Can Teaching be Fun?
Fun can be described in so many ways with teaching being a part of it. Kids love coloring. Kids love sharing. Kids love praise. Encourage this!
Three months ago, my son went to day care for the first time. The outcome? My son is highly helpful, respectful and just at 29 months, knew what letter his first name started with as well as how to identify his name. She even replied he is "ready for kindergarten" which I was impressed. I never realized that as I just spend time with him.
I am actually at the point where I don't want to raise a genius. I saw so many articles on how to raise little Einsteins and that sounds fun and easy in theory but the way my life is set up I just can't do that. I have an energetic boy who doesn't like to nap so what do you do? Here is what I do when I have a full day with my son:
1. Kumon Books and Coloring Books
I found these at a educational store and I actually find some great learning things at the dollar tree. We go over some coloring learning books as well as fun flash cards. I even found one with Elmo. He love it! ( as all toddlers do!)
2. Watch TV! Together
I watch what he watches and interact with him on the subject. During the songs, we sing and dance to the music.
3. You mess it, you straighten it up with learning
He used to love dumping his blocks and one day, I told him that he has to count each and every block. Of course, he begins to do this more and more and each time it is either in English or Spanish that he has to count the blocks as he picks them up and puts them back in their container.
4.YT Kids
I have a Samsung Smart TV so we take the tablet where he does You Tube Kids and screen mirror in order to learn asl with music. He loves it!
5. Talk to me with sign!
As I am also learning sign language with my son, I will communicate with him with sign language. He is currently learning his colors in asl and incorporating it in his daily speech- be it English or Spanish.
6. Dance and Shout!
We take about one to two hours to play toddler tunes on Samsung Milk Music which has some great music from Caspar Babypants, Laurie Berkner Band, and more. Believe it or not, he loves to sing and dance from Dora and Diego but has no idea that it is a TV show. LOL!
7. Grow with me.
My son is a great helper in my little herb garden. He could be upset and I will ask him to go outside and water the herbs and he stops crying instantly. He can also tell you what herb is what. I love that! It also makes me want to get more plants so that he can help me care for them.
8. Read, read, interact and lead me to the local library.
I love to read and I want to instill this in my son so when I have money I splurge on getting books for him or if I can find them for good deals. I also visit our local library one to two times a week. Our library is great because it has plenty of toys and puzzles. He loves to play with the blocks so I follow his lead. He also colors there as well even though he colors at home. Just nice to go somewhere else where he can play and be surrounded by books.
9. No more baby talk!
I was told by some parents with successful kids that they removed speaking with the "baby voice". It is difficult because he talks a lot and you can't help but get down to that form of speech. He sounds so darn cute!!! I usually speak to him as a regular person and sometimes it gets confusing if I am on the phone with someone. To remove that, I speak to him in Spanish so that the person knows I am addressing him as I speak only English to my friends- even the ones that speak Spanish.
10. Encouraging Words, even in describing.
I never tell him he is bad. I never say he is dumb. I do say that he should never give up. I tell him he is God's special child. I tell him I love him multiple times a day and he watches as I tell his daddy that I love him and hug and kiss him in front of my son. I am not sure if this has anything to do with him educationally but I love that we are expressing love as does my son.
He is mostly at home but very social as he loves to be around kids and play with kids when they are around. The day care kids still ask about him and I want to get over there and help with the kids and see him play. He is social, happy and loves to learn! He is a helper and understanding. He also has brought out in me a better person who is much more efficient and direct.
Can teaching be fun? Of course! There is also a element of learning that is just as priceless.
Three months ago, my son went to day care for the first time. The outcome? My son is highly helpful, respectful and just at 29 months, knew what letter his first name started with as well as how to identify his name. She even replied he is "ready for kindergarten" which I was impressed. I never realized that as I just spend time with him.
I am actually at the point where I don't want to raise a genius. I saw so many articles on how to raise little Einsteins and that sounds fun and easy in theory but the way my life is set up I just can't do that. I have an energetic boy who doesn't like to nap so what do you do? Here is what I do when I have a full day with my son:
1. Kumon Books and Coloring Books
I found these at a educational store and I actually find some great learning things at the dollar tree. We go over some coloring learning books as well as fun flash cards. I even found one with Elmo. He love it! ( as all toddlers do!)
2. Watch TV! Together
I watch what he watches and interact with him on the subject. During the songs, we sing and dance to the music.
3. You mess it, you straighten it up with learning
He used to love dumping his blocks and one day, I told him that he has to count each and every block. Of course, he begins to do this more and more and each time it is either in English or Spanish that he has to count the blocks as he picks them up and puts them back in their container.
4.YT Kids
I have a Samsung Smart TV so we take the tablet where he does You Tube Kids and screen mirror in order to learn asl with music. He loves it!
5. Talk to me with sign!
As I am also learning sign language with my son, I will communicate with him with sign language. He is currently learning his colors in asl and incorporating it in his daily speech- be it English or Spanish.
6. Dance and Shout!
We take about one to two hours to play toddler tunes on Samsung Milk Music which has some great music from Caspar Babypants, Laurie Berkner Band, and more. Believe it or not, he loves to sing and dance from Dora and Diego but has no idea that it is a TV show. LOL!
7. Grow with me.
My son is a great helper in my little herb garden. He could be upset and I will ask him to go outside and water the herbs and he stops crying instantly. He can also tell you what herb is what. I love that! It also makes me want to get more plants so that he can help me care for them.
8. Read, read, interact and lead me to the local library.
I love to read and I want to instill this in my son so when I have money I splurge on getting books for him or if I can find them for good deals. I also visit our local library one to two times a week. Our library is great because it has plenty of toys and puzzles. He loves to play with the blocks so I follow his lead. He also colors there as well even though he colors at home. Just nice to go somewhere else where he can play and be surrounded by books.
9. No more baby talk!
I was told by some parents with successful kids that they removed speaking with the "baby voice". It is difficult because he talks a lot and you can't help but get down to that form of speech. He sounds so darn cute!!! I usually speak to him as a regular person and sometimes it gets confusing if I am on the phone with someone. To remove that, I speak to him in Spanish so that the person knows I am addressing him as I speak only English to my friends- even the ones that speak Spanish.
10. Encouraging Words, even in describing.
I never tell him he is bad. I never say he is dumb. I do say that he should never give up. I tell him he is God's special child. I tell him I love him multiple times a day and he watches as I tell his daddy that I love him and hug and kiss him in front of my son. I am not sure if this has anything to do with him educationally but I love that we are expressing love as does my son.
He is mostly at home but very social as he loves to be around kids and play with kids when they are around. The day care kids still ask about him and I want to get over there and help with the kids and see him play. He is social, happy and loves to learn! He is a helper and understanding. He also has brought out in me a better person who is much more efficient and direct.
Can teaching be fun? Of course! There is also a element of learning that is just as priceless.
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