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Summer is here and school is out!! We have
designed a summer packet for you and your child to look

sum
at and use this summer. Whether your preschooler is
coming back for another year with us or your child is off

mer!
to kindergarten, this packet is full of information,
activities, and fun that will help support your child to
retain what they have learned and prepare them for the
year ahead!!! We have given you articles that describe
kindergarten readiness, books for activities and lessons,
and books for fun! We have included websites that are
great for your kids to go on to play games and enjoy
learning throughout the summer.
Also, we have included
resources located in the
community that you can
take advantage of this summer.
We hope that your summer
can be fun, enjoyable, and
educational!
Little
Miracles
Preschool
Staff
 Print Resources

The Great Outdoors

New delights and opportunities for learning await

each time children venture outdoors. These updated
editions of the Great Outdoors will inspire you to
make it possible for your children to spend more
time outdoors and be free to learn through
exploration. These magazines are packed with
resource ideas for your exploration adventures this
summer!

Summer Bridge Activities. Grades PK-K

By Summer Bridge Activities
Published January 25, 2015

This activities book is for students entering their

kindergarten year. It presents activities that review
prekindergarten skills such as colors, shapes, and
letter recognitions. It also presents new
kindergarten skills like addition, subtraction, and
vowel sounds. They believe that learning shouldnt stop just
because it is the summer time! The book gives you examples of
engaging activities that support state standards.

Daily Summer Activities

 Moving from PreK to Kindergarten
By Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
Published January 15, 2000

This book is full of summer activities designed for

children who are transitioning from preschool into
kindergarten. The content presented in this book
includes practicing two or three letters of the
alphabet each week tracing the letter, listening for
the letter sound, sequencing events, and learning to spell one
word each week. The book also presents activities for oral
language and mathematics. Using this book could help your child
with the basic skills they need when they enter kindergarten.

Lets Get Ready for Kindergarten!

By Stacey Kannenberg
Published March 1, 2006
This book is dedicated to helping parents and
children prepare for Kindergarten! It isnt a
storybook or a work book, it is a book that covers
curriculum! It covers the alphabet, numbers, left
and right, colors, high frequency words, positional
words, opposites, and so much more!

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

By Laura Numeroff
Published October 6, 2015
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is one of the most
beloved childrens books of all time. It is part of a
series written by Laura Numeroff. This is a great
bed time book, nap time story, or for a story time
at any point in your day. This is a great family read
and will interest children of all ages.
Where the Wild Things Are
By Maurice Sendak
Published December 26, 2012
This book is a classic picture book that has become
one of the best-loved childrens books of all time.
With interesting illustrations and an exciting story-
line, this book is a great family read for quiet time
during the summer!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

By Eric Carle
Published March 23, 1994
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic
picture book that has been passed down
through generations. This book would be
great to read with your child and even do
different art activities. The illustrations in this book could be
inspiring to your child to create their own caterpillar journey!

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

By Judi Barrett
Published April 1, 1982
Although this book is fairly an old book, it is
a classic and will have your child laughing.
The craziness of food falling like rain from
the sky is humorous and entertaining.
Reading this book would spark some crazy
conversations and discussions. The movie,
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is out on
DVD and it would a great movie to follow up reading the book!
 Kindergarten Readiness:
The Summer Before the Big Transition
Kindergarten readiness is an often discussed topic for preschool parents,
but what does it really mean? While academic concepts and skills are certainly a
part of it, theres much more to preparing for kindergarten. You cant ensure that
there wont be any bumps in the road during this transition, but there are things you
can do now to prepare your child to be emotionally, socially, behaviorally, and
academically successful in kindergarten.

Work on Oral Communication

Oral communication is essential for learning, and one of the simplest and
most effective activities to practice oral communication in the summer before
kindergarten is talking with your child about everything, all the time: Dont just
point out the animals at the zoo; talk about their features and colors. Resist the urge
to simplify explanations; if the sign says White Siberian Tiger, dont just say tiger.
Before you read a book, ask your child lots of questions and encourage her to look
at pictures and guess what might be happening Strengthening vocabulary is an
important part of emerging literacy. Increased vocabulary has been linked to higher
reading proficiency and overall academic achievement. Young children acquire, on
average, 2-3 new words per day. You have more than 365 days left to boost your
childs vocabulary before the first day of kindergarten, and if your child hits those
numbers every day hell have learned a lot!

Hone Fine Motor skills

Before learning to write, your child must learn how to properly hold a pencil.
Holding scissors correctly, using glue without creating a puddle of white, and
gaining control over a paintbrush and the amount of paint on the brush when its
dipped; these are all essential skills that children will benefit from practicing. And
the only way to perfect these skills is through experimentation and repetition. Give
your child old magazines to cut up. Let him glue together scraps of paper and old
craft odds & ends into an abstract masterpiece. Allow him to paint with brushes of
various sizes. In a years time, hell be gluing like a pro!

Practice Writing & Name Recognition

Your childs name should be frequently visible, and she should begin to
practice writing it. Throughout this year, whenever you send a greeting card out to
relatives and friends, allow your child to sign her own name on greeting cards.
Whenever you take a trip to the store, ask your child to write her name at the top of
the grocery list and help her list the foods shes hoping youll get. Dont worry if its
not perfect or even remotely legible; youll see huge improvements on this
throughout the year, which is why its so important to focus on practicing now.

Get Counting
 Use everyday opportunities to practice counting. When walking, look for
things to count: how many squirrels you see in the park, how many trees you pass
on your street, how many dolls or action figures are in a row. The goal is for
counting to become easier over the course of the year, so that children will
eventually be able to count small groups of objects without pointing and counting
one-by-one; for example, your child may look at a handful of fruit snacks and
determine that there are four without counting alouda important skill to practice
in the year before kindergarten. As less concentration is required for counting, he
can more easily concentrate on new math concepts that he will learn in formal
school.

Encourage Independence
Now is the time to encourage independence, by teaching your child to attend
to his own needs. By the time kindergarten rolls around, he should be able to finish
using the restroom without assistance. Afterwards, check that hes washing his
hands, thoroughly, without a reminder (and even when he thinks youre not
watching!) Make sure that he can wipe his own nose and dispose of the tissue after.
Its important to focus on these skills now, while there is still a whole year to turn
these tasks into strong self-care habits.

Get Experience in a Group Setting

It isnt necessary that your child be enrolled in a formal preschool in order to
prepare for kindergarten, but it does help to have some experiences in group
settings throughout the year before kindergarten. Storytime at the library, classes
at a YMCA or community center, or activities at the art museum are all great
opportunities for your child to practice waiting turns, meeting new people, and
sharing an adults attention with many others

Learn to Work through Frustration

Begin to work on developing your childs frustration tolerance; watch how he
handles being angry. Encourage verbal rather than physical expression of feelings.
He will encounter lots of new challenges in kindergarten, and behavior issues can
prevent your child from performing to his fullest potential. Behavior doesnt change
overnight, so use this year to prepare your child to interact positively with his peers.
When it comes to requirements to enter kindergarten, every school system differs in
its expectations. It may be helpful to contact your childs elementary school or your
state department of education to ask for kindergarten readiness guidelines and
other pertinent information.
 Transitioning to Kindergarten

By Janis Strasser
Starting school can be scary and exciting for both you and
your child. Effective kindergarten teachers know that
children are individuals who each start kindergarten with a
wide range of skills. You do not need to drill your child with
letters, numbers, and facts, before school starts. But there
are some things you can do to prepare both you and your
child for kindergarten. Here are some ideas.

Before school starts

Send a note to the nurse and to the teacher if your child has allergies or special needs. Do
this even if you have indicated this on other forms already. It may be critical for teachers to know that your
child reacts to bee stings, has food allergies, or has hearing or vision modifications. As a parent, you have
the responsibility to advocate for your childs health and safety.
Visit the school and meet the teacher. If there is a visiting day to meet your childs teacher and
visit her classroom before school starts, make sure to participate. If you missed visiting day or the school
does not offer one, call to see if you can arrange a quick visit to see the school and to meet the teacher
with your child
Start your school routine early. To reduce stress and get used to new routines adjust new
bedtimes or wake up times a few weeks before school begins. Routines are comforting for us and for
children. Read a soothing bedtime story every night to help your child fall asleep with comforting thoughts.
Do not watch the news or violent programs in the evening.
Label everything. Make sure to label backpacks, lunch boxes - everything your child brings to
school. This includes her! If your childs school has not supplied a nametag, make one. It should have
your childs name, address, and a phone number where a parent/guardian can be reached, the name of
the teacher, and how your child gets home from school.
Read books together about starting school. You can ask your local librarian for suggestions or
try some of these:
o Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten, Joseph Slate (Illustrated by Ashley
Wolff)
o Seven Little Mice Go to School, Kazuo Iwamura
o Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes, Eric Litwin (Illustrated by James Dean)
o Mom, Its My First Day of Kindergarten, Hyewon Yum
o Yoko Learns to Read, Rosemary Wells
 On the first day of school

Be positive. Give your child a smile and a hug, tell her you love her, and wave goodbye.
Help your child say goodbye. Saying goodbye in a new setting can be frightening for some
children. When you say goodbye (either at the bus or at school), reassure your child that you will see her
later. Mention a specific time and a concrete activity, for example I will pick you up before lunchtime and
we will have lunch together.
Avoid behaviors that might upset your child. For example, try not to:
o Cry as you wave to your child through the bus window.
o Argue with the bus driver who may be late the first few days. (The drivers need time to
learn the route and talk to anxious parents.)
o Battle with your child about an outfit you want her to wear. (She doesnt have to be the
school fashion queen.)
o Force your child to eat a big breakfast. (She may be nervous and it might be better to eat
lightly than to have a stomachache, for the first couple of days).
Wait to ask the teacher your specific questions. The first day of school is not the time to
bombard the teacher with personal requests and information. Remember, your child is one of 20 or 25
children. Trust that the teacher is a professional who will make your child feel welcome and help her feel
like a member of the classroom community.

During the first week of school

Be supportive. Adjusting to school may take time. Ask, What was the most fun thing you did
in school today? Then ask, What was the hardest thing for you? (Only ask this after you have discussed
what was fun.) Dont expect your child to tell you every detail.
Instill a sense of confidence in your child. Celebrate your childs successes. Tell her that
you are proud of the way she got on the bus and sat down all by herself, or the way she tried to print her
name. Dont dwell on how many friends she has made during the first few days. This is too abstract for
most 5-year-olds and their friends change by the minute. Instead, ask, Tell me about some of the children
in your class. It takes time to adjust to new people, new activities, and a new environment. Dont expect
perfection. If your child was perfect, she wouldnt have to go to school!
Set aside a time, each evening, to share your childs day. See if your child has brought
home any drawings, paintings, or scribbling. These papers may be very important to your young student.
If there are no papers, dont assume that your child didnt do anything worthwhile. After a few weeks have
passed and your child has gotten used to school, ask her about what she played with in the classroom,
what stories the teacher read, if she went outside, etc. Listen for clues about your childs strengths and
challenges. If you have concerns, contact the teacher and set up a time to talk.
Read everything the school sends home. During the first weeks of school children bring
home a wealth of information about school routines, important dates, and meetings that you will need to
 know about. Make sure to check your childs backpack every day. Also, you may want to go over with your
child, in a positive, calm way, the information you have supplied to the school on the emergency card (who
may pick your child up other than you, where she can go if youre ever not home, etc.).
Enjoy being the parent of a kindergartner! This is your childs first step into primary school
and a unique time in childhood. Enjoy!

URL: http://families.naeyc.org/learning-and-development/child-
development/transitioning-kindergarten

Web Resources
Scholastic
For Parents and Children!
Scholastic.com provides various opportunities for children to continue
learning throughout the summer. The website offers different sites just for
kids, learning games, stories, printables, videos, and much more! They even
have a summer reading campaign that your children can take part in. They
log all the books they read throughout the summer and earn web prizes! It
motivates kids to see how many books they can read in an entire summer.
There is something for everyone on this site!
URL: http://www.scholastic.com/

Parents Magazine
Parents magazine can be accessed through their
website. This is great when you are looking for tips and
tricks in certain areas of your parenting. They have
articles covering various topics like pregnancy, toddlers,
health, big kids, etc. They have many articles that
discuss activities for summer as well as ensuring your
child is ready for kindergarten.
URL: http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/
Nourish Interactive
What a great site for advice on healthy eating during the summer! This
site provides various articles covering healthy eating habits and fun good
suggestions for the summer time. They have tons of advice and ideas
regarding family cookouts, tips on grilling, and healthy snacks!
URL: http://www.nourishinteractive.com/healthy-living/free-nutrition-
articles/category/5-summer-time-healthy-foods-activities-children-articles

Discovery Kids
The Discovery Kids website provides many opportunities for kids to learn!
When the kids are bored with nothing to do in the summer, this site offers
informative videos, interactive games and the opportunity to explore
different topics. Some of their topics include animals, dinosaurs, sharks,
space, pets, history, health, etc. They have games that are interactive,
games that involve puzzles and games regarding different skills. They also
have a parents section that offers access to different articles.
URL: http://discoverykids.com/

National Geographic Kids

This site offers so much information regarding our
earth! Your children can learn about all different
types of animals, what different places on earth are like, and learn
about what its like on other planets! National Geographic has tons
of facts and graphics. The site offers vidoes, photos, and information on
things like mammals, amphibians, retiles, pets, and space! Kids can get on
the site, choose what they want to learn about that day and they will be
introduced to all they could imagine about the topic they picked.
URL:http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Greenbush
Greenbush is a learning center located
approximately 35 minutes from Pittsburg,
Kansas. It a learning center that serves the surrounding school districts
focusing on teaching science to young children. During the summer
greenbush offers camps for children ages from Pre-K to 8th grade. They have
day camps that cover topics from dinosaurs to bubbles. More information can
be located on the website below and the registration forms are on the
website as well.
URL:http://www.greenbush.org/summercamp/

TLSBooks
This site is full of free worksheets your children can work on during the
summer! They are downloadable, so they are available to be printed of at
any time. Using these printable worksheets would be a great way to keep
adding onto the knowledge they acquired throughout the past school year!
This site provides both preschool worksheets and kindergarten worksheets
covering reading, phonics, and vocabulary. This is a great way to help your
child not only retain their knowledge but get ready for kindergarten!
URL: http://www.tlsbooks.com/kindergartenworksheets.htm

Kindergarten Readiness
This website is solely devoted to assisting parents
and educations in preparing children for
kindergarten and to set them up for success. This
site offers articles, books and DVDs, hot topics, and
useful links. Kindergarten Readiness provides a
wealth of information that relates to preparing your
child for school. They even provide a Kindergarten
Readiness Guide in paperback form and in an e-book version.
URL:http://www.kindergartenreadiness.net/

Starfall
Starfall is a website that focuses on reading and learning to read. They
present activities online and games that teach children to read with phonics.
They provide assistance for children in preschool up to second grade as well
as special education, homeschool, and English language development. They
have content that is free and there is also an option to expand the content
taught when you pay a low-cost to become a member.
URL:www.starfall.com

123 Kindergarten
123 Kindergarten is a site that offers resources, information, and activities
that help inform you about kindergarten readiness. This site supports the
idea that parents are the childs first teachers and that the most sensitive
time for brain development is between birth and 5 years of age. 123
Kindergarten offers tips and tricks to help you support your childs readiness
as well as help you determine if your child is ready or not.
URL:http://123kindergarten.com/

Community Resources
1. City of Pittsburg Parks and Recreation
710 W 9th
Pittsburg, Kansas 66762
620-231-8310
Director: Kim Vogel
www.pittks.org (Click on Department, then Parks &
Recreation)
Departmental Mission:
The mission of the City of Pittsburg Parks and Recreation
Department is to provide a comprehensive array of services and
programs to meet the recreation and leisure service needs of all
the citizens of Pittsburg.
The city of Pittsburg, Kansas Parks and Recreation
department has many divisions that are there to offer a wide
range of programs to the community. For the summer, they
operate the Aquatic Center, multiple parks throughout the city,
and they offer multiple recreation opportunities. The Aquatic
center is open for the summer and offers a zero depth entry pool,
2 diving boards, toddler pool with frog slide and play area, slides,
sand volleyball, bath house, lockers, and concessions!

2. YMCA
1100 North Miles
Pittsburg, Kansas 66762
620-231-1100
Director: Jack Bache
Email: info@pittsburgymca.org
www.pittsburgymca.org

The Pittsburg Family YMCA offers a wide range of youth sports

during the summer including T-ball, machine pitch baseball, and
softball. They also have opportunities for pee wee sports for 4 and
5 year olds. They offer summer camps for children in the summer
as well. The YMCA has a day care program that is available for the
summer. The activities that are offered are just for children, there
is a wide range of activities and facilities for adults. They have a
womens fitness center, a general fitness center, gymnastics, an
indoor pool, and other classes for adults and children.

3. Community Health Center

3011 North Michigan
Pittsburg, Kansas 66762
 Main Clinic: 620-231-9873
Walk-in Care: 620-240-5600
www.chcsek.org

Throughout the summer, the Community health center offers

physicals for free or minimal cost for children entering into the
USD 250 school district and for any child currently attending the
USD 250 schools. Throughout the school year they have a mobile
health van that schedules routine visits to all the school in the
district through the KidCare Connection program. They provide
health care services to all of the students included routine
physical exams, treatment and detection of illness or injury,
immunizations, health education, and referrals to drug and
alcohol counseling. More information can be found on their
website
Elementary Schools

4. Pittsburg Public Library

308 North Walnut
Pittsburg, Kansas 66762
620-231-8110
Email: info@pplonline.org

Their Mission: The Pittsburg Public Library provides free access to

ideas, materials, and services that support the cultural,
educational, and recreational enrichment of the community.
Throughout the summer the public library will be open which
provides various opportunities to keep kids reading throughout
the summer. They have a large selection of childrens books
covering a variety of topics. They also have a teen section, adult
section, and a section designated for audio books. They will be
hosting different events throughout the summer that you could
bring children to. They update their website with event dates and
times. Library cards are free to get and sign up for!
 5. The Family Resource Center
1600 N Walnut St
Pittsburg, Kansas 66762
620-235-3150
Director

Their Mission: The mission of The Center is to provide children

between the ages of birth and 12 years of age with a safe and
caring atmosphere that promotes physical, social/emotional and
cognitive growth.
During the summer, the family resource center offers care.
They provide care for infants up to school aged children
throughout the summer. Visit their website to get more
information and enroll for spots.