|
- Put uncooked rice, beans or corn meal into a large plastic bowl or food container. Give your toddler measuring cups, old margarine tubs and other small containers to fill and pour. As she plays and pours, describe textures and concepts of "full" and "empty."
- Let your toddler "draw" with an ice cube. Giver your child an ice cube to draw with on colored construction paper or pieces of cardboard. Describe the feeling of cold, as well as the patterns and shapes he makes. Talk about what happens to the drawing as the water evaporates.
- Make a special trip to the library to get a library card for your two-year-old. Treat it as a very special possession and one to be treasured and used often. Make visiting the library with your toddler a weekly part of your routine.
- Read everyday things to your baby. The newspaper, signs, labels, menus, pieces of mail – everything with words can be read to your child.
- Build a pillow and cushion maze and tunnel. Play follow the leader and let your toddler lead the way through the maze, using words to reinforce the concepts of "around," "through," "over," "under," and "on top."
- Let your toddler practice opening and closing drawers and doors that are safe to open. Explain what "open" is and what "closed" is. Be careful he doesn’t get hurt by shutting or pinching fingers.
- You can make your own play dough by mixing: one cup of flour, half cup of salt, two teaspoons cream of tartar. Stir in one cup of water colored with food coloring and one tablespoon of cooking oil. In a saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it’s spongy, then let it cool. Knead it together a little. Keep the dough in a sealed container when your child isn’t playing with it.
- Children tend to read more when they watch TV less. So instead of looking for the remote, or putting in a video, grab a book instead. Reading and telling stories is the better choice to help them learn.
- Set positive limits for your child. Tell her what to do, rather than what not to do. If she is behaving or doing something wrong, help her understand what she should be doing instead. Children (and adults, too) respond better to "do" than to "don’t." Try phrases like; "Here’s something else you can have." "Throwing your truck might hurt somebody, let’s roll this ball and sing a song." Setting positive limits is something you’ll repeat every day. It takes time and patience to help toddlers understand limits.
- Teach your child to say his first and last name.
- Ask about the number, size and shape of things your child shows you. If it’s her Teddy Bear, say; "What a fat, brown, fuzzy bear!" or, "How many butterflies do you see? Four? Where are they going?"
- Don’t forget to give your toddler quiet time. This is not just for naps. Turn off the television and radio and let him enjoy quiet play, singing and talking without distraction.
- Let you child hear different languages. Take her to cultural events or festivals that may have people speaking a different language. Play music with words from a different language.
- Praise your child when he tries hard to behave cooperatively. Let him know how proud you are when you see him working to control himself, taking turns, sharing or waiting patiently.
- Let your toddler know that what she says to you is interesting and take the time to listen to her. Ask questions and let her explain. Comment on what she is doing, and encourage her to talk about her actions. "Sally, your bubbles are floating in the air!"
- Give your toddler a bucket of water and paint brush. Let him "paint" outside on the sidewalk, the house or the porch steps.
- When cleaning up toys off the floor, make a game of sorting. Ask your toddler to put the stuffed toys in one place, the books in another, the cars in another and blocks in another spot.
- Let your child create his own book using family photos or drawings she has made. Staple or tie sheets of paper together, then attach the pictures with tape or paste. Let her tell you the words to write on the pages. Read the story over and over.
- Help your child develop large muscle groups by providing toys or materials that safely satisfy his urge to push, pull, ride, crawl, fill, dump, collect, find, hide and seek. Large boxes are great places to hide in, crawl through or push around. Sand boxes or sand tables allow children a space to fill, dump, mix, pour, sift, shake, stir and shape.
- Make your daily commute a special time to develop language skills. In the car or on the bus, talk to your child about what you see as your drive, what you plan to do that day, and ask your child questions. Be patient, listen carefully and give them plenty of time to answer your questions.
- Place a high priority on literacy in every aspect of your toddler’s daily life. Make sure your childcare provider or babysitter has reading times scheduled routinely during the time your child may spend in their care.
|
