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The great thing about being a parent is that you have the power and opportunity to help a child grow into the best (s)he can be from the moment (s)he enters this world. The great thing about being a child, is that you have the opportunity to learn quickly, and take in a great deal of information. At birth, a child is born with 100 billion neurons, and each neuron sends information to thousands of other neurons through connections called synapses. As children develop, learn, and take part in new experiences, the number of synapses (connections) greatly increase. Connections which are never or rarely used are eliminated. Because of this rapid synaptic growth and destruction during the early years, such emphasis is placed onto early learning in the school system, and at home. For some families, daycare, nursery, and extra classes are not feasible options. However, there are cost-effective and accessible ways to give your child the opportunity to develop both cognitively and socially. Think about what YOU are good at. Do you love to bake? Build? Garden? Scrapbook? Paint? All of the everyday activities that you enjoy can teach your child invaluable lessons.
Through previous posts, I’ve discussed the nutritional importance
of cooking with your children, as well as its implications on their academic
success. Aside from these benefits, children can benefit from taking part in
activities which you love to take part in too. Baking is a great way to
increase your child’s self-efficacy in working with different foods in the
kitchen- increasing the likelihood that (s)he will cook healthy meals for him
or herself later on in life. Through
baking, children can learn measurement using fractions- a subject most students
have trouble grasping. All of a sudden,
fractions become tangible. With these experiences under their belts, in grade
8, when those students are asked for 1/3 of ¾, they can recall placing 3
quarter cups of flour in the cake, which would mean that 1/3 of that would be ¼!
As your child becomes more experienced with baking, they will learn to double
recipes (double fractions), and halve recipes (divide fractions). Not only will
these children be able to follow the standard procedure for multiplying
fractions, they will conceptually understand the math, and be able to apply these
skills in real-world settings. What about Science? Baking allows children to
understand scientific concepts such as: Viscosity, melting and boiling points,
changes of state (solid-liquid), and chemical reactions (using yeast to make
bread or desserts).
Are you someone who likes to build? Involving your child in
(safe) building, is another great way to give him/her the math advantage and encourage
the development of many other cognitive skills such as mental rotation, and
planning. Through building activities, children will have tangible experiences
to refer back to when learning about measurement and conversions (ex: meter to
centimeter)- another area students struggle with in school.
Whether it is baking, building, gardening, or choosing a new
colour to paint your living room, involving your children in everyday
activities will prove to be not only a rewarding learning experience, but one
in which you form an even stronger and invaluable bond.
If you are looking for some enriching activities to do with your child, please feel free to contact me for ideas at:
FeedingTheNeedToSucceed@gmail.com
Follow @Feed2Succeed-Michelle Eisen BSc. MA in Child Study and Education
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