by Karen Zortman-Loos

Created on: August 04, 2008   Last Updated: September 29, 2008

It starts at home because your parents are the first teachers of "life" that you will have. By listening to your parents, you can learn a great deal of things before entering elementary school.

Your parents are the first to teach you to speak, perhaps they even read to you (seeing your parents read to you, and they read is a great lesson because the child sees the importance of reading books or newspapers). The infliction of your voice while you read to your child is great fun for your children because they see that reading is fun!

Also, learning to play games such as cards, chess, or other board games teaches the child to think analytical. Don't be tough on a child if they don't understand the rules; explain it in only a way a child should be explained with a kind heart, and patience. They will learn that having these traits are good for them to have as well. Again you are their first teacher.

If you want to teach them a foreign language, children are like a sponge they pickup things easier when they are smaller. This is good advice I learned from several foreign language teachers. They learn more about language by learning another language because they learn to count, to enunciate, to find out where a word comes from or how a sentence is put together. I was told that by the age of 7 a child is most easily taught a language because of their development of their brains, and their capacity to learn!

Learning music is a great part of their education because they learn to listen to how it is to be played, and then they imitate what is played. They learn it is like a road map of songs. Once they get from one measure to the last they have taken on a "journey" to master road of music. They must listen to how the director wants to a piece to sound, learn the notes, play the notes, play soft, or loud. What is the difference between 4/4 time vs. 6/8 time? How to phrase a song? They learn math (because they must count), they learn language (because of the tempo the composer put it in normally written in Latin or Italian), listening skills, and working together as a team.

Learning the 3 R's of education will flow because they have had a great foundation from their parents, and then it goes to the teachers who must teach them the basics. The elements of a good education start with parent, child, and teacher. If you don't have them you won't have a good education for the student! They won't be excited about college, or high school for that matter. They will just pursue negative actions that bring negative thoughts, and perhaps negativity will bring them to behind bars.

SO show your child how much you care! Sit them down with a book, even if they are antsy, and don't give up. They will learn something from it, just give them a chance!

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