CREATIVE PLAY FOR PRESCHOOLERS

TEACHING YOUR CHILD THROUGH PLAY

Teaching your child their colors, numbers, letters and simple math can be fun, you just have to do a little creative thinking. There's nothing to buy and you don't need anything more then what you already have in your home.

COLORS

Start simple, the basic red, yellow and blue are good.  Show your child something red then have them find something else the same color. You can have a 'red day' for example.  They can pick out red clothes or red foods.  Do you have food coloring?  Add the color of the day to their milk.  Have them find the color of the day away from home too, like at the store or on the way to the store.  Once they have a color down move on to the next color.  Don't forget to go back over colors that have been mastered to reinforce them.

NUMBERS

Again start simple.  You can combine numbers with colors easily too.  An example would be to say 'You found 1 red whatever'.  Show them 1 finger at the same time.  Have them copy you (you may have to help with this).  Have them help around the house by asking them to get 1 of something for you.  Or have them get 1 loaf of bread to the store.  They love 'helping'.  When they have mastered counting to 10, try having them count only red or blue cars on your next trip to the store.  Have them count whatever they are eating (crackers, friut snacks, peas).  You can start to do simple Math with your child once they have mastered counting.  If you have 2 crackers and add 2 more, how many will you have?  Then have them count all the crackers.  Works the same way with subtraction.  Remember to verbalize as well as show them what you want them to learn.

LETTERS

You may be tempted to start with the letter A and that's ok.  But truthfully the most important letters to your child are going to be the ones in his or her name.  Their name is more then likely the first word they will be able to pick out (they will also pick out words that start with the same letter as their name and say 'That's my name')  Again start with 1 letter.  Write the letter and say what it is.  Have them say it.  Then have them find that letter in their favorite book.  Have the letter of the day like you did with colors.  And remember that uppercase and lowercase letters are different.  Call then Big A's and little a's.  (Hint ~  when you start to teach your child to write their name use uppercase for only the first letter and lowercase for the rest your child's first teacher will be grateful). 

Some things to remember. 

  1.  Make it fun

  2.  Don't push it.  Children learn to their own pace.  If they aren't in 'the mood' for finding 'red' things try again later or the next day.  Your not going to teach them all the colors in a week.

  3.  Work on 1 thing at a time to start with.  To much information at once can be confusing.  Once they have the basics down then you can combined colors and numbers.

  4.  Remember to go over things they have mastered.  Especially if they are having trouble with a new color, number or letter.  Children feel good about themselves when they are successful (just like adults).