The Whole Purpose of Education Is to Turn Mirrors into Windows
Even though the old adage, “education is from womb to tomb” was used by a wise person or group of people in the past, the adage itself is just as fresh and relevant today as it was thousands of years ago, and it will continue to be so well into the future.
It’s important to note that research has shown that even before birth, a fetus can begin to learn from its mother. According to recent studies, a pregnant woman should be careful about the types of music and conversation she exposes her unborn child to because the fetus can hear and understand these things from the outside world. Sound travels fairly well through the mother’s abdomen, and the fetus’s auditory system develops during the third trimester, making it possible for the fetus to hear speech. University of Helsinki cognitive neuroscientist Eino Partanen claims that the fetus can pick up on rhythms in speech, music, and other sounds.
Once the full term has passed and the mother has given birth, the infant will once again begin listening to and observing his or her surroundings. Babies are born with the capacity to learn, and their brains develop as a result of their experiences. Therefore, your child requires a stimulating environment with a variety of play and learning opportunities. Additionally, your child requires opportunities to review and practice what they are learning.
Sirwiss experts on early childhood education discuss the topic in this article, and as you read on, you may realize how important it is to start your toddler’s education on the right foot.
Improve Your Toddler’s Development with Early Childhood Education
Relationships with primary caregivers that are warm, engaged, and responsive are optimal for the development and learning of infants and young children. Therefore, you, as the mother of the child, have a significant impact on your child’s development and education during the first few years of their lives. Your role as a parent is a continuous one of teaching and learning.
In addition to your own efforts, enlisting the help of a qualified teacher can have a profoundly positive effect on your child’s development because of the individualized attention they can give to each student’s learning needs.
How Do Toddlers Learn?
As infants begin to transition from crawling to walking, they enter the toddler stage. This is an important stage of life, as toddlers are constantly gaining knowledge. Here, we investigate precisely how they acquire essential skills and knowledge.
A child has reached a significant developmental milestone when they are able to toddle (and possibly wobble) around the house independently. When they reach this stage, they will be eager to learn more and will continue to grow and develop. There is no set time for toddlers to learn things, and toddler growth and development is a highly individual experience, with each toddler developing at his or her own pace.
Nonetheless, as toddlers approach the age of two and attempt to become more independent, this can be a time of mood swings and impatience. This is why this age is commonly known as “the terrible twos.” It can be challenging for parents, but it’s helpful if you can – when appropriate – appreciate a toddler’s desire to attempt things on their own.
Principal Learning Methods
Toddlers learn continuously in a variety of ways, but the most significant are:
1. By watching and observing what is going on around them, both at home and when outside
2. By intercepting on conversations between family members, and others around them.
3. By asking numerous questions about topics, they do not comprehend or wish to learn more about
4. By attempting new activities – often imitating their parents or siblings.
5. By practicing all the skills that have been acquired, since practice makes perfect.
What Would He or She Learn?
Children acquire knowledge at various rates and in various ways. Some children learn better through observation, while others learn better through doing. Children learn more effectively in one setting than another.
1. Self and Relationships
Your child learns from you and your family that they are loved and valued. They develop trust by saying things like, “I know you’ll catch me if I fall” Your child begins to comprehend their own needs, thoughts, emotions, and preferences. Family dynamics eventually teach your child how to get along with other children and adults.
2. Language and Communication
By conversing, listening, reading, and singing with your child, you are assisting in the development of language, written and verbal communication, and conversational skills such as switch and listening.
3. Space, Place and Environment
Your home is a wonderful place for your child to learn about their physical attributes. Your kid develops a sense of self-worth as they discover the positive influence, they can have on the world around them.
4. Numeracy, Literacy, Handwriting and Music
Everyday counting, like asking, “How many animals are on the bed?” can help your child develop early numeracy. another way of saying “Can you fit all the red pegs into this basket?” You could also try singing counting nursery rhymes with your little one.
Reading aloud and telling stories to your child, as well as playing simple sounds and letter games like listening for words that begin with the same sound, and observing written and spoken language in everyday life, all contribute to your child’s early literacy development.
5. Learning Is Stimulated by Play
Playing is a vital part of a child’s development, and not only is it a fun activity, but it also aids in their education. As a result, it’s beneficial to promote play from a young age, and, ideally, different kinds of play are great. Through play, kids can pick up essential life lessons like how to solve problems, how to move their bodies, how to read, how to count, and how to interact with others.
1. Cooperation with other children.
2. Creative and imaginative play.
3. Playing house or simulating household tasks.
4. Outdoors, enjoy the garden.
5. Toy play with dolls or vehicles.
6. Solving puzzles.
7. Using books as toys and inventing stories.
8. Having fun with water.
9. Playing in a sandpit.
Activities You May Involve Your Toddler
These are some of the strategies that professional educators recommend for enhancing toddlers’ cognitive development.
1. Try Different Textures
Children at this age learn primarily through their sense of smell, sight, and taste. Make an alphabet or number poster by tracing letters and/or numbers in a dark marker onto white paper and letting your child decorate them with a variety of different materials, such as sandpaper, beans, cotton balls, pastas, and pipe cleaners. By physically handling the letters, children can get a feel for the various contours that comprise each letter. Before picking up a pen or pencil, young children can practice the shape of a letter with their fingers. While your child is touching the letters and numbers, be sure to say them out loud. Make it a longer activity by making a poster with his first name spelled out at a later time. Signs, posters, and billboards will soon begin to feature these letters, and your child will begin to take notice.
2. Measurements
You can teach your child to measure with common household objects. While a ruler is the standard measurement tool, learning can be made more engaging by substituting other measurement units, such as the months, seasons, or even time of year. You could use Legos or wooden blocks to measure the height and width of your furniture and appliances. Find out how many of your kid’s books it would take to cover the bed, as an added bit of fun. Your child will quickly learn to count and measure in a variety of ways if you count out loud as you set out each item.
3. Lebling Items at Home
Select a couple of things around the house, like a radio, some cabinets, and some chairs, and switch out the labels every few months. Labels will be more easily recognized by kids if they are all the same size and use a simple font. You can create a word by typing, printing, and cutting out individual words, then taping them together. The words can also be affixed to index cards and used as labels, which can then be removed from whatever they were labeled.
Experts say that children learn that everything can be represented by a standard set of symbols through labeling. Ask your child, if she is old enough to recognize letters, what letter “lamp” begins with and have her find the label that begins with “L.” If she is too young to read yet, you can introduce her to the alphabet and some basic words. Every day of practice will eventually lead to your child being able to recognize the words without any help.
4. A Quick Introduction to Organizing
Encourage your child’s helpful nature by keeping your home organized. Even if it slows down activities and chores, parents’ ought to embrace this trait. Integrate the Labels. Organize your household’s toys, clothes, dishes, and other items by placing them in specific places. Make the process of placing items in their labeled bins and drawers a guessing game.
Ask children where specific objects belong (“Where do you put your toys? Where should you store your shoes? “) Or, place forks in a sock drawer or a toy in the refrigerator and ask toddlers to correct your “errors.” They will enjoy organizing for their parents, who can’t seem to recall where the items belong.
5. Can Use Pin Up Images
Post pictures of loved ones on a bulletin board in your kid’s room to help him or her learn to make associations and remember faces. Sticky notes with names and relationships must be placed under each picture. Repeat the words often, especially at family get-togethers. As your kid gets to know everyone, you can take off the post-it notes. You can also read your child books about members of the family, such as brothers and sisters or aunts and uncles, and then have them name each member of the family. Make it more of a lasting activity by adding pictures and names to a family tree with your growing baby. Transform it into a work of art that evolves with you.