Early Literacy: Tips on Teaching Your Toddler to Read Without Emptying Your Wallet

My son Kayin is two years old (well, two years and four months). And believe it or not, he is starting to read! I was super excited by his early attempts to read, which started around Christmas, but actually, they have been a while in the making. His favorite words to spell are currently mom and poop. Don't ask me why.

Here is how I've incorporated learning into his environment, all without the use of exorbitantly priced toys that "teach" your child to read. Of course, there is nothing wrong with those type of toys, it's just personally, I could never afford them. I had my son when I was eighteen years old, so consequently, I'm broke and money is an object for me. Here's how not to let it get in the way of teaching your child.

1. Use the right "baby talk"

As soon as you have your bundle of joy wrapped in your arms, and have counted all fingers and toes, you're ready to start communicating. There is a way to speak to babies that encourages learning, and it's not the goo-goo ga-ga gibberish we usually think of when we call baby talk to mind. You should get in the habit of using real words and not nonsense baby gibberish. It's also a good idea to maintain eye contact because one of the first things a baby can recognize is the human face. You can use simplified sentences, but they should still be formed correctly. You don't need to speak in a robot-like-monotone (that's no good).The high pitched voice and exaggeration parents instinctively use is actually very beneficial, infants spoken to in this manner learn words more quickly, so keep that up. Communication is probably one of the most important skills we learn and use everyday, so do your baby a favor and give him or her a good foundation.

2. Introducing baby to surroundings

To introduce my son to his environment, I liked to walk around the house and ask him questions, the most basic question at first was, "What's that?" After pointing to the object, I would then answer the question with a complete sentence, like "That's a pillow." It's a fun way to introduce the baby to his or her environment, and it makes them a participant and more actively involved with their surroundings. It worked out pretty well with us, because in a matter of months, instead of me asking the questions, my son started the pointing and asking. I was able to answer his question, which he asked all the time. One memorable moment was at a doctor's appointment when he was around nine or ten months old. He was crying really hard, and in the middle of his screaming, he calmly said "What's that?" He pointed at a poster on the wall. The doctor couldn't believe what she heard and we all laughed.

3. Repetition and Consistency in teaching

Ever wonder why kids can watch their favorite video over and over without tiring of it? It's because kids learn through repetition, and it's certainly not any different for babies. When teaching a baby about anything, you can't expect them to remember it if you don't reintroduce the object or concept regularly. Actually, they can forget things they know very well entirely if you don't maintain what they have learned. An example of this was when my son was less than two years old, he could count up to thirty and even past thirty pretty well, but since I really haven't emphasized counting (he's really excited about anything alphabet related) , he can count up to twenty. Consistency is another important subject in teaching, because they can't learn an object if you call it one thing one time and something else another time. For example, teaching the concept of floor and then calling it the ground the next time. Even though it is technically both, you should stick with one name, and that's it. When the child actually has a good grasp of the concept or object, you can add variation, like adjectives, etc.

4. Engaging baby's senses

When I teach a concept, I find it useful to engage multiple senses. When I taught my son to write the alphabet, I didn't just write it down for him to see (visual). Every step of the way, I wrote it out for him, with exaggerated motions and I talked it out (auditory stimulation). For the letter B, as I was writing, I said, "One straight line down, and two round. It was catchy, and it stuck in his mind, because as he learned to write the alphabet, he would repeat the same things I said. For H, it was two straight lines and one across. Basic, but when you see the most of the alphabet made of of straight lines and and curves, it's an effective way to teach. By combining visual stimulation, along with tactile and auditory as well, you can make the most effective teaching method that most importantly stimulates your child's mind.

5. Make any moment a chance to learn

You don't need to drag out flashcards in order for your child to learn. You will find there are many lessons to be taught if you are creative and willing to teach. One day, as my son and I were sitting in the car, I noticed there was a lot of bird poop on the window. A little gross, but I seized this opportunity to teach the concept of big and small. I pointed to the bigger splotches and in a booming voice I said "Big!" For the small ones, I made my voice really quiet and more high pitched, and said "Small." It was fun for the both of us, and he actually learned the difference between big and small. You can also make any moment an opportunity to engage learning. Talk to your child about everything you're doing. Teach simple concepts at first, like objects, and then build from there, because they are learning from scratch. When shopping for produce, introduce colors! Basically everything can be an opportunity to teach, and starting early will develop a love for learning.

6. Don't push it if it's not fun

If your child is not having fun, you should stop what you're doing or find a way to make it fun. Babies and kids learn through playing, so if it isn't much fun, it'll be more like a chore than anything else. You don't want your child to associate learning with anything negative, so keep it light and interesting. Don't get frustrated if your child isn't picking up on a something. Emphasize what they are doing right instead of pointing out mistakes. There will always be opportunities to learn, but learning should never be at the expense of your child's self esteem. Even at a young age a child will pick up on criticism and it will inhibit learning rather than enhance.

7. Quiet time

Don't forget that both you and baby need quiet time, and that quiet time doesn't always necessarily mean nap time (although naps are always welcome). You don't need to constantly stimulate your child, and realistically you probably shouldn't. You'd be burned out if you tried to entertain your baby all day. Lay baby on a blanket, and the both of you can relax. Let your baby learn how to self entertain for sometime so he or she doesn't become dependent on outside stimulation.

As I mentioned earlier, you don't need money to teach your child. There are many ways to enhance a child's learning without buying expensive toys. Books are a prime example, you can buy really cheap ones, check out thrift stores or often the library often sells older books. You can use your library card to check out great books and DVD's without having to purchase them. Just don't forget to return them on time. Fines for DVD's are pretty hefty, costing as much as $5.00 a day. Old fashion paper and pen is an old stand by that encourages creativity. Sidewalk chalk turns learning to write the alphabet into a lot of fun. If you have Cox' digital cable, channel one "select on demand" has lots of good learning programs ranging from the alphabet, shapes and colors to sign language and foreign languages. If your paying, you might as well use it.

These tips are for laying the foundation for learning, because without a proper foundation a love for learning will not be nurtured. Babies and children are born curious and you can support this state of mind. If you teach your child from birth, everything will come much easier, from learning to talk to learning to read. The fact is that your child's mind is growing at a rapid rate, and connections are being made in your child's brain every moment, so nurture it. Be an example. Read to your child, and read for yourself to show your child that reading is a fun and valuable skill.

In addition to these tips, here are a few of my favorite learning websites for children. They really helped my son in learning how to read.
www.starfall.com
www.literacycenter.net
www.uptoten.com
www.noggin.com

Have fun teaching. You will be amazed and touched when your son or daughter is learning to read and spell. I was and still am. Especially when he leaves notes for me on the computer screen (he can open Microsoft word and type with it). My favorite is when he spells Mom and Kayin over and over.

Science Daily "Carnegie Mellon Study: Adults' Baby Talk Helps Infants Learn to Speak." http://www.sciencedaily.com.releases/2005/03/050329143741.htm