Like most four-year-olds, my granddaughter, Alma,” LOOOOVESSSS“ stickers! She has lots of sticker books that provoke limitless conversations and long periods of play.
From vehicles and outer space to ballerinas, unicorns, and various animals, these collections provide her with hours of fun. And in addition to being very entertaining, stickers are loaded with learning.
Discussions about her little stickies increase vocabulary and hone her verbal skills as she describes what they are and what they are doing. Using these stickers also develops excellent visual discrimination as well as sorting and categorization skills. Moving the stickers and placing them in new locations requires dexterity and improves fine motor skills, especially the important “pincer grasp” of thumb and pointer. All of the above are necessary skills for learning to read and write.
When Alma first came across the “pinata” sticker, she had never heard that word before. After learning what a pinata is and where you might find it, she set about to draw the picture above. Not only did she understand the meaning of a new word, but her imagination was sparked to create a scene complete with all the ingredients for a wonderful birthday celebration for her ladybug stuffy…presents, balloons, and yes, a piñata!
The next time you are considering a gift for a member of the Pre-K or kindergarten set, check out a sticker collection—they entertain and educate!
