As their baby’s first teacher, parents must take full advantage of their little ones’ rapid learning period, which is the first few years of their life. This is when a child’s brain picks up just about any kind of information or lesson, quickly and efficiently! While the idea of babies and toddlers counting, talking and reading seems incredible, these skills, however, can and should be instilled early to let these little geniuses shine!
While parents by default play a key role in developing their children’s early numeracy and literacy skills from the time their children are infants, it is not necessary however, to actually ‘teach’ babies and toddlers per say, as teachers do in kindergartens, nurseries, or preschools. The trick instead, is to leverage on everyday moments when you are communicating with them, reading bedtime stories, playing, singing, etc. Many parents do not realise when teaching opportunities show up, hence they miss out on these precious, advantageous moments.
Early numeracy skills: Home is where it begins
Children generally enjoy counting when prompted, especially their fingers and toes, the buttons on their clothes, steps to the house, and of course, their toys. They may then move on to linking objects with a number. You can always encourage this behaviour by asking them to touch each object as they say the matching number. Also, try counting forwards and backwards with your child, besides asking what number comes before, or what number comes after a given number.
You may be wondering; why should you even go through all this trouble? Well, parents whose preschoolers and/or primary school-going children are struggling with math can testify to the kind of worry and concern felt as their child falls behind in this crucial subject in class. Exasperating, isn’t it? Hence, the early practice! Apart from that, let’s also take note that babies and toddlers need to start building specific language skills related to math. Exposure to ‘mathematical talk’ is going to provide strong support for future learning., so let’s start talking about math!
- Does your little one enjoy helping you with tasks around the house? Leverage these moments by using specific terms when asking them to fetch something for you. For example, ask your little one to bring his baby sibling’s 150 ml feeding bottle, or, the one-litre juice carton from the refrigerator.
- Turn kitchen time with your little one into teaching moments by talking about different measurements used, such as teaspoons, scoops, litres, and cups. Touch on topics which depict when something is empty, full, or even half-full, etc.
- Turn your little one’s attention to the clock, and encourage counting the hours till the next meal time, or how long he should take a nap, or how many more hours till it’s playground time, etc.
- Sorting activities support your child’s understanding of concepts such as ‘same’ and ‘different’, which are relevant in math. You can even use your household recycling activities as opportunities to sort and count items to place in the rubbish. For example, how many paper wastes are there in comparison to plastic wastes? Or, is there more food waste than general waste in your household? You get the idea…
Examples of daily counting activities for baby and you!
- Cut up a fruit into pieces and ask your child to count them.
- Count the pieces of breakfast toast your child is having.
- Count the number of cutlery items at the table. You can even ask your child to count the number of spoons, forks, etc. separately.
- How many steps does it take to walk from the kitchen to the living room?
- How many toys are there in one of his toy baskets?
Literacy skills – The golden time frame to focus on: between birth to 12 months
Your baby is always attempting to communicate through sounds, facial expressions, and gestures, and it is never too early to help your little one to master the language and in time, the written word!
While infants may seem too young to be read to, it is actually in these first months and years that early reading skills are developing. It’s important to remember that literacy is linked to a love of, and interest in, books. The aim is to pique their interest in books and keep them thirsting for more. This is also why books for babies and toddlers are always created big, chunky and attractive – so that they will want to pick them up and flip through the pages! Chunky board books or soft cloth books are not only attractive for kids, but they are also tear-proof and safe for them, regardless if they flip through the pages or try to pop them into their mouth for a taste as little ones often do. Parents will never have to say ‘no’, and take those books away from their child, an action which when done repeatedly, may unwittingly help to build a negative perception about books and book-play. At the moment, a baby or toddler must explore books the way they want to.
What you can do to support your baby’s growing language and literacy skills from 0-12 Months:
- Help your little one describe their current feelings or situation. For example, when your baby starts nuzzling at your blouse due to hunger, you can say: Are you telling me you’re hungry? Okay baby, let’s get you fed right away! Your baby may not be able to understand you word for word at the moment, but your warm and loving voice will be of assurance that they are being heard and understood, and that they can depend on you for their needs. In time, when they keep hearing these particular words, and linking them to having their need to be fed satisfied, they will comprehend them too.
- Observe your baby’s situation, try wording them, and encourage your baby to imitate you: For example, when your baby seems to gurgle in excitement upon seeing a cat: Are you looking at that cat? Yes, that’s a kitty-cat! Isn’t she cute? Hello there, little kitty-cat!
- Sing songs, any songs, even made-up ones, about your baby. You can pick any tune from any nursery rhyme, and make up songs about your baby’s anatomy, situation, or experiences. It’s not even necessary to be pitch-perfect, as babies generally do not judge. The most important thing is that you’re paying attention to them, and remember, your baby always loves to hear your voice.
- Hand over a toy to your baby, and then ask for it back before gently taking it from them. Repeat this action a few times, as a way to encourage conversations as time goes by.
- Read to your baby, constantly! Being read to not only helps to instill a love for books in a little child, but it also helps to grow their vocabulary as you keep adding in new words as their meanings. Always have a book ready with you at all times, even in your mummy bag for outings, and read with enthusiasm to keep your little one interested.
- Make reading time a daily routine – either at bedtime, bath-time, or at any other time, consistently. And, as mentioned earlier, allow your baby to ‘read’ their book their own way too, even if it is more of a mouthing action than reading at the moment – for it still works to encourage the love for books, instead of taking them away and leaving them to connect books with disappointment!
When it comes to building early literacy skills, it is crucial to come up with activities that are fun for the baby and you, so that they may also double up as precious bonding moments for you both. Remember, your baby is always learning, so make these moments count! Use games and songs you know they love, and keep your voice tone loving and lively as you describe the goings-on of your activities with your baby. Constantly name objects and items around you while pointing out to them, allowing your little one to watch your mouth movements in case they would like to try and mimic them!
Below are some general ideas on little ones’ typical interactions with books from birth to age 3:
- 0-6 months: A familiar story or rhyme may calm them down when they hear it, especially when you are reciting it to them.
- 6-8 months: They will love to explore big, colourful books by looking, touching and of course, by mouthing them too. Certain images in their favourite book/books may also excite them; so mention, describe, and name these images to make the most of these learning moments,
- 9-11 months: Your baby may develop an attachment to a favoured time – a toy, picture, photo, etc. Encourage your child to build their vocabulary by finding different ways to describe this favourite item of theirs.
- 12-18 months: This is generally the age when they can properly turn the pages of a book. They may also enjoy ‘pretending’ to read to impress you, so play along! Try to not turn down their request to read or be read to, even if it pertains to a book they have already read many, many times before! After all, repetition is key when it comes to early literacy.
- By two years of age, a little one may start to anticipate in their favourite story book, and may even mention certain phrases before you do! Take full advantage of the situation by asking simple questions and prompting them to think about an answer, as well as how to reply to you! Be patient, and your baby and you will definitely have lots of fun while on this crucial learning journey of theirs.
