The stress of teaching children and preparing them for life’s challenges can often be overwhelming. The importance of a solid, academic foundation is probably drilled into most parents’ minds even before their children were born.
Yes, parents want their children to succeed, and they know it is important to spend time teaching them reading, writing, and arithmetic. However, there is also something in many parents that longs for those sweet, tender moments with their little ones as passionately as they long for them to have a good education. Is it possible to bond with children while teaching them important academic lessons? Yes, it is.
Writing Letters to Children
Parents can write letters to their children expressing their love for them. Parents can tell them about all of their special, unique qualities that make them endearing. Other great letter ideas include telling them funny stories that make them laugh. Keep all the letters in one book that so that they can be added to daily or weekly. The child can read the letters which will provide excellent reading experiences. Parents can help them read the difficult words.
This exercise will reassure the child of the parent’s love and improve the parent-child relationship. This exercise boosts children’s reading and writing skills while making them feel special at the same time. One important point is to write the letters in print, unless the child can read cursive.
Cooking With Children
Cook with children is an excellent way to develop math skills and spend quality time together. It also helps children learn about healthy eating and encourages them to try new foods. Not only does cooking encourage good nutrition, but it also helps children understand fractions in real-life situations.
They learn that ½ a cup is larger than ¼ a cup because they are in the kitchen using the measuring cups. (Often, children think that ¼ cup is bigger than ½ cup because 4 is bigger than 2.) For older children, they can learn about multiplying fractions by doubling or tripling the recipe.
Helping Children Learn to Express Themselves
Make the child’s favorite meal. Have the child describe the meal using their five senses. How does it look, smell, taste, and feel? Have him use descriptive words to write about the meal. This will help the child learn to write effectively.
Learning Math by Keeping a Piggy Bank
Collect money in a piggy bank. Have children save up for special purchases and count out their money to determine how much they have saved. How much more money will be needed before they can buy that new toy or gift? How long will it take? This will help children learn to count money, make change, and learn the value of saving to make new purchases. If kids are able to perform household chores and earn money for the piggy bank, then this will help them see the value of hard work and the value of a dollar.
Reading With Children
Reading with children is an excellent way to improve reading comprehension skills. Have the child pick his favorite book, along with his favorite passage from that book. How did the author describe the scene? What made the story interesting?
Dr. Seuss uses words such as “a heart that was two sizes too small” to describe the heartless grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. What words does the author use to make the story come alive to the reader? Challenge the child to use the author’s example and think of a descriptive way to describe an event or scene.
Watching TV Together
Parent can watch their children’s favorite television show with them. Afterwards, they can help them to develop their own television series. It can be silly, but the experience can help children learn to organize their thoughts on paper to develop a theme from beginning to end. After the series has been written, the family can act out the various roles and the child can literally be the star of the show.
Learning With Children Can Strengthen the Parent-Child Bond
Parents can use activities such as cooking with their children or reading with their children to improve academic skills while also strengthening the parent-child bond. School work or learning does not need to take away from spending special time together. Learning can be avenue to increase the dialogue between parents and children. Improving academic skills and bonding with children can take place simultaneously.
Read more at Suite101: Special Bonding Moments Can Also Teach Academics: Learning With Children Can Strengthen the Parent-Child Bond | Suite101.com http://www.suite101.com/content/special-bonding-moments-can-also-teach-academics-a218458#ixzz1WXnnVLVK
