Things they need to know


	Helping children learn the...
	Things they need to know

	The best way parents, or anyone, can help children learn words, or names, or almost anything they need to know is to... TALK TO THEM, OFTEN, ABOUT ALMOST EVERYTHING! Children need to be spoken to as much as they need air, and love, and food, and sleep. Children are never really too young to talk to, because even if they don't catch every word, they're learning to listen, and they're learning from you, their most important teacher, that... there are words for everything, even things we can't see! They're also learning that words are one of the most important ways people connect with each other.

In addition to talking about what things are and what they're called, ask your child what makes them look different or special... you can talk about how things feel, how they look, how they sound, and even how they smell. TALKING TO CHILDREN is also how they learn words about... what things are like (red or green, hot or cold, big or small) how things move (quickly or slowly) where things are (close, far away, on top, under, over, first or last) when things happen (yesterday, today, before, after, now, soon, later, tomorrow)
	NAME GAMES are something you can do with your child anywhere. You can start by pointing at things around the house. Ask your child, "Sandra, is this the refrigerator or the stove?" Then, see how many things your child can point to, or name by herself.

*CHILDREN LEARN A LOT IF YOU TALK ABOUT WHY* YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING, TOO.** Why you made one decision rather than the other. Why you chose one sweater rather than the other. Why you took the bus instead of walking. It helps them learn how to make decisions, too.

	COUNTING GAMES, and funny ones, too, can be played anywhere. You can help your child get ideas about numbers and amounts anyplace you might be. There are things to count everywhere. You can ask your child to count things like buttons on a shirt, people in a waiting room, legs on a table, or keys on a chain.

Parents seldom realize that just talking to children, and getting them to talk to you, is probably the most important thing they can do for them.

[ Back to Some Pages from The Handbook \| About understanding and being understood ]

from The Kindergarten Survival Handbook
Part 2, "A Guide for Parents"