Your preschooler’s mind is like a sponge, eager to explore and understand.  Take advantage of this time in your child’s life to give him a thirst for life-long learning. 

“Look, Mommy! Come see what I made!” says 4-year-old Connor, running toward his mother and sliding in his socks on the hardwood floor.  He’s busting to share his accomplishment — and there’s a lot of that these days. In his room, Connor has assembled a giant fire engine floor puzzle, and he’s overjoyed about it. First, he unwrapped the new puzzle’s cellophane wrapper, then, in the quiet of his room, he sat down to work on his own and completed his project.

“You’re so smart, Connor!” his mom, Melissa Smithson tells him. “Good job!”  Smithson says that she has “worked” with Connor since he was an infant.

“It is my greatest joy,” Smithson says. “I love reading to him and encouraging his effort to do things on his own. Not all kids his age are so self-sufficient, but I think just playing with him and prompting him toward independence has helped him to blossom.”

Just like trust is the foundation of babyhood, the preschool years are characterized by interdependence and mastery, says Marianne Neifert, M.D., in her book Dr. Mom’s Prescription for Preschoolers: Seven Essentials for the Formative Years (Zondervan; $14.95).  The building blocks of a young child’s formative preschool years include social and emotional characteristics, language, self-care, gross motor skills, fine motor skills and intellectual abilities. These “blocks” modify each year as a child’s capabilities change. But not all kids are the same. While children follow the same predictable sequence in early development, each child progresses with learning at his own pace. That’s why play time is learning time.

Helping your child develop and learn is one of the great joys — and challenges — of parenting. But it must not be a chore; think of it as fun for you, too. You can help your child gain ground in the preschool years of 3 to 5 by simply doing fun activities together. Here are several ideas for doing so:

 

Create a Special Place

Children love the idea of a secret club house. Some quick and easy suggestions: put a bean bag chair or large pillow in the bathtub, a big box or an old boat. Or, spread a blanket or put an umbrella over the top of two lawn chairs or try an old sheet attached to the ceiling, with a hula hoop sewn into the hem to hold it open. Use the secret club house as a “thinking room” for quiet talk together or just time alone. It’s an area to cool down, and play alone — a sanctuary for them if they need it.

 

Get All Dressed Up

Children enjoy being “in-character.” You can use real costumes or create a special outfit from yarn, lace, or ribbon for this fun learning time. You can use simple things such as a floppy hat, dad’s slippers, mom’s fancy blouse or Grandma’s apron. If you want to be truly creative, make a paper-bag vest and decorate it with stickers each time your youngster completes a project.

 

Build a Learning Kit

Have all the basics: pencils, pens, crayons, markers, tape, glue and scissors. Gather magazines, books on tape and activity pads. Have a large box for “fine and wonderful junk” to bring out the creative genius in your child. Collect cardboard, computer paper, envelopes, junk mail, pop sticks, buttons and other treasures. Also useful are leftover pieces from games and puzzles.

 

Do Fun Things 

Encourage independent activities or work together.  Have your child draw a picture to go with a story you’ve read to him. Assign a letter each day and cut out pictures that start with that letter and tape them to index cards. Use them to make sentences, find rhymes and for placing cards on household objects that start with the same letter. Organize them into groups like animals, food, toys, furniture or clothes.

 

Go on Field Trips

Introduce your child to more social settings by getting out together to all that the community offers for preschoolers. Check out the Calendar in the back of this publication for daily events, classes and more happening all around Middle Tennessee. Also, local play spots that have sprung up offer great socialization opportunities for both child and parent.

 

Have Rewards

Keep a weekly record and write each day’s accomplishments on a large chart. Once a week, have a special celebration such as a tea party or quick-snack picnic. You can use stickers or draw happy faces on your chart as you review and discuss all the fun things that were done.  You can take photos and mail them, along with art work, to Dad at his office, Grandma (near or far) or friends.

Providing these simple opportunities for your preschooler will help get him on the track that learning is fun, and, when you’re engaged, easier!

 

Valerie Allen is mother of six, author of two books and a psychologist.

 

Add comment