This morning I had the pleasure of talking with parents about the expectations for children as they prepare to enter into Kindergarten. We talked about reading every day as a way for children to become curious about different topics, establishing safe and warm routines that children can return to after a day at school (snuggled up close with a caring adult, sharing a story), and exploring opportunities for children to become little scientists: curious, questioning and creative. We also talked about the everyday things that we can do to develop literacy skills (like the ones you can find on the Literacy Activity Calendars).
As we talked, I was reminded about all the wonderful learning opportunities that playdough provides young children. It is a wonderful tool that offers children an error-free opportunity to play, express themselves and create. There is no wrong way to play with playdough! When we look at the recent data from the Early Development Instrument, we see that there are children in our communities who are vulnerable on the Physical Health and Well-being domain, including fine motor development. When we consider the little hands that are about to take on some pretty big tasks in Kindergarten, it is important to remember to build all those muscles that will help them succeed in these tasks. Think of it as strength-training for the hands and mind. When children squish, roll, push, pat and play with playdough, they are building muscle strength in their hands that will allow them to hold writing tools effectively. They are exercising their vocabulary when they describe what they are doing with the playdough, and they are learning about cause and effect while using different tools with playdough (including scissors).
Here is an article from NAEYC that outlines some further benefits to playing with playdough. Playdough Power
Is playdough part of your strength training routine? What are some of your favourite activities to do with playdough?
Oxford Early Literacy 