by Sarah Major M.Ed.
Prepare for it!
I believe that the most successful learning takes place when an environment is prepared with such careful thought that when a child enters that environment, he automatically begins to absorb concepts without anyone instructing him and without even realizing that he’s learning. This kind of learning environment is perfect for any child but most of all for the very young.
Some specific elements work well to create a natural learning experience for little tots, a learning experience that is not only effective but is fun and easy for you as the teacher!
Song
If you want your little tot to learn a specific procedure (very important), put it to music. When I was little we used to sing “This is the way we wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands. This is the way we wash our hands so early in the morning.” You can replace “wash our hands” with whatever you are teaching at the moment. If you encourage the child to mimic what you are doing while you sing, you will be modeling for her how you do the particular job, and she will be practicing the skill as you sing.
Here are some tasks toddlers can do with you: “This is the way we stack our books.” “This is the way we make our bed.” “This is the way we pick up our shoes.” “This is the way we comb our hair.” “This is the way we dust the shelf.” “This is the way we pick up our blocks.” “This is the way we put on socks.” “This is the way we zip our coat.” “This is the way we feed the cat.” The list could go on forever.
Visuals
We've all heard that a picture is worth 1,000 words and wow is that true! A visual can convey so much in the time it takes a child to take a look. Pictures and images make use of visual memory where the picture and all its details are stored intact. Memorable images often can be recalled many years later in minute detail, carrying with them any learning concepts that were embedded in them. Combine a visual with song or story and you have a doubly effective teaching method.
Story
Stories can be considered childhood’s language. Children are natural storytellers, they think of their lives in terms of story. The story line or plot is the glue that holds all the elements of the story together. If you want your little one to remember a sequence of events or steps in a procedure, make up a story that links all the pieces together. Combine a story sequence with images to make an even more effective learning experience.
Touch
Very young children learn about the world through their senses—sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste. They pick up cues about natural characteristics of objects in their world; they learn about things that are soft or hard, heavy or light, smooth or rough, hot or cold, sweet or sour, and so forth. They learn about shape, what happens when you drop something, what “round” means and how round objects behave. They learn so much that becomes background for formal learning later in life. The richer the sensory background, the broader the store of prior knowledge and understanding the child will bring to school.
Because babies and toddlers tend to touch everything and put much of what they touch into their mouths, it's easy to find ourselves just rushing around snatching things from their hands or from their mouths. But this snatching reflex of ours must be tempered with a knowledge that the very young are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing at that age. They are using their senses to learn much about the world around them.
And because the very young rely so strongly on their senses, the richer their environment, the more they will learn. A rich environment is one that is full of accessible real things, not shiny plastic toys that play sounds, or ding, or rattle, or jump around. The child is a passive observer with these kinds of self-action toys. Better to give your child access to real objects even if it means picking things up interminably. Ideas include an empty laundry basket, some balls, blocks, a metal pan, a plastic bowl, spoons; you know, just “stuff” that is in the house. The laundry basket can become a car that carries some of the objects. If she puts balls into the basket and then pushes the “car” around, she will notice that balls roll around, that she will need to maneuver the basket around chairs or coffee table, and that if she runs into a table leg or wall she will need to back up and try a different angle of approach. If you give her access to your Tupperware drawer, she will undoubtedly make a mess but will also learn much about what fits into what, what various shapes feel like, etc.
These are just a few simple elements to include as you teach your child basic concepts in a developmentally appropriate way and prepare him for formal learning in school. Having said all this, I want to emphasize that the most significant preparation we can give our little tots is a close relationship with them—one in which they feel secure, cared for, and competent, as their emotional development will be the foundation of all other learning.
Sarah Major, CEO of Child1st Publications, grew up on the mission field with her four siblings, all of whom her mother homeschooled. As an adult, Sarah has homeschooled a small group of children in collaboration with their parents, and has taught from preschool age to adult. Sarah has been the Title 1 director and program developer for grades K-7, an ESOL teacher, and a classroom teacher. As an undergraduate student, Sarah attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. and then received her M.Ed. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. In 2006 Sarah resigned from fulltime teaching in order to devote more time to Child1st, publisher of the best-selling SnapWords™ stylized sight word cards. In her spare time Sarah enjoys gardening, cooking, pottery, quilting, and spending time with her family.
Child1st Publications, LLC
www.child1st.com
800-881-0912
Prepare for it!
I believe that the most successful learning takes place when an environment is prepared with such careful thought that when a child enters that environment, he automatically begins to absorb concepts without anyone instructing him and without even realizing that he’s learning. This kind of learning environment is perfect for any child but most of all for the very young.
Some specific elements work well to create a natural learning experience for little tots, a learning experience that is not only effective but is fun and easy for you as the teacher!
Song
If you want your little tot to learn a specific procedure (very important), put it to music. When I was little we used to sing “This is the way we wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands. This is the way we wash our hands so early in the morning.” You can replace “wash our hands” with whatever you are teaching at the moment. If you encourage the child to mimic what you are doing while you sing, you will be modeling for her how you do the particular job, and she will be practicing the skill as you sing.
Here are some tasks toddlers can do with you: “This is the way we stack our books.” “This is the way we make our bed.” “This is the way we pick up our shoes.” “This is the way we comb our hair.” “This is the way we dust the shelf.” “This is the way we pick up our blocks.” “This is the way we put on socks.” “This is the way we zip our coat.” “This is the way we feed the cat.” The list could go on forever.
Visuals
We've all heard that a picture is worth 1,000 words and wow is that true! A visual can convey so much in the time it takes a child to take a look. Pictures and images make use of visual memory where the picture and all its details are stored intact. Memorable images often can be recalled many years later in minute detail, carrying with them any learning concepts that were embedded in them. Combine a visual with song or story and you have a doubly effective teaching method.
Story
Stories can be considered childhood’s language. Children are natural storytellers, they think of their lives in terms of story. The story line or plot is the glue that holds all the elements of the story together. If you want your little one to remember a sequence of events or steps in a procedure, make up a story that links all the pieces together. Combine a story sequence with images to make an even more effective learning experience.
Touch
Very young children learn about the world through their senses—sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste. They pick up cues about natural characteristics of objects in their world; they learn about things that are soft or hard, heavy or light, smooth or rough, hot or cold, sweet or sour, and so forth. They learn about shape, what happens when you drop something, what “round” means and how round objects behave. They learn so much that becomes background for formal learning later in life. The richer the sensory background, the broader the store of prior knowledge and understanding the child will bring to school.
Because babies and toddlers tend to touch everything and put much of what they touch into their mouths, it's easy to find ourselves just rushing around snatching things from their hands or from their mouths. But this snatching reflex of ours must be tempered with a knowledge that the very young are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing at that age. They are using their senses to learn much about the world around them.
And because the very young rely so strongly on their senses, the richer their environment, the more they will learn. A rich environment is one that is full of accessible real things, not shiny plastic toys that play sounds, or ding, or rattle, or jump around. The child is a passive observer with these kinds of self-action toys. Better to give your child access to real objects even if it means picking things up interminably. Ideas include an empty laundry basket, some balls, blocks, a metal pan, a plastic bowl, spoons; you know, just “stuff” that is in the house. The laundry basket can become a car that carries some of the objects. If she puts balls into the basket and then pushes the “car” around, she will notice that balls roll around, that she will need to maneuver the basket around chairs or coffee table, and that if she runs into a table leg or wall she will need to back up and try a different angle of approach. If you give her access to your Tupperware drawer, she will undoubtedly make a mess but will also learn much about what fits into what, what various shapes feel like, etc.
These are just a few simple elements to include as you teach your child basic concepts in a developmentally appropriate way and prepare him for formal learning in school. Having said all this, I want to emphasize that the most significant preparation we can give our little tots is a close relationship with them—one in which they feel secure, cared for, and competent, as their emotional development will be the foundation of all other learning.
Sarah Major, CEO of Child1st Publications, grew up on the mission field with her four siblings, all of whom her mother homeschooled. As an adult, Sarah has homeschooled a small group of children in collaboration with their parents, and has taught from preschool age to adult. Sarah has been the Title 1 director and program developer for grades K-7, an ESOL teacher, and a classroom teacher. As an undergraduate student, Sarah attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. and then received her M.Ed. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. In 2006 Sarah resigned from fulltime teaching in order to devote more time to Child1st, publisher of the best-selling SnapWords™ stylized sight word cards. In her spare time Sarah enjoys gardening, cooking, pottery, quilting, and spending time with her family.
Child1st Publications, LLC
www.child1st.com
800-881-0912
