This month I asked my mommies to send me their favorite tips, tricks, and resources that they use for teaching their children. Here is what we came up with.
**Learning can be super fun! Remember this when you're teaching.**
First and foremost, my mommies were in love with Montessori.
For those who don't know what this is, here is the Wikipedia definition:
"Montessori education is an educational approach...characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child's natural psychological, physical, and social development."
In plain English, it's a child-directed, sensory-based teaching style. Children have senses so that they can learn and develop and therefore are geared and ready for learning.
Here is what Abby had to say about Montessori:
"Montessori is great for teaching toddlers because it really focuses on seeing the world from your child's point of view and adapting your house the best you can to suit your child's needs. It suggests that parents let toddlers do things that other places might not. Em has been successfully drinking from a glass-and I mean GLASS- since 15 months. She can feel sure of her abilities as I allow her to try things. Also, it gives parents influence for kid's learning by choosing resources/toys to play with and have set out and gives child freedom to choose what they want to play/do."
Here are some links to our favorite Montessori resources:
Fav book:
Montessori Videos:
Well, there you have the most general and agreed upon method. Here are some other tips and tricks of advice from our mommies:
-Water is cheep. There are so many things you can do with it and it's great sensory learning. Add other things too it like oils and food coloring for different kinds of learning.
-Schedule and routine are surprisingly necessary for leaning. Make sure that it can be regular and expected, but not the same and boring.
-Get learning supplies at the dollar store. They're just as good, and only coat a buck.
-When teaching kids letter, numbers, and shapes, we often lump in colors as well. However, most of these are nouns, but the colors are adjectives. So, when we teach them "the blue ball" they wait for the noun to give the answer instead. Change the phrasing to "the ball is blue" to focus on the adjective.
-Take advantage of Internet resources such as google and Pinterest. Search for toddler or preschool lesson plans.
-Learn with sensory activities. Play with the gross and the goo. They wash off and the kids will learn more.
Music is marvelous. However, it will be even better if you give them something to move with. Ribbon, shaker/noise maker, scarves, etc.
-Keep your activities child directed, open ended, and fun.
Here are some awesomely fun activities for toddlers:
- marbles in tunnels
- magnet playing toys
- mega Legos!
- walks to the park
- animal sounds
- body parts
- colored water in the summer in Tupperware
- dry beans and plates and beackers
- picture drawing
- finger paint
- etible play dough (call for recipe)
-SONGS! Lots of songs to help them learn
- streamers
- bubbles for shapes
- animals
- books! Lots of books
-zippers latches, and locks
-coloring
And finally, here are some other links for great resources:
What do you do that helps your child learn? Feel free to share with us in the comments section.
