YOUR CHILD AS SCIENTIST, SCULPTOR, ARTIST
For the child who is almost 3 years of age, there are many wonderful learning experiences in and around your home.
All you have to do as a parent is be aware of Youngster's curiosity and involve her in some simple and exciting learning activities. We encourage you to be creative in developing your own activities around the home.
To get you started we offer some suggested ways for your child to assume the roles of scientist, sculptor, and artist!
1. The Scientist. When you take the ice tray out of the freezer, let Youngster see the ice cubes in the tray. If you turn the tray upside down, she will be amazed that the cubes don't fall out.
When you put the ice cubes in a bowl, let her feel one of them in her hand. Let her put a cube in a cup of hot water to watch it dissolve. When you refill the ice tray with water, let her feel the water before you put the tray back in the freezer to make more ice cubes.
As you and Youngster engage in this activity together, talk with her about what you are doing and about what is happening. (For example, "What happened to the ice cube?") Obviously she won't understand everything you say. But she is learning new words and new concepts: solid, liquid, ice, freezing, melting.
Ask her some simple questions to test her understanding about what is happening. And be prepared to answer her questions as simply as you can.
2. The Sculptor. Junk modeling can be fun. Start by collecting household junk--paper towel rolls, reels from sticky tape, spools from thread, scraps of material, gift wrap, kitchen foil, paper sacks, ribbons, elastic, candy wrappers, tea bag envelopes, shells, pebbles, etc.
As Youngster assembles and sorts the junk, ask "Where do you think this came from?" Questions like this encourage your child to organize her ideas and to think creatively.
Obviously she will offer many incorrect and absurd answers. Here's your chance to provide new information without discrediting what she has said: "Well, that's interesting. Do you want to know something else?"
It is also an opportunity to talk about ecology. By collecting junk you are helping to reuse waste rather than discard it.
With some strong glue, cardboard or construction paper and the "treasures" she's accumulated, Youngster is now ready to create some wonderful sculptures which you can display in the kitchen.
3. The Artist. At about age 3, Youngster can make a simple drawing of a person. Don't worry if the drawing is somewhat crude such as a large head with two leg stumps beneath it. Encourage her to talk about what she has drawn.
Sometimes she may just want to scribble to experience the visual effect of her strenuous arm movements. For this purpose a blackboard and chalk are very useful.
You can make your own blackboard by painting a piece of pressed wood with two or three coats of chalkboard paint.
If the pressed wood measures at least 18" x 24", it will also serve as a painting easel when a large pad of newsprint is clipped to it.
As Youngster draws, you can talk about the shapes she makes--"circle," "cross," "square,"--or the colors she is using--"red," "green," "blue." Little children like new words, especially when they can relate the new words directly to what they are doing.
A good learning environment for young children does not require expensive and highly sophisticated equipment. Everyday household items, especially when used in a creative manner, can be a young child's best learning tools.
A TRICYCLE IS A LEARNING MACHINE
If you have not bought your child a tricycle yet, it's time you thought about getting one. A tricycle is an excellent tool for good development.
A tricycle helps your child develop some very important skills. As he pedals his tricycle he learns how to shift from his left side to his right side. He pushes first with one foot and then with the other. In this way he learns that he has two different sides. Here's why this type learning is so important:
As teachers and consultants, we frequently deal with school-aged children who experience reading problems. Some of these children have difficulty distinguishing between letters like "b" and "d" or "p" and "q."
The difference between "b" and "d" is, of course, determined by the vertical line being on the left ("b") or the right ("d") side of the letter.
As your child learns to ride his tricycle, he is learning the difference between left and right within his own body. This is a skill which should help him later in school to distinguish between the letters "b" and "d," "p" and "q."
Don't try to teach him at this stage the difference between the concepts of "left" and "right." This cognitive concept learning will come later. All he needs right now is the experience of his left foot and right foot as he synchronizes his leg movements.
The tricycle also helps him learn about timing. In order to ride a tricycle well, he must shift from side-to-side at the proper time. He cannot shift at just any old time. He must make the shift at precisely the right time.
Time will also be very important in school learning. To spell correctly he must learn to get the letters in a word in the proper time and spatial sequence. Some school children who have spelling problems may spell "first" as "frist" or "girl" as "gril." These errors are examples of general problems in organizing time and space.
If Youngster learns to ride his trike smoothly, rhythmically, and efficiently, he is also learning to organize his movements in time. This basic learning should help him with later school learning.
Many parents ask what kind of tricycle they should buy. There are many different varieties on the market so it is wise to shop around in order to find the one that is best for your child.
Three general considerations are important in the selection: (1) your child's safety; (2) your child's learning experiences; and (3) the trike's durability.
Here are some more specific recommendations:
Once you have purchased a suitable tricycle, your child will be ready for the fun to begin. If he doesn't immediately understand how to make the tricycle go, you may push him gently along. When you push him make sure that his feet are on the pedals so that he will feel his feet moving as the pedals rotate. Taking his feet off the pedals could result in being hit by a rotating pedal.
It is wise to check your child's tricycle periodically to make sure that it is in good working order. A loose screw or protruding bolt could result in an accident that was easily avoidable.
Teach your child to use the tricycle in the way it was designed to be used. You should not permit your child to try acrobatic stunts such as standing on the pedals or riding with no hands on the handlebars. You should also discourage your child from "colliding" for fun both for his own safety and for good maintenance of the tricycle.
With a little care and precaution your child can use his tricycle as a wonderful learning machine while enjoying many hours of accident-free, fun-filled riding.
Most children are attracted to animals. Taking care of a pet can teach a child valuable lessons about kindness and responsibility. But, sooner or later, a child must also learn that animals may bite.
Fortunately most animal bites are not serious and can be treated by thoroughly washing the injured area with soap and water and by applying an antibiotic cream or ointment. If the bite wound is deep, it is wise to cover it with a sterile dressing and bandage. A physician's advice should always be sought if the bite is deep or occurs on any part of the child's head or neck.
Rabies is a major concern for children bitten by animals. It is a fatal disease which is usually transmitted by the saliva of an infected animal. Rabies is extremely rare in pets unless they have been in contact with wild animals.
Children are bitten more often by healthy animals than by infected ones. If your child is bitten by a rodent (rabbit, squirrel, hamster, guinea pig, gerbil, chipmunk, rat, or mouse) it is very unlikely that he will get rabies. In most cases rabies vaccine is not given.
Bites by carnivorous animals (skunks, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, dogs, cats, and bats) are much more dangerous and, in many cases, rabies vaccine is given. An animal that behaves peculiarly or attacks without provocation may have rabies.
Here are some general instructions for handling animal bites:
For the child:
(1) Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water.
(2) If the wound is extensive or through the full thickness of skin, contact your physician. Suturing animal bites can be done after careful cleansing and trimming of the injured tissue; however, the wound frequently becomes infected.
(3) Check on the child's tetanus immunization status.
For the animal:
(1) Try to capture the animal alive--provided it is safe to do so--and keep it confined for two weeks. An animal that is healthy for at least five days is probably not contagious at the time of the bite or scratch. If it is healthy for two weeks, it can be judged to be non-rabid.
If the animal is killed, save its head or carcass, if possible, because examination can determine if it was rabid at the time of its death. A veterinarian or emergency room personnel can tell you whereto find the nearest examining center.
(2) Check on the animal's rabies vaccine if it is a pet and has been seen by a veterinarian.
In the case of insect stings, if the stinger can be seen and is not too deeply embedded, it may be easily removed. Gently scrape it loose, using a dull object, rather than trying to pull it out. Pinching the stinger between the fingers may force irritating poison from the venom sac into the skin.
Do not attempt to remove the stinger from a honeybee bite since it has a barb at the end which embeds itself into the skin.
The area should be washed well and left alone. When such a stinger is left in place, it will dissolve after a few days and cause no further discomfort or harm.
Ticks are found in wooded areas and attach themselves to the skin in a painless fashion. Once attached, they suck the blood from the victim and, in some cases, discharge disease-causing organisms into the surrounding tissue and bloodstream. Most tick bites do not cause much reaction except for minor skin irritation; however, they can be related to two serious generalized illnesses--Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a disease that is associated with only a minimal bite reaction but later with a rash, particularly over the knees and elbows, accompanied by a high fever. It can also involve the brain and spinal cord and can be life-threatening. However, early appropriate antibiotic treatment can prevent these serious complications.
Lyme disease is named for the Connecticut city where it was first reported. It is carried by a small tick and is associated with a severe reaction at the bite site. The disease itself is characterized by a low-grade fever and prolonged feelings of tiredness and aching in the joints and muscles. It too can be successfully treated with antibiotics, especially if they are used early in the illness.
The best way to prevent these diseases is to avoid exposure to ticks. Insect repellents are helpful, but the most effective preventive is protective clothing that covers exposed areas.
A tick can be removed by grasping its head with a tweezer and gently pulling it free from the skin. Care should be taken not to squeeze the body since this may force additional infecting material into the skin. If the tick cannot be easily removed in this fashion, a physician should be consulted.
Parents frequently ask how to help their child combat teasing from peers or older youngsters. Children who engage in a cruel kind of teasing of other children usually come from homes where sarcasm and hostility--sometimes fashioned in joke form--are used constantly.
Most parents are able to control their anger and do not physically harm their child. Yet some parents do not stop to consider that regular teasing sometimes constitutes a form of emotional abuse. While these parents cannot be accused of physically abusing their child, the effects of emotional abuse may sometimes be more damaging to the child.
Even though some adults engage in gentle teasing with other adults, it is inappropriate to engage in this practice with a preschool child. The adult may consider it funny or well-intentioned. But the young child has not developed the sophistication needed to handle this practice. Hence it becomes a form of emotional cruelty.
What can parents do to help their child deal with teasing from peers or older youngsters? A parent's presence is an effective way to keep older children in line. When trouble appears to be developing, the parent may redirect the play or introduce a new activity.
Children usually take their cues from their parents' behavior. If parents do not appear to be upset themselves, the child will more likely remain calm. However, if parents become indignant in front of Youngster or retell teasing or bullying incidents, these experiences may become magnified in the child's mind. This tends to reinforce his timidity and fearful feelings.
When parents are over-protective, they intervene to "rescue" their child too soon or too often. This teaches the child that the only defense is the parent's presence. Over-protective parents may inhibit their child's development of self-confidence and positive self-esteem. It is important for parents to maintain a healthy balance between watchful concern and unnecessary intrusion.
In summary, what can you do to help your child combat teasing and its effects?
(1) Eliminate teasing from your own behavior.
(2) Be present, unobtrusively, when your child is playing with other children.
(3) Let your child deal with problems he is capable of handling without your immediate intervention.
(4) Keep cool and don't become agitated when your child tells you stories about how he was tormented. Listen to his story, comfort him for a minute and then observe more carefully how the children are playing together.
(5) Avoid discussing the episode with others in Youngster's presence.
(6) Maintain a good sense of humor, which is good both for you and for your child.
Preschooler's Learning Processes Are Different
For centuries young children were thought of as miniature adults. During the past 100 years, however, more has been learned about the significant differences in the ways in which adults and young children perceive the world than in all previous centuries combined. Being aware of those differences can enable parents to better understand and stimulate their own child's learning.
Here are six ways in which adults and young children perceive the world differently:
1. While adults lose much of their sense of curiosity, a preschooler is curious about everything in his world.
He wants to know how come he can hear grandmother's voice on the telephone even though she lives over 200 miles away!
Questions seem to be never-ending. What will happen if he mixes the yellow and blue paints? Where does the sun go in the evening? Are those cartoon characters really singing inside the TV set?
Parents can rekindle their own sense of curiosity by telling their child honestly, "I don't know the answer to your question, but we can try to find out the answer together."
Nothing stifles a young child's curiosity as much as a parent's negative rebuke or scolding for asking a question. On the other hand, the more parents seek to answer questions in a simple and honest manner, the more their child's curiosity and learning will flourish and develop.
2. While adults generally find constant repetition to be boring, preschoolers love repetition and their learning thrives on it.
After reading an enjoyable book, adults are usually ready to begin another one. Not so with a preschooler. He wants you to read to him "Goodnight Moon"-or whatever his favorite bedtime book may be-tonight, tomorrow night, and the night after! Again and again and again!
Why do young children crave the kind of repetition that can bore adults? Young children have to deal with so much newness in their daily lives that it's a relief for them to be able at times to experience sameness and predictability. Amid so many new experiences, it's reassuring that their favorite storybook always has the same predictable ending.
Predictability gives a young child a sense of some control over the events in his life. The more you repeat the same routine in his daily activities, for example, the more at ease he will be. If you forget some detail in the bedtime routine- Such as forgetting to kiss his teddy bear good night-you will promptly be reminded of the proper sequence of events!
Repetition also helps young children deal with feelings of fear or anxiety. For example, your preschooler may ask you to repeat over and over the story of Humpty Dumpty who had a great fall. Fearing that he may experience a similar consequence if he were to fall, he can gradually come to terms with his feelings of fear by having you repeat the story in a calm voice-while he is nestled safely and comfortably in your lap!
3. While adults are clock-watchers, conscious of time, a preschooler has not yet developed a similar sense of time.
There can sometimes be a conflict when parents are focused on the time of day whereas the child is focused on the sequence, but not the timing of events.
For example, if by 3:30 p.m. a preschooler has not yet had his 3 o'clock nap, it's more important to him that you maintain the sequence of reading a story to him before nap time than to be concerned about the time on the clock. It's best to adjust to his world in which the focus is on sequence rather than time of day.
A good way to avoid hassles when getting ready for a new activity, such as a ride in the car, is to allow twice as much time as you think it will take. In that way, you will feel more relaxed and your child will feel less pressured.
Young children also need a transition period between one activity and another. Whereas an adult may look at the clock and think, "I must leave immediately," young children need some buffer time between finishing one activity and beginning another. Before leaving the playground in the park, for example, the parent might announce, "There's time for just three more rides down the slide."
Although a preschooler can't yet tell time, if the parent says, "Just five more minutes," those words will also convey the message that it's time to adjust mentally to the end of one activity and the beginning of another. It's also a good way to introduce your child gradually to the concept of measuring time.
4. While adults can focus on just one thing over a period of time, preschoolers tend to be multifocused.
While carrying a book for you to read to him, for example, your preschooler may spot a piece of red wool on the floor that attracts his full attention. He becomes totally absorbed by his newfound interest and will quickly forget what he set out to do.
It's as though one new distraction after another demands his immediate interest and attention. Because adults don't normally behave in this manner, some parents may find this type of behavior to be very irritating.
They would do well to overcome their initial irritation and use the child's signal of interest as a "teachable moment" during which the child's mind is receptive to new learning- rather than try to impose on the child a rigidly planned schedule of learning activities.
Children learn best when they demonstrate a desire to acquire new knowledge related to what interests them-even when those interests shift from one moment to another.
5. While adults are often more preoccupied with the end product (such as being neatly dressed), preschoolers are more concerned about being involved in and even mastering the process.
Young children have a built-in desire to develop competence. A 12-month-old, for example, may spill half his food on his clothes or on the floor in his determination to get the spoon to his mouth by himself, without any help.
You know-and probably he knows too-that his feeding could be accomplished much more efficiently if he would just let an adult do all the work for him!
Fortunately his desire to master this skill is more important to him right now than his desire for food. Throughout their young lives, children continue to develop self-mastery of new skills: brushing teeth, dressing themselves, learning to ride a bike ... and eventually, as teenagers, learning to drive.
A child's desire to master self-care skills can be difficult for parents for a number of reasons. First, it demands a lot of patience on the part of parents. It usually means abandoning one's own standards-such as seeing the child neatly dressed-in the interest of letting him be involved in the process, even though the end result may look far from perfect.
If you tell your child that he is too young to help you, or that he won't do it the right way, he will have missed a very important learning experience.
Another reason that a child's desire to develop self-mastery of new skills may be difficult for some parents is because it makes them feel that their "little baby" is growing up too fast. They enjoyed taking care of all their child's needs and find it difficult to adjust to a new stage of development.
6. Children learn best when they are involved as active rather than passive learners.
That's why it's important for parents to find ways to involve their child actively in what they are doing. When preparing dinner, for example, you might invite your preschooler to help you stir whatever ingredients you are mixing. It may make things a little more messy in the kitchen! Just don't be too surprised to hear him proudly tell someone later that he and Mom or Daddy were the ones who prepared the dinner.
He will feel so proud of his accomplishment that he will want to help you in other ways as well. If you are changing his baby sister's diaper, for example, you could ask him to hold the clean diaper for you and hand it to you when you need it. In that way, you help him become actively involved in this activity rather than being a passive observer who feels excluded from what you are doing. Children who consistently feel excluded by adults are most likely to exhibit misbehavior problems.
By involving your child in as many of your daily activities-even at the expense of neatness and efficiency-you are not only providing great real-life learning experiences, but you are also helping him develop a positive self-concept.
DEAR GROWING CHILD
"I am very grateful I found out about Growing Child and Growing Parent.
"When I run out of answers, my monthly mailer is waiting for me. It is packed full of new games for tots, and a calendar with something different every day.
"I have learned so much about our two children--keep it coming!"
Nancy S.
Bear Lake, MI
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CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
Phil Bach, O.D., Ph.D.
Miriam Bender, Ph.D.
Joseph Braga, Ed.D.
Laurie Braga, Ph.D.
George Early, Ph.D.
Liam Grimley, Ph.D.
Robert Hanneman, M.D., F.A.A.P.
Sylvia Kottler, M.S.
Bill Peterson, Ph.D.