Teaching Your Child Starts Early

Your preschooler's mind is just like a sponge, waiting to absorb all the information it can as your child learns daily. Even though structured learning doesn't normally start until Kindergarten, the early years leading up to this are so important for the development of your child's mental capacity. Neural pathways are still forming in the brain and the more you challenge your child intellectually right now, the more of these pathways in the brain will form – making it easier for him to learn for the rest of his life.

There is no time like right now to being teaching your child and start the learning process. It is up to you to make learning a positive experience for your child. Of course you want your child to associate learning with fun, and you have more control over this than you may originally think. Starting early (and now) you can make sure that new learning experiences and something your child looks forward to. By doing this you will also create great learning and studying habits for your child for later on during the school years. You're child will become naturally curious about the world around him because he has been taught that there isn't anything that is beyond his learning capacity.

Of course you'll want to know what you can do to challenge the mind of a toddler. Each and every day is full of changes to teach and learn. All you have to do is open up your mind and eyes to the endless possibilities. Books are always a great place to begin. Get together with your child at a comfortable place and read to him, daily. Talk to your child about what is happening in the book, and the story and characters. Begin with simple questions like what is a certain character's name, or what happened to a character in the story. Your child will get used to getting involved in the story like this, and will begin to have an opinion on what is happening without you having to ask each time.

Another thing your child can do is to help make lunch. Have the ingredients out and have your child guess what you will be making with the ingredients that are on hand. Talk about what happens to the foods as they are cooked and why. Simple math can be introduced at this point just by letting your child know what you are weighing out or how much is needed of a certain ingredient. Talk to your child as you cook, ask him about things going on in daily life. It might be surprising just how much you can learn about what happened in preschool or daycare if you just take the time to ask and then have time to really listen to the answer.

Your routine trip to the grocery store is a great place to bring your child along and teach him about colors and shapes. You will also have the opportunity to talk about fruits and vegetables as you pass them in the produce section. It is a great time to talk about where they are grown and how they can be eaten.

Another great learning activity that you should make time for each week is a craft. A craft doesn't have to be complicated or difficult. Even the simplest things like a few crayons and a piece of blank paper can turn into a lesson in color theory or into your child’s first writing lesson. Keep things fun and don't make it complicated. Practice writing your child's name and have him copy. Always give your child the praise he deserves. Spelling out his name with noodles or cereal is always fun and educational.

We are surrounded by colors, shapes, numbers and letters. They are on cereal boxes, street signs and billboards. Just keep an eye out for them and use them to challenge your preschooler’s mind. Every day brings new learning opportunities for your child.

Are you ready to challenge your preschooler’s mind even more? Take a look at http://www.kidsactivitycalendar.com for Alphabet Fun for your preschooler. The alphabet audios, coloring sheets and other activities are a great way to prepare your little one for kindergarten.