If you’re concerned about preparing your child for academic success, consider supplementing at home with some of the developmental activities offered by early childhood education classes McKinney TX. Children are sensory learners who enjoy using their sense of sight, sound, taste, touch and smell to discover the world around them. Try these activities to boost your child’s development and brain power while the two of you also have fun and create wonderful memories together.
Early Childhood Education Classes McKinney TX: Start at Home by Teaching Letters
Begin with your child’s name. At about the age of two, your child will have the ability to recognize the letters in his name. Wherever possible, display his name. Hang a name plate on his bedroom door, print his name on his stepping stool, or arrange his name in magnetic letters on the refrigerator. As you child sees his name, point to each of the letters. Say each letter aloud. Talk about words that begin with the same sounds as the letters in his name.
Whenever you are out and about, point out the signs that are displayed on streets and in stores. Read the signs out loud and talk about words that may rhyme with the signs. Be sure to always speak slowly and clearly so that your child is able to hear the correct pronunciation of the words and say them correctly.
Preschool McKinney TX: Learn Numbers at Home
While your child may be able to say the numbers from one to ten at the age of two, her ability to understand the relationship between a number and its amount won’t develop until later. You can help her develop her ability to recognize numbers by counting things as you go through your day. Count as she puts on each piece of clothing, estimate the number of items on her plate and then total them up, or number all of the items in your shopping cart as you get your groceries. As you count together, use your fingers and have your child use hers too.
Show your child how to group things. Knowing how to observe, compare and contrast objects is important to the development of early math skills. Have your child groups her stuffed animals by size, type or color. Have her help you with sorting laundry before it goes into the washer. As you enjoy these activities, show your child which group has more and which has less so that she can develop her ability to compare the groups.
Childhood Education McKinney TX: Start Classifying Colors
As you go through each day, help your child look for matching colors. Have your child draw a picture using basic crayon colors and then go through the house on a hunt for items to match the colors in his drawing. Talk about the colors and where they can be found in nature. Take a walk outside and look for natural items that match the drawing colors.
Throughout your day, as you are talking with your child, use color words to describe items. Ask which color shirt he would rather wear or whether he would like to snack on a yellow banana or green apple.