By Freida Frisaro

When her oldest daughter started kindergarten, my friend Lisa Holewa couldn’t believe how the teacher quickly took charge and settled the children into a routine of learning and following directions. After just six weeks in school, the 5-and 6-year-olds followed the teacher’s instructions, gliding from activity to activity and having fun in a learning environment.

Lisa, a mother of three who lives in Wisconsin, wanted to know how teacher Joan Rice was so easily able to guide the students through the day. A journalist for 15 years – including time spent as the Tampa correspondent for the Associated Press where I met her – Lisa started asking questions.

She ended up with a book, What Kindergarten Teachers Know: Practical and Playful Ways for Parents to Help Children Listen, Learn and Cooperate at Home, by Lisa Holewa and Joan Rice. The book, with a forward by author Jacquelyn Mitchard, is a Perigee Book and goes on sale May 6.

As she developed the idea for the book, Lisa spent afternoons with the teacher on a mission to finding out how parents could use the same techniques at home.

One of the best secrets she learned in Ms. Rice’s classroom was the “Not Done” pouch, where children could put work that wasn’t finished when it was time to move on to another task. Instead of whining that they weren’t done, the students knew they would have time to come back and finish the work. Most of the ideas were simple and involved a willingness to try different things and make sure the children were having fun.

She liked the way the teacher kept the children on task. In the afternoon, Ms. Rice would tell the children: “Go to your lockers. Put on your coats. Get your backpacks.” Then, holding up three fingers, the teacher would reinforce: “Locker,” touching the first finger, “Coat,” touching the second, and “Backpack,” holding the third.

In addition to Ms. Rice, Lisa interviewed a range of elementary and early childhood teachers. The book is filled with tips and ideas from teachers across the nation, explaining in simple terms the tricks they use with children and why they work.

The chapters range from helping your child listen and learn to organizing your home and your daily schedules.

The 197-page book is a quick read, filled with great tips. I only wish Lisa had written the book before my son Jacob hit middle school!

The book costs $13.95 and can be pre-ordered at Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble.

Freida Frisaro is an editor for the Sun-Sentinel's Community News sections.

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