How to Help Your Children Learn
We all want the very best for our children and that includes giving them the best possible start to their education. There is a great deal you, as a parent, can do to achieve this. Your priority should be to create an environment that is safe, loving and stimulating.
CHILDREN LEARN THROUGH ALL THEIR SENSES
As we get older, we tend to rely on our sense of sight, and maybe hearing, to learn. We read, we observe and we listen. Children touch, taste, smell, look and then listen.
It's quite pointless to expect toddlers to learn by listening to you -- they're not being naughty when they gaze at you with those big eyes as you explain that it's wrong to spray your expensive perfume all over the bath (you spray the bath when you clean it, they're copying your actions -- they just haven't refined all the details yet).
The best way to teach your children about their world is the most difficult for you. It involves letting them try to do things for themselves (always under your supervision, of course).
When you're rushing to get to work, the temptation is to dress your toddlers, make the beds, tidy the room, pack the bags etc, while they remain passive recipients or observers. It takes much longer if you allow your toddlers to decide what they want to wear, to dress themselves, to begin making their beds and to pack their own bags. But if you deny them the opportunity to learn these things now, when they want to, you really have no-one to blame when they don't know how to look after themselves later (and when they don't want to do these things for themselves).
CHILDREN LEARN BY DOING
Children learn by doing - it bears repeating.
Children are also experts at the scientific method -- they observe their environment; they formulate hypotheses and they test these by carrying out experiments.
The toddler throwing objects from a high chair isn't doing it out of malice, to make you prematurely grey! It's part of learning what happens if you drop different sized objects from a height; what happens if you put a bit of force behind the objects and throw them; what happens if you tip that plate of squishy cereal upside down; what happens to the milk if you pour it into the vegetables ...
When your children become astrophysicists, they'll thank you for letting them conduct their early experiments in such a positive environment!
FOSTERING LEARNING
It's not desirable to just let your children do whatever they want to do -- you need to provide firm guidelines from an early age about what is acceptable and what isn't. By setting these boundaries, and being consistent with them, you'll give your children a secure environment in which to carry out their experiments.
Jennifer Stewart has a degree in English and History and taught senior High School for over twenty years. During that time, she was Head of Department, responsible for devising and implementing teaching programs, and for supervising young teachers. After leaving full-time teaching, she wrote (and now markets) writing courses for students and adults who want to improve their writing skills. Visit her website at http://www.write101.com
Jennifer also offers professional writing services - copy writing, editing and proof reading for your web pages, press releases, technical booklets, newsletters, business proposals, reports or any other writing projects.
MORE RESOURCES:
Baby, toddler store opens in downtown Dickinson Dickinson Press The store offers a variety of baby, toddler and mom products from booties to nursing supplies. “People really love the children's shoes,” she said. Karen Feininger, a customer of the store, likes the blankets. “I love the store and I love all she has ... |
Wardle Village Church Rochdale Online Mother and Baby/Toddler Group continues every Monday and Wednesday for activities and songs for the very young with Surestart invited on Wednesday. Refreshments are included in the price of £1 for adults and 50p for youngsters. This coming Tuesday will ... |
Patent of the week: Baby, toddler sunglasses Long Island Business News by LIBN Staff Parents try everything to protect their babies and children from the effects of the sun. They are always putting sunscreen on their children, but how do you protect your child's eyes? Babies and toddlers do not want to wear sunglasses, ... |
5 Things You Should Know Today: February 3 Patch.com The Fiske Public Library will hold two Baby/Toddler Playgroups today. Birth to pre-walkers with Mom, Dad or caregiver will meet at 9:30am. Toddlers (walkers) to ages 2½ with Mom, Dad or caregiver will meet at 10:30am. Playgroups are held in the Sweatt ... |
I Got You, Babe: Relief, sadness over nocturnal independence Brandon Sun I have had a baby/toddler/kid who just doesn't sleep. I mean, she sleeps when it's convenient for her, but not so much for me and if she's awake, so am I. I didn't mind so much when I was on maternity leave. After all she was just an infant and I was ... |
Easton Public Library calendar: Jan. 24-26 Easton Courier The following comes from the library: 10:30 — Baby/Toddler Be-Bop. Ages 6-36 months. This 25-minute music and movement class incorporates popular children's songs, finger plays, and simple stories while utilizing props such as puppets, ... |
Programming for kids begins Fergus Falls Daily Journal To start off the new year we have a few of our favorite standbys such as Baby/Toddler and Preschool Storytime, Book Bunch, 2nd Saturday Storytime, and Youth Chess. We will also be continuing with some of our programs that started at the beginning of ... |
WebMD Launches WebMD Baby App for iPhone and iPod touch MarketWatch (press release) The majority of parents (55 percent) find themselves researching information almost daily regarding the health, development or sleep for their baby/toddler. The majority of parents (54 percent) believe the length of time between doctor's visits leaves ... |
 Babble (blog) | 16 High-End Designers Making Baby Clothing for the Spawn of the 1% (Photos) Babble (blog) Well, don't tell these 16 high-end design houses, they have a whole lot of super expensive baby, toddler and kids clothes to sell. But perhaps Gucci, Fendi and Dior are just marketing their clothing to a very select group of parents – the deep pocketed ... |
Rancho Bernardo/4S Ranch Digest – Issue of Feb. 2, 2012 Pomerado Newspaper Group Soroptimists of Rancho Bernardo are collecting new and gently used baby, toddler and young children's clothing to size 7 to distribute to needy families through North County Interfaith in Escondido. Recipients will be encouraged to bring in clean ... |
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