I received this question via facebook from a curious parent. My answer is that:
Babies are naturally curious about the world. So, you do not have to get your baby to learn in tradional ways. You can do some non-traditional activities with your baby to pique or enhance their ability to explore. There are a number of ways to help children learn concepts early. So, I will list a few:
1) Have you ever seen the way small children react to bright colors in paint? You should purchase some non-toxic, washable paint, and hold your baby while they finger paint. When you're child is done allow the picture to dry and put it in a frame as your babies first artwork. Hang the picture in a visable place. This is some of their first exposure to colors.
2) You can follow up this lesson by taking a nature walk, and teaching them colors by saying grass is green or a tree is brown. This will help the kids to relate to concepts in a nontraditional way.
3) You should purchase and read board books to your baby. Board books are designed for the wear and tear that young children place on books. This will allow the children to flip through the pages, and explore books when you are not around.
4) You can build your child's vocabulary by taking them in the grocery store with you when you go shopping. You can point to labels when loading food in the grocery cart. This will help your children learn to read labels of their favorite foods.
5) You should get your child writing materials to use at home. This will help them to begin to learn to handle a pen, pencil, marker, and crayon. These are essential skills for school. (Please monitor your child when using these materials.) We wouldn't want young children to mistake the wall for a canvas.
Looking forward to more questions and feedback!
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