How can I start educating my 3 year old before she starts school?

Question

What are some good excercises to get her brain ready for preschool? IHow can I take her to the next level without sticking her in a nursery school? Attracting her attention to listen to me? Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Yes, I agree that you have to make sure she/he learns in a playful way. There's a store called Education Works here in Hawaii....find out if there's something similar where you live. You can purchase a small erase board that 's big enough to attract her attention. We have a room in our home with an erase board on the wall. My three year old just turned four, but he already knows how to write all letters of the alphabet, because he always wanted to draw or write on the erase board. He wanted to imitate me writing on it, so every now and then I introduced him how to write a letter. One thing you have to know, though is, that if you teach your child this early and then put her in a regular school...she might get very bored, because she already knows everything. My older son knew how to count till one hundred and read when he started Kindergarten, but for the first 6 months they only learned how to count til 35 (just one example). I started homeschooling him after grade one. The younger one will be homeschooled from the very beginning...officially we haven't started, yet, but he already knows more than his age (colors, shapes, animal names, letter and number writing and recognition). I purchased a pre-school kit this year- with games and playful educational activities, which you can put together yourself, when you find an educational store. Place all of it in one box, and let her feel its difference from the other toy containers by only having her choose one activity out of it at a time. And yes, read to her a lot....this is so important, so she becomes a good listener...good listeners do better in school later. One way you can practice this is to train her early to follow a verbal direction...for example, "Please put the red truck back in the yellow basket. " Then you can add to it by saying, " ...and after that come to me so I can give you a big hug."..You can give up to three commands (depending on how the listening is improving) later on - all in one , like this: "Please throw the blue ball to me, then jump one time with me, and after that let's run to that big tree." Add on to the commands as she gets older,....but whatever you do make it playful....this is so important for this age...because you can make her despise learning, if you are too eager to teach. Do not be pushy. Kids learn through repitition and play.

Answer 2

Well, I don't have a kid. But I have experience by having 2 younger siblings, so I would say you could go the expensive way and buy toys that actually have colors, alphabest, and all the fundamentals your child needs to learn for preschool. Also, you could buy her books that have activities that she can do. I think it's easier that way just because they usually mark down the levels for kids. Such as labels saying "Preschool or Kindergarten." But like I said, buying her all those things could add up $$$. So if you don't want to or you can't spend as much money, you could just do it old fashion with a pencil and paper. Play like the "repeat after me" game, but make it interesting. Just start out with the basics: colors, shapes, alphabets, numbers 1-10 and gradually counting higher, etc. That or you could do both. You could purchase and do it the other way. Whatever works best for her.

Answer 3

Read to her. There is a wonderful book "Teach your child to read in 100 lessons". Also learning videos such as Leapfrog and Baby Einstein. Let her have fun with crayons and paper, and find some workbooks at educational stores. My 4 year old knows and can write the alhpabet and family names,counts and does basic math( add & subtract single digits). She loves her workbooks! Actually asks to work in at least one everyday. However, If your child isn't ready, don't push it. She will get interested. Just enjoy your Quality time

Answer 4

Read together and spend time together. If she likes worksheets there are many out there, you don't need to buy them. Play games to work on lletters, numbers, colors, shapes. Make up stories together.

Here is a site with MANY links to preK activities and worksheets:
http://www.prekfun.com/Index_Page/CCInformativeLinks/printablepages.htm

DLTK has many crafts, activities, and worksheets:
http://www.dltk-teach.com/

First School has a ton of stuff:
http://www.first-school.ws/

Kidzone is also a multi-useful multi-grade (including preK) resources Which I have used a great deal:
http://www.kidzone.ws/
Or go directly to the preschool section http://www.kidzone.ws/prek_wrksht/index.htm

I LOVE Starfall for beginning phonics and reading activities and practice:
http://www.starfall.com/

I haven't tried these, but they have many subjects and activities for preK
http://tlsbooks.com/preschoolworksheets.htm

Bryback manor is pretty good:
http://www.bry-backmanor.org/activitypages.html

also some others I haven't reviewed, but have bookmarked:
http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/worksheetgenerator/
http://www.onlineworksheets.org/worksheet.htm
http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Worksheets/
http://www.learningpage.com/free_pages/gallery.html
http://www.homeschoolingadventures.com/worksheets.html

I hope some of these are helpful!

Answer 5

Read to her. Talk to her in normal talk, don't allow baby talk around her. When you read, turn off the TV, remove as many distractions as possible. At three it's tough, kids are so easily distracted and so curious about everything and trying there best to find out what the limits are on behavior. There are also many products on the market to help stimulate her, Baby Beethoven or Mozart, lots of learning videos and games. Visit a Toys R Us or a Babies R Us for ideas. Take her places where she can learn new things, a petting zoo is a great place to learn about animals, their names, what they look like and how they feel, what they eat and so on. Talk to you pediatrician also. Have fun!

Answer 6

I am a mom of three and not one of my children have every been in daycare. My two oldest (now 7 and 5) both went to K-4. My youngest is 2, and he will also go to K-4. The two oldest did wonderfully. They didn't have any formal teaching before entering school. I just spent time with them. We played and learned and played some more. Once she enters school, they will teach her to stand in line and how to write the abc's. You just need to spend time with her, and that is what will give her a leg up. Don't stress about it. Have fun with her and realize how very lucky you are to have this time with her. She'll be in school much to soon, let her be your little girl. Everything else will work itself out once she does start school.

Answer 7

1. Memory games, identifying first the letters in her names (starting with the first letter then finally making it into a puzzle)
2. Identifying colors in daily life.
3. counting
4 Talk to your child to develop vocabulary, it is amazing what their vocabulary develops.
5. Problem solve daily dilemmas in her young life, for example her toy is missing and later found, ask what do you think we can do to avoid missing toys? Let her try to solve. At first it is a little hard but after your help she will be able to solve her problems developing critical thinking skills.
6. Most of all love her for her independence and development.

Answer 8

READ!
Whatever you do, be sure not to stress her out or make learning hard/boring before she even starts.
Talk to her constantly - carry on a conversation about what you're doing and why. "I'm going to get this milk because it's larger than this blue container and we need lots of milk for our cereal."
Leave her with someone periodically so she gets used to the separation.
Just be aware - look for those teachable moments where she may look confused or interested in something. Explain to her what you're doing. Talk about what you see happening on tv or in a magazine picture.

Answer 9

Social Education is much more important than academic education here. Think, if they are busy crying all day, how will they possibly learn ANYTHING. So teach them to be comfortable away from you, with other kids and adults.

Then while everyone else is crying for mommy...they will learn in school!

Answer 10

Read, spend time with her now, there is plenty of time to tackle school learning later. Let them be a child, well adjusted in relationships with other children, siblings, parents. They need your attention, love, playfulness at this age, not brain exercises.

Answer 11

You already have. Parents are a child's first teachers. They are watching to see how you interact with the world and will likely follow suit. So remember while big brother may or may not be watching, your child IS.

Read. Readers are Leaders.