Top of the Class... but Not Yet at School! Huh? Read on...!
TOP of the Class...but Not Yet at School! (But that doesn't make sense...).Yes it does!
I once heard this quote, 'One year old is too old' (for a child to learn
to read) and
I DON'T AGREE WITH IT! I think that whoever said that had rocks in their head!
But you know what? It got me thinking!
Being a teacher I know that a child's mind is, as the saying goes, 'like a sponge,' up until the age of two years. In fact a child has an amazing capacity for learning up until five years of age, i.e. think what a young child learns in their first years of life; they learn how to speak, walk and eat (these are all very complicated skills), etc. Children are capable of learning at an astonishing rate right up until puberty, i.e. they can even become fluent in a second language.
Do you want to give your child a GREAT start to their schooling...before they begin school? You CAN! Read on how! (You don't even have to be a teacher or have gone to uni to know how!)
Before I go into specifics the best things you can give your child to ensure their optimal learning is YOUR unconditional love and committment - from the moment they are born.
Anything else...? YES!
My own story..."I was brought up to value education. I graduated from uni and then taught full-time as a primary school teacher for several years. (I currently work in learning support.)
Once we knew we were expecting our first child (now in high school) my husband and I decided that we wanted to do everything we could to ensure our child got a great start in his education, too. And that meant that there were things we could do ourselves, starting RIGHT NOW to prepare our son for school!
In the following paragraphs I'm going to describe some of the learning experiences I offered our son from the TIME he was quite young - from when he was only a baby! I firmly believe that these experiences have given him a great start to his Primary and Secondary education.
Did it WORK?
YES! Throughout his Primary school years our son performed very well in Literacy and Numeracy,i.e. in his standardised Basic Skills testing he gained all Band 5 and 6 gradings and he received mainly Credits and Distinctions in all the ICAS academic competitons he sat.
Now in year 8 in high school our son is still doing very well, i.e. he is still gaining Credits and Distinctions in National competitions and he is still scoring in Band 6 in Literacy and Numeracy Basic Skills testing.
But what did I actually do?
* Right from a bub in arms until he was of school-age I provided our son with lots of informal opportunities for fun learning and social interaction, i.e. playgroup, playdoh, magnetic numbers and alphabet letters (on the humble fridge!) variety of books, cutting and sticking (words and pictures from newspapers/magazines), building, constructing, etc! Get the idea? The list goes on...
* From babyhood I regularly read our son all sorts of books - baby books, bath books, board books, cloth books, BIG books (!); once he was able to point and later 'toddle' he began to bring us books to read to him! (Hint: I'd trace my finger under the words as I read, so he'd work out I was looking at the text). I'd bring books with us everywhere - even to Church and I'd let my son 'choose' (he'd point, or indicate by looking) books to take with us.
* I used plastic mats - high-chair tray sized - (I'd alternate the one with each letter of the alphabet printed with pictures, and the other with numbers) at his meal times! Every now and then I'd point to the letters/numbers and say them, i.e. "'a' is for 'ant and apple,' 'b' is for ball and baby, etc".
Soon, he was pointing and 'copying what I was saying!' (HINT: the bub is getting used to the looks and sounds of numbers and letters).
* I'd put posters (at toddler height) around his bedroom walls, playroom walls and in other easy-to-see walls around the house, for him to look at, i.e. posters: shapes, colours, numbers, alphabet, telling time, musical instruments, simple/common words, days of the week, months of the year, weather...etc. (Hint: they need to be big, bright and colourful so they're eye-catching)!
* I'd provide our son with fun and educational toys, i.e. set of plastic cups (ordered according to size), jigsaws (boards with pegs work best because they're easier for little fingers!), puzzles: match the shapes/ colours/ numbers/ pictures puzzles (start with simple ones), Lego (start with large pieces), coloured paddlepop sticks/milk bottle tops (children can count them, or sort them into colours), paper/pencils/crayons, plastic clock with moveable hands.
(Hint: Don't only give your child 'educational' toys; fun ones, i.e. 'tickle me Elmo' are ok too! THEN, regularly sit with your child as they 'discover' the toys...!
What Next?
* HINT: Use good quality (not easily breakable) toys and remember to regularly PLAY WITH your child (without taking over!). Also, don't leave them to do everything on their own all the time).
NOW...
* From about age 3 or 4 your child will be ready for (pre-reading) storybooks and activity books, i.e. dot-to-dot, trace the alphabet letters/numbers books to encourage fine motor control. (Hint: It's sometimes best to go to an 'education shop' for these things, otherwise what you buy may well be WAY too hard and you've gone and wasted your money!)
* From age 4 onwards make some 'flash' cards, with everyday words, e.g. mum, dad, and, the, a, here, hat, mat, cat, etc and show your child each card in turn at the same time saying the word as you hold it up. (Hint: Your child won't be reading yet, off course, but it's all going into their mind!)
CHECK POINT: 1) Remember, let your young learner see you reading and writing regularly. It'll motivate them to want to do the same.
2) Chat with them, i.e. commentary-style about the everyday things you do and why you're doing them, e.g. "I'm writing a cheque out because I owe the plumber money for fixing our taps," or "I'm writing a shopping list because we need more food...we need bread, mince meat, apples..." Remember...it's all being absorbed by your 'young 'un' and they're developing understandings about the world around them.
* From age 3 and 4 onwards your child may well be ready for slightly more complicated and/or longer books - however still simple - with text; and you'll be able to read them more difficult books. HOWEVER, keep reading TO THEM and LET THEM SEE what you're reading them, i.e. point to the words as you read them. (Hint: Because they're used to books by now, their concentration span will be good).
BEFORE YOU READ ANY FURTHER: Never, and can I stress this word, NEVER force your bub/toddler/preschooler to do anything, i.e. if they seem confused, or uninterested. They simply may not be ready. You can't force learning. Try coaxing again later... If you try to force, they'll get upset - and so will you - and they won't learn a thing! (WCS - worst case scenario - your child could end up losing interest in you showing them new things...you wouldn't want to jeapordise your relationship with your child, would you?)
But I don't want to spend a lot!
* You can get a lot of great stuff at discount shops, or chain stores I've bought just about everything from these places, i.e.counters, puzzles, play money, die (dices), magnetic numbers/alphabet, plastic shapes, board 'n peg jigsaws, posters, craft stuff, plastic splash mats, alphabet or number charts, paper/crayons, etc. (HINT: just make sure the parts aren't too small, the toy works properly and that it's Australian in i.e. currency/spelling. AND
* You can MAKE A LOT YOURSELF! Save money and be creative! Make your own glue, finger paint or playdoh (use the internet to find recipes); make your own learning charts! e.g. get some large pieces of card and make a: grid of numbers 0-100 (counting chart!),alphabet chart (draw and colour),shapes/colours/days of week/months of year/weather; for counters/teaching names of colour you can just use milk plastic bottle lids, coloured paddlepop sticks/pegs/old games counters...you think of more!
Sometimes, though, 'it pays' to spend a bit more...for quality, I mean. You can't go past good quality shops, e.g. larger chain stores (Big W, K Mart) or 'education' shops, e.g. Gateway or Wombats in Wagga Wagga NSW and or Who, What Why? in Albury NSW. (Hunt one down where you live). Staff in these shops know what kids and education is all about.
If you just want to yell"I NEED help!"
Firstly, DON'T make the mistake of just endlessly 'bumbling on' on your own 'just hoping' you're on the right track - you could end up spending a lot of money on the wrong stuff, or worse, not being sure of what to do with it with your child.
CONSIDER...Befriend a primary/pre-school teacher (for advice) or visit a good educational bookshop (see above paragraph)
Once your child starts school...your job isn't done! WHAT NOW?
A few hints to ensure your child's school years are as happy and as successful as possible.
* remain involved with the school because thie will show your child that you value their education, i.e. go along to p&f/parent-teacher meetings; be on the tuckshop roster; attend working bees, etc.
* always ensure your child learns to be responsible for their own life, e.g. help them to establish routines for school days, e.g. after school routine may be: afternoon tea, then homework, feed pets, then free time. (HINT: Have your child THNK OF and WRITE UP the lists of routines they need because that way, they themselves are being responsible.)
* always speak respectfully about your child's school/teachers, etc
* let your child know that all you require from them is for them to give of their best efforts; that is all you can ask for
I hope some of this has made for interesting reading. Of course,I can't stress enough that the most important things to give your child (at any age)to ensure optimal learning is your unconditional love and committment!
Cheers until next time!
(April 2008) (
