In part one of this two-part series, we went over some basics on promoting and maintaining learning themes for your children within your home. We focused specifically on younger children for that part of our series, looking at some of the basic activities and concepts parents can promote to continue the learning and development process when kids aren't in the classroom.
At Devlin's Child Development, we're proud to offer a wide range of child care programs that combine education and fun, helping your kids learn and grow while also enjoying every second. From our daycare services to preschool, after-school care and more, we're here for all your needs. Moving up the child age scale for today's part two of our series, what are some ways to maintain learning themes at home and in other places besides the classroom? Here are a few suggestions.
Preschool-Aged Children
As your children move out of toddler phase and into their preschool-aged years, you'll still be able to use some of the ideas we mentioned in part one. However, there are also some additional considerations:
- Extend reading themes: Continue reading to your child at this age, but also expand this activity by introducing some chapter books. You can still focus on the same type of literacy activities we talked about before, such as looking for words that start with the same letter, finding words that rhyme and so forth. In addition, you can begin encouraging your child to write their own basic stories.
- Practice writing letters, numbers and even full sentences: This is a great time to really get your child's writing skills going. Not only can you have them practice their letters, but also numbers and full sentences too. You can also help them learn how to spell basic words.
- Explore the world around them: You can also take this age to really introduce your child to the world outside your home or daycare center. For instance, many parents will bake or cook with their kids at this age, teaching them about measurements, fractions and other concepts. You can also take them on field trips to places like the zoo or museum, or even just to a nearby park or playground.
School-Aged Children
Finally, once your child has passed preschool age, your role will be a bit less hands-on in terms of home learning -- but still important. Here are some themes to consider:
- Child reading: At these ages, story time should shift from you reading to your child to them reading on their own. They should be proficient in this skill by the time they enter elementary school. If not, there are some great programs available to help remediate any difficulties, such as at our tutoring center.
- Homework help: As your child enters school and has regular homework assignments, you can take on the role of homework helper. This means being available to answer any questions they have, helping them stay organized and on track with assignments and so forth.
- Project-based learning: Finally, a great way to keep the learning process going at home is to engage in project-based learning activities. These can be anything from simple science experiments to more complex research projects. Just be sure to keep things interested, fun and engaging as your child grows up!
For more on how to maintain learning for your kids in your home, or to learn about any of our preschool or other child care programs, speak to our staff at Devlin's Child Development today.