5 Years
Help me be healthy
At this checkup:
- I may have my sight and hearing tested.
- you may be asked to describe how I play with other children and what I like to do.
- you may be asked to describe what I eat. Some doctors suggest that a cholesterol and anemia screen be done now. What does my doctor think?
Help me be safe
- Help me learn the difference between friends, helpful people, and strangers. When we go to a place where there are many people, show me who the helpful people are, such as the police, clerks at the store, lifeguard at the pool, or park workers at the amusement park. Just in case I can't find you, I will know a safe person to ask for help to find you.
- Be careful about having matches and lighters around the house. I like to try to do what I see you do with the matches and lighters. People my age have been known to start fires playing with these.
Play with me. It helps me learn.
- Let me have a friend over so we can play games together.
- Read with me. Help me learn to read my name and the words on street signs and labels on containers.
- Play guessing games with me. Pretend to do something and let me guess what you are doing. Make different expressions with your face and let me tell you what feelings I see on your face.
- Let me have a job to do around the house -- set the table, put clothes away, or help do something with you.
- Teach me our family's names, my phone number, and my address so if you and I can't find each other at the park or store, I can ask someone to find you.
- Teach me which foods are healthy.
- Show me how to answer the phone and make a phone call, especially in case of an emergency.
You know by now that I can do some things easily and that other things are more difficult for me.
All children are like this. Meet my school teacher. Talk with the teacher about what I like to do. Describe the things that I can easily do and describe the things that are harder for me to do. If you have questions or are concerned that I need some help because some of the items are not checked on this list, please ask my doctor, nurse, teacher, or call the Smart Start Parent Resource Line at 1-800-367-2229.
In these first 5 years, we have both learned a lot. There is much more for us to learn.
I will need you to take some time to:
- listen to what is happening in my life each day.
- look at the papers I bring home from school.
- help me understand how important it is to pay attention in class.
- help me do my school work.
- talk to my teacher.
- support me and encourage me to do the best I can do.
- tell me that you appreciate my effort when I have done the best I can do.
I will probably do better in school if:
- I know you care about the work that I do at school.
- I know that you think school is important.
- you are involved with me in my school work.
Watch for me to:
- hop on one foot.
- dress myself, zip zippers, button buttons, and comb my hair.
- play board games and card games with others. We take turns and follow the rules.
- copy two solid lines that cross, so it looks like + , a plus sign.
- name at least four colors.
- be able to follow directions that tell me to put something in, on, under, or behind some thing else. For example, Put your book on the bookshelf.
- draw pictures. When I draw a person, it has at least three parts.
- speak so you can understand most of what I say.
- hear when you talk to me and hear you call me from another room.