“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.” ~ Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death

There’s one very important thing I have as a habit, which I’d never be able to stop I’m sure (I don’t want to), it started when I was just a kid.

I remember one fine day at school we had our break for our meals. I was having my usual sandwiches with butter and marmalade and I felt some one was staring at me even though my head was bent and I was looking down. I raised my eyes to see one of my teachers (one we feared the most) looking at me, for a minute I wasn’t sure why she had stopped by and was looking at me. It took a few seconds to realize that I have stopped eating, instead I was completely engrossed in an article in the paper which my sandwiches were wrapped (at the time I wasn’t carrying a Tiffin box as I thought it was “un cool for a 14 year old, plastic Tiffin boxes are for kindergarten I have decided).

 My teacher just shook her head and went passing me saying “its fine to read, but don’t forget to finish you meal”. To this day, I do it, I read. I cannot measure the worth of knowledge I have gained so far by reading those books I read. My secret ambition s linked to books, one day it won’t be a secret.

I learnt “The only wealth one cannot steal from you is your Education “. Be educated, read, “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark” – Victor Hugo.

 

Why Education is Important | Your Child Needs a Steady Diet of His ABCs

It really isn’t just the abacus, mathematical cleverness, ABCs or learning flawless speaking and writing of the language, whatever the medium of instruction is. Education goes beyond pedagogical considerations or scholarly aspirations. Education, we believe, should first teach human beings that most essential survival tool: resourcefulness.

Resourcefulness – When you’re resourceful, things happen…very nicely!

When we were under the tutelage of Catholic nuns who ran this private school half an hour away from home, they taught us the rudiments and refinements of writing. “If you want to write well”, one of them reminded us, “you have to read voraciously. And if that means spending your free time in the library, do so.”

The nuns loved to say that consistent research teaches students to be resourceful. The more time you spend looking for answers, the more opportunities stream into your consciousness.

They were right, of course. The amount of term papers assigned to us made us hang out in the library longer than we cared to. Deadlines, however, left us no choice. We called these nuns the machines of torture who probably should be let out of the convent gates more often. To us – oppressed pupils that we were – they needed to see that the world outside was more than just books.

Those machines of torture may have been motivated by only one thing – academic instruction – but it sure ingrained in us the ability to find information in the oddest possible places. If you expand your horizons, they used to say, you’ll be resourcefulness experts. They had it all figured out. If they thought that it was worthwhile to drill us on reciting the alphabet backwards, they would ram it down our throats. Of that we were sure. Thankfully, getting our ABCs right one way was sufficient. It wasn’t necessary to say, ZYX and further backwards until the letter A.

Why Education is Important | It’s Your Passport to the World

Basic arithmetic, reading and writing will get you somewhere, but not everywhere. The higher your educational attainment is, the better your chances of creating opportunities for yourself. And the better your opportunities are, the better your quality of life is. There’s no other way to put it.

What are some of the benefits of a well-rounded education?

• we’ll say it one more time: resourcefulness. This quality will serve you long after you’ve left the walls of academia. With resourcefulness comes a sharpened set of problem-solving skills;
• knowledge is power – schools and universities are logically the first sources of knowledge and we take that knowledge later on to build our careers after graduation. More knowledge is acquired on-the-job, but without an education, that job would not be within easy reach. Knowledge begets knowledge.
• greater understanding of different cultures – while confined within the walls of educational institutions, we openly explore other cultures of the world. We come to know that ours is not the only culture. Other cultures have valuable insights to share, enriching our own. We also learn that different races have different ways of thinking and doing things, and we realize that anything foreign can be an enlightenment of our minds and spirit. Education also makes us want to travel and interact with various cultures. When we understand other people, our tolerance level is much higher for things alien to us;
• quality of life – when there’s a downturn in the economy, those who lose their jobs owing to a downsizing will most likely be the ones who find another job sooner, compared to someone who only finished grade school and has a limited skills set. The more education you have, the more chances you get for improving your lot in life. You have a better job, earn a higher a salary, and if you’re financially prudent, you get to acquire the material comforts (and more) that not everyone can have;
• a good education translates to excellent networking – when you’re skillful and knowledgeable, you get to “rub knees” with people of similar backgrounds and tastes. By building a network of contacts in your field or industry, you enlarge your spheres of influence and hence the circle of people that you can rely on in time of need;
• you can make your conversations sizzle! – when you possess oodles and oodles of knowledge, you become a more interesting person. You can talk about ideas and events instead of just about other people and what’s on sale in stores. An educated person does not gossip, having a preference to discuss ideas and to listen to what other people have to say. An educated person usually doesn’t make a habit of keeping ears and eyes to the latest Hollywood scandal because the lives of famous people aren’t really stimulating topics to begin with;
• healthier lifestyle – when you’re educated, experts say that those who have a university and post graduate education are least likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia. We’re not sure if this has a scientific basis, but if the medical profession recommends that people keep their brains healthy and active, that means those who pursued higher learning have more opportunities to keep their brains and minds active.

 

Why Education is Important | Start the Kids Young

We’ve heard of some parents who would rather have their children home-schooled rather than send them to school. This may have its merits – except we’re not sure what they are – but we would worry if the child spent all day with one tutor and misses out on the chance to interact with kids his age.

We believe that education is important in a school setting because that education has to be accompanied by social interaction. The child also needs tools and resources (like a library) that only schools can provide. True, there are problems in schools like bullying, drugs and other distractions, but the education and interaction acquired in a school setting are more enriching than one received at home with a single tutor.

Education is important especially for young kids because it is when they are still young that their minds are open and teachable, and it’s a time of life when they view things with innocence and receptiveness.

 

Ways to Encourage Reading Skills

 

 

As every parent knows, reading is an important skill that all children should develop in order to have a bright future. We use reading in almost every aspect of our daily life and even without using it, reading opens up a world of possibilities for everyone.

It can be a world that is filled with colorful characters, amazing vocabulary and spectacular whimsies and it can be a world that encourages learning, and creativity. Reading is so important that many parents are often worried about reading skills before their child has even reached the age of reading.

Surprisingly, reading skills are one of the few developmental skills that can occur over a large range of age groups. At one time, we tended to focus on reading development occurring during the first few years of formal school education. Sure, children enjoyed a good story but they weren’t ready to read, were they? The answer is that some children are more than ready to read at ages as young as three while others tend to wait until they are about 7.

Another important part of that answer is that although formal reading education begins during the early years of school, the foundation for reading occurs from the time your baby is born until that fateful day when she picks up a book and reads it.

So what are some ways that you can encourage reading in your child? Experts throughout the years have had tons of advice on encouraging reading skills and although many of the steps that they promote do work, parents should not have to feel overwhelmed when it comes to encouraging reading in their children. Instead, they should just focus on the three steps outlined below and if they desire, they can build from there. After all, everything needs a strong foundation to be successful.

Provide the material:

One of the best ways to encourage reading is to actually provide the material. A home that doesn’t have books is not going to send a message to the children residing in it that reading is an important part of life. Make sure you have lots of books available to your children and make most of them age appropriate; however, make sure you have a few that are just above their current reading ability and age level. This aspires a continual growth in both interests and skills and your child won’t plateau as much as he would with only age appropriate materials being offered.

When you provide the material, it is important to take the time to actually offer it. Make a habit of reading with your child for about 15 minutes per day. This can be a story at bed time but it can also be a story during unplanned periods of time. An impromptu story time makes reading into a fun and leisure activity that can be enjoyed whenever the mood hits. Make sure that you start reading to your child in infancy to ensure a lifetime love of reading. If you are reading to your child, try your hand at some chapter books. This helps increase attention spans and keeps not only your child but yourself interested in reading.

Read:

One of the best ways to encourage reading in your child is to read yourself. This does not mean reading only magazines and newspapers but it should also mean opening up a novel or two a month. If your child sees you reading, he or she is more likely to emulate you and begin reading as well. It is very important for boys to see their father reading since a love of reading is something that is rarer in boys than it is in girls.

Pursue topics of interest:

Lastly, when you are encouraging reading in your child, it is important to really pursue topics of interest. Children thrive when they are learning and there is no limitations towards cracking open a book to discover new facts about a subject. This also teaches your child many other skills, such as cross referencing, vocabulary building, and researching skills that will aid them in school.

When you are pursuing topics of interest, give and take conversations, especially about facts found in books, will help in raising the interest and this will lead to more research. And we all know what more research means; more reading.

Encouraging your child to read is not always an easy task but if you start at a young age, you will feel confident that your child will have a life time filled with reading.

 

Helping Your Child With Math

 

We all know how important it is to read with our children. In our culture, a story at bedtime has become nearly as routine as brushing one’s teeth. But what about that other very crucial subject in school… Mathematics. What can you do to help your child succeed in math?

Be Aware of Your Own Math Attitudes

The first thing experts in the field of math education will tell you is to explore your own attitudes about math. “I was never good with numbers” is not a comment likely to engender enthusiasm for math in your child.

If you lack confidence in your mathematical ability, or if you were not fond of the subject during your own school years, a valuable alternative to expressing a positive math attitude is to make it relevant for your child. Help him understand how math is important in everyday life.

No need to profess love for geometry if you don’t really feel it. Instead, tell your child how he will use geometry in real life. As you drive over a bridge, point out that the engineers who designed it had to be familiar with the Pythagorean Theorem to make it all work.

The same goes for decimals (needed to calculate a tip when dining out), arithmetic (critical for balancing the checkbook), and fractions (an absolute must in cooking).

Familiarize Yourself with What Your Child is Learning in School

Each grade has a set curriculum comprising learning objectives to be covered during the school year. Find out what those objectives are for your child. Armed with this knowledge, you might be surprised at how you can naturally figure out ways to work practice opportunities into daily life with your child. Your child’s teacher will also be able to offer suggestions of ways you can reinforce at home what she is teaching at school.

It’s the How, Not the What

Being too focused on always getting the “right answer” is one surefire way to extinguish a child’s enthusiasm for math. Instead of immediately saying, “That’s right!” ask instead, “Are you sure that’s right?” or “How did you get than answer?”

It is important to know that there are many ways to get the “right answer” – even for the most straightforward arithmetic problem.

While it is valuable for your student to learn traditional methods for solving problems, it is equally important to affirm that his methodology is correct if his way does indeed help him arrive to the correct answer. It is also valuable to help him understand how his way is not working if it is not. Either way, you are helping your child believe in himself as a mathematician – as a student whose thinking is worthwhile and purposeful.

By encouraging your child to explain his thinking – this is called metacognition in educational circles – you are modeling interest in the process of math. This interest or curiosity is what will keep a child’s enthusiasm for math at a high level, even when faced with a daunting problem or difficult task.

Also, research indicates that a person who can explain how he got an answer is much more likely to remember the information required to get the answer in the first place. Another way to help a child in this manner is to ask him to teach you what he learned that day in math class. Again, by explaining the process to you, he is reinforcing his own understanding of the process.

You Don’t Need to Have All the Answers!

As your child progresses through the grades, even in elementary school, there may be homework problems or entire topics that you don’t understand. No need to fret or be embarrassed. By helping your child look through resources to find the answer, you are teaching him how to be self-reliant. It is just as important to know where to go for information as it is to have it already accessible in your brain.

Encourage Your Child

Many students feel that they can’t be good at something if they aren’t the best. Remind your child that every student is unique. Just because he has not been successful in the past with math does not mean that he cannot become more capable in math now. If you suspect that your child is comparing himself to other students and that these comparisons are stifling his progress, help him set reasonable goals for himself. As he meets these goals, he will build self-confidence and begin to view himself as a capable math student. Oftentimes hearing that someone else (especially a parent or teacher) has faith in his ability is just the inspiration a child needs to restore his faith in himself.

In helping your child foster an appreciation for math’s relevance in his daily activities outside of school, you are doing more than boosting his math grade. You are helping to make math real for him. This will serve him well in the classroom… and in life.

Time – It’s free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.” ~ Harvey MacKay – Happy New Year

5^th of January of Year 2009, I just said Adieu to 2008 didn’t I, pretty amazing how the time flies. Isn’t it Time that we have and we don’t have? I sat at my desktop, thoughts, memories flashed across my mind; I have to start my very first Post for the Year and it’s the first for this month as well.

 

I looked for a place to start and then I started wondering about how my life has passed by. Did I really accomplish those things that I wanted to accomplish, my Childhood Dreams? Well, I can give both ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers and I’m certainly not proud about my ‘NO’ s … yet I’m no super human I thought to my self, how can I accomplish every single dream I had? I thought, well may be I’m too harsh on my self, it’s not realistic to see all my dreams come true or may be I didn’t dedicate my time enough, believed in myself enough, not enough effort or I wasn’t that enthusiastic after all to pursue some Dreams or is it really me ….? What about the other factors contribute one s failures? I’m not looking for excuses for myself but I can’t really blame my self alone for re directing my life at some points or rather not living my Dreams.

 

Ok, now, do I still have time to accomplish them? Good question …. But I do not know the answer …. Still I can give it a try, can’t I? Wasted time … it will never return … but we must not waste any more of it …. Time is precious

 

 

 Acharya Shubhendu Tripathi –  says …

 

 Time is such a cart on which the man’s life travels from birth till death. Time is the most precious thing in a man’s life because each and everything in life can be achieved again and again but time is such, it can’t be found again. The time which is lost once, it’s lost for ever. A man can’t fail to reach his goal if he manages his time wisely. The wheel of time revolves at the same speed in life for every one, with days and nights. One person make full use of their time and climb up the steps of success, whilst others waste their time in useless things or in wandering here and there to repent afterwards. To get full benefit of time, it is necessary to distribute your time according to you are involved in and complete it at a fixed time.

Besides taking care of our time, take care of others’ time too, ex: If somebody gives us time for a meeting, it is our duty to reach there in time. If we don’t do so, we make our own loss and also cause a loss for another person by wasting his precious time as well.

A person who distributes his time according to his work, he performs his work in time perfectly without any haste. A person remains free from tension and also he makes his economical status strong. A person with strong economical position can fulfill his family responsibilities well. If you manage your time properly, you will have more time to do extra work. This time saving will enhance your productivity. Productivity is directly related to your income.

                     “Kal karai so aaj kar, aaj karai so ab,  

                      Pal mein parlai hoigi, bahuri karaigo kab.”                  

The above poem means that we should not postpone our today’s work on tomorrow. Time is non-returnable and nobody knows what the next moment will bring for us. Those who plan to complete their tomorrow’s work today and their time on the same pattern; they live a happy and prosperous life.

Okay point taken.

Pure Souls

Split seconds

I was off to go back to work one evening and my two children were busy sewing things on the sewing machine. My eleven year old daughter was, in the midst of her project, going to assist her older brother in making a little cushion. I left, and in a few hours returned to find a mess in the kitchen, front room, and both children sitting in front of the television.

Having had a long day, I was very short with my greeting to them and then I noticed the material my daughter had used. It had been purchased to make a color coordinated baby blanket, and now had chunks cut out of almost every piece of fabric. Not stopping to listen, I exploded at the children and explained how angry I was at what had been done.

My daughter listened to me sheepishly, not trying to defend herself at all, but the pain could be seen written across her face. She retreated to her room quietly, and spent some time in there alone before she came out to say good night and once again apologize for the mistake she had made.

A few hours later, as I was preparing to go to bed, there on my bed lay a beautiful, little cushion made out of the forbidden fabric, with the words “I LOVE MOM”. Along side it was a note apologizing again, and the innocence in which she had taken the fabric.

To this day, I still get tears in my eyes when I think of how I reacted and still feel the pain of my actions. It was I who then sheepishly went to her and apologized profusely for my actions. I display with great pride the cushion on my bed, and use it as a constant reminder that nothing in this world is greater than a child’s love.

 

18^th POST

“To understand everything is to forgive everything, holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; but you are the one who gets burned first – Lord Buddha”. ….. truth, isn’t it? Now since you have read the short story I have for you; I could imagine you travel on your memory lane just as I did; just to ponder on certain things you did and to reminisce on certain things you said in some situations. Did you find your self being angry and hurting some one, the same way the mother in our story did unknowingly?

Soap Bubbles, they pop up and burst and what do you see after that? any thing worthy left? no there’s nothing. Similarly, anger; it only takes split seconds to come and go yet leaves you nothing but heart ache. Every time it pops up, it spoils your blood a little (physical aspect), shakes your compassion a little (psychological aspect) and it doesn’t stop there, it breaks and damages many bonds you have with the outer world, broken families leads to a broken society. Isn’t it clear now it’s nothing but our uncontrollable follies are acting as villains and we need to eliminate them completely from our system before it destroys what we love the most? before its too late? If you are a person, who can get easily annoyed and can be angered, you need to take a minute to think it over, accept it as it s one of your weaker points and try to over come the problem finding a solution. I would recommend a very constructive method for you to control your anger; some thing you’d have heard already; ……..“Meditation”……..

Don’t think you don’t have time to do it, the right time to do it is the time you loose your temper, it would probably be 10 – 20 times per a day for an arrogant person. If you master the quick steps of meditation, naturally you’d find yourself quietly stepping in to the world of peace even before you knew it.

 

 

“The only beautiful thing in the world whose beauty lasts for ever is a pure, fair soul”

 

Be Mindful

Meditation is the art of mindful concentration and relaxation.

Make it the Best Season – ever

Count down

 

It’s December 2008, end of another year, gone so fast, so many births and deaths, vivid memories and blurred visions, joy and sadness, passed by chances and moments of triumph.

 

This’s the month for Celebrations, it’s the time to take a moment or two to give away to your emotions, don’t feel bad, nothing s wrong doing just that, every one needs it once in a while, it surely will eliminate depression, no pills needed, let go, feel free to be emotional. Don’t believe in Santa? no problem.. haven’t seen any angels with silver wings around? go in front of your mirror or look in to those eyes you love, you’d see angels minus wings, Enjoy my ‘count down’ blogs, hope you won’t be bored, trying to inspire a few lost souls.

 

  

 

01^ST Post

 

The Price of Children

This is just too good not to pass on to all, something absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It’s nice, the government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn’t even touch college tuition. But $160,140 isn’t so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

· $ 8,896.66 a year,
·  $741.3 month, or * $171.08 a  week.
· That’s a mere $24.24 a day!
· Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is; don’t have children if you want to be “rich.” Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140?

• Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
• Glimpses of God every day.
• Giggles under the covers every night.
• More love than your heart can hold.
• Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
• Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
• A hand to hold; usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
• A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites
• Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:

• finger-paint,
• carve pumpkins,
• play hide-and-seek,
• catch lightning bugs, and
• never stop believing in Santa Claus. You have an excuse to:
• keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
• watching Saturday morning cartoons,
• going to Disney movies, and
• wishing on stars.
• You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother’s Day, and cards with backward letters for Father’s Day.

 For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:

• retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
• taking the training wheels off a bike,
• removing a splinter,
• filling a wading pool,
• coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

 You get a front row seat to history to witness the:

· first step,
· first word,
· first bra,
· first date, and
· first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you’re lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits.

 

So………one day they will like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!

Can do !

 

 

Parents want their children to grow up to succeed in life. They want their children to feel like they can do anything they put their minds to. This “can-do” attitude comes from everyday experiences children have early in life when others notice and encourage their efforts. Outside of the family, one of the first places children have a chance to do well is in school.

For young children doing well in school means, being ready to learn. Being ready to learn is much more than knowing the alphabet and counting to ten. Readiness requires that children develop their physical abilities, language skills, self-control, social skills, and desire to learn. Parents and caregivers often do not realize how their everyday interactions with young children sharpen these school-readiness skills. Yet, parents and caregivers are young children’s first and most important teachers. This publication will outline the kinds of daily activities and interactions that help children develop school-readiness skills and a can-do attitude.

 

Recipes for Developing Can-Do Kids

 

School Readiness

 

• Physical Skills

• Language Skills

• Self-Control Skills

• Social Skills

• Desire to Learn

 

Developing Physical Abilities

 

Large Muscle Skills

 

Part of being ready to learn means, that young children can control the movements of their bodies. Children who can control their large muscles and physical movements are less likely to hurt themselves when playing. They may also have more chances for social play with other children.

Children who can hop, skip, run, and climb can find many ways to entertain themselves and to enjoy play with others.

 

Large Muscle Skills for Can-Do Kids

 

• Run Climb
• Hop Gallop
• Jump Balance
• Skip Walk backwards

 

Children develop these skills at different rates. Most children can learn these skills if they have the chance to practice and the encouragement of caring adults. Children do not automatically develop good physical skills. These skills require both maturation and practice. For example, toddlers don’t have muscles mature enough to be able to skip. Most preschoolers do, but they need to practice to be able to skip well. To develop good physical skills, infants, toddlers, and preschoolers need the chance to be physically active every day. Being physically strong and able helps young children develop a can-do attitude.

 

Recipe for Developing Large Muscle Skills

 

• Provide babies with opportunities to reach, grab, roll, scoot, and crawl. • Make safe spaces for crawlers to move around, climb, and explore.

• Remove forbidden objects and furniture with sharp corners so toddlers can play safely.

• Take time to watch or join children in physical activities and games. • Arrange to take children on walks around the neighborhood or trips to the park or playground

 

 

Fine Muscle Skills

 

Young children also need to be able to control the smaller movements of their hands and fingers. Control of these small muscles is important for children’s handwriting skill development. Children are using fine muscle skills when they grasp, touch, and feel objects of different sizes, extrude, and weights. These skills also develop when children are given the chance to feed themselves finger foods—cereal, crackers, and toast— or to practice using a spoon. Learning how to manage buttons, snaps, zippers, and other clothing fasteners also helps children learn to control these important muscles. Artistic play helps children develop both creative and fine muscle skills. These skills develop best when adults allow children to try things without being pressured to do them a certain way.

 

Recipe for Developing Small Muscle Skills

 

Arrange for children to

 

• Hold and use crayons, pencils, markers, and paintbrushes.

• Cut paper with child-sized scissors.

• Glue together paper, leaves, fabric, or other objects to make pictures or collages.

• Work puzzles.

• Pour, fill, and empty containers of water, sand, or other materials.

• Trace, copy, or draw basic shapes, designs, and figures.

• Match and sort objects.

 

Developing Language Abilities

 

Another very important part of school readiness is being able to understand and communicate with others. Young children need lots of practice learning and using words to talk about what they see, know, and do. They need good language skills to help them organize their thinking.

 

Language Skills for Can-Do Kids

 

• Listen to and understand others.

• Talk with others.

• Understand simple instructions.

• Understand a wide variety of everyday words.

• Listen and pay attention to short stories, songs, and rhymes.

• Respond to simple questions.

• Use words to identify objects.

• Describe simple feelings (anger, sadness, happiness, and fear), actions, and needs.

• Ask questions and give information.

 

 

Children develop language skills from their interactions with others. Parent s’ use of language and their responses to children’s attempts to communicate guide language learning. For example, caregivers who talk to babies help them recognize that sounds and words are important, even if babies cannot yet understand what is being said. When caregivers respond to babies’ babbling and speech like sounds, they are preparing them to communicate with others. By talking with infants and toddlers, adults help them connect sounds with meanings.

 

Recipe for Developing Language Skills — Infants and Toddlers

 

• Repeat rhymes and chants.

• Sing songs and lullabies.

• Look at and read simple books with them.

• Describe to them what they are doing or feeling.

• Talk to them about the events and activities in everyday life.

• Repeat children’s speech sounds and expand or translate them into sensible, everyday words.

 

Being a can-do kid means being able to talk about what you can do. Young children learn how to talk about what is important or interesting to them when adults use and teach them the words they need to describe these things.

 

Recipe for Developing Language Skills — Preschoolers

 

• Encourage them to talk about what they did each day.

• Ask them questions that require longer answers than just “yes” or “no.”

• Read books and talk together about the stories.

• Encourage them to learn and use new words.

• Take time to listen attentively.

 

 

Developing Self-Control

 

Early school success often depends on whether children understand and can follow rules and instructions. Children are more likely to enjoy learning and school when they get positive attention from their teachers and classmates. Adults prepare young children for learning when they teach them how to calm themselves and to behave in appropriate ways.

 

Self-Control Skills for Can-Do Kids

 

• Express strong feelings in acceptable ways.

• Wait a while for something instead of insisting on it immediately.

• Understand the connection between behaviors and consequences.

• Deal with anger and frustration in non-violent ways.

• Behave in good ways even when no one is watching.

• Ask for help from an adult to help solve problems or conflicts.

 

This preparation begins early in life. For example, when adults respond promptly and sensitively to babies’ needs for care and nurturing, they are helping their babies learn to feel secure. Secure babies often cry less and are more easily calmed. How parents and caregivers deal with toddlers’ behavior begins to set the pattern for how young children control themselves and interact with others later. Toddlerhood is the time when children begin learning to wait, to resist temptation, and to meet adult standards for behavior. Adults must now set rules that are reasonable for young children’s abilities. They must use words to make very clear to the child what is wanted. A large part of teaching children self-control takes the form of good discipline. Good discipline teaches children what good behavior is and why misbehavior is not acceptable. When young children have experienced good discipline, they are more likely to be able to behave even when parents are not around.

 

Recipe for Good Discipline that Leads to Self-Control

 

• Make clear ahead of time what the limits of acceptable behavior are.

• State simple rules clearly.

• Help young children find ways to follow simple rules.

• Anticipate young children’s actions and remind them of the rules before they break them.

• Tell children what they can do rather than just what they cannot do.

• Redirect unwanted behavior by offering children acceptable alternatives.

• Notice and encourage children when they are behaving well.

• Explain how children’s misbehavior affects others.

• Model good behavior and self-control in daily life.

 

When young children misbehave, a way to teach them how to do better in the future is by having them experience reasonable consequences for their behavior. The reasonable consequence of fighting over a toy is to have the toy taken away for a while. Hurting someone on purpose during play results in not having friends to play with. When adults explain why misbehavior is not acceptable and respond with fair and reasonable consequences, they are showing children how to think things through and make good decisions about how to behave. Children must depend on the adults around them to help them develop self-control. It is a skill that will take time and patience to help young children achieve. Adults who work with young children to teach them self-control will be giving them an important way to succeed not only in school, but in life.

 

Developing Social Skills

 

Part of being ready for school means that young children have learned how to cooperate and get along with others. Knowing how to get along well socially makes it easier for children beginning school to make friends and fit in. Children who make friends do better in school and enjoy it more.

 

Social Skills for Can-Do Kids

 

• Feel comfortable with other children.

• Show awareness of other children and their interests.

• Understand the rights of others.

• Stand up for own rights and avoid being taken advantage of by other children.

• Play cooperatively and are generally positive with other children.

• Show consideration and empathy for others.

• Treat others fairly.

• Show self-control in behavior with others.

 

Children’s social skills develop from the interactions they have with the important people in their lives. Children learn how to treat other people by the way they are treated. Their everyday experiences with family members and caregivers teach them how to relate to others. If children are treated fairly, with respect and consideration, they will gradually learn to treat others the same way.

 

Recipe for Developing Social Skills

 

• Use positive discipline to teach self-control.

• Take time to understand children’s point of view.

• Show empathy for their feelings.

• Help them think about how their behavior toward others can create or solve problems.

• Join children’s play, do what they do, and have fun together.

• Help them find non-physical alternatives to expressing their angry feelings.

• Model behavior that is respectful of others.

 

Having opportunities to play and interact with their peers is another very important way for children to develop good social skills. Play with peers’ offers them needed practice in learning how to relate to others, to solve problems, and to deal with conflict. Many adults are surprised to learn how important young children’s relationships with other children are. These friendships—even for children as young as 1 or 2—are important emotional attachments in which they learn important skills. Another way parents can help children develop social skills is by arranging for them to meet and play with other children. These “play dates” can be arranged to take place at home, at a neighborhood park or playground, or at other community locations. They can include one other child or several children. When supervising the social play of toddlers and infants, it is important to remember that “sharing” is not an idea that children of this age understand yet. Supervision should focus on making sure that bigger children do not constantly take advantage of smaller children. Adults can allow older preschoolers the opportunity to settle their differences on their own unless there is a risk that someone will get hurt.

 

Developing the Desire To Learn

 

Lastly, being ready for school means feeling excited about learning new things. Children are naturally curious. If parents and caregivers respond positively to young children’s curiosity, children will develop a desire to learn. Children’s desire to learn is influenced by events very early in life. Infants and toddlers who have experiences that excite their interest develop a greater capacity to learn later on.

 

Recipe for Encouraging the Desire to Learn — Infants and Toddlers

 

• Create opportunities to look at and play with bright and interesting objects.

• Talk, sing, hum, or play music for them.

• Allow them to safely touch and hold objects of different textures and weights.

• Provide them the chance to explore interesting, child-safe areas.

• Play gently with them and be sensitive to whether they need more or less excitement.

 

 

As children grow, the attitudes about learning held by their family members and caregivers become very important for children’s desire to learn. Parents and caregivers encourage children to value learning by giving positive attention to children’s questions, interests, and activities, as well as by sharing with children their own interests.

 

Recipe for Encouraging the Desire to Learn — Preschoolers

 

• Answer children’s questions rather than ignore them.

• Encourage children’s curiosity about things by asking them questions.

• Notice and appreciate children’s ideas.

• Take time to discover new things together.

• Show your own interest and enjoyment in learning new things.

• Keep children’s drawings and other creative projects in a scrapbook or some other special place

 

There are many gifts that adults can give to children in a lifetime. Few are as useful in unlocking the doors to opportunity, however, as the gift of the love of learning.

 

Conclusion

 

Getting young children ready for school is a process that begins in the first five years of life. School readiness is much more than just knowing certain facts. It requires the development of physical, language, social, behavioral, and motivational skills and abilities. Parents and caregivers are children’s first teachers and have a major impact on the development of these skills. Each child is different, with different talents, skills, and interests. Not every child can be at the top of the class academically. It is important for parents to remember that there are other ways to succeed. For example, children can excel in athletics or in art. They can be successful by being socially sensitive, showing their ability to listen, demonstrating self-control, or expressing themselves in creative ways. They can be skillful in their relationships with others. The important point is that children learn and develop the skills to allow them to succeed in some way and develop a can-do attitude. Without the basic skills needed to learn, children entering school will fall behind early. Then, they may have a harder time finding their own ways to excel. Those who care for and raise young children play a vital role in helping them develop these important skills and attitudes. They can help young children develop their talents, their belief in themselves, and a lifelong love of learning.

 

Ellen Abell, Extension Specialist, Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, and Muriel Azria, former Extension Graduate Assistant