Here's What To Do
With your child, look at the world map worksheet (provided by school, or available for printing on this page). Make a dot on the map to show where your family lives. If you'd like, write your names to label the dot.
Ask your child to name other people in your extended family (or friends). Show your child where on the map people live, and have your child make a dot there. Write names if you'd like.
If you’d like, add dots in other places on the map that are important to your family, like other places you've lived.
Be sure to include other countries where your family and friends currently live, or who lived in the past.
Put PEER Into Action
Pause:
- Close your eyes and take a deep breath together.
Engage:
- "Do you know where we live? Do you know where that is on the map? I'll help you find it."
- "Where do your cousins live? Yep, they live in California, which is right here. Can you put a dot for your cousins?"
Encourage:
- "Who are we forgetting… I'll give you a hint. Who lives in Mexico?"
- If you have far away family members or friends, talk about how it's normal and okay to miss them. Talk about how special it is when you are able to call them or visit.
Reflect:
- "I think it's so special that we have connections to all these places. What do you think about having family and friends in different places?"
Not quite ready?
Look at photos of family members and friends to help your child remember their names. Then, make a dot for them on the map.
Ready for more?
Looking at the map, talk about how all the different family members are related to one another.
As your child masters this skill...
They will be able to name extended family members and remember where some of them live.