Having worked with young children for the past 10 years of my life, I realized that if I did not choose the path of homeschooling our children, I should most definitely be a teacher! I just simply LOVE teaching children, from the time they are babies onward. I've always had a natural love for both little children and the elderly, to me they are pretty much one in the same!
So, naturally, when my first daughter was born, one of the first thing I started doing with her was read. She couldn't even hold her head up, and I already delighted in reading to her. I would love to tell you that now that she's almost three, reading became one of her favorite things to do...but it did not! She would pick sticking her hands into a cup of water and throwing toys in it, dancing to some music, or running around over a book any time! But she does know that mama loves books, and is slowly finding more and more interest in them (pretending to read them herself), and enjoying our special story times each day.
But one thing I noticed was that "all my reading" to her when she was just a newborn baby was not in vain! Even before her first birthday she would already point out to many objects she had learned from her books when asked where it was and eventually started telling me what sounds each animals made, and name of things I had consistently been reading to her during all of her first year of her life. It's amazing the potentials of a little one's mind, and even more fascinating is to see the unfolding of learning, growing and maturing before your eyes!
My little V has always been an eager learner, in fact, I would say she's just eager for life! From the moment she came out of my womb, this girl would not close her eyes. And OH did they stay open! She was just avid about life! As a newborn, she would nurse and be up looking at everything for literally two hours (mind you, mama HAD to be walking the entire time, or else, "looking" turned into something else completely :-o), she would then sleep for an hour and do it all over again! At 3 months she could pull herself up holding our fingers, and could walk holding our fingers across our bed-with stable legs and feet-in a "freaking me out" manner (LOL...sorry, inside joke here!). Started crawling at 6 months, walking at 10 and has just been "on the go" ever since.
But one thing I noticed was that "all my reading" to her when she was just a newborn baby was not in vain! Even before her first birthday she would already point out to many objects she had learned from her books when asked where it was and eventually started telling me what sounds each animals made, and name of things I had consistently been reading to her during all of her first year of her life. It's amazing the potentials of a little one's mind, and even more fascinating is to see the unfolding of learning, growing and maturing before your eyes!
My little V has always been an eager learner, in fact, I would say she's just eager for life! From the moment she came out of my womb, this girl would not close her eyes. And OH did they stay open! She was just avid about life! As a newborn, she would nurse and be up looking at everything for literally two hours (mind you, mama HAD to be walking the entire time, or else, "looking" turned into something else completely :-o), she would then sleep for an hour and do it all over again! At 3 months she could pull herself up holding our fingers, and could walk holding our fingers across our bed-with stable legs and feet-in a "freaking me out" manner (LOL...sorry, inside joke here!). Started crawling at 6 months, walking at 10 and has just been "on the go" ever since.
A girl this enthusiastic about life, there is little you can do to slow her down, so the best thing to do was to just join in the ride! And that's what I've done, just simply joined her eagerness to live and learn, and try to offer her plenty of opportunities to engage in many different learning activities and "intentional plays" (basically playing with a purpose, as you'll often see us do).
One of her favorite things to do between 12-24 months, was playing with a sensory pasta box! In fact, it's still a big hit whenever I get it out. It's just now that she's older, there are so many other things she can do, that this often stays forgotten.
Pasta and large Lima beans were the favorite choices for a more "controlled" mess, and later I implemented the "rug" idea from Montessori practice, but instead of a rug, I used a towel. A rug was just not big enough for a spirited child like mine!
Pasta and large Lima beans were the favorite choices for a more "controlled" mess, and later I implemented the "rug" idea from Montessori practice, but instead of a rug, I used a towel. A rug was just not big enough for a spirited child like mine!
We would have lots of fun learning about letters, colors (from the little cups), about difference in sizes (from cups, glass containers of different sizes and their lids) as well as practicing motor skills by pouring pasta into cups and glass containers.
But her absolute favorite thing to do was make it "rain", by throwing the pasta into the plastic container (I recycled a plastic salad container for this).
The great thing about intentional play, or playing with a purpose, is that you can basically turn anything and everything into an enriching learning experience for your child...after all, we're dealing with little ones that no nothing but their inborn instincts at this point! We can't go wrong with it ;)
Some fun activities we also enjoyed during these early stages were:
But her absolute favorite thing to do was make it "rain", by throwing the pasta into the plastic container (I recycled a plastic salad container for this).
The great thing about intentional play, or playing with a purpose, is that you can basically turn anything and everything into an enriching learning experience for your child...after all, we're dealing with little ones that no nothing but their inborn instincts at this point! We can't go wrong with it ;)
Some fun activities we also enjoyed during these early stages were: