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WARM UP THE BRAIN

By: Daniel & Celeste Ezell   |  April 7, 2023

 

Every athlete knows the importance of warming up before a race or a match.  Singers warm up their voices, and musicians warm up their instruments. Public speakers recite tongue twisters before big events.  Young children are warming up their brains for a lifelong educational trek.

 

Mastering skills is effortful. The preschool years set the pace for two decades of school and a lifetime of learning beyond that. Dabbling in skills while they are young gives children familiarity and confidence when they learn them again in school.

 

When our youngest child was born, we were both teaching full time. As owners of a growing business, we couldn’t afford a nanny, so we just brought her to school with us. She toddled in her walker while we conducted science experiments, nursed while I tutored algebra, and sang along as we memorized history to music. Serendipitously she observed much academic content and the big kids wrestling with it. Now in kindergarten, her skills and intellect surprise us regularly. She can multiply through the twelves, sing with confidence, remember the details of a story, and understand difficult concepts. It’s very exciting.

 

Research shows early exposure is key to excellence in any field: math, reading, writing, art, music, languages, STEM, and sports. The first three years of life set the trajectory for a child’s learning potential.

 

Don’t get overwhelmed. No one can do it all. Follow your child’s interests and your own so that learning is joyful win-win. Here’s a few ideas to get you started.

 

Math

Play counting games during a long drive or while waiting at a restaurant to instill a Love of Math.  No need to use a pencil–that’s arduous–just play.

 

Reading

Read aloud and ask the child to find one word throughout the book, like “woof” in Biscuit.  In the middle of new books or familiar books, stop and ask, “what happens next?”  After reading, ask the child to tell the story back to you or act it out with stuffies.

 

Writing

Practice picking up and putting down a pencil, crayon or magic wand and using a three finger grip.  Draw simple shapes together or connect two dots on a page. Make up stories together as you draw them.

 

Art

Paint with watercolors. Look up a favorite painting and try to copy it.  Visit a museum or local gallery, even a quick trip. Watch Bob Ross videos to calm down before naptime.

 

Music

Sing throughout the day. Go to live performances of all genres and instruments. Learn piano from an app or video. Visit a music store and try out instruments. Enroll in a class.

 

Languages

Eat at an ethnic restaurant. Enroll in a language immersion program. Watch familiar movies in another language.

 

Science

Take a magnifying glass on your next walk and collect leaves to examine. Get an assortment of springs from the hardware store and compare their stretch and compression.  Make a simple sundial and mark the shadow with chalk throughout the day.

 

Social Studies

Visit the fire station or talk to a police officer about their jobs. Check out non-fiction books at the library and read biographies. Visit museums as a family and do a scavenger hunt.

 

Sports

Play catch or kick ball in the backyard. Go to games, professional, local high school or little league. Try a new sport each summer in camp.

 

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