How to help your child learn
© Jupiter
The most important way in which you can help your child develop is to listen to what she's saying.
Because her world is now expanding at a colossal rate, not only in terms of her physical capability, but also her new intellectual development, it is very important that you communicate openly and freely with her. Listen carefully to everything she says, try to understand her thinking and answer her questions in terms that she understands. She is constantly asking you questions but ask her questions, too, so that you are aware of what she is thinking and what interests her.
Every time your child asks you a question or you have a conversation with her, you have a golden opportunity to help her to learn, even though the circumstances may be very casual and ordinary. If you are in the kitchen preparing lunch and your child asks you why you take the hairy bits off carrots you could start a discussion on how all plants have roots because they need food in order to make them grow, and next time you are out in the garden you could pull up a tuft of grass and show her that root system. Or if you are really ambitious you could try putting a bean down the side of a jam jar lined with wet blotting paper and watching the root actually appear and grow down. When you are out in the street, keep up a running commentary on what is going on around you: traffic lights changing, cars stopping at pedestrian crossings, roadside drill, a policeman who is stopping and waving on traffic, and so on.
Around the age of three your child naturally becomes rather sensitive to what other people are feeling. She may show the first signs of empathy by wanting to comfort you if you seem sad. Take advantage of this and start to teach her about the need to think of other people; that it is right to be kind and polite, helpful and thoughtful, co-operative and willing. Make sure she is introduced to people coming to your house like the window cleaner and the postman. Tell her about their jobs and some of the problems they may have to cope with, and suggest ways she might help, for instance taking the letters from the postman at the door and bringing them to you.
New Babycare
Copyright © 2009 Dorling Kindersley
Text copyright © 2009 Miriam Stoppard
Posted 30.06.2010
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