Learning Path Stones

Phonics Skills

Phonics Skills
Before they can read independently, children must learn the relationship of letters to their sounds and be able to distinguish individual sounds, or phonemes, within words. Phonics skills help children sounds out new words (If I can read "pot", then I can read "hot" and "spot").

Word Building

Word Building
To read and write, children must understand how individual letter sounds blend together to make words. Experimenting with building words, such as changing mat to cat to rat, helps with reading and spelling.

The Alphabet

The Alphabet
Knowing the letters of the alphabet is one of the first steps toward learning to read and write. Introducing letters to young children helps them learn to recognize the different shapes and names - an early indicator for reading achievement.

Colors

Colors
Learning color names and matching them consistently to the right color develops by around the age of 2 to 3 years. When children eventually come to understand the concepts of color they can then use that information to categorize shapes, patterns and other visual information.

Exploration and Curiosity

Exploration and Curiosity
Toddlers use their curiosity and logical reasoning skills to solve everyday problems. By investigating all sorts of possibilities, they develop unexpected solutions and creative problem-solving strategies.

Sorting and Classifying

Sorting and Classifying
Children actively arrange their blocks, cars and dolls, using visual discrimination to sort objects around them. Essential for math and science, classification is the logical reasoning ability to identify and group objects by attributes such as color, size, number, function, length, volume, weight, area, time and other familiar characteristics.

Keyboarding

Keyboarding
Learning to use the keyboard is another step in becoming computer literate. It can take a while for children to learn the positioning of each key, but simply searching for the right key helps children with letter recognition. Eventually, they'll be able to use the keyboard commands as an alternative to using the mouse.

Mousing

Mousing
Children start off using the computer mouse before they learn how to use the keys. It's best to get a child-sized mouse so that it's small enough for children to handle correctly. Within a short space of time children become adept at navigating the screen using the mouse to point and click.

Screen Navigation

Screen Navigation
Children quickly learn the basics of screen navigation. By pointing and clicking they can open programs they can use to help them learn.

Shapes

Shapes
Identifying and manipulating shapes lays the groundwork for geometry by giving children concrete experience with angles, symmetry and relative sizes.

Early Number Sense

Early Number Sense
As early as 6 months, babies begin to understand the concept of numbers, noticing small groups of one, two or three things. As children develop number sense they learn to count by ones, skip count and count backwards, gaining the foundation for operations. Children who have good number sense find learning operations like addition and subtraction much easier.

Number Recognition

Number Recognition
To begin their study of math, children must distinguish numerals from letters and shapes and understand that numbers are symbols for amounts.

Sequencing

Sequencing
Even toddlers can often recite number names in order, but the ability to compare and order numbers in sequence indicates a practical application of number concepts.