“Parents can plant magic in a child's mind through certain words spoken with some thrilling quality of voice, some uplift of the heart and spirit.”
~ Robert MacNeil--novelist, journalist
The early education of a child is a very crucial aspect of future success and happiness. Many parents, especially first-time parents, miss the greatest opportunity they will ever have to influence their children. It comes in the first five years of their lives, when they are ripe for learning, hungry for knowledge, and malleable. In that time, they are like sponges, ready to soak up the environment around them. It’s your responsibility as a parent to provide an environment that is rich and fertile.
A pilot who has lost an engine knows that the most useless thing there is the sky above him. Similarly, the years you do not spend time reading to and otherwise preparing your child for school and beyond are lost forever. You’ll never know how much better your children would have performed in school, or life, had they been better prepared. There are two major areas of preparation for school and life in general, those being academic and social readiness.
A dad is crucial in his children’s early education! He provides an alternative view and new approaches to learning and often a fresh face. There are customary and magical ways to prepare them for their future. A dad can provide both, but he can be particularly effective in the magic. What your child knows is secondary to their curiosity!
Reading and Talking to Your Child
Studies have shown that “a child from a high-income family will experience 30 million more words within the first four years of life than a child from a low-income family. Low income children will hear 125,000 more words of discouragement as compared to children from high-income families who will hear 560,000 more words of praise. This disparity is extraordinarily vast.”
The preparation of children from high-income families has the advantage of being spoken and read to. A lack of spoken words and mental stimulation hurts children of low-income families more than a lack of money! Welfare can help with money but it can’t help with the environment in the home. So we see that if low-income families could just embrace the idea of emphasizing reading and imagination in their children, they would do much better in school and possibly escape the predicament of their parent(s).
11 Magical Activities to Prepare Young Children for Learning
Social Preparation
Socially, your children need to know how to play, share and cooperate with other children. Ask their friends along occasionally and observe their interactions. Social experience is important so they are not afraid of school or people. Friends are important for them both to enjoy, and to learn to deal with them. Get your kids involved in group activities that can be found in parks, libraries, and in the neighborhood.
Summary
Your children should know that the world is limitless in its beauty and variety. They should feel confident in themselves having been challenged enough to work, but within their capability. They should be outside as much as possible experiencing, not just watching, looking for four leaf clovers more often than watching Nick Jr. on television. Television should be a side dish, not the main course.
Children who have parents that read to them, notice them, listen to their questions, take them on small adventures and wallow in creeks, who take them on hayrides, look at clouds, and make snowmen together--these are the children who are stimulated with a love of learning. They are also learning they are loved They have an interest in many things. They are learning to love wonder and wander. What a beautiful way to start a life!