Teaching your child doesn't always have to be sitting at a desk with homework in front of them. Teaching, especially with younger children, should be fun and different ways should be used to keep up interest in learning and to prevent boredom. Read on for some creative ways to teach your child.
Playdough
Playdough is a great manipulative that can be used to teach your child anything from numbers to letters to shapes. You can have your child mold the playdough into letters, numbers, and shapes. Give your child a picture of the shape, letter, or number and have your child create it. Tell them what it is over and over and have them repeat what it is as well.
Also using playdough, you can use stampers to stamp into the dough. Use letter stamps and have your child stamp the letter into the dough and have them tell you what the letter is. You can also do this with numbers.
Give your child a craft stick or a use the butt end of a paintbrush, have your child create letters and number or even shapes in the playdough. Roll the playdough and do another. Help your child hold the stick or paintbrush using their pincer fingers, so they have the proper pencil grip.
Popsicle Sticks
Use popsicle sticks (found at your local craft store) to create letters, numbers, and shapes. Have your child spell out their name or just create with them. This is a good manipulative and helps with fine motor skills.
Dry-Erase Tracing
Use a dry erase board, or use a laminated tracing sheet. Give your child dry-erase markers to trace lines, letters, numbers or even shapes. This helps with pencil grasp and control, as well as can help teach letters, numbers, and shapes as well. Erase the sheet or board and give your child something new to trace. There are also dry erase books that can be used as well.
Crayons
Give your child a highlighted letter, number or otherwise and have your child use crayons to trace the letters and create a rainbow of colors. Rainbow writing can be done with just about anything and helps show your child how to form letters or numbers properly. Have your child pick out any colors they want. It can also help teach your child colors at the same time.
Get creative when teaching your child. Introduce them to different types of objects to aid in teaching to keep learning fun and interesting. For more information and tips, contact your local preschool class.
