Turning Everyday Activities into Learning Experiences for Children

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - August 25th, 2016

Turning Everyday Activities into Learning!

Much of what IQ or intelligence tests measure is knowledge gained through life experience, not just nursery school.  From the moment a child is born, his mind soaks up what he sees and hears around him.  If you just listen and talk to your child as you go about your everyday business of living, you will help her become an enthusiastic, curious, independent thinker.

Here are just a few examples of how you can turn everyday activities into learning experiences for your child:

When reading to your child…

You might say…who is this story about?  What happened to the main character?  How do you think he felt when that happened?  Can you look at the pictures and read the book back to me?

When Looking at family pictures together…

You might say…do you know who these people are?  Do you remember where we were when we took that picture?  How many people are in the picture?  How many eyes do you see?

When setting the table…

You might say…how many people are coming tonight?  Can you count everybody?  How many forks will we need?  Can you count out 5 forks and put them on the table for me?

When setting the table…

You might say…yesterday we folded the napkins into rectangles, do you remember?  Would you like to try to fold them into triangles tonight?

When putting away groceries…

You might say…Look at the peaches I bought?  Are they fruits or vegetables?  How do you think they will taste?  Can you count how many I bought so I’ll know what size of a bowl to put on the counter?

Preparing a meal…

You might say…How many eggs should we scramble for your breakfast?  Can you bring me 2 eggs?  I’ll crack the eggs and then you mix them.  What do we do next?  How will the eggs be different after we cook them?

Every moment does not have to be made into a teachable moment, for sure.  There’s a place for being together and being still.  But watch for the moments–look for them–and show your child that a lifetime of learning is a happy one.