You can support and stimulate your “ child’s sense of wonder by creating an atmosphere that sparks curiosity our-year-old Brooke bursts through the door of her pre ‘mother, who hardly “How was school toda can tell by the expression of sheer joy on her child’s face that all is well—and that her daughter has something to tell her. “Ie was great Mom! I put the pictures on the calendar and Abe was my partner when ‘we went out tothe playground! I learned a new, big word: extraordinary! Thad an can't wait ‘til extraordinary day today, Clearly Brooke is happy about her school, and her curiosity has ben ignited. Her parents and teachers understand every day by Ellen Booth Church that successful learning depends on. properly setting the stage for her devel- ‘opment—creating an open, supportive, , engaging environment that meets a child's ¢ social, emotional, and cognitive needs. It is a process that begins at home at birth and continues at school in a safe and in- spiring environment that is responsive to you, your child, and family. The key is good communication between your fam: ily and the teacher. Speak up! Express ars. Describe your -s. When parents and ogether, extraordinary learningcan happen! Your child grows so rapidly during her carly yeas, and she uses every part of her 38 SCHOLASTIC PARENT & CHILO SEPTEMBER 2003Each ofus sees and ex pores the worldin ourown ‘way, How we expire the word cirecly relates to how we leam. Most leaming styles are connected to sensory input. Some children are visual learners others are auditory ortoctie/kinesthetc learn ers while stil others are a | combination oF styles. To understand your cid style, observe her at play or onawalktosee what sense she favors. Does she point out things she sees, hears, or feels? | Inthe following example, | you can seehaw children with diferent styles leaen the letter. lf sheis a visual learner. she will need to ee you ‘ite theletter 8, help you look foriton signs andin books, and eventually tr to copy it froma model. sual learers use the sense of | Understanding Your Child’s LEARNING STYLE sight 2s their first avenue of understanding, They need to ‘see, examine, and compare things. Fyour childs avisu- allearner, it helpsto have many wonderful things to Fook at but not too much clutter in your home. Visual leamers are fascinated with ingeresting things to see but tend tobe overwhelmed by tao much visual stimulation. fyour childs an auditory learner... she willneedto ‘explore the sound ofthe let ter. She may delight in sayingthe letter sound (8888) orto listen for words that start with the "BUH sound. Once shehas learned to distinguish the ‘sound of, she will be more receptive torecognizingits vweitten form. Sounds in the home will be important to your young auditory earner. You can provide a tape player So she can listen tomusic or audio 40 SCHOLASTIC PARENT & CHILD SEPTEMBER 2003 ‘bcoks, simple chimes, or ‘even a sound machine to bringinthe peaceful sounds that can calm and center {your child. Sing songs and play simple instruments to gether Some auditorially ‘aware children canbe over: ‘stimulated by too much ‘scund. Canside creating a private quiet area for your child ifthe noises ofhome are geting tbe wo much forherto focus Ifyourchild is a tactile/ kinestheticlearner...she might learn by drawing the Bin the sand or shapingit with her body! These learn ers like to get their hands ‘and bodies into things— ‘manipulating materials is 2 ‘major way they lear. Clay and play dough are great fortactile investigation of letter shapes. Invite your child to shape her body like 2 or jump every time you say a Bword—body move. ments help these children lear ina BiG way, A tactile leameris comforted and engaged by objects to fe! ‘and touch, so provide your child wth bowls of buttons, ‘smooth stones, or beans she-can move her fingers through and eventually ex amine, compare, and sort. Be sure her raomis filed With soft elements forher tocuddle up in with her toys, books, and you being to do it! Young children learn with more than just their minds—they learn through the integration of creative, social, and physical skills. Most important, be- fore a child feels comfortable enough to tackle the thinking skills needed to learn the alphabet or explore a science exper- iment, for example, her emotional and social needs must be met. Understanding the building blocks that form this social- ‘emotional foundation—Identity, Security, and Curiosity —will tly help you ser the stage fora lifetime of learning, Building a Strong Sense of Identity One of the most important building blocks isa sense of identity—how your child sees herself within a group. She wants to feel that there is a place for her in a new setting and looks for familiar things she can identify with. Studies have found that children who have difficulty fircing in sometimes have problems with learning basic skills. Feeling part of a group gives children confidence, which al lows them to tackle the more challenging work of later schooling. Like adults, child’s sense of identity within a new group is key to her feeling a sense of be- longing and comfort. Think of how you feel at a party where you don’t know many people. You might look for some cone who knows you or start introducing yourself to others. How you act depends on your sense of identity. Once you are comfortable, you feel free to share your thoughts and ideas. You probably already do things at hhome that are helping your child develop a strong sense of identity. Placing her name on her bedroom door or wall, het photos around the house, and her art on the refrigerator all contribute. This is also why teachers often ask you to send in family photos—it helps your child to de fine herself within thenew group. Ifyour child likes to draw or paint, ask her to make a picture to take to the teacher. This is a way for your child to share her- self artistically. The teacher will love toreceive it, and she will most i on the wall, When your school and sees her painting displayed in her classroom, her sense of identity in the room will joyfully increase! The Three Rs of Security A feeling of security, which comes from hee knowing what to expect and what is expected of her, is essential to her | ing, Enter the three Rs: Ritual, Routin and Rules. A predictable morning ritual, for example, is the perfect springboard jing off to school because it pro- mn emotional connection to home Create a special morning “movemnent”— a fancy “high five,” a seeret handshake, a loving word phrase, or even a line from a song that is especially dear to you both—that reminds her that now it is time to say good-bye. The security of knowing the ritual begins to translate to the security of knowing you will be back later to get her. Find out what MAMA’S NOT WORRIED. MAMA'S GOT THE MAGIC,‘morning song the teacher sings so that you can sing it at home together too Easy, knowable routines help your child gain a sense of understanding and em powerment of her day. Clear rules help a child know what is expected. le’ facinat ing how a child is more likely to abide by the rules if she has had a hand in creating them! Teachers find that cooperative rule setting creates not only a better-behaved class but also a sense of community in the group. This is because the children begin to feel a sense of ownership in the pro. ‘ee iD x ‘gram instead of the teacher being the only cone “in charge.” At home, start discus- sion at the dinner table. Ask each family ‘member to suggest an important family rule, Talk about why each isimportant. Be prepared for some surprises. Sometimes ds’ rules are more strict than your own! You will be mirroring a process your child’s teacher is creating in school. With all the routines and rules in a young child’ life itis important to simul taneously maintain a flexible attitude. Not every day isthe same, and we don't react to things in the same way every day. While children need structure, they sometimes also need us to be willing to change that structure to fit their needs. Perhaps flex bility is sensiivity—the willingness to adapt to a child’ personal needs. If you carefully observe and lsten to your child, you will know when itis important to “bend” the rules or change the routine Maybe your child needs to stay home from school and just be with you for the day. Being flexible now will help with your child's emorional growth for later learning Sparking Your Child's Curiosity ice the socal and emoronal eens are in place, a childs curiosity often be comes the primary motivating factor forCopyright © 2003 EBSCO Publishing