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Entering Toddlerhood
Toddlerhood is an age that can be as entertaining as it is exhausting for parents. It is especially at this age that children learn with all their senses. Hence, as guardians, it becomes significant that we channel their energies in a way that is beneficial for them and allows them to explore their surroundings. At this age, children start to realize their independence and start testing boundaries. This is also the time for immense language, imaginative and interactive development. Therefore, early childhood educational activities that can tap into the child’s current developmental milestones are what help the child progress and develop.
Toddler Skills to Focus On
Children learn something new everyday. From realizing the use of their hands as infants to developing language skills enough to convey their thoughts, only takes them a couple of years. Early years education, when planned and implemented well, can mean the difference between helping the child master these skills and the child finding these difficult to manage. Some of the main skills toddlers essentially try to master during this time can be categorized as below:
Language skills – every day your child learns a whole list of new words, phrases, and tones. The more exposure they get, the better and easier it is for them to learn and master these skills. So, what can you do to help? Talk a lot to them. Point out things, name them and tell them about it. They may or may not say those words right away, but rest assured, all this information is being stored for later use.
Recognition – textures, numbers, alphabets, and colors. Children develop through their sense of touch, so it is only appropriate to give them ample opportunities to experience all these concepts through various textures – soft, rough, shiny, smooth, and so on.
Pretend play – one of the easiest and most convenient types of play that you can engage your child in is pretend play. There are no set rules in this, no specific tools required, just free reign for your child to be imaginative and creative. Open-ended, non-structured toys further help in making this a fun experience for the child.
Painting – Apart from the obvious introduction and recognition of colors, painting also helps in problem-solving and motor-skill development. It is a medium of expression without words. Thus, it acts as an effective stress buster and helps nurture their creativity. This also helps children master their hand-eye coordination and hand, wrist, and finger strength.
Organization – Engaging children in the daily household chores is an effective way to instill responsibility and make them feel significant. Sorting vegetables, folding laundry, arranging dishes etc. are some of the many ways in which children can contribute to the daily routines in a home.
How Kindergarten Plays a Role
While there are a lot of activities that can ignite and nurture a child’s passion to learn, it is sometimes difficult for parents to always be able to manage the high levels of energy that they come with. This is where a kindergarten setting proves to be a major advantage.
An international kindergarten like Dibber International Kindergarten would be able to offer your child the social setting to interact with other children of the same age group while also focusing on the various developmental areas that they can develop and master.
With an international and mainstream curriculum to choose from, children get access to a wide variety of activities in secure spaces to explore and learn at their own pace. When children enjoy the journey of learning, their relationship with education will be lifelong and joyful.