This first step is to lay a strong foundation on which to build your children's education.
Enjoy the bi-weekly articles below.
These sections are organized by age level, but the information is not confined to that age group. Consider looking at other age ranges as well. Also, make sure to check out the Archives.
Enjoy the bi-weekly articles below.
These sections are organized by age level, but the information is not confined to that age group. Consider looking at other age ranges as well. Also, make sure to check out the Archives.
Teach Children to Observe Their World
Children are curious about their world from the time they are born. As toddlers, they want to explore everything and need a watchful eye. When they are old enough to ask questions, they are old enough to be taught how to observe what is happening to get answers. Why does it rain? Where do puddles come from? Why do we need to stop here? Why can't I ride my bike there?
Teaching children to find answers through observing is a simple skill even busy parents can teach. Parents can teach children to use their senses to observe: their eyes--to see things around them, their ears--to hear sounds loud and soft, their nose--to smell things pleasant or putrid, their taste--to find food and drinks they may like, their hands--to feel things scratchy or soft. Children can use their senses like a scientist to find out how things work and to gather information. The earlier parents help children to observe to find answers, the more they satisfy their children's curiosity in a safe setting. Curiosity is a key ingredient in learning and answering questions.
Children learn how to behave and respond to others by observing how their parents, grandparents, siblings and caregivers interact with each other and with other people. Observation becomes a powerful learning tool. If the action children observe is desirable, they commit it to memory for use in their future. If the happening is disastrous or causes pain, children may not want to repeat it.
Observation is beneficial when there is motivation and positive reinforcement, but the learner must be guided to know what to look for, especially as children grow older.
Observation allows children to learn different skills and practices that are valued in their community and culture.
MAKING FRIENDS
Are your children sad and lonely even after being in school for a month? Are they crying that they do not have any friends because no one likes me?
As their parents, you may need to teach them how to make friends. Paul Sanders (https://getthefriendsyou want.com/how-to-make-friends-a-12-step-guide) suggests that having friends who care about us is VITAL. It is a predictor of good health, happiness and success. Being lonely is more dangerous than anything else in our environment. Friendship fulfills important personal needs like being included and is an affirmation of who we are.
From www.wikihow.com/Make-Friends, the following advice may help both you and your children, especially if you are in a new school or community. Just by smiling, making eye contact, and talking to people, you and your children can begin a conversation. Encourage your children to ask other children questions, or make comments like "You look nice today." By asking questions, your children may find out that another child has the same interest and likes to do the same things. If your children are good listeners, people always like to talk to them. Your children will eventually make different friends in school, but they should not be jealous or possessive realizing that this is the way they grow.
Friendship is not about what you can get, but about what you can give. Your children are not alone; others may be looking for a friend, too.
LET MONEY HELP WITH MATH
Do you and your children pick up pennies you see on the ground? Do you put your loose change in a jar to save? Do you help your children know how much money each coin stands for? If you do these things, you are teaching your children math.
Money provides a perfect, authentic opportunity to explore mathematics. Candace Lindemann
Money can be used for counting, sorting, comparing, measuring, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. When children understand how to know money in these ways, it can even be used for more advanced math functions, like fractions and decimals.
Young children can learn a "brown" penny is one. They can learn to count by ones with pennies even to 100 if you have enough pennies. They can learn about a nickel being the same as five pennies and learn to count by fives. Soon you can help your children to know a dime as ten pennies or two nickels and then count by tens. You can add or subtract what your children have.
Parents can help their children experience money. You can help your children know how much things cost. Maybe Grandma has given them some coins or you have given them coins for helping you in some small way. They have collected their coins in a small glass jar so they can see money that is theirs to use. When they want to buy a small toy or a snack, you can help them count their money to see if they have enough or even have some left over. It is satisfying for children to have their own money to buy something.
Help your children know the difference between wants and needs so they learn to know how to spend their money. Starting with coins helps them learn whether they have saved enough to buy something and whether they want or need it. These are lessons you want to help your young children learn. As children grow older, you can pay them an allowance and help them learn the value of dollars and how to convert their coins into dollars.
You also need to help your children learn to spend. Do they have enough money of their own to purchase what they desire? Can they afford to buy the object with what they have in their glass jar or do they need to wait longer. By not purchasing the object for them, you help them to learn to live "within their means." Hopefully, they see you using your money carefully, too.
Figuring out how to save and spend their money is a way to use math in a practical, everyday kind of way. It also helps your children to know the value of money as they count, add and subtract what they have saved. Keeping the money in a glass jar allows them to see it better than in a bank that may not be see-through.
bedtimemath.org/using-money-to-teach-math/ provides great ideas for you to use to help your children practice math skills.
Children are curious about their world from the time they are born. As toddlers, they want to explore everything and need a watchful eye. When they are old enough to ask questions, they are old enough to be taught how to observe what is happening to get answers. Why does it rain? Where do puddles come from? Why do we need to stop here? Why can't I ride my bike there?
Teaching children to find answers through observing is a simple skill even busy parents can teach. Parents can teach children to use their senses to observe: their eyes--to see things around them, their ears--to hear sounds loud and soft, their nose--to smell things pleasant or putrid, their taste--to find food and drinks they may like, their hands--to feel things scratchy or soft. Children can use their senses like a scientist to find out how things work and to gather information. The earlier parents help children to observe to find answers, the more they satisfy their children's curiosity in a safe setting. Curiosity is a key ingredient in learning and answering questions.
Children learn how to behave and respond to others by observing how their parents, grandparents, siblings and caregivers interact with each other and with other people. Observation becomes a powerful learning tool. If the action children observe is desirable, they commit it to memory for use in their future. If the happening is disastrous or causes pain, children may not want to repeat it.
Observation is beneficial when there is motivation and positive reinforcement, but the learner must be guided to know what to look for, especially as children grow older.
Observation allows children to learn different skills and practices that are valued in their community and culture.
MAKING FRIENDS
Are your children sad and lonely even after being in school for a month? Are they crying that they do not have any friends because no one likes me?
As their parents, you may need to teach them how to make friends. Paul Sanders (https://getthefriendsyou want.com/how-to-make-friends-a-12-step-guide) suggests that having friends who care about us is VITAL. It is a predictor of good health, happiness and success. Being lonely is more dangerous than anything else in our environment. Friendship fulfills important personal needs like being included and is an affirmation of who we are.
From www.wikihow.com/Make-Friends, the following advice may help both you and your children, especially if you are in a new school or community. Just by smiling, making eye contact, and talking to people, you and your children can begin a conversation. Encourage your children to ask other children questions, or make comments like "You look nice today." By asking questions, your children may find out that another child has the same interest and likes to do the same things. If your children are good listeners, people always like to talk to them. Your children will eventually make different friends in school, but they should not be jealous or possessive realizing that this is the way they grow.
Friendship is not about what you can get, but about what you can give. Your children are not alone; others may be looking for a friend, too.
LET MONEY HELP WITH MATH
Do you and your children pick up pennies you see on the ground? Do you put your loose change in a jar to save? Do you help your children know how much money each coin stands for? If you do these things, you are teaching your children math.
Money provides a perfect, authentic opportunity to explore mathematics. Candace Lindemann
Money can be used for counting, sorting, comparing, measuring, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. When children understand how to know money in these ways, it can even be used for more advanced math functions, like fractions and decimals.
Young children can learn a "brown" penny is one. They can learn to count by ones with pennies even to 100 if you have enough pennies. They can learn about a nickel being the same as five pennies and learn to count by fives. Soon you can help your children to know a dime as ten pennies or two nickels and then count by tens. You can add or subtract what your children have.
Parents can help their children experience money. You can help your children know how much things cost. Maybe Grandma has given them some coins or you have given them coins for helping you in some small way. They have collected their coins in a small glass jar so they can see money that is theirs to use. When they want to buy a small toy or a snack, you can help them count their money to see if they have enough or even have some left over. It is satisfying for children to have their own money to buy something.
Help your children know the difference between wants and needs so they learn to know how to spend their money. Starting with coins helps them learn whether they have saved enough to buy something and whether they want or need it. These are lessons you want to help your young children learn. As children grow older, you can pay them an allowance and help them learn the value of dollars and how to convert their coins into dollars.
You also need to help your children learn to spend. Do they have enough money of their own to purchase what they desire? Can they afford to buy the object with what they have in their glass jar or do they need to wait longer. By not purchasing the object for them, you help them to learn to live "within their means." Hopefully, they see you using your money carefully, too.
Figuring out how to save and spend their money is a way to use math in a practical, everyday kind of way. It also helps your children to know the value of money as they count, add and subtract what they have saved. Keeping the money in a glass jar allows them to see it better than in a bank that may not be see-through.
bedtimemath.org/using-money-to-teach-math/ provides great ideas for you to use to help your children practice math skills.