Getting Started

After sharing how I started teaching Z, I couldn't stop thinking if the story I shared was enough. I kept thinking that there is more that I need to write about getting started.

So, what now when we have bought all the materials that are needed to start spending quality and educational time with our kids?

You can start collecting materials that you don't need to add to your study time materials! Hahaha! I forgot to share this tip...I remembered one of my instructors saying in class that once you start teaching preschool, you will have a habit of being a garbage collector...it is because you will be looking at trash in a different way.

I know, this is the total opposite of being a mom, trying to clean everything and throw everything that gets in our way, well my mom does! Hahaha! But, when we save materials that can be recycled, we could create something fun and educational for our kids to enjoy.

When I started teaching Z, I started collecting all the things that can be recycled...here is a list of the items I collect to use in our study time:
1. toilet paper tube rolls
2. kitchen towel tube rolls and aluminum foil rolls
3. plastic bottles (ketchup bottles, soda bottles, etc.)
4. bottle caps, small and big (from Gatorade, 5-L mineral water, iced tea, etc.)
5. boxes
6. wrapping paper
7. rubber bands
8. net

As of now, these are the items that I collect that can be used in future activities which I will share with all of you soon.

Starting a regular study time with your kids can be challenging but don't look at it that way and instead look at it as a fun activity time with your kids.


I downloaded a developmental milestone checklist for her age and studied the milestones.

WORD OF CAUTION: Do not go crazy over the milestone checklist if you see that your child has not done the task in the list. Children develop at a different rate, you cannot compare children of the same age when it comes to their development. Relax and just have fun. Use the milestone as a guide to think of what activities you can do to help them develop. Believe me, if you obsess about the milestone and force your child to complete a task...you will not be having fun at all!

For example, when we played with the modelling clay, we would roll it and try to make something out of it. I kept asking her questions about what she was doing. In this activity, I noticed that Zoë needs to work on her fine motor skills. Her small muscles need work and that is why a lot of our activities include fine motor tasks.

Basically, I just let Z explore the materials and let her get used to the idea of a study time. When she explored the crayons, it was a good time to teach her about colors. When she played with the blocks and clothespin, these were good materials to let her explore stacking blocks and making models using the clothespins. For art time, we used different materials for painting. When she learned about the idea of hopscotch from a TV show, we made our own right in the middle of the living room! Through this game, you can teach numbers and gross motor skills like hopping on one leg and standing on one leg for five seconds, etc.

painting with an orange peel

REMEMBER:

1. Prepare the environment for them. Arrange the materials that you have and let your child use and play with them. Let them get used to playing with the materials like clothespins and boxes. Children love to play with anything they get their hands on so prepare the place and expose them to the materials you want them to use.

2. Observe what your children are interested in doing. Like the hopscotch for me, when Z saw it on TV, she wanted to play and that is why I made a hopscotch using masking tape!

3. Don't stick to the conventional way of doing things like for art, let them paint using different tools. Instead of paint brushes, let them use an old toothbrush, a fruit peel, sponge, cotton balls, chopsticks, etc.

JUST HAVE FUN! That's all there is to it...you do not need to prepare a lesson plan or an itinerary of how to do the activities. Use this time to get to know more about your children. Talk to them, be silly with them even if it means cleaning up a lot of mess after...your children need that quality time and need to learn things from you so don't miss out on the opportunity of spending fun and educational time with them. Make every day a teachable moment.