Be patient with a child who, when asked what he/she did at school, divulges very little. This is very typical, especially at the beginning of the school year. However, take upon yourself the challenge of improving in the area of questioning so that you stimulate as much language as possible. This means reducing the number of questions which require a one word "yes" or "no" answer or, perhaps, a shrug. Instead of "Did you have a good time?," ask " What did you do at school that you don't do at home?"; "What color did you use?"; "Who sat next to you while you were eating?"

This year we will focus a lot on the importance of poetry and rhyming.  I will post some new poems appropriate for preschoolers each month.  You can print them out of the documents folder and read aloud to your child.