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Helping Children Learn

How to teach your child and help her develop the skills she needs for a lifetime of learning.

by: Tim Seldin

hildren are born with marvelous imaginations and a keen desire to explore the world–here's how you can help them hone those skills for a lifetime of successful learning.

How to Teach Infants and Toddlers at their Level

Children have an inbuilt drive for discovery and behave like little scientists. They're eager to observe and make "what if" discoveries about their world, but they don't necessarily see things the way adults do. As a parent, you can help them best by encouraging them to observe the world and to feel a sense of wonder for everything in it:

1. Take things to their level: Remember that your child's world is up close and low to the ground. Seeing life from her point of view can help you share her learning process and rediscover the sense of wonder of a young child.

2. Encourage play as a voyage of discovery: Infants and toddlers test their environment and "cause and effect" to see what happens when they drop a toy out of their highchair, or splash the water in their bath. Developing these thinking skills is an important opportunity for learning, so it's important to encourage play as a voyage of discovery. Help them become more adventurous in the things that they try out, from making mud pies in the garden to starting a worm farm in the living room.

3. Take your time: Keep in mind the slow moving pace of your child's world. Follow her lead and be prepared to stop and examine anything that captures her interest–a ladybug or a flower, for example. Don't get impatient when she dawdles, simply adjust to her pace and watch as she learns.

4. Get hands on: The best way for children to learn is by doing things, not by being told about them. This is especially true when they are young, but it also applies to older children and even adults. When children are young, they are not only learning things, they are learning how to learn. No book using words and illustrations to describe the world can replace the value of experiencing the real thing.

Books and other materials help children to pull these powerful impressions and experiences together in their minds, but the foundation needs to be laid in direct observation and hands-on experience.

The Importance of Exploring the Outdoor World

Children love to be outdoors–and, unlike being parked in front of the television, being outside can help stimulate all their senses. Here's how you can enhance their learning:

1. Walk and talk: Go out for little excursions with your child in her stroller or baby carrier and take the time to introduce her to your world as you go–this will help build her language and communication skills.

2. Point out the small things: Even very young infants absorb the sights and sounds of the outdoors–clouds passing overhead, the sight and smell of flowers in the garden, the wind rustling the leaves in the trees. Point out small things: tracks in the snow, a beautiful shell, a perfect leaf–and share in her amazement.

3. Point out the familiar: As your child gets older, build her sense of community and recognition by pointing out familiar things as you walk around, such as a neighbor's house, the bakery where you shop, etc.

4. Hunting and gathering: As she grows, encourage the development of her tactile senses and motor skills by picking berries, or collecting pinecones or seashells.

5. Plant a garden: Nurture her love for the outdoors by planting a garden (or even flower or herb pots) and get her to help.

Teaching Environmental Awareness

Children are stewards of the earth and must learn to care for distant places, such as rainforests and ice caps, as well as pockets of nature closer to home. Here's how you can help them:

1. Teach your children a reverence for life: For example, children often learn to think of bugs as "gross," or the soil as "dirt." Teach them to respect the important role insects play, and the need for good, rich soil and all the life that it supports on our planet.

2. Teach them to treat every living thing with care: Teach your child not to pick leaves and flowers aimlessly, then toss them aside, but to gather them only for a good purpose. If you gather wild flowers, dry or press them, or place them in a vase with water to preserve them for as long as possible. Try never to over-pick any one plant or flower. Teach your child to walk gently upon the earth, taking only what she needs.

3. Encourage your child to enjoy the outdoors, leaving nothing behind: Teach her never to litter. If you see trash on the ground, pick it up and carry it with you until it can be thrown away.

Meet our expert:

Tim Seldin is president of the Montessori Foundation, Chair of The International Montessori Council and author of several books, including How To Raise An Amazing Child The Montessori Way.