Children learn in a variety of ways. And since it is difficult to know the learning styles of very young children, the best way to teach new ideas is to present them using various approaches. For example, you may have used visual books or even verbal words to identify opposites with your child. However, have you ever engaged her in a game of “Action Opposites” where she uses her body to kinesthetically learn about this skill?
Begin by writing a list of actions each on a separate piece of paper. (For examples, see the list at the end of this article.) Place the papers in a bag or hat and have your child pull one out. Read and complete the action listed on the paper. Now tell your child to do the opposite of what was written. If the paper says to “stomp loudly,” stomp and then step or tiptoe quietly.
Continue in this manner as long as your child is interested.
Action Opposites Examples
Reach up (reach down), Sit down (stand up), Shout your name (whisper name), Jump fast (jump slow), Circle your arms forward (circle backward), Look to the left (look right), Put your feet together (feet apart), etc.
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Written by BRWI Staff on September 27, 2010
Although you may not present your preschooler with in depth details about the inner workings of quantum physics, there are science concepts that they are able to understand. The key is to present the ideas at their level. The concepts of solids, liquids, and gases are great concepts to present to preschoolers because they are everywhere, and children can concretely experience them everyday. G
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Written by BRWI Staff on August 16, 2010
It would probably seem a little weird to sit your preschooler down at a desk and require her to write or even dictate definitions and sentences in order to learn new vocabulary words. However, you may also wonder if your child will learn enough vocabulary through simple conversation. I believe that children gain the most through an approach that is somewhere in between these two extremes.
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Written by Laura on July 5, 2010
My husband is the master of big words. He is practically a walking dictionary. It used to frustrate me because I always felt a bit inferior when he would fill a conversation with words that were beyond my realm of understanding. However, I have since learned that my own knowledge base grew immensely from this constant immersion in vocabulary. My speech, reading, and writing skills have all imp
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Written by Laura on March 24, 2010
Young children learn new vocabulary words by hearing them as they are used in conversation. Parents do not need to make flashcards (which the children couldn’t read anyway) or drill children with lists of words found in a vocabulary book. Children naturally pick up new words when they hear them. Most parents have experienced just how quickly children can learn a new word and use it in the
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Written by BRWI Staff on March 19, 2010
By now, most people have heard at least one of the public service announcements describing how it is important to talk to your child in regular, complete sentences as opposed to the “baby talk” many people tend to begin using in the presence of a little one. Children learn by example, so when they hear adults talking with correct grammar and sentence structure, they begin to mimic the
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Written by BRWI Staff on February 1, 2010
Although there are certainly many wonderful children’s stories which have been written in recent years, there is just something different about classic children’s stories that were written years ago. The most notable feature that stands out in these older stories is the vocabulary.
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Written by BRWI Staff on December 18, 2009
Although young children are consistently egocentric, when it comes to describing their own physical features, they may be at a loss for words. Help your preschooler get up close and very personal with her own image by simply handing her a mirror. Ask her questions about what she sees. Have her name her eye color and hair color. Ask her to describe the shape of her nose, lips and ears. Then, m
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Written by BRWI Staff on November 13, 2009
There are a million books out there that you can read to your preschooler that will help him see and learn about opposites. However, a book that he has made himself is much more likely to help him remember the concepts than simply looking at one that is being read to him. Once our child has made a book, he can go back to it over and over again which helps to reinforce the learning that has taken p
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Written by BRWI Staff on August 4, 2009
“The perro hid the hueso in a agujero in the jardin.” This sentence is pretty confusing if you don’t speak Spanish. However, this gives you an idea of how a beginning reader can feel if they don’t understand the words they are reading or listening to. If possible, you should skim through a book you are going to read to your child to search for words of which they may not
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Written by BRWI Staff on June 3, 2009
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