1. During the first six years of life your child’s brain can take in information at an overwhelming rate and with no effort. Everything learnt about the world comes in through the five senses. Encourage your children to explore by touching, smelling, tasting, hearing and looking at whatever surrounds them.

2. Young children learn to communicate by listening, imitating and practicing. Talk to your children, introduce them to friends. Chat to them through the day. Discuss with them, ask them their preferences, ask their opinions.

3. Reading may develop just as naturally as speaking. Words are symbols of reality. Label nouns of the real things your children can see at home and read them loudly and clearly as often as possible. This is a great way of promoting the development of reading.

4. Music smoothly synchronises the brain and relaxes the body helping the mind to concentrate and to be ready to receive new information. Listen to music with your children.

5. Constructive block-play during the preschool years is correlated with higher mathematics achievement in later years. Invest in LEGO play!

 

 

6. Writing begins with good control of the movement of the small muscles. Give your children opportunities to strengthen fine motor skills. Allow them to practice cutting using child safety scissors. Allow them to button and unbutton their clothes independently when dressing.

7. Love is the most essential ingredient in early childhood education. Healthy brain development is dependent upon warmth and affection. Let your children choose what is of interest to them and allow them to begin learning from there.

 
Article by
Despina Charalambous
Head of Kindergarten
TLC Private School & Institute