What you need:
- solid-colored binder (fabric or paper, not plastic)
- washable markers
- clear sheet protectors
- file stickers
- fabric markers, glitter pens, stickers (optional)
What to do:
1. Help your child write her name and the year on the front of the binder and encourage her to decorate both the front and the back covers
2. Together, gather special items — photographs, birthday cards, certificates, artwork — that she has created or received during the past school year.
3. Organize the items so they follow the sequence of the year. Ask: "Can you find a picture from the first day of school?" "Which picture did you draw when you came back from winter vacation?"
4. On the file stickers, write down your child's descriptions of the items. Ask: "What did your teacher say at group time?" "Did you draw this on the easel or at the table?"
5. Put the items in the sheet protectors and stick the file sticker on the plastic. Place the pages in chronological order inside the binder. Throughout the summer months (and in the years to come), your child can read through her binder and remember a special year.
