Ten words to use this week
happy sad angry scared kind share turn sorry friend help
Use them in your home language first. A word heard twenty times in real moments — at the sink, on the road, at dinner — sticks far better than a word drilled twenty times in a row. You do not need to teach; you only need to talk.
Three things to say
- "You look cross. Are you cross, or tired?" Offering two words teaches both.
- "My turn, then your turn." Say it, then actually give the turn quickly so waiting is rewarded.
- "That was kind. Look at her face — she is happy now." Point at the effect of kindness.
This week on the site
Golu's Day picks from these automatically, one short session a day. If you would rather choose yourself, here is everything for the week.
Picture books (7)
- Golu shares
- Waiting my turn
- Sorry, and friends again
- Golu's thank-you jar
- A new friend at school
- A hug for Bear
- The kind word
Songs to sing (6)
- How Do You Feel?
- Smell the Flower, Blow the Candle
- Your Turn, My Turn
- Kind Hands, Kind Words
- I Am Sorry
- I Can Be Brave
Games (7)
Off the screen (3)
The part that matters most. One of these in the week is plenty.
The same theme at different ages
A two-year-old is collecting names: point, say the word, wait, and celebrate any attempt to say it back. A three- to four-year-old is ready to sort and compare — which is bigger, which go together, which one does not belong. A five- to six-year-old wants reasons: ask "why do you think…?" and "what would happen if…?", and let them explain it to a younger child or a grandparent. If you have two children at different ages, the older one teaching the younger is the best lesson either will get this week.
A simple rhythm for the week
You do not need a timetable, but a loose shape helps on tired days. Here is one that fits around school and work; move anything anywhere.
- Day 1 — open the theme. Read Golu shares together, twice. The second reading is where the words go in.
- Day 2 and 3 — play. Let Golu's Day choose, or pick a game from the list above. Fifteen minutes, then stop while it is still fun.
- Day 4 — sing and move. Learn How Do You Feel? well enough to sing it without the screen — in the bath, on the stairs, in the car.
- Day 5 — hands. Try sock puppet friend. Expect mess; mess is the lesson working.
- Weekend — the real world. Try a play date or a visit to a park, with one turn-taking game you start off and then step back from. This is the day the week's words stop being screen words.
- Last day — tell it back. Ask your child to tell someone what they did this week. Retelling is how short-term memory becomes long-term, and it costs nothing.
Missed three days? Nothing is lost. The themes come round again, and a relaxed week with two good conversations beats a full one done through gritted teeth.
What to notice
Can your child name happy, sad, angry and scared in a picture (three to four)? In themselves (four to five)? Wait a short turn with help? Comfort someone who is upset? That last one is empathy arriving.
These are things to notice, not things to test. Children develop in bursts and at very different speeds, and a skill that is missing this month often appears overnight the next. If a worry stays with you for a few months, that is reason enough to mention it to your child's doctor or teacher.
If this week is hard
If sharing is a daily fight, that is normal under four. Use turns with a timer rather than "sharing", and keep two or three special toys that never have to be shared. The feelings first aid pages go further.
The other weeks
This is week 12 of twelve in the weekly plan for parents. The weeks run in a loop and each age band meets different games inside the same theme, so the second time round — three months later — your child is doing harder things with familiar words. Next week the loop starts again with My body and me.
Now do it for real
When the screen goes off, do something with your hands. Try 🧲 Magnet hunt — an easy science experiment for ages 4-6, with every step read aloud in your language. You will need a fridge magnet, ten safe things from around the house; nothing that needs a trip to a shop.
There are 56 more on the things to do at home page, and free printable worksheets if you would rather have something on paper. Ten minutes on a screen and twenty minutes off it is a good shape for a day at this age.
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