Toddler Kindergarten Preschool
Parenting
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.
As a parent, you not only want your children to do well in their studies, but you want them to enjoy them as well. We want them to love learning and, as your child’s first teacher, you have the opportunity to shape the way they’ll view their education.
Starting while they’re still young gives you the chance to not only get them excited about learning, but also to encourage that excitement as they grow.
The good news? It’s a pretty easy thing to do! Here are a few simple ways to get and keep them excited about their education.
Read
Every. Single. Day. I cannot stress the importance of this point enough. Reading to your children every single day, even if only for 10-20 minutes can have a huge impact on their eagerness to learn.
Books are full of not only educational material, but adventures as well with each new story taking them on an exciting new journey; one that they’ll want to go on over and over again.
They’ll fuel up their imaginations and wind up hungry for more, each and every time you crack open another book.
Add Music
Kids LOVE music. At least mine do :) Especially when they’re young, you can teach them so much with music.
Whether you’re reviewing numbers and practicing your counting skills with songs like “5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” or learning days of the week with a fun rhyming song, you’ll be surprised at just how much information your little ones retain when they’re singing and dancing while they’re learning.
Play Games
Who doesn’t love games?! My kids love games so much that they don’t even realize that while we’re playing a game of memory, they’re working on their early math skills or that they’re learning about animals while practicing their gross motor skills as we act out different zoo animals.
The great thing about homeschooling is that it doesn’t have to look like regular “school.” Get down on the floor, play games, act silly, find ways to incorporate lessons into fun activities and your kids will learn so much more.
Follow Their Interests
Is your child a Minion fan? Count them! Does your son or daughter have a thing for rocket ships? Have a space themed week and learn the planets of our solar system and look at constellations.
You can incorporate just about any skill into a theme unit and believe me, we probably have. When I know that my kids are particularly interested in a specific topic, it becomes part of our homeschool day.
Think of it this way, your child may not enjoy practicing his handwriting, but if he is a space fanatic and you have a few rocket ship themed tracing sheets? Well, all of a sudden, that handwriting practice doesn’t look so bad :)
Promote Learning in the Everyday
Again, the best part of homeschooling is that you can tailor it to meet your needs as a family. If you enjoy spending time outdoors, use that to your advantage. While on a nature walk or playing in your backyard, point out different flowers, birds, or insects to your children. Talk about the colors or types of cars you see on the street, the signs you see as you pass in the car, or how many stories tall nearby buildings are.
Wherever you go, there are opportunities to learn, you just have to find ways to incorporate them into your day. If this style of learning is what your children know from a very young age, it will quickly become second nature to them. They’ll begin finding their own ways to learn and explore whenever they’re out and about.
Overall, find the ways that work best for your family and model a love of learning for your children yourself. When they see you excited about learning something new, chances are they will be too.
Most of all, have fun. Show your children that learning is not something to be feared or dreaded, but something to embrace, each and every day.
