Pre Reading; Your child will learn the picture of the ABC letter and therefore be familiar by the time in school.

I wouldn’t say your toddler is going to read at three and understand what is read. However, a fun headstart at home can be a fun way to spend the afternoon.

For any daycare teachers reading my blog, you can help by building a scaffolded memory which will help lengthen focus time and fine motor skills in a fun and predictable way for you to plan. Help preschoolers and kindergartners remember the shape and sound of the ABCs with adorable letter of the week crafts.

To young children, a letter is just a symbol and has no meaning. The fun and adorable letter of the week crafts are a motivating way to solidify the association between sound and symbol.

Find a whole year’s worth of letter of the week crafts and please repeat them. Children love to know what their learning is used in the future lessons. You can use one simple and fun craft for each letter of the alphabet.

Find more on pinterest or make up your own using the local library in picture section and search the letter representing an animal or item you like, house (Halloween is a good time for H), that is fun for your child. Amplifying the lesson with a matching book makes this an activity and quality time spent with your child one to remember.

You’ll find some common word associations, like “A is for apple,” but you’ll also find some crafts that are further outside the box, like “L is for lamp.” Enjoy your quality time and local library.

Feeding Nutritional snacks to picky eaters will make some mothers want to pull out their hair.

When does a mother have time to grind baby food or arrange food into works of art? I will discuss easy to make foods, good for any baby or toddler. When your baby begins to eat regular food it becomes a scramble to find good foods that won’t end up on the floor or wall. My daughter was weaned from breast milk the day I had enough of her foot in my belly. Then, the excitement of making soft, but not too soft foods came into my repertoire. I blended cooked peas and carrots from scratch until I filled my empty containers and that was the end of my baby food grinding.

As a new mom, you are going to want to cater for the baby. Like most moms though, you will reach a breaking point.

One thing to keep in mind is to introduce one food at a time. The body needs to adjust and taste buds are developing slowly. Tooth development will determine how small to make the pieces. This is when you might find your mother in law super handy with advise. Cheerios and bananas are a staple food for most of my toddlers I have watched over the years.

As you figure out how your particular toddler eats, you are going to want to learn to experiment with some celery, peanut butter, and raisins to make insects, caterpillars, and ants on a log. The novelty and creativity is what the children will start to enjoy as their worlds slowly begin to expand. At this age, toddlers will tune into the story behind the peanut butter more than the taste.

So don’t hesitate to be creative with cherry tomato wings and a little white frosting with mini chocolate chips eyes on your vegetables. The flavor mixing is not what counts, its the story. Soon their imagination will rule your day.

Music Inspires Adults and Children Alike

Daycare Director and Early Childhood professional with 20 years experience working with children.

Music is an active play experience that helps children grow in a multitude of avenues. They are connecting themselves to the world while connecting to others and using both sides of their brain. One side analyzing the math of music while the other side is listening to the words and sounds.

As I have worked with small children and parents, moms can have a huge impact by positively interacting with their children. One primetime usage of music could be simply singing along to the car radio. We all know how much time is wasted in vehicles driving to and from grocery stores, work, and school.

Children can learn about their body during music. One of my favorite musicians for kids songs CD is Dr. Jean. Kids love to get up and move. Also, repetition is highly beneficial since children are highly ritual responsive.

My Pinterest has homemade musical instruments ideas. Visit me at: https://pin.it/hxhammm5wxargb

Here is a few other suggested music tools:

35 Circle Time Songs and Chants that build Literacy Skills

Social Emotional Learning

Parents will soon develop a temperament of tolerance by the time their toddler is age two.

Group activity like this ball rolling event in parachute material is a goal for many mothers. They can only hope their child to make it a half hour without screaming or running around the room.

One starting point for group play is indendependent play. This is only one goal for toddlers. Play like this one can be an exciting and fun learning experience. The skills developed through independent play help to develop intentional curiosity.

A teacher can put a truck in front of a child or a child in front of a bunch of trucks, but if the child can not be curious about them,we can begin to see social problems emerge. A teacher can be a guide to play by posing questions about the trucks with repeated interaction. A role model teacher can establish and instill the investigative strategies about how to play by themselves and ultimately play well with other children.

Visit my Pinterest page for more hands on ideas!

https://pin.it/42c55bq2sbkwat