Children grow so much in those early years and do a lot of learning in that time too. And from the leap from being a toddler to a child, there is a lot of learning that goes on. Their cognitive development increases a lot during that time, as well as their language and speech skills. It can go from some simple words to having a full conversation with you in no time at all.
During this time they will also develop fears, their imagination. They will get an idea of the things that they do or don’t like. As a parent, it’s important to make sure that you are teaching them the things that they need to know and that is age-appropriate for them. Teach something that can challenge them to help them to grow and develop more. Here are some great ways that you can encourage them to learn.
Talk with Them
Having a conversation with your toddler can be fun and enlightening getting a peek into their little world. But there are ways to make sure that you are making these conversations a learning opportunity. Using open-ended questions, like what made you happy today, it’s better than how are you or how was your day? These kinds of questions can get them thinking about they want to say, and get them talking more. Simpler questions and answers can often get the facts that you need, but aren’t going to be as beneficial.
Reading Aloud
Reading to toddlers is one of the most important things that you can do to help develop their language and communication skills. It also boosts their imagination. They can hear what different words sound like, as well as discover new words and things that can develop curiosity. Having good experiences with books from a young age is going to set them up for life and give them a love for books for a while to come.
Pretend Games
Pretend play is a really important aspect of learning and development for children. They get to use their imagination, as well as develop their social skills, and language skills. So get down on the floor with them to play too. Places like Montessori preschools focus on the child-oriented aspect of play, and will leave it up to the child to choose, and the adults then guide the process. So this could be something that you want to offer at home. But being able to mimic what they do and let them take the lead can be a really fun thing for both of you.
Helping with Errands
Being able to involve your children with a lot of hands-on activities can help them to develop real-life skills and also give them such a confidence boost. Being able to make decisions and feeling quite grown-up helping at the store, for example, can be a big thing for them. Although you may feel that things are just easier to do yourself, when you allow time for your children to do those things, then it can really benefit them.