This is one of those
questions which every new parent ask them self more and more each day. We worry
that will they do well at school and how can we get them to do better so on and
so on. Well lets start at the beginning
How children learn
You should first
understand how kids lean The first
and most important learning in a child's life happens within the family.
Children learn from the way people treat them and from what they see, hear and
experience starting as soon as they are born Children are natural learners and
between birth and five years, and especially to three years, children grow and
learn at the fastest rate of their lifetime.
Baby (up to 6 months)
Your young baby is an active learner. From birth up to the age of six
months a baby shows this learning by turning his head towards sounds and
movements; reaching up to hold his feet while lying on his back; smiling at
familiar faces and voices; making different sounds; putting everything in his
mouth.
- Young babies enjoy being with people - faces to watch, fingers to grip, skin and hair to feel, voices to listen to, arms to be rocked in.
Baby (6-12 months)
Your baby is getting stronger and starting to move about. In the second six
months a baby begins to explore the world around her. This can be scary at
first and she may be afraid to let the people she feels safe with out of her sight.
- Older babies will play happily with household items such as pegs, cotton reels, paper plates, used wrapping paper, spoons and plastic containers (but not plastic bags). They love things to crawl in and over, and to put into their mouths.
Early toddler (1-2 years)
Although unsteady on his feet at first, your young toddler loves being able
to walk and climb. Falling over, small bumps and bruises are common. Parents
are important as the secure base for toddlers to return to when they need it.
It is very important for them to do things for themselves and their first word
may be "No". They are starting to use words to tell you what they
want.
- Toddlers need room to explore and run. They need big things to hold and play with - big balls, blocks. They like simple ride-on toys and toys they can push and pull.
Older toddler (2-3 years)
Your two year old seems to be always curious and on the move as she
explores more widely. She enjoys being with other children and learning to do
more for herself. Tantrums are common because she is not yet able to do the
things she wants to and she can get very frustrated. Speech becomes clearer and easier to
understand.
- Two year olds enjoy dress-ups, ride-on toys, stories, rhymes, and copying their parents. They are not yet able to share so having more than one toy of the same kind can be helpful if they are playing near other children.
Young preschooler (3-4 years)
Your young child begins to engage in make-believe play with friends,
perhaps at playgroup. Learning how to get on with others is important to your
child's development. This is a
time when he asks many questions.
- Young preschoolers enjoy drawing, painting, play dough, making things, swings and playgrounds and lots of time and space to run.
Preschooler (4-5 years)
Four year old preschoolers move well and enjoy physical activity. Their
thinking shows in the things they say, draw, make and do. "Why?"
questions are often asked. They are more able to see things from another's
point of view.
- They love stories and funny words, building with large lego, painting, make believe play and playing with others.
- They enjoy trying out their physical skills at playgrounds and problem solving skills with simple computer games.
Types of Learning Styles
These are the four main types of learning styles:
- Visual (learn through seeing)
- Auditory (learn through hearing)
- Tactile (learn through touch)
- Kinesthetic (learn through doing and moving)
Visual learners learn
through seeing. Children who are visual processors tend to observe a parent’s
or teacher’s body language and facial expressions for content and learn through
demonstrations and descriptions. They tend to have well-developed imaginations
and often think in pictures. Too much movement or action in a classroom may
cause distraction for them. For older children who read, written instructions
may help clarify verbal directions.
Auditory learners learn
through listening. Children who are auditory processors learn through
participating in discussions and talking things through. Verbal directions may
help clarify instructions or written information. Too much noise may be
distracting and children with this strength may learn best in a quiet
environment.
Tactile learners learn
through touch. Children who are more tactile prefer activities or projects that
allow them to use their hands. Your child may prefer doodling or drawing to aid
memory.
Kinesthetic learners learn through moving and doing. Children who are more kinesthetic learn
through physical sensations and may have trouble sitting still for long
periods. A hands-on approach that allows your child to actively explore her
physical world helps her learn best.
Questions to
consider:• What do babies and young children think about?
• What do they know when they are born?
• What must they learn?
• How do they learn about the world around them?
• What can parents and caregivers do to help children learn?
Why should parents and providers care about children’s thinking?
• You can understand more about why children act the way they do.
• You can do things that will help children learn.
• You can relax and enjoy children more.
• You can help children practice the new thinking skills they are developing.
• You can help children prepare for their next steps in learning.
Imagine graham crackers and milk.
This story may help you understand more about how children think. One afternoon, a childcare provider serves children graham crackers and milk. Some children discover how much fun it is to put the graham crackers in the milk and watch them expand. Others like to blow bubbles in the milk. Some break their crackers apart, while others want a cracker that is not broken.
When children act in these ways, they are not trying to be difficult. They are not just making a mess or making demands. Instead, children are learning as they experiment with the milk and crackers. And they are showing what they understand when they ask you to serve the crackers a special way
.( taken from Guardian Professional)
How do we prepare children to be ready to learn?
There is great interest on the part of parents in teaching children their
letters and numbers and writing skills. The following lists show the
pre-reading and pre-writing skills and beginning number skills that every child
must develop in order to learn to read, write, and do well in math.. After
that, I have listed many of the activities that quality preschools and daycare
centers do in the learning areas (physical, mental, social, emotional) to
develop these readiness skills so that children will go to school ready to
learn.
Reading skills: Reading
skills develop in a sequence and we as educators try to help each child
progress along that sequence as he/she is ready to progress. First, a child
develops a love for books. At the same time they are beginning to develop
eye-hand coordination. Next, they acquire tracking skills (the ability to
follow words and pages from left to right through a book). Then children begin
to recognize individual letters and later they realize that letters form words.
Next they begin to understand that words remain the same from day to day.
Listening skills improve at about the same time. The child begins to hear
letter sounds and connect them with the written letters. Later, he/she begins
to string sounds together to make words. The child then learns to hear and use
the rhythm of the language. Reading ability continues to improve as he/she receives
positive feedback from interested adults.
Writing skills: This is a
sequence which each child passes through. One step follows another. A lot of
practice is required at each stage. First the child begins to develop the
sequence of drawing skills (from scribbling to making representational
drawings). Encourage them to draw often. Small muscle strength needed for
controlling writing instruments is increased through activities using
squeezing, pinching and cutting. Then the child begins to recognize written
names. Next he/she begins to imitate letters and numbers for fun and then to
write for a purpose. When they receive positive feedback from interested
adults, children's skills will continue to improve at a fast pace.
Math skills: These
skills develop with much practice and we encourage their development as the
child is ready.The child begins to count for fun (rote counting). Then they
begin to see the purpose for counting and begin counting objects in a set
(meaningful counting). Next they begin adding to or subtracting objects from a
set. They begin comparing objects in a set. Then the child begins sorting (by
size, shape, color, etc.) and ordering (by size, first-second-third, etc). They
enjoy learning to estimate (guess how many) and predict (what will happen
next). They begin to sequence objects (red, yellow, blue, red, yellow, ).
This is a slow process and requires a lot of practice. At last the child begins
to recognize numbers and associate the number with a like number of objects.
They also begin to write numbers. Later, they will write the number words. If
we make this learning fun, children will enjoy learning math through their
school years.
So now you have understod this don't worry all children lean at their own speed but they do lean, you did.
