Education Begins at Birth: A Parent's Guide to Preparing Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers for Kindergarten

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Literacy: Laying the Foundation
Preparing your young child to be a reader doesn't require a degree in education, but it does involve some intentionality. I (Annie) remember when this first came clear to me. I was a student teacher in a second-grade classroom sitting in on a parent-teacher conference early in the school year. One family arrived with their son (who was in the class) as well as two younger siblings who sat off to the side during the meeting. As the conference started, one of the younger siblings--the family's four-year-old daughter--started to read to the youngest sibling.
 
The classroom teacher and I were both surprised to hear a four-year-old reading already. The mother assured us she had done no direct teaching. Instead, the daughter had simply been paying attention while her older brother was learning to read. Because the family valued growth and learning, all kids learned literacy skills and knowledge.
 
If you are a parent of a busy young family and feel like you can do no more than simply read to your children each night, rest assured that you are helping them to become readers. In other words, intentionality does not mean you necessarily need to add a whole list of activities to your already busy schedule. There are a variety of easy-to-incorporate activities you can do as part of your daily routine. With repeated exposure, you will equip your children to be successful readers while enhancing quality time together.
Vocabulary Development
As you naturally bond with your new little addition to the family, your infant is already beginning to develop language abilities. By simply talking to your baby as she coos and babbles, you are introducing sounds that will later be blended into words. As you comment on what you see around you, or what you read in books, you will build her vocabulary. Make it a point to talk to your infant as often as possible and you will put her on the path to becoming a reader without even knowing it.

During the toddler months, use pictures to help your kids come to understand the meaning of words. As you read books, ask if they know what some of the words mean. Then improve their knowledge of terms by asking questions that require descriptive language and detail, such as, "What is she wearing?" "What objects are on the page?" "Which tree is the biggest?"

Challenge your toddler to use as many words as possible when he offers an answer. If he has difficulties stringing longer sentences together, ask additional prompting questions or provide your own detailed answer. If you do this frequently you will foster a sense of curiosity with new words, and your children will begin to ask their own who, what, where, when, why, and how questions.

Children logically want to make sense of the world and derive meaning on which to build. For the first few years of your little ones' lives, intentional and interactive play will be their classroom. These experiences are providing the foundation for vocabulary acquisition and oral communication. By age four or five, your inquisitive children may be asking you more and more about letters and sounds. They may be able to recognize the letters of their name in books or on signs as you drive around town.

You will continue to grow your preschooler's vocabulary by connecting words with everyday experiences. If you are at a park, talk about terms related to trees, birds, or man-made structures. While watching television or scrolling through a social media page, use expressive language and numerous adjectives to describe something you read, see, or hear.

Strive to grow your child's vocabulary by defining a new word every day. When possible, connect the new word with things he or she has already learned about. For example, a four-year-old likely understands many terms related to weather, such as rain, clouds, and sun. So the next time you discuss the weather, add a new word like thunder or condensation. Provide a definition, an analogy or simile, and an example to solidify understanding of the new term.

As your children listen to everyday conversations, they will automatically learn new vocabulary. Therefore, be sure to use normal language when speaking. While it is cute and fun to use "kiddy language," expand knowledge by including more complicated language. Kids are good listeners and will try to replicate the words they hear from adults. Besides, it is fun to hear a three-year-old trying to say "phenomenal."

Parents can also develop a preschooler's vocabulary by making connections and by exploring word relationships. If your toddler sees a pair of scissors, describe its physical characteristics and demonstrate how people use them to cut things. Compare it with a knife, which is also used to cut things. Whenever you introduce a new word, include this type of detail along with the definition. After your child develops a bit of a vocabulary, then explore word relationships by:

• Pointing out opposites. Including opposites such as tall/short, up/down, inside/outside, open/closed, and light/dark. Get to a point where you state a word and your child has to come up with the opposite.
• Incorporating words with similar meanings. For instance, when people jog, run, and sprint, they are all moving fast.
• Exploring how words sometimes have multiple meanings. They might hear a dog bark, but there is also bark on a tree.
• Categorizing words based on characteristics. Apples, pizza, and bread can be grouped together since they are all foods. Dogs, cats, and squirrels can all go in the animal category.

From birth to age six, children have an amazing ability to learn. EDUCATION BEGINS AT BIRTH offers advice to parents on how to maximize potential and raise smart kids. If you are a parent of an infant, toddler, or preschooler, this is the perfect book to help you nurture your little one's developing mind. It includes essential tips, strategies, and practical things you can do to: (1) create early educational experiences through play and discovery; (2) grow the whole child—including academic, social, emotional, physical, and character development; (3) inspire creativity, curiosity, and life-long learning; (4) actively educate your kids without adding to your already busy schedule; (5) provide a head start so they are ready for school. Dr. Jeff and Annie Wiesman teach parents how to create a growth-oriented environment where young children learn beginning concepts in math, science, literacy, social studies, and the arts. They include a wide variety of fun activities and a detailed description of what to expect and what to teach at different developmental stages. Connect the principles in this guide with the teachable moments that occur in everyday life and you will help your kids develop essential skills for success in school and beyond. Also be sure to check out our companion workbook, "The Complete Preschool Workbook & Activities: Ages 3-5." It includes dozens of engaging learning activities where kids build thinking and motor skills as they color, solve puzzles, practice writing, and complete many other captivating challenges!

As a former kindergarten teacher and parent of a toddler, Annie is often approached by other parents wondering how they can prepare their young children for kindergarten. Moms and dads regularly ask questions such as, "What are some things I can do to develop my toddler's skills?" "What type of academic content should I teach?" "Do you know of a curriculum I can follow?" 
 
As a college professor who instructs future elementary school teachers, I (Jeff) regularly think about curriculum and effective teaching strategies for young children. Based on the questions we heard from parents, the knowledge we've gained in our teaching careers, and our experiences with our daughter, we decided to write this practical, user-friendly guide. 
 
Whether you are a single parent, a stay-at-home mom or dad, or in a household where both parents work, this book is designed to help you prepare your infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers for kindergarten. There is a host of parenting books out there, but here are reasons why this one will be helpful as you strive to set your children up for success.

• We focus on developing the whole child--body, mind, character, and social-emotional growth. Preparing your little one's cognitive abilities for school is only one facet. We also include ideas and strategies for developing a positive temperament and raising well-rounded children.
• We include many fun and engaging activities that you can do with your kids.
• In just about all cases we suggest free or very inexpensive ideas for families on any budget. 
• Our book reinforces and provides information about how to enhance many of the things you are probably already doing.
• The suggested teaching practices are grounded in research, but written in simple-to-follow language.
• The academic content we recommend teaching is based on state and national standards for preschoolers.
• We have numerous years of teaching experience and have studied child development for decades. 
• While the Internet certainly offers a plethora of information, we include all you need to know to successfully raise smart kids and prepare them for kindergarten. Our book includes developmentally appropriate strategies--all neatly packaged in this guide so you won't have to spend hours searching for curriculum and teaching activities.   

Jeff Wiesman, Ed.D., is a professor of education at Houghton College.  With twenty years of experience in the public school system, and with training in curriculum and instruction, he teaches and mentors future elementary school teachers.  Dr. Wiesman has been published in numerous professional journals while focusing on how to create engaging educational experiences.  Annie Wiesman is a preschool, kindergarten, and first grade teacher. She has over ten years of experience as an educator and she has written for the popular parenting websites babywise.life and babyearth.com.  Both Annie and Jeff are passionate about creating a fun culture of learning in their home, and they hope to equip parents to do the same.  They reside in New York and enjoy opportunities to create family memories while traveling across the country.