Hello everyone!
Right now, I'm trying to remember what was our first learning activity we began with, but I'm not so sure. And yet, there are a few I'm sure about they're like...top 3 or 5. What I do know for sure is that our first planned activity was at 1 year and 3 months.
I'll tell you how and why I started to work so early with my son. Maybe I did it before (almost sure about this fact) but it's not a problem to quickly mention it again.
- Well, first, it's because I studied Psychopedagogy for Kids with special needs (as my bachelor degree) and then I followed a study program called Interactive Pedagogy to take my master degree.
Following studies in the the field of Education, it opened some "doors" in my cells brain, as it's normal right? The more you know something and become aware of that topic...it's called learning. So yeah, I studied five years in University to learn about children and their psychology, year-by-year development and all kind of stuff so having a kid and trying do my best with his early education was pretty much normal.
- Then, another thing that triggered me to want work with my son so early was that I've been reading many Montessori books in my pregnancy, also in the first year of my son's. In Montessori approach, you should start early working with your children as they are in a phase of "Absorband mind". They have a natural "power" of learning things, with ease.
- I felt that my son is ready for these. He was and still is a very smart kid, very involved in learning activities, patient and active. He is curious to learn and besides this, he is a FAST learner! He has a very very good memory and for him, learning comes natural.
These are some of the books I've read and I still open from time to time. They are mostly about Montessori method, even though I dont enterely pratice it with Caleb. I just took some educational concepts from there, the ones I felt ok for our family and learning style..
Talking about this, maybe you ask yourself how did I knew back then that he is ready to start learning? Well, as a parent, you just know. You observe your child and see what he knows and how he acts, how he reacts and where he is, cognitive speaking. Maybe it helped a bit knowing some stuff I've learned in university, but honestly I feel it doesnt (at least not significantly). I feel that the Montessori books helped more knowing me when to start with his education at home.
So, its very very important to wait the moment your child is ready for learning. Forcing things wont help, at all. It's good to push on with some things in order to stimulate children putting their brains to work and develop properly, but only until the phase when this does not become tiring for the child. You'll just know when this time comes!
From all this reading, I came to this conclusion:
Fine Motor Skills
Sensory Play Activities
and
Color Recognition
are the best to start with! So I did. Day by day, a few minutes a day until my son was more observant, present, mindful, cooperative, patient.
So 1 min activities became 2 min activities and then 2min learning became 3min learning and so on...
Why Color Sorting?
That would be only because starting with the age of 1 and a half years, the child start to show interest in sorting objects according to shape, size, color. And from all of these, I think color is the easiest.
Young children are attracted to colors, from brightly colored objects to magical rainbows. The activities start with the association of primary colors and as few as possible, then you can gradually increase the number of colors.
And color recognition, all in one, helps build visual perception, cognitive and thinking skills, hand eye coordination. You can definitely read more about this topic if you want. But I just know that kids getting better with sorting is huge for their brain development.
And here they are!
If you notice this, I started by using simple materials. Just some sponge flower crafts and colored paper. My son was 1 year and 3 months. And he did great! 😍
As the time passed and I would be more informed, more hands on, the complexity of these activities would also grow.
Second activity was this.
I used some colored paper and empty rolls of toilet paper. He had to associate the colored flags with their color.
There was time for errors and learning in between. I would provide him the instructions of what he has to do and then wait see if he understood. In case he didn't, I explained it again. Luckily for me, he was a fast learner and it was easy with him. Maybe I wont be as lucky in the future (hopefully some day...early).
This is another activity, very simple. But dont believe that, for such small children, it is easy. Cause it's not. This task requires a lot of brain work and engagement. It's very complicated for their young cell brains.
Color Recognition is all about! And some fine motor skills too as it's not easy for these cute little hands to take those cups and put them right on their place. It develops gross and fine motor skills, dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
You can start with one color, then two colors and after that three colors.
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This activity is the same as the first two we start with but I did it again in order to reinforce its color sorting skills and see if he really knows his colors or understood the task.
Another easy way to sort colors is to put in one basket many objects and toys you have at home and leave your kid make the association. You can use colored bowls or colored paper, as I did in this example.
As a fact: I would always mention the colors, in everything. And it came natural, it wasnt that I was focused on it. But its a good practice I guess.
BUT, what I think it helped a lot are BOOKS. I started with books at around 3 months. Around 8-10 months old, my son was already showing me the colors and some objects in his books.I know it's early, but he did.
I have another dozen of Color Sorting activities to show you, which I will post on other occasions. This time I just wanted to share with you the very first learning activities of this type, and I mean Learning Colors.
Because the truth is, this is how we started our learning journey. With these specific activities right here, around 15 months. Well, I can say we started a lot earlier, while we were learning only by playing, reading books, talking, exploring, walking around to discover.
I hope this helps you as well with some ideas on where or how to start learning with your children and maybe you can try some of these soon enough!!
Thank you everyone for reading!
Love, missdeli 💟
Greetings @missdeli,the colors are very striking for children, I remember when my son was little I took him to the fabric store, he came like an explorer looking at the colors and wanted to touch the designs of cars and boats that had the fabrics his little face of happiness said it all, his curiosity to see and touch is amazing, your little one looks very happy doing the activity and putting the pennants on the cylinders.
Blessings!
I imagine your boy in the store, sourounded by colored fabrics, it must have been a dream to him. As it would be the case with my son here. They're very curious and if colors are involved, then that's a YES for sure. Curiosity and learning PoWer!
and yes, now that you said it, I relaized I didnt mention this in my post. He was HAPPY all the time when making activities like this. He was always involved and I didnt force him to want do the activity. Not even once. Thats why I worked with him so early. He was very very cooperative and...logical in the way he could resolve the tasks.
Blessings for you too!
Your son is very intelligent! I commend you for working with him at an early age. Their brains are little sponges that absorb everything around them. Sight, sound, and tactile learning work wonderfully together.🧮📚
Have you thought about introducing him to and teaching him a second language and/or a musical instrument? He would be a natural! @missdeli
Thank you Nina! Yes...he is a very intelligent boy (mentioning about intelligence, he actually got a 165 score to Binet IQ tests a few days ago). This is a standard IQ test, being made by age.
I don't know about another language. I try to teach him English, so this would be the second language. But being so small , I dont have really a plan for learning English. He learns it by watching a bit of TV in English. Also I read for him in English, a lot. We are reading many many books actually. And I speak in English every time I remember so. I mention a lot of objects both in Romanian, both in English on a daily basis but he is great already. He started to speak in English too, when he plays with his toys.
But other than English, I didnt thought about it...But I will! Thank you for the idea. Also the musical instrument sounds great!
We thought of a sport first...
Congratulations your publication has been chosen among the best of the day.
KEEP CREATING GOOD CONTENT.
Thank you!
Excelente amiga ...si bien es cierto que es una temprana edad, también es cierto que los niños a esas edades captan mucho más rápido todo ...felicidades. @missdeli
Thank you very much! You are right. Children get to learn a lot in their early years!
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:D:D Thanks!!? I wonder what emoji you'll come with hehe! (cause you said you're thinking replying with emojies now!)
Wow! This is a good activity for kids. This really will get their attention as colors is so attractive for kids.
Thank you so much! I tried my best back then!
Very good baby.. You are a very good teacher too. Good job 😊
Thank you Jane! You're so kind to say that! greetings from Romania 🤗
Knowing how to facilitate the child is helping a lot with his/her learning.
The feeling is different when your child learns a lot from you. It is an accomplishment. He's so lucky for having you as his mom.
Yes, you are so right! As parents (and why not, teachers), it's good to know how to start working with your child or better, when to start.
Thank you so much for you sweet words, you're being way to kind! 😌🤗
You're always welcome. 😘
Really amazing
Thank you! Maybe you find something to try with your little one!
My kid was very perfect in color sorting from the age 1-2 . Your concept is really great for so many kids even for preschoolers also. I am going to design some activity based on your post for my school students
Nice! Thats good to hear! I'm glad your kid was doing great so early! Its much easier...I think. On the future. When learning comes easily I mean, its also more easy for us.
I know that these can be used to preschoolers. Age is not really something to consider. It depends more on the kids and their abilities.
I think it's too easy for your little talented boy;)
it seems to me he is playing and thinks:
Oh, Mom, are you serious?? Ok...I'll do it for you, but next time multiplication table will be better😆✨
Ehhh no, back then it was hard with these, as you can imagine. Well not that hard as it is for most kids but it was OK !
Maybe now 😁😂
I guess these activities would last no more than 30 seconds. 😂
😅😅😉
Wow, how fast the years go by, I look at Caleb, he was so little, and now he will soon be celebrating such a beautiful age, how many differences there are between the childhood that those my age had compared to these generations.
Tell me about! Almost crying if I keep thinking how fast time flies! And my little baby is now a young boy...😭
What differences you mean? you mean that the games, acitivities, play time were different then?