Eight Ways To Boost Your Child's Development

Each child learns differently. Some are able to grasp basic concepts on the first try while others require more time. No matter how your child learns, you can guide them in the right direction for success. Here are eight ways to boost your child’s development:

• Read to your children: Reading provides a perfect way to help your child succeed academically. Make reading time a collaborative time, letting them read a page here and there. You don’t have to reserve reading time to right before bed. You can turn a rainy Saturday into a reading day or take your child to the park with a backpack full of books and snacks on a sunny day.

• Keep in contact with their teacher: Your child’s teacher sees them five days a week in a controlled learning environment. If anyone can help you boost your child’s potential, it’s their teacher. Ask their teacher for recommendations for learning activities that cater specifically to your child that they can do at home.

• Bring what they’re learning during the day home with you at night: Practice makes perfect, and that saying rings true even for your little ones. If they’re practicing writing their alphabet, sounding out letters or words, or even trying to memorize their phone numbers, practicing them at home on nights and weekends will help them develop those skills quicker, which will ensure they keep up with the rest of the class as they go through the curriculum.

• Make nutrition a priority: Your child needs to eat a healthy breakfast before school so they can feel great and focus on learning. And at such a young age, your little one will need all the energy they can get for play time throughout the day. Make sure that the lunch you’ve packed contains fresh foods instead of processed options full of preservatives.

• Sleep, sleep, sleep: If your child does not get enough sleep, they won’t be as focused on academics. Ensure that your child is getting a good night’s sleep by going to bed at a reasonable time and getting up after 8-9 hours to prevent fatigue throughout the morning.

• Turn homework time into quality time: If your child dislikes completing assignments that have been sent home with them, find a way to make it fun by doing it together. Instead of letting them colour on their own or having them trace their alphabet solo, do the same assignment and talk about how much you enjoy the process. This will get your child excited about doing it themselves.

• Encourage extracurricular activities: Group sports like t-ball and dance, as well as solo activities like swimming lessons and art classes, are extracurricular activities that teach your children the benefits of teamwork and/or allows them to explore their creativity. Moreover, they also help your child stay fit and burn off any excess energy they may have, so they can focus on learning when they get home.

Don’t forget to show your child unconditional love while boosting their academic potential. With love and encouragement, you can set your child up for a fun and fruitful schooling experience.

Contact InventiveMinds today to learn more about how to boost your child’s academic potential.

Authored By:
Rose Morsh
RECE, Parenting Practitioner,
Parent Coordinator, Family Mediator,
Child Voice Practitioner & Collaborative Family Law Parent Expert