Why?
You can easily create a child-friendly learning area that will engage your grandchild in fun activity. The time your grandchildren spend in your home, away from the distractions of everyday life, is ideal for helping their young brains grow through learning activities. The truth is they would rather be engaged in a purposeful activity than play with a toy. Children naturally become peaceful when they have a learning game that interests them and meets their particular developmental needs.
Why provide activities to build early reading skills?
Children between 3½ and 5 ½ years-of-age experience a phase of innate and powerful interest in reading and writing. Maria Montessori referred to such phases of natural interest as “sensitive periods of development.” During the sensitive period for reading and writing, children learn almost “spontaneously.” But by age 6, this vital window of opportunity has closed, and the child must learn through memorization and study. What are the stages of development?
Can I be doing more to help my grandchild learn to read?
Learning occurs at an optimal level when you provide an environment that facilitates every aspect of a child’s spontaneous development. When a child does NOT find what he or she needs, the sensitive period may pass and the child will have to learn the skill later through effort, when it could have been easy, fun and spontaneous. How does my grandchild learn?
How?
1. Welcome your child throughout your home.
Have a child-friendly area in one or more rooms in your home. Have low shelves and a child-size table and chair. Provide children’s books, art supplies, and other child-friendly learning materials. Everyday, real-life items such as small plates, cups, and utensils are great for developing practical life skills. What else can I do?
2. Rotate the toys and activities within your child’s reach.
Provide simple, beautiful toys. Don’t clutter and confuse by trying to put too many things out at once. Rotate a limited selection of items every few weeks. Keep the rest tucked out of sight, ready to be discovered anew at some future date. (Bonus: you get a lot more mileage out of the same toys this way.) Children are hungry for beauty.
3. A place for everything, everything in its place. Make it easy for children to succeed at returning things to their proper places. Demonstrate how to put things away, all the while explaining why it this is important.
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Enjoy bonding with your grandchilden. Watch them flourish!
We can help empower you to give your grandchild a gift that lasts a lifetime.
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