Easy Education for Toddlers

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We don't all have to be teachers in order to teach our toddlers the fundamentals of maths and literacy - counting, early maths skills, phonics and reading. At that age their education comes predominantly through play and their experiences of everyday activities such as shopping, cooking, going to the park, even housework. So the best way to teach children at this age is by involving and interacting with them in as many ways as possible, and using every opportunity to familiarise them with words, letters and numbers, and more!

Easy ways you can do this include:

For Maths 

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• When going shopping, ask them to help you count items you need. For example, if you need 6 apples ask them to count 6 for you. Even better, ask them to choose a specific colour. If your child is old enough you can also incorporate a bit of addition by asking them to choose a specific number of each apple colour, then adding them all together. 

• Pair washed socks for colour and pattern recognition.

• Get them to help you prepare meals. Lay out all the ingredients beforehand then ask them for 'X' amount of carrots, slices of bread, cooked sliced meat, spoons for mixing and stirring, etc. Perhaps most fun for them, they can also help you weigh out specific amounts of food, although you will probably need to tell them what sequence of numbers you need. 

• Needless to say, ensure any activity you do with your child is appropriate for their age, and importantly, when doing any type of cooking activity with young children ensure everyone observes personal, food and kitchen hygiene and safety at all times. Long hair should be tied back, sleeves rolled up, and hands should always be washed before and after the activity. Sharp knives should NEVER be within reach, children should not handle any raw meat or fish, and they certainly should not be too close to anything hot such as ovens, hobs and any other items that have been in use such as hot saucepans. Also do not let them use electric utensils, even electric whisks, as even these are difficult to control for little hands. You should also never leave them unaccompanied in the kitchen. 

• Go on a scavenger hunt for different things. Items collected can then be categorised by size, colour, or category such as something that can move on its own, something hard, something soft, etc. Talk about the similarities and differences between each object they collect. You could do this activity inside or outside but you will need to ensure your child collects appropriate items. If outside keep a close eye on them and always observe appropriate safety rules. Never allow them to pick any type of berry or something someone else has discarded (a brightly coloured crisp packet, lost glove, etc.). If you want to focus on a particular area, such as colours, make a list of the [colours] they have to find. Instead of collecting these items, they could draw a picture of them or just stamp the coinciding box. 

• Sing songs with number sequences in the lyrics.

• Ask them to count things out as often as possible. 

• Take advantage of the countless games out there that are designed specifically for teaching your child about maths and numbers.

• Talk about as many number observations as possible. For example, if they see a dog walking in the park, ask them if they can think of anything else that has four legs. Take one of the  they think of and Perhaps they can also tell you how many ears they have, If they are playing with three cars and their sibling is playing with two cuddly toys, ask them how many toys are they playing with altogether.

For Literacy

Photo courtesy of Susan Holt Simpson (Unsplash)

• When deciding whether to teach your little one letter names or phonics, it is always preferential to teach the latter first because that will then translate into their reading skills. In saying that, however, I do also teach them letter names but only when accompanied with the matching phonic, thus familiarising them to both. For example...

'D' makes the sound 'd-uh'. 

'Can you think of anything that begins with a 'd-uh'?'

'We write a 'd-uh' like this...'

'So the letter 'D' makes the sound 'd-uh' 

'Can you find a 'd-uh'? (Have a picture/letter chart handy)

• Alphabet songs are a fun way to introduce your children to the alphabet. The ABC Song is probably the best, and the most well-known.

• You can use letter days to learn all about a specific letter - how it is written, what it sounds like, and objects that begin with that letter. I always like to start with the letters that make up their name as this has a personal connection for them, but then we learn the alphabet phonics in the following way: 

s, a, t, p, i, n (as these sounds can be used to make a large variety of words).

c, k, e, h, r, m, d

g, o, u, l, f, b, j

z, w, v, y, x.

• Read to them on a regular basis.

• Visit your local library.

• Encourage or stoke their interest in reading by giving them a variety of books to look at including picture books, lift-the-flap, fiction and non-fiction.

• There is no shortage of games specifically designed to promote your child's learning so take advantage of them in order to develop specific areas. Alphabet jigsaws are especially good for developing their understanding of letters and phonics, as well as critical thinking and fine motor skills.

• Flash cards are a great way to teach your child phonics, and Alphabet Snap (you can make the cards yourself) will help your child to recognise each letter. Increase their learning by saying the sound of each letter as you slap the card down.