Every preschool director will tell that the key to getting 3 and 4-year olds to learn is through play. Many preschools set up learning centers around the room. You’ll walk in and see a kitchen, a reading area, maybe a dress-up area, an art easel and a sensory table. And believe it or not, all of these centers are helping to teach your child how to do fundamental, but beginner things like counting, sorting and reading.
So what can you do at home to supplement what’s going on 2-3 mornings a week for 3 hours a morning? Make it fun, never call it work and don’t force it if the time isn’t right. I am using “learning to count” as an example below, but these ideas can apply to anything you want to practice with your kids.
Choose something your child loves and thrives at. For example, if she loves puzzles, get her one with numbers and then sit on the floor and do it with her. Count out the number puzzle pieces as she puts them in the slots. Or does she like to sing and dance? Buy a CD with counting or just play background music and make up counting songs. Maybe you say "ONE alligator!" and then she yells "TWO lions" and you name it the Animal Counting Game.
With my son, he brought us his tubby numbers (the foam letters that stick on the bath tub wall) and
asked us to show him how to draw them. We had his easel in the dining room at the time and we just did it a million times a day. And his other love is books so we would count with number books. He also loves workbooks so I have bought tons at various stores including Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens and The Dollar store.
The other key is you'll need some one-on-one time with her, but don't tell her "now we're going to work on numbers." Just make it play time like any other day. Or while your cooking dinner, ask her to hang out with you in the kitchen and do a sing-song game. We also do this a lot after dinner as well. My son loves to play on our bed and the latest thing he is into is rhyming, so we play "Rhyme Time." He says "bed, fed." Then I say "dog, frog." We used to play a number game, then an “Animal Alphabet” game we made up, and now it is a LITTLE more advanced with rhyming.
With my son, he brought us his tubby numbers (the foam letters that stick on the bath tub wall) and
asked us to show him how to draw them. We had his easel in the dining room at the time and we just did it a million times a day. And his other love is books so we would count with number books. He also loves workbooks so I have bought tons at various stores including Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens and The Dollar store.
The other key is you'll need some one-on-one time with her, but don't tell her "now we're going to work on numbers." Just make it play time like any other day. Or while your cooking dinner, ask her to hang out with you in the kitchen and do a sing-song game. We also do this a lot after dinner as well. My son loves to play on our bed and the latest thing he is into is rhyming, so we play "Rhyme Time." He says "bed, fed." Then I say "dog, frog." We used to play a number game, then an “Animal Alphabet” game we made up, and now it is a LITTLE more advanced with rhyming.
And when you’re child starts to show an interest in reading, buy the BOB Books, and ask me for more advice!
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