Inspiration for teaching young children!
I don’t typically do sale posts BUT, if you have been looking at Melissa & Doug floor puzzles to add to your “smart kid toy” stash, this might be the time to get these… I’m not a fan of EVERY toy that Melissa & Doug makes, but their floor puzzles are great! The pieces are nice and thick, and the illustrations… Read More
First of all, if you haven’t read my post, “How Kids Learn – 5 surprising differences between adults and children”, make sure you go read that 🙂 In this post, I just want to share with you all our favorite board books, CDs, apps, etc for learning Spanish. Before I get started, let me answer the “Why” question, and the… Read More
Some kids are just wired to be more active– and remain that way throughout their lives. Others go through phases of “discovery” where all they want to do is go-go-go. I’m pretty sure we all know the benefits of reading to our children, (learning facts, building vocabulary, expanded creativity & imagination, etc.) And we know the benefits of cultivating a love for… Read More
In {this post} about how to raise smart kids, I mentioned toys that would build intelligence, which I termed “Smart Kid Toys.” Then I was chatting with another young mom, and we talked about having wishlists for our kids. It seems like every time the kid’s birthdays or Christmas roll around, at least a couple relatives ask, “What do the kids want… Read More
Looking for toys that build intelligence and creativity in little minds? Here’s a fun wishlist for when grandma asks, “What do the kids want for Christmas?” See also: Ultimate Preschool Wishlist for Ages 3-4 Ultimate Baby Wishlist for Ages 0-18 months Tracing by Kumon – This book is full of fun mazes, and is for kids as young… Read More
Here are some bright and colorful toys that would make great Christmas gifts for a tiny tot. From the tummy stage to the beginning toddles, this list is great for sharing with relatives who buy gifts for everyone, even down to the smallest babe. See Also: Ultimate Toddler Wishlist for ages 2-3 Ultimate Preschool Wishlist for ages 4-5 Jumbo… Read More
This summer, I discovered a set of board books that is simply awesome! Have you ever noticed that there are TONS of board books teaching colors, numbers, letters, animals, and shapes? Of course, we want our kids to learn those, but how many books on your children’s shelf include colors? (not to mention toys, DVDs, etc that teach colors… Read More
Facts Children learn in facts. Children are very factual little humans. They don’t understand sarcasm until they get older, because they take everything at face value. Children listen to what you say and believe it. They have no reason to question it. Learning facts about things is what small children are best at. Repetition As adults we get “bored” with… Read More
Let me begin by saying that being the music parent, instead of the music teacher, held a lot of surprises for me. I taught violin to up to 109 students, every week, for about ten years. As a music teacher I had a vision for my future children, and how they would behave, and be little genius music makers. I… Read More
Here are a few simple ways to raise your child’s intelligence level starting from infancy. If you do these on a regular basis, you will find that your child speaks well, using vocabulary (correctly) well beyond their years, has increased focus, and I think you will find that they are happier as well. Ban baby talk I’m talking about calling… Read More