Learning should be fun. In a child-led learning environment, it is. The child is in command of the learning environment and the parent is on the side.

Child-led learning is an interesting concept. The first time I heard about it, I became curious about it. The fact that the child is in command of the learning is enough to catch the attention of any parent. One thing for sure, it caught mine.

If I had known about it earlier, I would have tried it on my daughter. It’s a bit too late now that my daughter is already in grade 2. Nonetheless, I think the concept is worth sharing with other parents out there.

What Exactly Is Child-Led Learning?

I came across this article that perfectly defines and describes child-led learning. The article is written by Amanda Stockdale, who is both a mom and an early childhood educator. She helps the little ones learn at home using the child-led learning approach.

According to her, the interest of the child comes first in a child-led learning environment. In due time, the child will show signs of readiness in learning academic skills. These learning outcomes will stem from a child’s curious mind.

Sounds pretty simple, right? It’s not as simple as it seems since we, as parents, aren’t exactly on the sidelines.

Creating The Right Environment

I must admit that the child-led learning approach is something new to me. I would also have to agree with Amanda that the child-led learning approach does sound confusing and scary. Having the child lead the learning can test any parent’s patience.

While it may seem like a different kind of learning approach, it works. As long as we, parents, create the right environment for it, child-led learning can work.

We, parents, play an important role in child-led learning. Even if it seems like we’re just on the sidelines, we have to make sure that we put importance on academic subjects such as math and reading.

Such parental behavior is critical in a child-led learning environment. As a child recognizes how his or her parent puts importance on academic subjects, he or she is bound to model the same behavior. We should also provide fun and interesting materials to encourage learning.

Those are the simple ways we can make child-led learning easy. The urge to learn naturally follows.

The Benefits Of Child-Led Learning

While it may seem challenging to implement child-led learning, it’s worth giving it a try. After all, it’s pretty hard to ignore the benefits of it.

One such benefit is that the learning is based on the child’s experience. That makes learning more lasting.

Another benefit is that learning is stress-free. The child is not pressured to learn. Since learning is based on the interests of the child, there is no pressure at all.

The child-led preschool environment could easily thrive at home. Since the child learns at his or her own pace within the confines of home, the learning never stops. This motivates the child to learn further.

The learning that takes place in a child-led environment is deep and profound. Since the child is given the chance to experiment, to explore, and to investigate; the learning outcome becomes ingrained. It’s going to be pretty hard to unlearn it.

Probably the most outstanding benefit of child-led learning is that the child develops a genuine love for learning. Since the child is given the freedom to learn, he or she naturally becomes curious about the world. When a child is curious, learning follows.

These benefits of child-led learning are pretty hard to set aside. As a parent, I think it’s worth giving it a try.

As a parent, I am always in search of the latest tip or technology that can help enhance my child’s learning. With child-led learning, there’s no need to look far and wide.

Every single activity with a child can be spent as a learning moment. If we try harder to connect with our little ones and model the right learning behavior for them, it won’t be hard to implement the child-led learning approach.

I’m not saying it’s going to be easy; I don’t think it will be. I know for sure that it’s going to test every parent’s patience. At least, at the start, it will.

However, it’s an approach worth trying since it can create a loving bond between the child and the parent. In an environment where love, trust, and support thrive, learning just happens naturally.

When your child learns to read at an early age, it expands their vocabulary and opens up their love for learning. It helps build their confidence and vastly improves their learning abilities.

And based on my experience, having the right reading methodology when teaching your child learn to read makes a world of difference.

I should know as I made that mistake. 😢

In fact, you can read my story about my child’s struggle with reading here and how we were able to help my child become an advanced reader here. 😀🤗

The post Child-Led Learning: Is It Worth Trying? appeared first on ChildLovesToLearn.com.

Toddlers love to play. That’s all they ever do in a day. If they’re not playing, they’re either eating or sleeping. Their daily activities are pretty simple.

We, parents, take these simple daily activities for granted. When our kids are running around, perspiring from playing, the last thing that comes to our mind is that they’re learning. In my case, what comes to my mind is that my toddler should stop and take it easy.

As a mom, I had always thought that it was reasonable to stop and to calm my precocious toddler from playing. I found out that wasn’t exactly the most reasonable thing to do. According to this article, toddlers learn through play.

They can learn a lot by playing by themselves or with their friends. It is through play that they can express themselves. Instead of stopping them, our job as parents is to encourage them to play more.

Easier Said Than Done

The concept of learning through playing makes a lot of sense. It’s easy to understand how toddlers learn through play.

Appreciating it is a different thing. As a mom, it’s not easy to appreciate the endless play of my toddler. In all honesty, it’s exhausting!

For a mom like me, endless play means endless mess. That can get pretty stressful. It’s not easy cleaning up after a toddler.  Every item that I stow can easily be undone by one little toddler. It just amazes me how that can happen in a blink of an eye.

Well, no one said that it would be easy raising a toddler. However, the article sheds some light on the reality of raising a toddler. It states that raising a toddler could be done through a child’s play.  I agree. However, it’s easier said than done.

How Toddlers Benefit From Playing

Aside from the endless fun they get from playing, they, unconsciously, prepare themselves for school. I never really thought about that until now.

Even if kids play by themselves, it still prepares them for school. The reason for that is because play is what glues kids together. Since every kid loves to play, it’s what draws them together.

The simple act of playing allows toddlers to interact with each other. Whether they get along or not, they are interacting with each other.

As they are interacting with each other, they are dealing with their feelings.  That, in itself, is a learning moment for a toddler.

I find that very interesting. I never thought about it before, nonetheless, it makes a lot of sense. I consider it a crucial moment. As a mom, I must be able to identify, process, and reinforce those moments to my toddler.

Simple Tips To Make It Easier

Toddlers can explore and eventually, learn through play. Hence, is the reason why we should allow plenty of time for them to play.

Unfortunately, it’s not easy to deal with the mess that comes with playtime. What might look like a huge mess for a mom like me, is a learning environment for a precocious toddler.

Luckily for exhausted moms like me, there are simple tips to make it easier to deal with the mess.

One of the simple tips that can make it easier for moms, like me, is to find an interesting activity. That activity should be interesting enough for both me and my toddler. One good example of such activity is cooking. Since I love to cook, I could use it as a play activity for my toddler as well.

We could pretend that we are cooking together. Since it’s the kind of activity that’s close to my heart, I could have a lot of fun playing it out as well. Toddlers must see how much fun we’re having while playing with them.

Of course, cooking is just one activity to consider. Toddlers get bored right away. They need a variety of activities to enjoy their playtime. Hence, having a long list of fun and interesting activities can help transform their playtime into learning moments.

The Best Tip For Moms

I think the best tip for moms who find it challenging to keep up with toddler’s play is to find time for self-care.

Playing with toddlers can get pretty draining.  It’s tiring and that could make us lose our patience easily. Hence, is the reason why we have to find time for self-care. If we do, we’ll have more energy to deal with our toddler’s playtime.

Again, it’s easier said than done. Considering how toddlers learn through play, we just have to find time for self-care. That way, we can keep up with a tireless toddler who is busy playing and learning at the same time.

When your child learns to read at an early age, it expands their vocabulary and opens up their love for learning. It helps build their confidence and vastly improves their learning abilities.

And based on my experience, having the right reading methodology when teaching your child learn to read makes a world of difference.

I should know as I made that mistake. 😢

In fact, you can read my story about my child’s struggle with reading here and how we were able to help my child become an advanced reader here. 😀🤗

The post Toddlers Learn A Lot Through Playing appeared first on ChildLovesToLearn.com.

Kids learn differently. The way one kid learns is never the same as the way the other kid learns. To compare the learning pace of kids would be unfair. It’s a fact. Some kids learn pretty fast, while some take time.

If there is one thing that parents should always keep in mind is that kids learn at their own pace. I have seen a lot of parents who put pressure on their little one simply because their friend’s child is learning a lot faster than theirs. It’s heartbreaking.

The Inevitable Struggle To Learn

While homeschooling can look a lot more relaxing than traditional schooling, the inevitable struggle to learn exists.

One of the most common struggles in homeschooling is the struggle to learn how to read.

It’s safe to say that the struggle to learn how to read is not just a homeschooling issue. It’s an issue that’s also evident in traditional schooling.

This article by Jessica Boschen proves it. She shares how she is managing her son’s ability to learn how to read.

Jessica started off her article stating that her son did not learn how to read in kindergarten. I admire her for facing that struggle because not a lot of parents would admit something like that. Some parents would even be in denial that their kid is struggling to learn how to read.

As a teacher, Jessica was shocked that her son was struggling to read. With an extensive background on early reading instruction, she just could grasp the thought of it.

As a mom, she was feeling guilty. What did she miss? How could she not have seen it coming?

Valid Reasons For The Struggle To Learn How To Read

Jessica listed down some valid reasons as to why they struggle to learn how to read is real. According to her, one of the reasons as to why her son did not learn how to read in kindergarten was simply because he was not interested in it.

For a regular mom, like me, I wouldn’t think that’s a valid reason. The helicopter mom in me would think it’s more of an excuse rather a reason.

Then I gave it more thought and realized that Jessica spoke like a true teacher who values her students. Only an honest teacher can admit that a student is not interested.

Most teachers would not even give importance to the interest of a student. They will just go with the flow and demand that the student learn.

That’s not the case with Jessica. She acknowledged the fact that her son was simply not interested in reading. I applaud her for that.

Jessica pointed out another reason as to why her son was not able to learn how to read in kindergarten. That reason was that her son was just not ready. Again, I applaud Jessica for admitting that her son was just not ready.

It takes a lot to admit something like that. I know a lot of parents who struggle to admit that their kids are just not ready to learn how to read.

Another reason she pointed out was that her son did not get the right reading instruction in kindergarten. As a teacher, she would know. According to her, reading requires solid and consistent instruction.

I agree with her.

The Best Advice

Jessica goes on to share how she is slowly dealing with her son’s struggle to learn how to read. She is carefully balancing her role as a teacher and a mother to help her son.

As a teacher, she is patiently working on her son’s phonemic awareness skills. As much as she is tempted to roll out a whole module on early reading instruction, the mom in her is holding it back.

As a mom, she wants her son to enjoy learning. If she overdoes it as a teacher, she might just scare her son away. It’s an intricate balancing act.

I understand that. Even in our homeschooling groups, I have seen some moms who put a lot of pressure on their kids. It’s heartbreaking.

Jessica shares the best advice for parents whose kids are struggling to learn how to read. Her advice applies to all parents out there.

Jessica’s advice is simple. Give it time. Some kids need more time to learn how to read and there is nothing wrong with that.

Thank you, Jessica, for reminding us that kids do learn at their own pace.

For me, that is the best advice I have gotten as a parent.

When your child learns to read at an early age, it expands their vocabulary and opens up their love for learning. It helps build their confidence and vastly improves their learning abilities.

And based on my experience, having the right reading methodology when teaching your child learn to read makes a world of difference.

I should know as I made that mistake. 😢

In fact, you can read my story about my child’s struggle with reading here and how we were able to help my child become an advanced reader here. 😀🤗

The post Time: A Critical Component When Teaching Kids How To Read appeared first on ChildLovesToLearn.com.

Books come in two forms nowadays. They could either printed or digital. I’ve enjoyed both forms. Over time, I have leaned toward digital books.

I find that digital books are more affordable for me. The best thing about is that I don’t have to worry about taking any book along with me.

As long as I have my smartphone, I know I can read my book. I can read in the car, in the restaurant, and even while I’m waiting in line at the grocery. Digital books are more convenient for me.

It’s a different story when it comes to buying books for my daughter. As much as I prefer digital books for myself, I prefer printed books for my daughter.

In this day and age where everything is digital, it’s a must for kids to have access to printed books. This is not just an opinion of mine.

Research shows that kids are better off reading printed books. Since they’re just learning how to read, they must develop deep reading skills. They can only develop deep reading skills if they start reading printed books.

What Exactly Is Deep Reading?

I had no idea what deep reading was until I came across it. It’s a term coined by the renowned essayist, Sven Birkerts.

Deep reading entails reading deliberately and thoughtfully, without any kind of distraction. Only from deep reading can deep thinking come about.

For me, that makes a lot of sense. I feel that deep reading can only be developed when a child is holding and reading a printed book.

A printed book takes a child to a place where only the story and characters exist. The child can focus on the characters and story without any distractions.

Hence, every single word and photo on a printed book is ingrained in the child’s mind. When that happens, the child’s mind is slowly developing the skills of deep thinking and reading.

The earlier these skills are developed, the better it is for the child.

Non-Linear Vs. Linear Reading

There are two types of reading. The non-linear reading is when the reader jumps from one section to another. The reader doesn’t usually finish reading the selection. It may be that he or she is just going through a reading selection to find important information.

Linear reading is the traditional way of reading. This is the traditional reading method that was taught to us as kids.

Linear reading requires us to read every single word that we see from the left side to the right side of a printed book. There is no jumping in linear reading since we have to go through every single word and page to finish the book.

There is no doubt that linear reading is what’s going to help develop deep reading and thinking. However, this doesn’t mean that non-linear reading is not a good skill to develop.

Non-linear reading comes in handy when there’s a need to develop speed reading. However, it’s important to note that linear reading should be the priority for children who are just learning how to read. Non-linear reading can come after.

How About On-Screen Reading?

Here’s another interesting thought. On-screen reading is a lot different from reading printed books. Neuroscience has proven that on-screen reading makes use of a different part of the brain. It shifts the brain to a non-linear manner of reading.

The reason for that is because on-screen reading paves the way to unnecessary browsing and scanning. It’s going to be pretty hard for a kid to focus on a digital book when he or she knows that YouTube is just a click away.

So, if kids are given digital books to practice reading, they’re not going to be able to develop linear reading. That could be a problem in the long run.

Printed Books Are Critical In A Child’s Learning Development

In spite of the fast rise of digital books, I have to say that printed books are still the pillars of a child’s learning development.

Nothing could be more satisfying than holding a printed book and reading every single word on the page. The printed words, no matter how simple they are, can create images in a child’s mind.

The mere act of turning a page can help expand the images into scenes. At such a young age, a child is learning how to visualize a story in his or her mind.

As a child turns to the last page to end a story, he or she feels a sense of accomplishment. Those simple actions are critical in the development of linear and deep reading.

There’s no doubt that kids are better off learning how to read on printed books. That’s why it just makes so much sense to have my daughter read them instead of digital books.

The digital books can wait until my daughter has fully developed the skills of linear and deep reading.

When your child learns to read at an early age, it expands their vocabulary and opens up their love for learning. It helps build their confidence and vastly improves their learning abilities.

And based on my experience, having the right reading methodology when teaching your child learn to read makes a world of difference.

I should know as I made that mistake. 😢

In fact, you can read my story about my child’s struggle with reading here and how we were able to help my child become an advanced reader here. 😀🤗

The post Why I Prefer Printed Books For My Daughter appeared first on ChildLovesToLearn.com.