October 2008 - Making Early Education Easier

Now that the school-age children are leaving every morning on the big yellow bus, parents are wondering about early education of their younger children. It is never too early to teach your little ones and most of us do it all day long without even thinking about it. Here are some helpful ideas for at-home-learning made easy.

If your child is with a sitter or relatives during your workdays, pass these ideas on to them. Children ages 0 - 2 years are amazed and curious about everything in their environment. Mirrors put at their level at this stage can provide entertainment and education. As they watch themselves they become self aware and learn “this is me” and “see what I can do.” By the age of two, they will be dancing in front of the mirrors proudly. Always applaud the show.

During these years, whether we like it or not, food is more than nourishment. Curiosity calls little ones to explore everything using all five senses and food is the one thing that uses them all. When you have time to do a little extra clean up and allow them to, yes, play with their food. It would be better to have a little applesauce in their hair than them tasting the dog toys. Applesauce is a great food to start with, because it is fun and easier to clean up. We knew they were going to be messy when we had them, they might as well have some fun. And, if you let them play with their food on your schedule, they are less likely to play with it meal time.

Curiosity certainly does not end when a child turns three. Three and four year olds investigate the world by going out and exploring it, because they can. This is the time to provide a mixture of activities and to be ready to answer a lot of questions. Get used to it, it never ends.

Here are a few things to keep around to help this age group grow and learn: lots and lots of books; a collage box with cotton balls, dried beans, bits of paper, cloth (lots of texture) and anything else they can use for play and art; a plastic magnifying glass for close observation of things and plastic containers with lids for temporary collections of bugs, rocks, buttons, or whatever they desire.

During these years children may develop intense interests in things. One of the best things you can do is encourage this interest by providing books and other items relating to that interest for your children. Don't go overboard. These interests can change and usually do. Don't' be disappointed if your three year old is crazy over dinosaurs for a few months and then drops the dinos for space explorations.

A note about America's favorite babysitter, the television: study after study finds that ages 0 - 2 years should have no television. During this time the quick movement, constant changes and short blips on TV negatively effect their development and attention span. Some have even linked ADD and ADHD to early TV watching. And, at this age they get nothing positive out of it. Ages 2 - 4 can use information gathered from TV shows specifically designed for their age group. However, daily TV time should be limited to a maximum of two hours and not all at one sitting.

Little Einstiens, Dora and Diego, Curious George and the ever exceptional Sesame Street are just a few shows designed to teach and entertain this age group. Break up TV watching with active play, dramatic play and outside activities. Always know what your child is watching and how much.

For all these ages and stages and all those to come, the best way to teach your children is through example. To grow lifelong readers, read to them and read for yourself. To instill responsibility give small chores and try to do your own in a timely manner. If you want your children to use good manners, they need to see you use them. Hearing please and thank you from you goes a long way. No matter what trait you want your child to develop, teach by example. No, we as caregivers are not perfect. But, we ask our children ito do their best. We should do our best for them.