| Pre-school children learn an amazing amount of | | | | place and paper and books in another and the |
| information and many skills and concepts in the first | | | | exchange of money for goods (let them hand over |
| few years of their lives. They do so mainly through | | | | the money). |
| play. Parents can enhance their child's learning | | | | At home, a special space can be created where the |
| experience by using imaginative strategies to ensure | | | | child can draw, paint and colour. It should be clear, |
| that learning is associated with fun and excitement. | | | | clutter-free with everything nearby in handy containers. |
| Learning should be like a trip to the seaside. It should | | | | These are easily made from shoe boxes (for pots of |
| excite, enchant and entertain. | | | | paints and paintbrushes), used plastic tubs (for |
| Many adults can remember the thrilling chaos of | | | | crayons), clean ice cream cartons (for clean water to |
| packing swimming costumes, toys, food, drinks and not | | | | wash brushes) and egg cartons (to mix the paints in). If |
| forgetting the dog. They might recall the agony of the | | | | necessary, steps can be taken to ensure the child is |
| long drive and the traffic jams, then the excitement of | | | | able to work freely without worrying about making a |
| catching the first glimpse of the sea through the | | | | mess of carpets and furniture. |
| surrounding buildings. Finally, there was the ocean - a | | | | Everything is then in place for the pre-schooler to let |
| heaving, blue, mysterious invitation to splash, run, jump, | | | | his or her imagination take over. If the child wants to |
| roll, swim, scream, and laugh. The warm, gleaming sand | | | | really spread out, a roll of lining paper from the |
| was just waiting to be turned into a grand castle, a | | | | wallpaper shop is a great idea. There can be no limit to |
| racing car with buckets for wheels or a giant funny | | | | the size of a monster or a car or a drawing of |
| face! | | | | mummy. The paper can simply be rolled to whatever |
| Pre-school learning ought to be like that. Parents and | | | | length the child needs. |
| caregivers of pre-school children can instil that feeling | | | | Playtimes can be greatly enhanced with music, |
| of anticipation and joy when first they set out to teach | | | | movement and stories. Children love to dance and sing. |
| their pre-schoolers. | | | | Parents can join in by dancing with the child to a |
| Take learning to colour and paint. This is an activity that | | | | nursery rhyme or hopping around like Brer Rabbit. The |
| can entertain children for hours and it is easy to make | | | | child will enjoy helping to make a star to sing Twinkle, |
| it more than a quiet past-time. | | | | Twinkle, Little Star to or going on a treasure hunt |
| Parents can start with a trip to the stationery shop | | | | around the room with Mum or Dad. The pre-schooler |
| which can be made into an adventure with a little | | | | can be encouraged to make up his or her own song |
| imagination. Beforehand, children can be allowed to | | | | accompanied by drums (biscuit tin and wooden spoon), |
| select pictures of paint pots, brushes, crayons and | | | | flute (cardboard roll from the kitchen paper towel) and |
| drawing paper from an old store catalogue or | | | | rattle (rice or pasta in a plastic bottle). |
| magazine. These can then be cut out and stuck onto | | | | When children associate feelings of happiness and |
| a piece of paper. What a great shopping list for a | | | | excitement with an activity, they learn that activity |
| pre-reading child! | | | | more readily and this is especially so when parents join |
| Apart from the delight of choosing lots of colourful | | | | in. With a little planning and imagination, parents can |
| items in the shop, the pre-school child will also learn | | | | provide pre-school children with the opportunity to |
| about which shops sell which items, about categories | | | | have happy experiences that will help them develop a |
| of goods as they look for pencils and crayons in one | | | | positive attitude to learning. |