As a parent, you might have already realised that children are sticklers for routines. There are many reasons why routine is important for a child – apart from providing children with a sense of security and control, routines also offer ample opportunities for learning and development.
The importance of routines for learning
Daily routines like mealtimes, getting dressed, getting ready for bed and grocery shopping may seem like mundane, ordinary activities, but they offer many opportunities to help your child learn and develop new skills in a fun and natural way. For example, during a grocery run, you can actively engage your child in conversations about what they see, feel, smell and hear at the supermarket. If your child points at an apple, you can describe the apple with vocabulary such as “red”, “round”, and “smooth”. Let your child hold and feel the texture of the apple, and get them to bag a few. This presents an opportunity for your child to brush up on their counting and numeracy skills.
As you can tell, a simple trip to the supermarket can open doors to developing essential language, motor and numeracy skills. By getting your child to actively participate in grocery shopping, you can help them build confidence and self-esteem.
Mealtimes also play an integral role in supporting your child’s development. For example, getting your child to feed and serve themselves can strengthen their fine motor skills. Learning mealtime etiquette like washing their hands before being seated, waiting for others and saying “please” and “thank you” can help your child build social skills that will serve them well later in life.
How to help children learn through routines
How can you turn routines into effective opportunities for learning? Here are some tips to help you out:
- Be consistent. Carry out the routine the same way each time, with the same number of steps and instructions so that your child can become familiar and comfortable with how it works.
- Incorporate literacy elements to label and describe routines. Using the same words to talk about the daily routines can help your child hone literacy skills and learn new vocabulary by repetition.
- Be on a constant lookout for learning opportunities. For example, if your child is trying to grab a cup at the dining table, grasp the opportunity to help them learn the meaning of the word “cup”. Instead of diverting their attention to talk about other things, focusing on what they seem to be interested in at the moment will be a more effective way of helping your child learn.
- Think out of the box. Contrary to popular belief, routines do not have to be boring. You can incorporate any type of activity as long as it’s something that you and your child do together regularly. Baking, watering plants, feeding the house pet and sorting out laundry are all great learning opportunities that can be integrated into your child’s routine.
Give your child the best start in life and learning with the MindChamps Early Learning & Preschool programme. Book a centre visit today!