Helping Your Little One Succeed at Preschool

Most children won't begin attending school until they're at least three years old (pre-school). However, the learning process begins much earlier than that. When your child is a toddler, they begin to question how things around them work.

If you want to get ahead of the curve, there are certain things that you could introduce to your toddler in order to help prepare them for their future in school. While most children will develop these skills naturally, it never hurts to guide them in the right direction.

Colors

Teaching your toddler about the different colors that they see all around them is a great way to introduce them to learning. It shows them that learning something new has a functional purpose. When they're able to identify the different colors they see on their toys or clothing, they will feel proud and excited to learn about other things.

Shapes

Teaching your child about basic shapes, such as circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles, will help them develop important memorization skills. Sticking with very basic shapes keeps the task simple enough to avoid confusing them too much. 

When a toddler is able to identify a specific shape amongst a group of others, it shows them how categorizing and grouping items works. 

Letters

Letters are the building blocks to creating words. Being able to recognize and pronounce them at an early age will help them put them to use later in life. It's true that your child will learn a lot more about the alphabet when they get to kindergarten, but the earlier they're introduced to letters, the more familiar it will be to them. 

Numbers

Before your child can begin learning math, they will need to know their numbers. Instead of waiting until they attend school, you can begin practicing counting with your child when they're still a toddler. They will find the practice to be fun and rewarding when they are able to count on their own.

Animals

When your child is a toddler, they will begin to have a natural interest in animals. Whether it's due to the characters they see in their favorite shows and movies, or simply from observing pets, it's a great way to introduce them to the world of science and nature. 

Learning to do things on their own

Toddlers do a lot of natural learning whether or not you get involved. It's the stage of a child's life when they begin to gain some independence and figure out how the world works. You can assist them in this area by answering their questions and giving them small tidbits of knowledge when the opportunity arises.

For more information on toddler learning, contact a professional near you.