teaching your toddler-preschool kid

[st3ph_17]

My cousin uses an iPad to entertain and teach his daughter letters and numbers. There are already lots of sophisticated apps for the iPad that are great tools to teach kids how to count, read, letters, etc.

Tam & Tao in Numberland was voted as one of the best counting apps - it has great graphics and animations that will teach kids about counting and numbers - it uses the Montessori method. You can check it out here -> http://iheartthisapp.com/apps/tam-tao-in-numberland-learn/

There are also other great kid friendly apps for education and entertainment which are voted by parents. You can check it out here -> http://iheartthisapp.com/category/apps/family/

[marose17]

^ An Ipad is a lovely tool but I am wary of introducing its applications to a young child, especially if that child has not yet mastered the pincer grip for writing.  An art teacher told me last summer that most kids he teaches are very adept at using the Ipad, kiddie laptop, etc. but have very poor grip and control of a pencil or crayon.

[tiggerlily]

i think ok lang naman ang ipad. pero dapat sasabayan mo rin ng iba pang learning tools. ang nangyayari kasi pinababayaan na ng ibang parents sa ipad yung bata. kasi nga naman mas madali e - kahit 2-3 hours nilang iwan, ok lang. parang tv. dapat in moderation pa rin.

gusto ko rin ng ipad to use as a learning tool for my kid. pero hindi ko sya priority kasi nga hindi rin naman sya all the time na yun lang ang gamitin e. pero target ko rin yan.

[marose17]

Masyadong attractive, easy to use and convenient ang Ipad.  My concern is that mawawalan ng gana ang mga anak ko, boys pa naman, to actually sit down and practice writing.  As of now nga, hindi sila masyadong interested in writing as they would rather work on manipulatives.  How much more kung may Ipad na ang dali-dali i-swipe?

Nakaka-addict ang Ipad.  Ako nga, I could spend hours on it.  It's very risky, lalo na for me na working at hindi makatutok sa mga bata.

[tiggerlily]

^ tumpak. kapag bumili pala ako. ako lang ang gagamit at hindi ko pahihiramin ang anak ko. hahaha! tinalo pa ang tv e.

[marose17]

^ Siguro puwede kapag medyo mature na sila at madaling kausapin at limitahan ang usage.  For small kids, ang hirap kaya magpaawat sa tv, may iyakan or bargaining pa minsan.  Mas lalo pa diyan.

Wary talaga ako sa gadgets.  Ang mga batang kilala kong kumpleto sa gadgets, may pagka-antisocial.  Nakatutok na lang palagi sa PS3, Wii, Ipad or kung anong gadget ang hawak-hawak.

[hunny_ally]

Personally, ayoko masanay ang little girl ko with using the gadgets. yes, it is an important part of our lives now (computer, cellphone, etc) but as a learning tool, I'd rather she sticks with the "old-school" ways (books, papers, pencils, etc). But this does not mean that I don't expose her too with the gadgets. She sometimes gets to use the iPad and laptop to play games pero very rarely lang, maybe once a week for 30mins then supervised pa. Just enough time to expose her.

[angel_eyes_2nite]

thank God I found this thread...learning a lot from it.
Same with some other sis,kung ano yung interest ng mga sons ko...i use it to teach them counting and the alphabet.

[delisyus]

An iPad or any other tablet/touchscreen phone is still screen time... para lang din syang TV/videos...

sure, it can be quite entertaining and educational, what with the apps available... but at what price?  Not only does it not do anything for fine motor skills, it also fosters bad posture (you only have to see kids playing while in the car, or at the mall) and poor eyesight. And it is not play when a child's body does not move (fingers don't count)... and play is the best way for young kids to learn, not just academics but social norms/rules, problem solving etc.

I was peeved before when my hubby introduced tablet use to our son... but since he can get so annoying during drives, hinayaan ko na, just so my hubby can concentrate on driving. But the price we paid for that is lost imagination and bonding time (since we don't count backhoes anymore, nor say "weeee" over bridges/flyovers, or make up stories or just plain talk... although thank God my son geets tired of playing din agad and would rather sleep).

Any of these gadgets cannot teach anything parents can't, esply for kids so young...if only parents will take the time. Unfortunately, I see more chikahan nowadays on what cool apps they can get for their kids so their kids will be out of their hair... instead of actually swapping activity tips and ideas to  nurture movement and imagination. I know, not all parents are like that, pero mas marami ring naaliw and magba-brag pa na their kid can do this and that with a gadget.... but fail to notice other opportunities for play, learning and socialization that was missed.

[marose17]

^ Oh, I so agree.  One of the highlights of my day is bringing my kids to school.  While in the car (short drive lang but it takes 20-25 minutes to reach school kasi traffic in Katipunan is horrendous), my kids ask me all sorts of questions, usually starting with "why" or "bakit" and usually about the books they have read.  Same case when we go out on weekends. Bonding time na rin namin.  Kung naka-Ipad sila while in the car, kelan pa kami mag-uusap?

[delisyus]

yeah... just like the dining table, a car allows for a captive audience... one of those few opportunities to really talk, bond, raise concerns or rest... if you let TV/gadget in, you just invite an enemy/competition kumbaga.

Lalo na kung walang parameters yung gadget use... young kids will grow and parents will have just made it easier for their kids to tune them out. Kaya kami, even with songs that our son likes, we have to listen with him. Giving him earphones would bug us less but it's not good for his ears and I don't want him growing up with selfish entertainment

[phairie8]

Ako naman we both watch abc's and number songs sa youtube. Very helpful talaga kasi at 2 years old he can recite and recognize the abc and numbers 1 to 10. i also let him watch theo ther nursery songs like head,shoulder, knees and toes, mr.sun, incy wincy spider, etc. he can sing it eventhough bulol and with action pa yun.

[younis]

@delisyus and marose... wow napapanahon itong pinaguusapan nyo about gadgets... my husband and i are seriously comtemplating on buying one or not. ako masyadong hesitant but my husband is eager to get one. nagwoworry ako for my daughter, she's just 2.4yrs old, baka tamarin mag-aral magsulat pag na-experience nya how easy it is to access things in just one touch, at tulad nga ng mga nabanggit nyo, ayaw kong ma-stuck sa isang tabi lang ang anak ko dahil sobrang busy sa kalalaro or learning new things via this gadget. i have nothing against it, pero ang gusto ko lang, matuto muna sana sya magsulat bago ko sya pahawakin ng gadget na ito. kinokontra naman ako ng husband ko, sa generation daw kasi ng mga bata ngayon, ganito na raw ang paraan to learn.

i am really not so convinced with his premises. i don't know, batang kalye kasi ako dati eh, lahat na ata ng klase ng laro sa kalye nalaro ko kahit panlalakeng laro (jolens, tumbang preso, luksong tinik, chinese garter, trumpo, teks, etc etc). minsan sa pag-uusap namin ng mga ka-ofcmates ko sabi ko "alam ko hindi na safe ang paligid ngayon para gawin yung mga pambata na nilalaro ko dati, pero I am just so curious, may mga pre-schools kaya dito sa atin na nagtuturo sa kanila maglaro ng mga ganitong klaseng laro sa kalye dati? like for example, yes or no game, tumbang preso, hide and seek, etc etc"

ang point ko sa husband ko kaya ko sinasabi ang mga eto, gusto kong maexperience ng anak ko maging bata, importanteng ma-enhance, not only her mind, as well as the physical aspects at the same time.

[younis]

So far, our activities at home for my sons that I think complement the activities in their preschool are the following:

solving jigsaw puzzles
coloring
cutting
story telling
playing with the abacus
letting them dress up, eat, pack away their toys, use the toilet, wash hands, fold clothes, etc. on their own - to supplement the practical life exercises in school

We're not using worksheets - wala naman nito sa school nila. 

To develop their vocabulary, I try to introduce "big" words to them once in a while.

The school will have a parent education session tomorrow.  I will ask the teachers kung ano ang activities na puwedeng gawin sa house.

and to add, kahit pag nasa sasakyan kami, I would recite words I read outside and my daughter will repeat the word after me. One time I saw an ambulance, then I said "Am-bu-lance", she repeated the same word so clearly! we were all suprised! pinaulit ulit ko pa yung word and she was consistent. and even some complicated words or phrases na sinasabi ko, nasasabi din nya syllable per syllable kahit bulol yung iba. and for me, this is also one way of training her to speak kahit naka-upo lang sya sa car seat nya.

to the TS: this is a very nice thread.

[dolly]

@delisyus and marose... wow napapanahon itong pinaguusapan nyo about gadgets... my husband and i are seriously comtemplating on buying one or not. ako masyadong hesitant but my husband is eager to get one. nagwoworry ako for my daughter, she's just 2.4yrs old, baka tamarin mag-aral magsulat pag na-experience nya how easy it is to access things in just one touch, at tulad nga ng mga nabanggit nyo, ayaw kong ma-stuck sa isang tabi lang ang anak ko dahil sobrang busy sa kalalaro or learning new things via this gadget. i have nothing against it, pero ang gusto ko lang, matuto muna sana sya magsulat bago ko sya pahawakin ng gadget na ito. kinokontra naman ako ng husband ko, sa generation daw kasi ng mga bata ngayon, ganito na raw ang paraan to learn.

i am really not so convinced with his premises. i don't know, batang kalye kasi ako dati eh, lahat na ata ng klase ng laro sa kalye nalaro ko kahit panlalakeng laro (jolens, tumbang preso, luksong tinik, chinese garter, trumpo, teks, etc etc). minsan sa pag-uusap namin ng mga ka-ofcmates ko sabi ko "alam ko hindi na safe ang paligid ngayon para gawin yung mga pambata na nilalaro ko dati, pero I am just so curious, may mga pre-schools kaya dito sa atin na nagtuturo sa kanila maglaro ng mga ganitong klaseng laro sa kalye dati? like for example, yes or no game, tumbang preso, hide and seek, etc etc"

ang point ko sa husband ko kaya ko sinasabi ang mga eto, gusto kong maexperience ng anak ko maging bata, importanteng ma-enhance, not only her mind, as well as the physical aspects at the same time.

Agree din ako sa sinabi mo sis, old school pa rin for me. Ayoko matulad ang mga anak ko sa mga kapatid ko na mga bata pa, na masyadong hiyang sa mga gadgets. Later on kasi hindi maiwasan na may mga games din silang matutunan and eventually ma-addict.

[helencons]

I have a slightly different take on the presence of techie gadgets in today's generation of toddlers and preschoolers.

Based on our experience, although we introduced techie gadgets to our son when he was still around 2 yrs old (he's now 4), we closely monitored his play time with it.  I only uploaded educational apps on my ipod touch which he can easily manipulate with his fingers.  At the time, I considered it as an extra fine motor exercise.

Early on we established a daily routine for him, he takes walks around the village, attends 2 hrs of playschool, rides his bike, goes to the playground in the afternoons so he can socialize with other kids.  In his extra time, he colors, traces, works on the printables I left for him to do and plays with his manipulatives/puzzles/toys.  Yes, he does some worksheets that I downloaded from kiddie websites/blogs (actually I feel he is more encouraged to do them because he knows that mommy made that for him)

My point is, if you establish a routine that caters to your child's individual needs (I say this because each child is different you should set your own) maybe tinkering with techie stuff wouldn't be much of a concern.

Probably, the key ingredient here is a balance between active play and exposure to what the world offers today.

[marose17]

I agree about the daily routine.  It is important for young children to have a routine.

It's hard though to moderate gadget use if both parents are working.  Unless the caregiver is very trustworthy and responsible, I would not recommend leaving a gadget with the kid and yaya only.  Usually, yayas make their alagas play with the gadget or watch tv all day.  Mas madali ang buhay nila kasi pag ganyan lang.  Siempre, not all yayas could be entrusted with doing drills, coloring, sketching, etc.

I don't believe though that swiping an Ipad develops fine motor skills.  As an art teacher and a developmental pedia both said to me, the skill, technique and muscles involved in swiping an Ipad or pressing a button on a PSP are different from those involved in actual writing, sketching and coloring.  Moreover, the fast images of gadgets affect the brain in a negative way of a very young child whose neurons and brain cells are still developing.

I have nothing against technology.  I just believe that there is too much of it available to young kids nowadays.  It would not harm my kids if they get to be exposed later, rather than earlier, to these gadgets.

[younis]

sometimes, if the child is very young, say 2yrs old, it's hard to instill to them what they should do at this time of the day, especially, as what sis marose mentioned, if both parents are working. we really can't monitor her daily routine.

i so agree, I am not convinced that using Ipad helps the motor skills. naniniwala ako na dapat the child should learn the hard way first, para pag naexpose na sya sa mas madadaling methods, adjustment will not be a problem to her. parang sa pagmamaneho lang yan eh, kahit automatic ang gagamitin mong kotse, most people would still enroll in manual driving lesson.

3 months ago, I bought this Megasketchers from SM. napapansin ko my daughter is learning how to draw what she imagines, for example she would draw a circle, then she'll put lines around it, tatanungin ko sya kung ano yun, she'll say "mama, it's Mr. Sun".. and sometimes kung ano-anong shapes lang, then sasabihin nya butterfly. this is a lot different from just touching the screen. na-e-enhance ang imagination nya at the same time her motor skills.

[rikki21]

mga sis, did you enroll your preschool kid to kumon or gymboree and the likes for supplemental education?
My 4yo kid is at Kinder level now. she just took her Nursery class for  5weeks April - May 2011. Her teacher said kasi na she could be enrolled on Kinder Level na. Before her summer class, she knows the colors na, counts 1-10, knows the alphabet. She's okay naman at school. Im thinking of enrolling her to Kumon, to help her develop study habits and more learning sa reading and math, kaso my worry naman is baka ma overwhelm sya sa dami ng kailangan aralin. She has homework kasi everyday.

[marose17]

Rikki, it depends on your kids.  Ask her if she wants Kumon on top of her daily homework.

Personally, I do not like rote learning and drills, and so, I am not interested in sending my children to Kumon.  I also read in a book called Raising Pinoy Boys by Rose Fres-Fausto that the mathematician Queena Lee- Chua was asked to endorse Kumon but did not.  Chua believes that learning math by rote may not be the best way to know and understand deeply mathematical concepts.

However, to each his own.  As a parent, you know your child well.  If you think she will thrive by answering Kumon drills and workbooks, there is no harm in sending her to Kumon.  I just want to add though the kindergarteners also need a lot of free/ unstructured play in their time.  Balance your want of supplemental learning for your kid with her need for free, unstructured play.  Children learn a lot of practical life stuff by playing.