Characteristics of Infants-Preschoolers

Infants

• Enjoy action nursery rhymes
• Fall asleep to nursery songs and lullabies
• Copy actions of children in books
• Join in making sounds of animals in the books
• Relate book to real life
• Like to see babies in books

Toddlers

• Like to read the same books multiple times
• Choose their favourite book from the shelf
• Explore the world by their senses
• Like short stories which rhyme
• Prefers large, clear and realistic pictures
• Like to name objects in books and magazines

Preschoolers

• Use words to express themselves
• Struggle for independence, want to do things themselves
• Play around with language, singing, making sounds
• Fascinated by other children
• Enjoy simple folktales, but not fairy tales.

Ideas for getting started on reading

It is never too early, nor too late to start reading. Once you have the desire to make your child a reader, the rest is simple. There are only a few things you have to do to create a reader, and there are some which are already done. You can't begin too soon, so start today!


Here are a few ideas on getting started to make your child a reader.

1- Keep books handy and accessible
A stack of books in a basket beside the sofa makes it convenient to use those moments anytime an activity is needed. Books put by the bedside table shows that reading is a natural part of the bedtime routine. A home library can be set up at a low cost, maybe even lower than buying breakable toys.

2- Choose books your child likes
A good book that your child likes, would be read over and over again. Compared to an uninteresting book that doesn't hold your child's attention, good books are a lot more effective.

3- Set up a special time for reading
Besides bedtime, there are other times which you can read to your child too. For example, before dinner, while waiting for the other family members, you can entertain them with a book.


4- Read at bedtime
Reading at bedtime works well. When children are tired, read them a story. Maybe short with a short poem or two. Pick a good time that works for you, even better if there would be three or four times a day!

5- Read for 15minutes every day
Or even longer. When you establish book time on a regular schedule, your child will not let you forget about it.

6- Talk about the story as you read
If the story is set in the city, talk about how the pictures in the book look like the ones in your town. If there is a grandfather in the story, say about how he is similar to their grandfather. If your child doesn't understand things in the story, explain as you read.

With these tips, it would be easy to develop a active reader in your child!

How to Teach Your Toddler the Days of the Week?

10 STEPS in Communicating with preschoolers

1) Give your preschooler your full attention

Even a quick but focused connection can fulfil your child’s need for communication. If your child says, ‘Play with me’, and you’re not available, you might explain why. You could say, ‘I had a hard day at work today. I need three minutes to change. Then I can play with you’. Preschoolers can understand your feelings – to a point – and will appreciate your honesty.

2) Be aware of your tone

Preschoolers are new to sentence-making, they might have a heightened awareness of your tone and body language.

3) Reflect your child’s unspoken emotions

This helps put your child’s feelings into words. If your child didn’t get a turn at the playground, you might say, ‘You wanted to play with the ball next, didn’t you?’ or ‘I can see you feel really cranky!’

4) Enlist your preschooler’s help in figuring out a problem

For example, you might say, ‘Did something in that movie scare you?’ If your child doesn’t answer, you might follow up by saying, ‘Could it have been the look on that person’s face?’

5) Help your preschooler develop emotional awareness

Even if there is misbehaviour – you can talk about it together. Most preschoolers can understand a sentence like, ‘Sometimes, I get mad too. It helps me to go into another room and take some deep breaths’.

6) Offer limited choices

Preschoolers gain a sense of control by making their own decisions. You might say, ‘Do you want to get dressed before or after breakfast today?’

7) Don’t end your sentence with ‘OK’ unless you are ready for your child to say ‘No’.

Asking your child if an activity is OK can lead to a lengthy discussion and even a power struggle.

8) Grant a preschooler’s wish in fantasy

If your child expresses sadness that a toy has to be shared, you might say, ‘Would you like it if you had the toy all to yourself? What would you do with it?’ By expressing a wish and talking it through, even if it can’t be granted, a child begins to calm down.

9) Create safe opportunities for preschoolers to express their BIG feelings

For example, if your child is extremely angry, instead of saying, ‘Stop yelling’, you might say, ‘Go in the bathroom and scream as loud as you can for one minute’.

10) Don’t over-explain

Simple explanations can be more effective than long discussions. If your preschooler is having a tantrum, holding your child close – or just staying nearby – can mean more than any words you can say

Developing Musical Intelligence

Musical Intelligence: The ability to appreciate and produce rhythms and melodies. Bach, Beethoven or Brahms would have processed this intelligence. Music intelligence tends to run in the families, partly because in such families, the child is heavily exposed to music, whether formally or informally. Here's what your child can do to improve his musical intelligence.

1. Sing in the shower or hum a tune while moving from point A to B

2. Play musical games with the family

3. Establish a regular family sing-along time

4. Join a church or community choir

5. Attend concerts or musicals

6. Collect his favorite music CDs and listen to them

7. Spend one hour a week listening to an unfamiliar style of music

8. Put background music while studying, working, eating or during a quiet time in the day

9. Listen to naturally occurring melodies such as bird chirping

10. Have your child make up his/her own tunes

Strategies for apologising to kids

" Children feel validated when their parents say sorry. It also models a positive way of resolving conflict.- Apologise for your behaviour, not for yourself.

You might tell your child, ‘I've been thinking about what happened and I don’t like what I said or did’.

- Give yourself a momentary time out.

You might say, ‘I'm sorry, I'm not thinking clearly right now. Give me a moment and I’ll get back to you’.

- Ask your child, ‘What could I have done differently?’

Ask your child for help in figuring out what to do, and be open to your child’s suggestions. You might say, ‘Did I make a mess of this?’ Kids love to hear parents admit they’re wrong.

- You might also ask, ‘What could you have done differently?’

In a non-accusatory way, review what occurred. Use this opportunity to discuss what you and your child could do differently next time.

- Remember that no parent is perfect.

Think about what provoked your response. Also think about all the good things you do as a parent. Talk to a friend about what happened and find out how your friend might have handled it.

- Think specifically about how you might behave differently next time.

What it is about your child’s behaviour that pushes your buttons? Is there something you can do or say that would change the way you react? You might try taking a deep breath before you speak, or walking out of the room until you figure out how you want to react. Think about this when you’re calm. The heat of the moment might not be the time to fix this problem, particularly if it’s become a pattern.