| Children love to learn, and they learn best when | | | | teaches children the beauty of language and |
| parents take an active role in their education. The | | | | reading aloud will strengthen their reading skills. |
| first response to this from many parents is that | | | | Discuss the poems after each reading to be sure |
| they do not have the time to sit down and teach | | | | that the child understood what they read. This will |
| their child math or reading. Many state that this is | | | | increase reading comprehension, a skill that every |
| why they send their children into the school | | | | child will need during school years. |
| system. Teachers know best how to educate the | | | | Another great driving activity is to make up math |
| children they teach. | | | | problems. Problems can be as simple as 1 + 2, or |
| There are many ways to teach children, and not | | | | can be structured as word problems (Mom has 3 |
| all of them require a parent to sit down and have | | | | apples and ate 1). For older children, keep paper |
| a structured plan. In every activity that a parent | | | | and pencil in the car for them to work on harder |
| does with a child, there is room to add in an | | | | problems. To keep the game fun, allow your child |
| educational element. Here are just a few great | | | | to make up problems for you too. By taking turns |
| ideas: | | | | and trying to stump each other, it creates a |
| When swimming in a pool, have the entire family | | | | game atmosphere. |
| count before anyone jumps in. For younger | | | | On long drives with older children, be sure to play |
| children, try counting all the way to 10. For older | | | | informative talk-radio programs. When the |
| children, introduce a new language. Counting to 10 | | | | program ends, ask your child what they thought |
| in Spanish or Japanese is just as much fun and | | | | about the broadcast. Ask for their opinions and |
| the child will learn the numbers quickly. Exposure | | | | feelings. Engage them in conversation and get |
| to the sounds of another language will make it | | | | their brains working. They must learn that it isn't |
| easier for a child to learn that language later in life. | | | | enough to just listen to a broadcast, but to |
| Driving provides a wonderful opportunity for | | | | actually think about the material presented, digest |
| learning and fun. Use the time to play rhyming | | | | it, and form opinions. |
| games and word games with the kids. For | | | | Learning should be fun. Parents can use everyday |
| younger children, stick with words that are easy | | | | activities to teach, and do it under the guise of |
| to rhyme: fun and sun; bug and rug. Older children | | | | entertainment. Children need to be shown that |
| can be challenged to make rhyming poems or | | | | learning is fun, and that it is a process that never |
| haikus. Or keep a book of poetry in the car and | | | | ends. |
| have your child read out loud. Exposure to poetry | | | | |