The Child’s First School is Home: Tips to Encourage Learning
Up to five years of age your child has the enormous opportunity to learn as much as he/she can because of the curious mind. According to experts children can learn up to five languages until they are five. Coming from a bilingual family myself, my child is learning two languages and at an age of two and a half, he’s doing a pretty good job. When it comes to education and schooling the more jittery I get about it, the more signs my son shows that he can do it well. How is that? Because I’m preparing him for it. Yes all this can be done at home, and all you have to do is start early.
Giving your children that desire for learning and letting them know that its fun and exciting is an art that every mother should learn. You can start as early as they start recognizing you. These little creations of Allah SWT are quite surprising when it comes to learning. They pick things up quicker than any adult. So what should you be doing? There is a 6 point plan that can be really helpful.
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Increasing Vocabulary
Children are eager to learn words when they hear them. The best thing to increase their vocabulary and help them talk earlier is by talking to them often. Every time you feed them, clean them or play with them begin a conversation and focus more on words that you want them to learn early. Like if you are playing ball with them focus on the word ‘ball’, its shape, color or may be the graphic on it. It’s definitely not necessary that they say them right, any pronunciation would do.
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Giving Them Educational Tools n Toys
One thing I made sure with the toys that I give to my child is that they have to be educational. Surely you will not find everything educational but you can always make them learn a lot from toys. A simple car toy or a doll can also be educational because they have features that children experience in real life. Toys with alphabets, numbers or pictures inscribed on them and even those that repeat what you input, toys that speak words and all the similar types are extremely helpful. You will see the wonders when your children will start recognizing any number or alphabet when you go out. Use art as an important tool as children get influenced a lot from colors. Get flash cards, make up displays of your own, use paper art etc.
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Reading To Them
This is one of the best practices of filling them up with the love of learning. Read every night to them or any other time. This is how they understand books and how one reads them. Try getting picture books first. Read Quran in front of them, they will know it is a precious book to be read every day. Pick up any free time from your day and get them close to books by reading them stories. Make sure the books you choose are full of colors and pictures as this is how children are attracted.
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Making Them Do Things Themselves
Children learn a lot when they do things themselves. Making them do things on their own will make them independent and learn about different techniques. Like when you are doing house chores give them a small cleaning tool, when you feed them give them (the non-messy) food (very important!) to eat on their own, tell them to pick up their toys and put them in their place and similar things.
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Taking Them Out On Nature Exploring
Outdoors have to be a part of the learning process. Take your children out for their time as well as when you go out for your personal needs. Take them to parks where they can run around and do all the crazy things they can. Beaches, museums, restaurants, amusement places and any that you believe your child can explore in and learn more.
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Doing Things That You Want Them To Learn
Children take all their habits from elders because we are the only guide they have. Your attitude at home and with them will impact their personality a lot. You have to do good things to make them learn good things. Every word you say, every action you make, they WILL copy it one way or another. This is one thing you can use to get them close to religion. If you pray in front of them, read Quran in front of them, recite Duas at different occasions, it gives them an idea that this is an important activity in life that has to be done.
There can be more interactive activities that can be done at home but in all these there is one point not to ignore. Everything that you do has to be fun for them as children get bored quite easily. If you be energetic about it, they will also be. These activities can surely help you prepare your child in a good way before he/she begins school.
[divider]Sadaf Siddique
Sadaf Siddique holds a degree in Computers and a Masters in Business Administration. She is the mother of a 2-year-old boy, a part-time writer and a full-time homemaker.