Age & stage guides
PreschoolLetter Play for a Three-Year-Old Who Likes Pictures
Use a familiar picture and one large letter to invite a three-year-old to notice print, point, talk, or draw.
17 min readFOR THE GROWN-UPS BEHIND THE LITTLE EXPLORERS
Age & stage guides
Age & stage guides. Practical activities for children ages 3–8: letters, counting, shapes, colors, science, and social learning, with examples and tips for parents.
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30 guides to explore
Age & stage guides
PreschoolCounting Invitations for Three-Year-Olds
Invite a three-year-old to count a few visible objects with practical examples, supportive responses, and simple adaptations.
17 min read
Age & stage guides
PreschoolShape Play for a Three-Year-Old on the Floor
Explore a large circle and triangle on the floor or another accessible surface, with matching, movement, and simple adaptations.
18 min read
Age & stage guides
PreschoolColor Exploration for Three-Year-Olds with Two Choices
Offer a three-year-old two visible color choices for drawing, with examples that respect the child’s response and creative ideas.
18 min read
Age & stage guides
PreschoolRead-Aloud Conversations for Three-Year-Olds
Share a picture book with a three-year-old using brief comments, visible questions, and responses that follow the child’s interest.
17 min read
Age & stage guides
PreschoolSorting Play for a Three-Year-Old
Invite a three-year-old to sort a few safe objects by one visible feature, with clear examples and supportive responses.
18 min read
Age & stage guides
PreschoolFour-Year-Old Letter Hunts with a Familiar Name
Use a familiar name and one matching letter card for a clear, child-led print search, with adaptations for spelling and language.
18 min read
Age & stage guides
PreschoolFour-Year-Old Counting Games That Include Movement
Try accessible counting games that connect one number word to each tap, step, reach, or toy movement.
17 min read
Age & stage guides
PreschoolFour-Year-Old Pattern Play with Two Materials
Build and continue a repeating pattern with two safe materials, with clear examples, common confusions, and accessible responses.
17 min read
Age & stage guides
PreschoolFour-Year-Old Story Retelling with Toys
Use two toys and a short story to invite a four-year-old to show events in order, with clear cues and room for a new ending.
18 min read
Age & stage guides
PreschoolFour-Year-Old Listening Games with One Clear Direction
Offer a four-year-old one clear direction using familiar toys, visible destinations, and accessible ways to respond.
18 min read
Age & stage guides
PreschoolFour-Year-Old Drawing as Early Communication
Invite a four-year-old to share ideas through drawing with practical prompts, example conversations, accessible choices, and ways to respond without guessing.
17 min read
Age & stage guides
KindergartenFive-Year-Old Letter-and-Sound Connections
Explore the English letter M and the initial /m/ sound with familiar pictures, clear contrasts, and language-aware examples.
17 min read
Age & stage guides
KindergartenFive-Year-Old Addition through Joining Groups
Show addition by joining two small groups, counting the whole set, and connecting the action to a written equation when useful.
18 min read
Age & stage guides
KindergartenFive-Year-Old Shape Descriptions beyond Naming
Help a five-year-old describe and compare shapes by tracing sides and corners, giving clues, rotating examples, and explaining choices.
17 min read
Age & stage guides
KindergartenFive-Year-Old Color Patterns with a Missing Piece
Explore repeating color patterns with a missing piece using clear rules, hands-on examples, accessible choices, and practical ways to explain a solution.
17 min read
Age & stage guides
KindergartenFive-Year-Old Turn-Taking during a Learning Game
Make turns clear in a learning game with one visible action, example conversations, ways to request help, and accessible options for two players.
17 min read
Age & stage guides
KindergartenFive-Year-Old Science Talk through Observation
Help a five-year-old describe observations and ask checkable questions with a safe cloth-and-water activity and practical example conversations.
18 min readAge & stage guides
1st gradeSix-Year-Old Word Building with a Small Tile Set
Build short words with a small set of letter tiles and compare one sound and spelling change at a time, with examples and accessible supports.
18 min read
Age & stage guides
1st gradeSix-Year-Old Subtraction Stories with Visible Objects
Use visible objects to tell subtraction stories, distinguish the starting group from the removed part, and check how many remain.
17 min read
Age & stage guides
1st gradeSix-Year-Old Place Value with Bundles
Make place value visible with bundles of ten and single paper strips, including examples for teen numbers, twenty, and exchanging a ten.
18 min readAge & stage guides
1st gradeSix-Year-Old Maps and Simple Routes
Make a simple map of a familiar space, choose symbols, trace a safe route, and explain directions with a child.
18 min readAge & stage guides
1st gradeSix-Year-Old Reading Conversations about Why
Discuss why a story character acts by identifying events, examining clues, considering plausible reasons, and checking event order.
18 min read
Age & stage guides
2nd gradeSeven-Year-Old Math Explanations with Two Models
Explain 8 + 5 with counters and a number line, compare what each model represents, and check the total using visible steps.
18 min read