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Improving Pre-Schoolers Thinking Skills At Home

by Evelyn Petersen

Looking for some ideas for things to do at home that will help your pre-schooler improve his or her thinking skills? I don`t mean "ABC" or flash card things, but real activities that make them figure things out and problem solve?
Hundreds of opportunities exist in your home for teaching these kinds of thinking skills. You will find teachable moments in every room inside, and outdoors as well. Remember that children enjoy and learn from SIMPLE things that we adults take for granted.

For example, when children help you sort and put away the groceries, they are practicing the skill of sorting or grouping. Some things go in the freezer or the refrigerator; talk about why. Some groceries will go in certain cupboards. Others go to different places in the house. Talk about how these things are alike or different.

When children practice and think about this kind of grouping they are beginning to use the math and science skills of categorizing and classifying. Sorting, matching and grouping socks, towels, buttons, earrings, shoes, bottle caps, keys, spoons and forks all help children practice mathematical thinking and problem solving.

When you let children help you prepare foods or recipes, many more skills are practiced. They will estimate, measure, and count. Ask them to observe and tell, compare and describe. Help them talk about the smells, colors and shapes of foods. They will wonder what will happen when something is cooked; they`ll see the changes, and learn about cause and effect. They can even play store with kitchen cans and boxes to learn more about counting and money, even if you use paper dollars and pennies.

You can teach thinking skills at home in the kitchen, or with math and money games, or simple experiments, with creative "inventions," with recycled materials, and with "what if..." games. All you need is a little imagination and a desire to help your child learn.

Ms. Petersen's nationally syndicated parenting column is carried in over 200 newspapers twice each week. As a family/parenting consultant, early childhood educator, Head Start consultant, and host of a series of parent training audio and video tapes, Ms. Petersen employs an approach of providing hands-on, nuts and bolts advice to parents across the country. Her new book "A Practical Guide to Early Childhood Planning: The What Why and How of Lesson Plans" has just been released.

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