Categories
Development Parenting and Childcare

Introducing your Child to the World of Writing

Writing is a skill. Parents are always looking for ways to help their kids learn to write. Though it takes time and patience to master the art of writing, it is never a difficult task to accomplish. Some children have it in their blood and for a few others need these skills to be incorporated in their daily routine.

There are a lot of methods starting from daily reading and writing sessions to fun-filled activities to improve a child’s writing skills. These will help a child build on his or her skills in no time. 

Create an alphabet book

This can be a fun way of getting your child’s alphabet learning started. Alphabet books can be created with one alphabet on a page along with the picture of an item starting with that letter for a child’s visual aid. Children will love drawing items and gradually become familiar with alphabets and letters.

Make children write their books

Encourage children to write their storybooks and get them compiled in the form of a book. Once completed, help them correct it and add them to your bookshelf. Finding a book written by them in the book-shelf will create in them a sense of pride.

Create writing worksheets

For small children just beginning to write, try creating a worksheet where they can trace out letters and words. You can also create a connect-the-dots game by engaging your child tracing along the dotted line and finally finding out the letter which comes up. 

Encourage reading

Regular reading helps expand a child’s vocabulary and shows them different ways of using a particular word. This would make it easier for them to use these words on their piece while writing. 

Encourage your child’s love for reading as they grow. This can be accomplished in smaller children by ensuring that you too read along with them daily. Start Reading early. Those children who devour books, grow up to become strong writers themselves.

Write to faraway friend and relatives

Writing to friends and relatives who they don’t get to see very often would increase your child’s love for writing. They will be enthusiastic to tell about what they have been up to and would love it, even more, when they get a response back.

Creativity can also be encouraged by assigning writing tasks like making pen pals or writing a letter to each other at home and hiding them around the house to find.

Encourage journaling

Creating a journal would be a great milestone in improving your child’s writing skills. This is a great way to express your thoughts and ideas on a particular topic. Encourage your child to write in as much as possible and make it a part of his or her daily routine. 

Create a writing space

Dedicate an area of your home solely for writing purposes. Space should be completely devoted to writing. This will help your child to stay away from all distractions and he can focus on practicing writing skills regularly. 

Connect your child’s interest

Think about your kid’s favorite book series or a comic character or whatever your child is fascinated about. Connect his or her area of interest to writing. If your child is interested in dinosaurs, encourage him to write a series on them, or to describe their features in an article. 

Create story prompts

Suppose your child is obsessed with Pokemon. Encourage your child to write a new short story about Pokemon or ask him to create an entire series of Pokemon. This will add on to his creative writing skills and imagination, prompting him to write more and more. 

Make apt use of Technology 

Use technology to your advantage by promoting your child to create a blog. Engaging in such online updates would help improve their writing skills by encouraging frequent writing habits and creative skills. 

Invest your time

Make yourself available to help your child in proofreading and spellings whenever your child requires it. This will make him confident in what he/she is writing to help him improve more.

Praise your child’s work

Appreciate your child when they show interest in writing any piece. This appreciation will be an inspiration for him to write more and develop their skills. 

As parents, encourage them to write at schools, participate in competitions and try bringing out the best in them by your constant guidance and support. Give these techniques a try and along with some fun, you can see your children sparkling with pens.

Categories
Fun Parenting and Childcare

Tips on How to Design Kids’ Rooms to Foster Creativity

Although most people believe that creativity is a natural talent and that their children either do or do not have: just as all kids are not evenly intelligent, all kids are not creative as well. But in reality, creativity is a skill rather than innate aptitude, and it is a skill that parents can assist their kids to develop.

Every child is born with the ability for imagination and creativity, but that capacity can be limited if, for instance, you do not give them the opportunity and space to use and develop their creative energy. That chiefly means offering your child the liberty to make something creative on their own. But, it is also about being able to test new ideas.

How to foster the creative process?

It is essential to emphasise the creative process. That means showing your appreciation and support for their efforts, not the result. You should offer the stimulation for creativity but do not attempt to control the play. Rather, it enables kids to develop their sense of liberty.

The tools you offer for this creative play should thus not be limited, but leave room for their thoughts to begin. You can change equipment often to keep it thrilling and provide the prospective for them to come up with new ideas, but also an enhanced challenge, so they do not start to become bored with this type of play.

Why make kids room a creative hub?

When we are talking about kids’ room ideas to motivate their imagination, what we mean is that you can create a little station or hub where they have a range of activities and tools on-hand to chase an interest. By setting up a creative station in a kid’s room, you are making it easily accessible, and thus, more likely to be used. You are also providing them ownership of it.

A creative space must welcome clutter and supplies must be put on a show. This motivates your kids to feel like there are no limitations on them. Your children must not inbuilt with any fears about using the space.

Best kids room ideas to support their creative pursuits
Kids room design Ideas for Arts And Crafts

Arts and crafts are favourite for kids and maybe the first area you think of when it comes to bringing out your kid’s creative side.

Craft corner

The craft table is possibly the most renowned creative space in family homes. But, instead of putting out supplies that seem to surpass your kitchen bench or dining table always, you can set up a chosen space in your child’s room and design it nicely.

Chalkboard

Chalkboard paint indicates you can turn the whole wall into a drawing space. On the other hand, you can paint an extensive stripe across the room or even in a corner if you like a more concentrated area for your kid to get creative.

Gallery wall

A gallery wall in the room is the most excellent way of displaying your kids’ latest artistic creations. This way, it also enhances as beautification for your kids’ room that can easily develop as they grow. You can simply utilise frames to exhibit the artwork or twine up a line with some hooks attached to make it simple to convert the art.

Reading corner

Reading can be entertaining for your kids with a cosy spot to enjoy their books. Your kid will love to have a tent at the corner with soft cushions and favourite stuffed animals.

These creative interior designing ideas can motivate and assist offer your kids the room of their wildest dreams.

Categories
Development

What Are the Cognitive Milestones in Early Childhood Development?

In 1936, Jean Piaget, a world-famous psychologist, propounded the Theory of Cognitive Development. According to his theory, a small child creates a mental image of the world. The child’s academic and emotional development is not a sudden or one-time activity. It is an ongoing process that is affected by the level of maturity and the environment. This theory will help us understand the cognitive milestones for children. With these milestones, we can help them grow into smart and confident kids.

Piaget’s theory describes four stages of cognitive development in children, which are:

Sensorimotor stage

This cognitive development milestone occurs between the ages of birth to 2 years. During this stage, your kid will recognize objects and persons. The child will also know that the object or person exists even if not in the room.

Preoperational stage

This cognitive development occurs when your child is between the ages of 2 and 7 years. This milestone is manifested in the form of symbolism. Your child can not only recognize things and people but can also identify them by their name.

Concrete operational stage

Children between the ages of 7 and 11 go through this stage. Logic and operational thought become a part of a child’s cognitive development process. Concepts like weight, size, numbers, stature, shapes, colours, etc. develop now. Children also learn about how quantities can remain the same even if they change in appearance.

Formal operational stage

Cognitive development of a child after the age of 11 stretches between teenage and adulthood. At this level of cognitive development, the child also understands abstract concepts that cannot be seen with the eyes. The child can also hypothesize and test the hypothesis in a logical manner.

Ways to Encourage Cognitive Development

Promoting cognitive development in your toddler will help your child in his/her academic life. There are some beautiful ways in which you can encourage cognitive development in your child depending on the age.

Newborn to 6 months old:
  • Talk to the child
  • Show picture books
  • Point out things in nature
  • Change playing activities
  • Keep toys just short of reach but within their sight.
1 to 3 years old:
  • Play hide-and-seek
  • Show colours, shapes, objects
  • Teach sounds of animals and things
  • Play with the ball
  • Give step-by-step instructions in simple sentences
  • Indulge in role-play games
  • Encourage your child to take the lead in games
  • Sing and dance together.
4 to 7 years old:
  • Teach them easy chores
  • Encourage your kid to tell stories and/or read aloud
  • Increase the counting of numbers (more than 100)
  • Teach currency
  • Encourage your child to ask questions and answer them properly
  • Provide colouring books, drawing materials, and other artwork materials
  • Take your child to the zoo, park, nature trails, amusement parks, etc.

Developing your child’s cognition is not a difficult task. Kids are naturally curious and have a profound thirst for knowledge. The more time you spend with your toddler the easier it will be to recognize your kid’s cognitive milestones.