Dear Parent(s),

During the week of April 21st through the 25th we will be exploring the book Oh, no! by Scharlaine Cairns. The concepts we will address include:  Spots  Dirty/Clean  Clothing (coat, skirt, pants, sweater, tie, shorts, dress) Oh, No!  Body parts (chin, knee, hand, wrist, face)  Chicken pox

Some expansion activities to complete at home include:-Have your child help with the laundry. Helping with daily chores is a great way for your student to feel helpful around the house and learn the importance of everyday activities. Talk about what you are doing and where the clothes go (e.g., dirty clothes go in the washer, and wet clothes go in the dryer). Discuss with them the use of stain removers and detergent and why you use them. Start them young. Have them assist you with each step and explain why you do the things you do. They will slowly learn the process for themselves.

Teach how to sort the dirty laundry. Have the child help sort out whites, darks, colors, bedding, towels, etc. As you do so, explain that different colors and types of laundry are separated and washed in different water temperatures or require additional products to help clean them the best way. You will likely have to repeat these instructions many times before it all starts to make sense to a younger child. Over time, teach these additional preparation skills:

o Checking pockets for forgotten items o Turning printed shirts (such as t-shirts) inside out to prevent unnecessary wear on the printing o Recognizing when they have an appropriate-size load of laundry - not too little, not too much o Recognizing items that should not go in the washing machine, such as dry-clean-only or hand- wash-only items (and talk about why and what you dry clean).

Teach how to use the dryer. Show your child where the lint-catcher is, and how to check and clean it out before they start adding damp laundry to the dryer. Oddly enough, this is often a favorite task for kids! Talk to them about what lint is and why you have to empty the filter to avoid a fire. Then teach them how to remove the laundry a few pieces at a time, shake them out to remove all washer-induced twisting, and place them in the dryer.

-Getting down and dirty with your children and cleaning their room with them is a big help as well. Sometimes, little children have so many toys and clothes out that they do not remember what goes where. Telling them to simply put things back where they belong is confusing to toddlers and even some preschoolers. Place and order are concepts first taught in preschool. Believe it or not, they are reading and math readiness skills. Yes, helping kids keep order in their rooms actually helps get them ready for success in school!

-Go to http://www.lawrencegoetz.com/stories/spottedanimals.html and download a Mac or PC version of a “spotted” story.

Some additional books on the concepts of clean and dirty: Ten Dirty Pigs, Ten Clean Pigs by C. Roth & P. Paparone How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms? By Jane Yolen & Mark Teaque Duck Is Dirt y by Satoshi Kitamura

Sincerely, Lisa Bergeson & Joan Haflich