When it comes to learning, the age-old question "How young is too young?" arises in the minds of many parents.
"Children begin learning from birth. And, when it comes to literacy and numeracy development, a child can't begin learning early enough," says Dr. Donna McGhie-Richmond, Educational Specialist with Kumon Math and Reading Centres. "Learning to read is the foundation of all academic achievement."
Parents need to provide developmentally appropriate ways of encouraging and supporting early learning. It is important to understand that young children learn through play, exploration, dialogue and interactions.
While building sandcastles in a sandbox or moulding an inter-planetary spaceship with Play Dough may seem like only fun, children are actually fine-tuning their motor skills with every shape they create. They are learning about shapes and quantities, and if we look very closely we can see that they are expressing their understanding of their world.
And while a child's head may perk up over hearing about how old Mother Hubbard got stuck in a cupboard, the child is also absorbing the rich language and sounds of the words expressed in the nursery rhyme.
Nursery rhymes and songs are a good way to teach young children about rhythm, language and rhymes. Understanding and being able to manipulate the individual sounds in words is critical to learning to read.
Fundamental skills are learned through play and contribute to the development of early literacy and numeracy skills.
And, as the family becomes a child's first teacher, the learning experiences they provide will have an impact on their child's future reading and math skills.
But, there is a limit to how a baby or young child can be taught through structured learning activities.
Kumon recommends that children this young learn in a stress-free environment. "Learning should be stressed, not stressful," says Dr. McGhie-Richmond. "It can be part of their routine, not all of their routine."
In answers to the question, it is important to remember that children are never too young to start learning, but in the early stages, critical fundamental math and reading skills are best developed naturally through play, exploration and dialogue with family members.
Help Your Children Overcome Procrastination
It's exam time and your teenager would rather shovel the snow, clean the house or do the laundry.
While it may appear that your children are being proactive with the household chores, beware chances are they are putting off studying and mastering the art of procrastinating.
Procrastination is the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished. This can lead to feelings of guilt, inadequacy, depression and self-doubt among students. Procrastination has a high potential for painful consequences. It can interfere with the academic and personal success of students.
"Lets face it. We all procrastinate and if we examine why, it's to avoid doing something that is not too pleasant," says Dr. Donna McGhie-Richmond, Educational Specialist with Kumon Math and Reading Centres. "We're supposed to begin with the most overwhelming task, but who does that?"
Children may be uncertain of priorities, goals and objectives. As a result, they may keep putting off academic assignments for a number of more appealing tasks.
When children have difficulties starting tasks, Dr. McGhie-Richmond says it is best to help them get started so that they can get on the right track, and begin to experience some success.
Breaking down and overwhelming task into "baby-steps", and then developing a schedule for getting the work done is a helpful strategy for supporting your children.
"Use lots of visual reminders, like a calendar or agenda," says Dr. McGhie-Richmond. "Having your children schedule their tasks in a day book is an effective method of helping them learn how to manage their time."
Scribbling or checking off completed tasks on a to do list provides a sense of accomplishment- that helps children achieve their goals, step-by-step.
Dr. McGhie-Richmond also says that rewarding students by displaying their work and offering praise for their effort and achievement will help keep them motivated to get the job done.
"The final outcome is that your children will become more confident in tackling a project and more successful at completing the tasks."
Building The Foundation For Learning to Read
Learning to read and write are arguably the most important skills your children will ever learn. Strong literacy skills are the foundation for all other academic achievement.
Dr. Donna McGhie-Richmond, Educational Specialist with Kumon Math & Reading Centres, says that learning to read and write should begin way before children ever enter the classroom. "As a parent, you are your children's first teacher, and it is important to begin exposing them to books at young age."
Dr. McGhie-Richmond says that before formal instruction in the classroom begins, children should develop the following skills:
Book knowledge- Children should understand how to hold a book, where the story begins and ends, that words are read from left to right, that stories are read front to the back and that pages are turned one at a time.
Print awareness- Children should understand that the words seen in print, and that words heard and said are related, and that there is a difference between pictures and words.
Phonemic awareness- Children need to be able to identify the separate, small sounds called phonemes that make words and associate the sounds with the written words. For example, the word 'cat' is made up of three sounds /c/,/a/,/t/. Children who have phonemic awareness can take spoken words apart sound by sound and put together sounds to make words. This skill is required for leaning to read.
As a parent, you play a key role in ensuring your children are prepared for formal reading instruction. Dr. McGhie-Richmond and Kumon Math & Reading Centres offers parents the following tips for helping your children establish a strong foundation for learning to read:
Read aloud with your children. Reading aloud is the single most important activity that supports literacy development. This will expose children to language, teach them about books, and help them start identifying words and their sounds.
Make reading fun. Pointing to words, animating your voice and asking our children to predict with will happen next, will help engage your children and aid in their understanding of the story. Singing the alphabet song is another great way for you children to lean their ABCs. Playing rhyming games supports children's understanding of phonemic awareness.
Be a reading role model. Set an example by letting your children see you read. Children who are exposed to active and enthusiastic readers are likely to model this behaviour themselves.
Top Five Mistakes Parents Make
Even the most experienced parents can make mistakes.
Dr. Donna McGhie-Richmond, Educational Specialist with Kumon Math and Reading Centres offers the following tips to help parents avoid five common mistake when dealing with their children`s education:
Underestimating Your Children`s Ability- Don`t assume your children will be weak in a subject just because you were, and don`t underestimate their abilities. Expect your children to reach their potential in all subjects, not just the ones that are easiest. If your children are struggling in math but love reading, help them discover new ways to enjoy math. However, keep your expectations realistic.
Expecting Perfection Instead of Progress- If you only praise your children when they complete a task or reach a goal, they may give up long before ever finishing. Demonstrate to your children that you believe in them by giving genuine and frequent praise for progress and effort.
Allowing Your Children to Quit Whenever the Work Gets Hard- Encourage your children to persevere when school work becomes challenging by becoming their coach to get them through tough spots. Help them take a step-by-step approach. Work with your children to identify the information needed to solve problems and pinpoint places where you think they`ll get stuck.
Allowing Your Children to be Disorganized- To help ensure that children will become successful students, parents must help them acquire good study habits and strong organizational skills. Start by creating a special learning area at home and set aside time for homework and reading. For older children, teach them to organize their time by using a calendar or day planner.
Refusing to Admit that Your Children are Capable of Doing Anything Wrong- Children are individuals, and no matter how hard they try, they can still make mistakes. However, mistakes are opportunities for learning. Remembering this the next time a teacher, friend or parent brings to your attention you child`s behaviour. Speak to you child privately and decide the best way to handle it.