3 Ways to Prep Toddlers for School

This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of OshKosh B’gosh; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

August is here in full swing, and its time to start gearing the kids up for school. Today was the first day of school for many in the Houston area, and for us mommies that means more traffic on the roads! Besides the commute, its time to start prepping your kids wardrobes with staple pieces that will transition from this hot weather to fall. Oshkosh Style Up 4 School is all about the tees and denim! I was able to find Ashton the perfect wash of skinny jeans that were such a great deal and on sale. For Aubri, I always like to go with a jegging because they have a little more stretch to them and can fit over the diaper. The jeggings come in several washes, and are perfect for her to run around and play in. The quality on both of their jeans are amazing, and the price is the best part of the find! I fell in love with the quality that I got both of them 3 pair which will last them now through holiday, or until they grow a little more (which ever scenario comes first).

Aubri’s peplum top with the bow back detail is so adorable. I love the striped detail in the peplum, and the knit top is lightweight and perfect for the weather. She will throw on her cute little denim jacket I got her from Oshkosh when the weather cools down, and she will be ready for Fall. Ashton is wearing their Bear Tee that he loved. He kept pointing out the bear on his tee, and trying to scare me while he made bear noises. Oshkosh tee selection is through the roof, and I snagged several tees for the Ash man. I will be sharing on IG later this month the b’gosh be you tees that showcases positive, bold personality words.

If you haven’t picked up all of your back to school finds, or have a few more pieces that you need as school maybe hasn’t started yet for you and your family, head over to OSHKOSH and use promo code OKBG3352 to receive an extra 20% OFF your purchase of $40+ or more. Also, to find a store near you click here.

Now that you are ready and styled for back to school, lets talk about learning! Ashton and Aubri are of course to small to go get ready for school, but that doesn’t mean that they cant learn and prepare for back to school in the future. I wanted to share 3 ways to prep your toddlers for back to school, and how I have started teaching my kids around the house and on the go!

NOTECARDS

I started off a while ago with notecards that were all shades of the rainbow, and a box of markers. I would lay out the cards and markers and let Ashton match the marker with the notecard. He picked up on it within the second try, and was so excited to get them all right. On the back of the notecards I wrote the color in Spanish so that he could start to recognize the name as well as the color. When he would place the marker on top of the card I would make him pronounce the color in English, and I would say it in Spanish.

Now that he is a little older, I went to Target and bought the similar/different notecards, alphabets, and shapes. We now go over these notecards twice a day, and always let him tell us what the answer is. If he gets it wrong we put those in a pile and focus just on those. He thinks its a fun game and gets excited, and at the same time he is learning!

After his 3rd birthday in January, I will start to place the notecards around the house on different common household items that way he can start to recognize words, and before he picks up anything he can start to spell out the word and say the word that’s on the card. My mom did this method with me when I was little, and she said I learned how to spell quickly.

ENGLISH TO SPANISH

One of my goals is for the kids to be bilingual. I think that it is so important for them to be able to speak two languages, and at least comprehend and hold conversations. Right now Ashton & Aubri understands Spanish, and Ashton knows several words. I think the key is to always say the most common words that they speak daily in both English and Spanish so that they understand both. We are lucky to have Ms. Norma who speaks to them in fluently Spanish about 3 times a week, for about 5-7 hours. Our plan is to send Ashton to a bilingual school where the main language is Spanish so that way he is learning from the beginning. Ahmad has already found 2 schools here in Houston, and I cant wait to go check them out.

READING MATERIALS

Reading to your child is vital to their learning and development. Reading to them on a regular basis will make them enjoy reading, and will increase their vocabulary in the future. I love how reading stimulates their creativity and imagination. We could be reading a book about animals, and Ashton starts relating the animals to all sorts of things. When we read a book he now starts to call out all of the colors that he sees on the pages, which is great!

Feel free to share with me in the comments what tips and tricks you are using to get your kids on board with learning and how you are making it fun for them!

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