Early Childhood Initiative

The Early Childhood Initiative has provided us with information about family and children. You may visit them on the web at www.teachmorelovemore.org

Family is the most important and influential factor in your child's life. The lessons learned and examples shared from adult to child within a family directly impact a child's values, disposition and behavior. Adults who are tuned into children can learn from the uncluttered perspective children have to offer -- a clear and new outlook.

Peaceful Homes: Independence - From the Peace Education Foundation Becoming
independent is an important mission fro toddlers. The process of becoming independent is occurs when toddlers realize the control process. This is done by physically and verbally separating themselves from the adults. "No" and "me" are two common words that toddlers use to state their need for independence. This can be a frustrating experience for adults, but a necessary stage of development for the toddler. Running away and taking off clothes are two more ways for toddlers to assert themselves.

School readiness means that children entering kindergarten and first grade have certain skills that are critical to becoming a successful learner. Some of these skills are:

Dramatic play or "pretending" is a natural way for young children to learn.
Play provides children opportunities to learn words while providing ways that child can combine spoken language with imagination.

Some favorite play experiences include: cooking in a pretend kitchen, playing with dolls, dressing in costumes and acting out real life experiences.

Families can encourage literacy development in young children by providing materials to act out everyday events. Here are examples of items that can help your child experience the adventure and creativity of dramatic play:

Blocks
Cars, trucks
Pretend food
Dishes
Dress up clothing including shoes and hats
Empty food containers
Used purses, handbags, briefcases or lunch pails

Speech and language development

Research shows that young children are the most receptive language-learners. Get them started on the path to success now! Children who begin studying an additional language at an early age develop natural pronunciation, are less inhibited, and benefit measurably from the educational enrichment. It is a well-known fact that bi or multi-lingual children have the advantage in school, on standardized tests, in college admissions, and ultimately, in their careers!

"Children who begin studying an additional language at an early age develop natural pronunciation, are less inhibited, and benefit measurably from the educational enrichment"

It was once thought that the best way to help children learn their second language was to expose them only to that language. But the experts tell us that this was incorrect: the better developed the child's first language; the easier it is for her to learn a second language. In light of what we now know, it has become clear that the best way to foster second language learning is to support the child's first language.

When parents aren't sure which language to speak to their child, we can safely encourage them to speak their first language. This is quite a relief because if parents are advised to speak to their children in a language which they don't speak fluently, interactions will suffer; parents may interact less with their children and will probably have less to say when they do.

The quality and quantity of language that children are exposed to during their everyday interactions with their caregivers has a significant impact on their language development. When learning both first and second languages, children have to make sense of what they hear and figure out the rules of the language. Caregivers help children do this when they adjust the way they talk, making language easy to understand at the early stages of language development and adding more information as the child's ability progresses. Teachers can make this process easier for children with language delays by providing intensive repetition, slowing down their rate of speech and highlighting the important words.

Courtesy of the Early Childhood Initiative - FROM "101 Ways to Help Your Child
Learn to Read and Write" Website: www.teachmorelovemore.org

Encourage your child's literacy and language skills:

For infants: Talk to your baby. Don't worry that your child cannot understand what you are talking about. Your child will associate your voice and the language you speak with the comfort and care you provide. Hearing you talk will encourage your child to experiment with sounds necessary for literacy and language development.

For toddlers: Your child as an author. Offer to print or type your child's story. Make inexpensive photocopies of your child's story and use as gifts for family members. Post offices, libraries and supermarkets often have copy machines available.