As a parent you are your childs first teacher, Whether you have a preschooler who is learning the basics of colors and counting or an elementary school student who requires help with their homework—consider the tips below on how to promote learning throughout your household.
Use Visual Aids
Visual aids are an excellent way to help your child learn. Some visual aids even allow you to combine all 3 primary learning styles—Kinesthetic, Auditory, and Visual. Consider visual options such as:
- Educational Learning Games—board games, card games or electronic games.
- Everyday Objects—such as using jelly beans or jacks to learn how to count.
- Flash Cards—for everything from learning animals, colors, the alphabet, or vocabulary words.
- Videos—consider short online videos, TV shows and movies that incorporate learning such as “Sesame Street.”
Sing or Rhyme
Even if you are not a gifted vocalist, looking for ways to turn a topic into a song, poem, or rhyme to help make information more fun and easier to retain.This is why the ABC's are so effective. Also make up or use acronyms such as “Never Eat Shredded Wheat” to recall how to remember the directions of north, east, south, and west.
Go Somewhere Relevant
Regardless of your child’s age, look for opportunities to take them places that are relevant to what they are learning. Below are just a few examples to consider:
- Not only is a farm or zoo a fun place to visit, it provides your child an opportunity to learn more about the animals they are studying, or to help learn animals by name.
- A farmer's market is a great place to help them identify colors in different shades, and names of vegetables and fruit.
- Visit a restaurant or cultural festival to help them learn more about the culture or country they are studying.
- Grow a plant or produce to learn about science or agriculture.
- Explore volunteer opportunities you can do together to learn more about the topic they are studying.
Sign Them Up For a Fun Extracurricular Activity
An excellent way to help your child learn is to sign them up for a fun extracurricular activity—either with other kids their age or something you can do together. This could be anything from a one-day workshop, an eight-week art class, or year round activities such as dance. While extracurricular activities will encourage your child to develop specific skills—they will also help your child to develop their communication skills, social skills, confidence, and the value of commitment.
The activities above are just a few ways in which you can enhance and improve your child’s education while at home. Make sure your child is getting daylong mental stimulation and more by enrolling him or her in one of the early education programs fromTender Care Learning Centers. With early education, preschool and afterschool programs in Connecticut and Southwestern Pa, any program from Tender Care Learning Centers is sure to keep your child’s mind active. Give your child an environment to learn and grow, enroll them in Tender Care Learning Centers today.