Assist your students in learning to recognize and write letters by labeling common classroom objects with the letter of the alphabet they begin with. This will help children not only to identify letters but recognize the sounds of the letter as well. Practice writing both upper and lower case letters on a daily basis, using common words and the child's name. Assist the child the first time, then have her copy the letter several times to practice penmanship and letter formation. Write the letters on the chalkboard and give each child a copy to trace if further assistance is needed.
Help children learn numbers by counting everyday objects. Do this during morning circle time, on the walk to gym class or during a recess nature walk. Counting common objects will help your students recognize the physical number of objects associated with the spoken number. Have your tudents draw dots or circles on a piece of paper to represent a given number and then count aloud to further enhance cognition.
Label objects with their given color to assist children in learning basic colors. Ask the children to identify as many objects as they can of a particular color. Create a color scavenger hunt and give each child or group of children a list of same-colored objects to find. Incorporate color into other lessons for further cognitive development; for example, tell a child she counted four red apples or is writing the letter a with a blue crayon.
Have children draw a variety of shapes on colored construction paper and practice cutting them out with safety scissors. Point out the shape of objects while counting or learning colors (a round apple or a square box). Form shapes with clay or give the child a shape name and have him form the clay into the shape. Children should be able to identify shapes as well as be fairly adept at cutting by the time they are five-years-old, according to Education.com.
Read a book to your students daily and have the children follow along with their own copy and finger while you move your finger underneath the words. Copying the book for the children will allow better cognition and understanding of the words and concepts. Create a bulletin board of common sight words, such as "a" and "the", and have the child say or identify them while you are reading the book. Have your students point out objects in the pictures as you read the words.
Give children simple directions to follow, such as two and three-step commands. According to Education.com, children should follow three-step commands by the age of four. Ask the children to put away toys, sit at their desks and get out a pencil to help encourage independence and enhance cognitive development. Or have them put away books, get their coats and line up quietly for recess time.