Spring Activities To Develop Language

Successful second language learning depends on the development of your child’s first language.  The following activities are suggestions for you to do with your child to develop their first language.  Use as much language as possible during each activity.  These activities are based on areas in the United States that experience the four seasons.   

1. Discuss how the weather has changed and how people and animals adapt to the spring weather.  We wear less clothes.  We wear a raincoat and/or rain boots.  We use an umbrella.  Bears wake up from hibernation and search for food.  Migratory birds return to where you live.  Birds make a nest and lay eggs. Some animals shed their fur.  Some animals change color to blend in to their surroundings (camouflage).  

Weather Vocabulary:  rain:  sprinkle, drizzle, pour/downpour, flood  wind:  breeze, blustery, windy  clouds: cloudy, clear, gloomy, foggy  other:  storm, thunder, lightening, rainbow

2. Read books about spring.

3. Look for signs of spring on a nature walk.  Bring a magnifying glass.  Look for grass, butterflies, insects, flowers, leaves, buds, birds, nests, eggs, wildlife (look for animal tracks!), etc..  Use your senses to experience spring!  Reading:  Incorporate reading skills into your walk. What letter and sound does each item begin with? 

4. Plant a plant together.  Explain that the the word “plant” can be used as a noun or a verb (to plant).  Vocabulary words:  seeds, soil, dig, pat, flowerpot, watering can, grow, sprout, blossom, stem, roots, bud, petal, leaf.  Discuss what plants need in order to grow.  

5. Pick a tree.  Draw the changes the tree undergoes in spring.  Write about these changes.      

6. Make a birdhouse.  Observe birds using your birdhouse.    

7. Plant a low-maintenance vegetable in a garden.  Teach your child how to take care of the plant.  What do plants need to grow?    

8. Plant a tree.

9. Play in the rain!  Splash in the puddles!

10. Fly a kite.  Learn about the wind.  What does the wind feel and sound like?

11. Make a spring craft.

Summer Activities to Develop Child’s Native Language

Successful second language learning depends on the development of your child’s native language. The following activities are suggestions for you to do with your child, or for your child to do on their own, to develop their first language. Use as much language as you can during the activity.  The activities below are based on what you can do in the United States, but you can tweak the activities to your own culture.

The following activities are also focused on building your child's background knowledge or prior knowledge.  It is important for your child to have many, various experiences to increase their background knowledge or prior knowledge.  Background knowledge is essential for reading comprehension.  Children need to have knowledge about the topic in a story or text in order to understand it.  The more a child knows about a topic, the easier it is to read and understand a text as well as remember the information in the text.    

Most importantly, spend time together having fun and making memories!

1. Discuss how the weather changes and how people and animals prepare for summer and survive during the summer.Discuss hot climates like a desert and how people and animals survive in this habitat.

2. Read summer-themed children’s books to your child.

3. If your child is able to read, have your child read books that they are interested in. Visit the public library for free books for your child to read.

4. Go on a nature walk or hike.Bring a magnifying glass. Examine butterflies, insects, berries, flowers, leaves, birds, frogs, parts of a plant or tree.

5. Visit museums, parks, aquariums, farms, zoos, the beach, fairs, water parks, theme parks, farmer’s markets, factory tours or national wildlife refuges.

6. Plant vegetables, flowers, or a tree.Discuss plant as a noun and as a verb (to plant). Vocabulary words: seeds, soil/dirt, dig, pat, watering can/hose, grow, weeds, sprout, blossom, stem, roots, bud, petal, leaf, flowerpot, garden.Discuss what plants need in order to grow.

7. Have your child play a sport or go to a sporting event.

8. Go camping (even if it’s in your backyard) and/or fishing.

9. Go for a bike ride.

10. Go canoeing/kayaking or for a boat ride.

11. Have your children play on the playground.

12. Use sidewalk chalk for your children to practice math facts, spelling sight words, or writing sentences.

13. Stargaze. Talk about constellations, the North Star, the verb twinkle.

14. Watch fireflies glow at night.

15. Go berry picking.

16. Feed the ducks.

17. Eat ice cream, popsicles, snow cones or watermelon.

18. Go on a picnic.

19. Have your children jump rope or play hopscotch.

20. Watch fireworks.

21. Play miniature golf.

22. Set up a lemonade stand.

23. Make a bird feeder.

24. Watch or be a part of a parade.

25. Have your child go to a summer or day camp.

26. Fly a kite.

27. Discuss Independence Day.Does your native country also have Independence Day?

28. Discuss summer weather (rain: sprinkle, drizzle, pour/downpour, flood wind:breeze, blustery, windy, hurricane clouds:cloudy, clear, gloomy, foggy other:storm, drought, thunder, lightening, tornado, rainbow)

29. Go whale watching.

30. Have your child swim at your local pool if you have one.

Winter Activities To Develop Child’s Native Language

Successful second language learning depends on the development of your child’s native language.  The following activities are suggestions for you to do with your child to develop their first language.  Use as much language as you can during each activity.  

The activities below are also focused on building your child's background knowledge or prior knowledge.  It is important for your child to have many, various experiences to increase their background knowledge or prior knowledge.  Background knowledge is essential for reading comprehension.  Children need to have knowledge about the topic in a story or text in order to understand it.  The more a child knows about a topic, the easier it is to read and understand a text as well as remember the information in the text.  

1. Discuss winter weather.  Blizzard, snow storm, ice storm, sleet, slush, ice, wind, freezing rain. 

2. Discuss how people and animals prepare for winter and survive during the winter.  People shovel snow, scrape the ice, snow plows plow the snow.  Animals hibernate, migrate, store food, camouflage.

3. Read winter-themed children’s books.    

4. Make hot cocoa.

5. Bake cookies.

6. Go snow shoeing or a nature walk.  Do you see any icicles?  Search for animal tracks.  Identify trees deciduous, coniferous, evergreen.  Do you smell pine?  Observe different types of birds (not all migrate!).  Collect pine cones and berries.      

7. Build a snowman or snow fort.

8. Go sledding or ice skating.

9. Because there is more darkness at this time of year, it is a great opportunity to observe the night sky.  Discuss and record the phases of the moon.  Do you see any constellations?  Observe or discuss sunrise, sunset, dawn, dusk, twilight.  Some animals are most active at dawn and dusk.  Discuss nocturnal and nocturnal animals.

10. Build and decorate a gingerbread house.

11. Make a craft.  

12. Make a bird feeder.

13. Go on a sleigh ride.  What do you see, hear, or smell?

14. Discuss cold regions of the world (north pole and south pole) and animals who live there.

Fall Activities To Develop Child’s Native Language

Successful second language learning depends on the development of the child’s native language.The following inexpensive activities are suggestions for parents to do with their child to develop their child’s first language.An effective activity depends on how much language is used during that activity, so you want activities that promote as much language as possible.  Use as much language as they can during each activity.You can also suggest that they incorporate grade level skills during activities.For example, for kindergarten students, parents can practice counting or the beginning sound of a fall item.

1. Visit an apple orchard and go apple picking.

2. Bake a pie or apple crisp.

3. Make caramel apples.

4. Examine the parts of an apple and/or pumpkin.Compare and contrast both.

5. Collect, examine, and compare and contrast leaves.

6. Go on a nature walk and collect fall items.Discuss and compare andcontrast your fall treasures.

7. Visit a pumpkin patch.

8. Carve and decorate pumpkins.

9. Go on a hay ride.

10. Play “I Spy” during a nature walk.

11. Attend a local harvest festival.

12. Read autumn-themed children’s books.

13. Visit a farm.

14. Drink apple cider.

15. Toast pumpkin seeds.