How to help your child learn

Learning is a lifelong process that begins at birth if not before.

As a parent, you play a very important role in developing your child¡¦s learning potential. You are your child¡¦s ƒOrst and most important teacher.

Good learners grow up in homes that encourage learning. You want your child to observe the world around him or her. You want your child to be curious. A curious child is the best learner.

During the years leading up to school, children take great strides in developing their mental abilities and parents can help them. Sometimes you help naturally. Just by talking to your baby, he or she will learn from you. Other times, you have to make a more deliberate effort, such as saying “cup” when your baby reaches for a cup.

Your role as a teacher should not stop when your child starts school. School children need their parents’ love, support, and interest to develop their full learning potential.

Early Years
Early in life, children should be surrounded with love and an environment that invites them to explore the world and encourages creativity and curiosity.

Simple pleasures help babies
When your child is an infant, appeal to his or her senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.

• Talk and sing to your baby as much as possible.
• Fill your baby’s room with bright colors.
• Play music.
  

Use everyday opportunities to teach

• Point out different shapes, colors, and textures. Let your child explore them.
• Respond to your baby. For example, when your baby makes a face or a sound, imitate it or smile.
• Talk about what is going on around you, even if it is just the weather.
• Show your child new things. Point out trees, different birds, big trucks, planes, animals.

Use physical activities
Some physical activities help develop your child’s muscles and encourage learning.

Activities that help develop large muscles include playing with a wagon, running, playing with balls, and climbing.

Activities that help develop small muscles include playing with clay, cutting and pasting, coloring and painting, building things, and using a pencil.

Encourage creativity
Sing songs together, encourage your child to color or draw pictures, build things, listen, dance, or sing.

Stimulate reading

• Read to young children every day.
• Encourage your child to ask questions about the stories. Ask what will happen next.
• Allow your child to choose the books you read.

Reproduced with permission from the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development and the Frank and Theresa Caplan Fund for Early Childhood Development and Parenting Education