Ms. Mom – Teaching Your Preschooler to Read in 15 Minutes a Day
Your children are watching you like a micromanager. They see how you answer the phone, how you dress, how you resolve a conflict. They will mimic you, copy you and learn from you. Yes, mom, you are their teacher in every meaning of the word.
Some parents do not realize they are subliminally teaching their children by each of their actions. Your child will most likely open a wrapper on a straw the same way you do. But more often parents do not realize they are also substantially responsible for their child's scholastic education and motivation thereof. They think everything is covered by their child's elementary school, middle school or high school teachers. Many things are, but parent involvement is critical to a child's success and motivation in school.
Formal education can be challenging if a child is not prepared. Unfortunately, labeling begins in Kindergarten and it is very hard for a child to change that label (which is a terrible thought). Statistics show regardless of when your child starts to read, they will be caught up by the third grade. But regretfully, a slow beginner will already be labeled by Kindergarten and first grade regardless of how smart they become just two years later. And remember, kids become what they believe they are. If they are labeled “a slow reader,” they may never take a big interest in reading books, even if they can read just as well as someone who was hailed a great reader in Kindergarten.
Preschool is a great idea to help children prepare for and acclimate to school life before Kindergarten. But many preschools do not teach a curriculum or focus primarily on learning the alphabet and sounds. Most children are capable of more. And if you want your child to have a head start in school, it will be up to you to fill the void or practice and commit what is being taught in preschool. Don't stop reading this now. At least read the next paragraph before you decide it's too much work.
Ms. Mom
Teaching a preschooler only takes 15 minutes a day. A child's attention span may not last longer anyway and you do not want to push your child into learning. It should be quick and fun and did we mention quick? Here's how to do it:
- STRENGTH – Pick your child's best strength: alphabet, sounds of letters, numbers, etc. and spend the first 5 minutes working on this.
- WEAKNESS – Pick a topic your child needs help on: writing letters, counting from 11-20, blending words and work on this for 5 minutes.
- INFORMATION – Choose an information topic for the child to learn about: zoo animals, Africa, the human body, space travel, shapes, colors, art, the four seasons, holidays, etc. and spend 5 minutes learning about this topic (use the internet to pull up info on the topic).
- CREATIVE – At the end, give your child a picture to color or some sort of art project they can do while you answer the phone or check the mail or whatever you need to get done.
Call this a special time of the day such as MS. MOM time. “It's MS. MOM time!” One ceoMom always stuck a pencil behind her ear indicating it was time for “Teacher Mommy” as she called it. The kids believed a transformation had taken place and they gave her more respect just with a pencil tucked and a name change.
Note: For 2 and 3-year olds who are not yet in pre-school, begin this teaching program in 3-5 minutes per day. Topics may include:
- Learning the alphabet song
- Letters (one per day or per week until the child has it down – always repeat the letters they know when teaching a new letter)
- Sounds of letters
- Counting to 10
- Shapes
- Colors
One ceoMom used the time in the car waiting for an older child to get out of school to teach her 3-year old her letters and counting to 10. The mom kept a pad of paper and pencil in the car to use.
15 Minutes to Teach Your Kids Everything They Need to Know
Most moms are astonished to think a child could actually learn (and even learn to read) in 15 minutes a day. The trick is repetition. For example, when trying to teach your phone number or address to your child, it could take five days of repetition before they have it down. You can even slip it in while driving to the store: “What is your phone number, Will?” Just keep helping them until they get it.
* Typically it will take 2-6 days before a new concept or piece of information will stick (not six times in a day, but every day for 6 days). They need to sleep on it. Some moms want to give up because their child doesn't seem to understand a concept on day one or day two. Most children take several days to learn something new. Don't give up on them!
Same with the letters of the alphabet. If you're working on the letter “K,” post it on the wall or on the back of the headrest in the car, so facing your child in the car. They have to look at it and think about it. Again, it's the repetition. Once your child has the letter down, you move on to the next always restating the letters he already knows. Continue with sounds and the blending and before you know it, reading. If your child has an inclination for math, keep counting with them until they reach 1,000.
Don't stop at Kindergarten. Keep the 15 minutes up a day even after they are in school. It may naturally evolve into “homework” time or use this time to continue to teach or expound on topics in school. But keep teaching your children as they grow.
The internet has a ton of resources for teaching your kids. Some are intended for home schooling or professional teachers, but you can use these resources too. There are printouts for the letters that your kids can color. There are pictures of animals and little stories. Sight words are listed that you can have your child memorize. And Google Images is a great option to search for photos of various topics. Kids love pictures. You want to study Polar Bears? You can pull up photos of Polar Bears.
You can also use this time to teach your child about problems they may be facing or how things work. After noticing her four-year old daughter was “plugged up,” one ceoMom showed her daughter the digestive tract and helped her daughter memorize everything from the stomach to the large intestine. They had so much fun and her daughter feels so smart to know how her body works. A mom is always a teacher.
More Ways to Help Your Child Learn
