. What to do at home Go through sound books and word lists Link to everyday life: what sound does this begin? Emphasise the sound not the names of the letters

11. Language Development Sounds Abound Nursery Rhymes Using story

12. Reinforcement at home Encourage speech rather than gestures Encourage the children to use language to name describe explain how to do/make /why retell stories ask questions predict what could happen Link everyday words that rhyme

13. January Letter Formation One letter per week, carry on with sounds Homework sheet Use small case – writing name

14. Reading Books Reading scheme – Reading Zone Parallel readers – same level Word recognition (automatic) Word identification – using phonics or other reading cues Children will progress at their own rate Children need a lot of support

15. Shared Reading Large books Reading for meaning and enjoyment Reading process is modelled Concepts of print Shared reading at home – parent’s page / child’s page Bedtime reading

16. Word Folders Matching cards – match by sight Bingo games Using the initial sounds to identify a word

17. Homework This adds to your child’s classroom experiences. It is important that children have quiet area, the necessary writing implements and time( froggy grip)

18. Homework Encourage correct handling of writing implements Encourage discussion about what they are doing Encourage correct handling of books Praise their efforts

19. Junior Infant Maths Build on the child’s pre-school experience. It lays the foundations for future maths development.

20. Junior Infant Maths Early Mathematical Activities Classifying Matching Comparing Ordering Working on sets of objects (0-5) array

21. Junior Infant Maths Mathematical Concepts –Number (concept and formation of the symbol) *number formation –size –shape –space –data

22. Maths It is essential that children see mathematics as relevant to their own lives. Maths language is needed for everyday lives,(first, last, taller than, same as )

23. What can you do? Find ways of linking maths into everyday situations

24. Counting There are many opportunities for your child to count everyday: the number of cars they see on the way to school, Two cups on the table! How many more do I need if 5 people are having tea?

25. Sorting colour: red objects in the toy box texture: rough / smooth/ hard/ soft Function: cutlery tray (sorting knives forks and spoons)

26. Sorting and matching household objects size: big plates / small plates shape: round objects in the kitchen

27. Language Use the language with your child that will help them understand concepts of: more/ less, the same as, longer than / shorter than

28. Any questions ? Thank you.