Letter learning is an essential component to beginning reading and writing, and play is a great way to help your child with letter recognition as well as learning letter sounds. Try building an “alphabet” tower with your child using wooden letter blocks. You can ask your child to name the letter before adding a block to the tower, or h...
While it is never too early to enroll your daughter in a music class, many instruments require fine motor skills (like the dexterity required to press clarinet keys) that aren’t yet developed until later in life. However, some instruments, like pianos and guitars, are made in child-appropriate sizes making the instruments accessible to...
Most children do not have the fine motor control or strength to hold a pencil using a finger grip until they are 4 years of age. When children begin to use a finger grip, they will usually use all five fingers to grip a pencil (known as an “immature” or five-finger grip). By 5 or 6 years of age, children’s finger muscles are more devel...
There is no “right” or “wrong” way to hold a paintbrush. Different ways of holding a paintbrush produce different effects. For example, using a pencil grip helps with painting fine details, but holding a brush like a tennis racket might make long, sweeping lines. Between the ages of 2-3 years, most children are able to hold and contro...
Tantrums are a normal part of development, so take comfort knowing that you are not the first parent to struggle with your child’s tantrums. When your son gets upset or frustrated, he becomes flooded with emotions that he is not yet able to regulate on his own. As his parent, you can help him build the skill of regulating his emotions ...
The National Education Association suggests that parents follow the "10-minute rule," which calls for 10 minutes of homework per day, per grade. Following this recommendation, your daughter would receive little (less than 10 minutes) to no homework at the preschool level. If you find that your daughter routinely takes more than 5-10 mi...
Watches – whether they are digital or analog -- are a fun way to get your preschooler excited about time. Rather than focus on trying to teach your child how to tell time, start by helping him/her understand the notion of time. For example, help your child get a feel for how long a minute or an hour is. You can do this in a number of f...
Thanksgiving dinner might feel like comfort food to adults, but for toddlers, it is a table full of new colors, textures, tastes, and experiences. To keep your child’s first experience with these new foods as positive, and low pressure, as possible, try serving some of the dishes you will have at Thanksgiving dinner beforehand at a reg...
Toddlers love to help, so a fun way to keep your child busy while you cook is to have him/her help you in the kitchen. You can do this by having your child help you with the actual preparation of the food (e.g., adding premeasured ingredients or helping you stir with a spoon), or by giving your child play dishes and getting him/her to ...
There are so many valuable qualities we want to instill in our children, but learning to be thankful–or grateful–is one of the most important. Not only are grateful people more pleasant to be around, research has shown that they report higher levels of happiness and optimism, as well as lower levels of depression and stress. But learni...
Play is a great way to help children develop fine motor skills. Playing with toys such as puzzles, blocks, Lego, lacing beads, and paper dolls are not only fun, they help your child strengthen hand and finger muscles, and improve coordination. Another fun way for your child to practice fine motor skills is through art activities such a...
First, know you are not alone. There are plenty of parents with normally developing four-year-olds who refuse to go to the potty. With school deadlines approaching, you are understandably feeling some pressure. By four years of age, most children are capable of using the potty consistently, so it will take some detective work to determ...