The more the learning experience is a pleasurable one, the more your child sees learning as a fun and interesting activity and not a dreary chore. When a child’s brain is exposed to the right stimuli, they have a greater understanding of the world around them, preparing them for school and beyond.
If you’re looking for a set of learning materials that builds your child’s vocabulary while teaching them to sort and match, try the delightful Learning Resources Alphabet Soup Sorters with more than 200 letter, photo and vocabulary cards.
Age ranges for early childhood education materials are broad guidelines and not hard and fast rules. You don’t want to bore children with games and projects they think are “baby stuff”; neither do you want to frustrate them with too great a challenge.
The best way to keep kids’ attention is with brightly colored objects, games and other educational materials. Kids’ interest levels go up with things that light up, make sounds and play music, especially younger kids.
Young learners want to put things into their mouths. Make sure all the materials they play with are non-toxic and non-hazardous. Objects should be free of sharp corners. Avoid early childhood education materials that have parts small enough for children to swallow.
Simple early childhood education materials that develop motor skills, like stringing beads together or craft pages that involve cutting and pasting usually cost no more than $5. Learning kits and resource books cost from $10-$25 and develop motor, listening and early academic skills. Above $30, you can find larger items and sets, like numbers and letters.
A. Once kids reach 24 months or so, they have begun to develop the language skills necessary to interact with others.
A. Read to your child — the more often, the better. The better your children learn to read, the better they can learn every lesson from kindergarten through graduate school.
A. Kids who do both generally learn more and learn it more quickly. If you choose to homeschool your child, you’ll need to do a lot of learning on your own so you teach your kids the right things in the right ways.
Learning Resources Alphabet Soup Sorters
What you need to know: These fun stackable soup cans teach your child aged 3 and above how letters look and what sounds they make.
What you’ll love: Each set includes 26 durable cardboard 3 x 4-inch “soup cans” with plastic lids. Inside each are one uppercase and one lowercase letter card, as well as five vocabulary cards for hands-on sorting and matching. This set of education materials builds your child’s vocabulary while developing their ability to sort and recall.
What you should consider: The plastic bag the cards come in is not environmentally friendly.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
The Outdoor Toddler Fun Activity Book by Krissy Bonning-Gould
What you need to know: Use this book to introduce your child to more than 100 outdoor activities.
What you’ll love: This potpourri of learning activities is organized by activity level, loudness and messiness. Icons tell parents which childhood education areas are targeted for each activity. The colorful book includes skill-building exercises and tips and tricks for more successful learning sessions.
What you should consider: Parents need to do some planning and gather some household materials.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears! 100-Piece Deluxe Building Set
What you need to know: Get your child started in the world of STEM learning with this 100-piece set of construction toys.
What you’ll love: This set introduces children to sorting, grouping, counting and designing. Kids use gears, axles, pillars, bases and a crank handle to make something out of a bunch of parts. Kids develop fine motor skills as they learn reasoning and problem-solving.
What you should consider: Smaller kids may have some trouble turning the crank.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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David Allan Van writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.