Young children understand many things, but when it comes to comprehending the calendar, sometimes things get hazy. Grasping the calendar concept not only means understanding the days of the week, but also the months of the year. It can be very difficult for young children to think ahead in the future. This is why calendar comprehension can be fairly difficult. Although your child will learn calendar skills at preschool or kindergarten, it's always nice to give him a headstart. Use this guide to begin teaching your child the beginning lessons of calendar skills.
Instructions
1. Create a weekly calendar out of poster board and place it on your child's bedroom wall. Simply purchase markers and draw six vertical lines down to create seven even spaces. Label it, "This Week."
2. Label activities your child will do each day. For this step, write weekly repeating tasks on the calendar with a marker. For example, if you go to a park every Monday, the library every Thursday, and a movie every Friday, write these activities under their respective days. Other nonrepeating activities should be written on a sticky note pad and stuck to the day.
3. Greet your child in the morning by saying, "Good morning honey. Today is Thursday. We're going to have fun!" Then, show her the weekly calendar and review what you will be doing for the day.
4. Move a large monthly calendar into a common room for your child to see. Once the days of the week are understood, it is time to study the months. A monthly calendar placed in the kitchen or living room is perfect. Try to choose a calendar with different pictures for each month that depict that particular month.
5. Go through each month, describing the weather and various events and holidays. For March, talk about spring and St. Patrick's Day. For October, discuss Halloween and the changing leaves. If you have chosen a calendar with great pictures, these can help you describe each month.
6. Go over the months with your child twice a week for repetition. This is enough to get him used to the idea, but not too much to turn him off of the subject. When it is time to change the calendar page each month, ask for help. Then discuss what the new month will bring.
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