Early Learning

Kindergarten Prep: Clean-Up Time In the kindergarten classroom, your child will be expected to do her share of taking care of the classroom environment. This can include anything from picking up blocks after play to throwing away trash after sn...

Did you know that reading to your baby can boost his brain power? The American Academy of Pediatrics announced a new policy in June 2014 advising that parents regularly read aloud to kids from infancy through at least age 5 because it stimulates ...

The Internet isn't just for big kids anymore! With many sites now available for toddlers, learning colors, numbers, and letters has never been easier. Check out our list of the best websites for kids, and find fun games, printables, and more that...

Your Creative Preschooler: Art for Art's Sake Q-tip Provide as much variety in art materials as you can afford. Also keep an eye out for throwaways that you can save and recycle as art materials. Your child can make creative use of paper towel t...

Story Time and Make-Believe Q-tip Your one-year-old will probably love the simple stories and bright, colorful, and clear illustrations in the books of the following authors: Sandra Boynton, Margaret Wise Brown, Eric Hill, Helen Oxenbury, Jan Pi...

Playing with Your Toddler: Rules of the Game During your child's second year, you will remain his favorite plaything. He will enjoy jumping on you, climbing all over you, and having you toss him up in the air (please catch him, too). He will lov...

The Importance of Playing Games with Your Preschooler Q-tip Picture lotto is a terrific game for three-year-olds. After your child has mastered simple matching skills, invent some variations. Divide the cards evenly and take turns being the "cal...

Reading Aloud to Your Baby When reading simple books to your baby, don't simply read them. Unless he can see the pictures, reading aloud is just words in a vacuum to him. Sit your baby on your lap, point to the various objects shown, and name th...

Your Toddler's Development I remember when my nephew was about fifteen months old. His mom and dad took him to the beach, where they sat on a bench eating an ice cream cone and watching a crane building a bridge. When he was three, they returned ...

Your One-Year-Old and Play Let your baby be challenged. That's how she learns. This is the time when baby is most interested in the world around her. Introduce the basics—try naming objects around the house and explain their purposes. Babies li...

Whether you have a toddler or not, you’ve probably been plagued by the catchy lyrics of “Baby Shark” over the past several months as it’s taken the internet by storm. For parents, there might be a benefit to the time your child has spent ...

Ticking AwayTime 5 minutes Materials Ticking clock Directions Hide a fairly loud ticking clock behind your back and ask your baby what the sound is, bringing it out to show the source of the sound. Extensions Hide the clock under a blanket and ...

Spaghetti Pick-UpTime 5 to 10 minutes Materials Pieces of cooked spaghetti (for babies who are able to eat finger foods) Directions Many babies will stick to this activity until they succeed. Place a few strands of the cooked spaghetti in front o...

First Hole and PegTime 5 to 10 minutes Materials 3 empty toilet-paper rollsA shoe box Directions In the top of the box cut 3 holes that are big enough for an empty toilet-paper roll to slide through easily.Sit on the floor together and show the c...

Genes come in pairs, and each gene in a pair may differ slightly. One gene may be dominant, and override the other gene, which is recessive. A recessive gene only has an effect if both genes in a pair are recessive. An example is eye color. Altho...

Glitter ShapesMaterials Construction paper Glue Glitter or Colorful Creative SaltDirections On construction paper, use glue to draw various shapes: square, rectangle, triangle, heart, circle, oval, star. Have your child sprinkle glitter (or Color...

Reading to your child may be one of the best forms of speech therapy. ...

As one mother put it, "When my five-year-old daughter sits down at the table to learn, her mind just shuts down." At four years old, a child is too young for this type of learning. ...