Suggestions

Blog Post

Education

How to Create an Opportunity for Learning With Your Children 

How to Create an Opportunity for Learning With Your Children

Learning can be hard for a child. Close to 10% of kids do not enjoy school and would prefer not to go. 

Educating your son or daughter in an enjoyable way has never been easier. With today’s technologies, your child can have a lot of fun while learning along the way too. 

Many children find traditional learning approaches exhausting and at times boring. The good news is there is an opportunity for learning in activities children love such as games and television programs. 

Continue to read to learn more about how to make the learning process more enjoyable for your child! 

Learning Is Not Concrete 

There is not just one singular approach to learning. Children learn in all sorts of different ways. For educators and parents, this is very much a good thing. It means there is room for flexibility, customization, and creativity in the education process. 

As an example, some children may enjoy reading and learn the most from a book. Other children may have a visual learning preference and learn from watching a video. 

With creative approaches, first, determine how your son or daughter learns the best. From there, you can plan enjoyable and educational activities. 

Age Is of the Essence

Planning educational activities for your child is very much dependent on their age. For children of all ages, television shows can be a great approach.

For small children, even toys can be an educational tool. Toys may not have the same effect on older children. Video games and computer games can be excellent alternatives. 

Tools for Learning

As discussed above, there are an assortment of different activities and/or products that serve as great educational tools. Below a few of the most common tools are highlighted in detail. 

Television Shows 

Children’s television has existed since the late 1940’s when The Howdy Doody Show premiered on NBC. Every generation remembers certain shows from their youth. Often these memories bring a pleasant and nostalgic feeling. 

Not all children’s entertainment is educational, but many shows are. Shows from the early 2000’s up until today are noteworthy.

From pre-school-focused shows such as Barney to Sesame Street, these shows are very entertaining while introducing concepts such as mathematics, grammar, and ethics to children. Additional major network shows include Little Einsteins, Dragon Tales, and Bubble Guppies. More current programming such as Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol have followed suit. 

Beyond popular network shows such as the above examples, some companies have created education-specific content. Often this content is distributed by platforms such as YouTube.

One major show is Blippi. Designed for early childhood education, the show follows a young man as he takes kids on virtual tours of places such as aquariums and zoos. 

For older children, there are channels like National Geographic and The History Channel that offer some exciting and fun content. Be mindful that these channels also offer historical fiction programming that may not be accurate. 

Board Games 

Yes, there are board games that are educational too! Popular games that encourage learning include Bananagrams, Scrabble, Apples to Apples, Monopoly, and Math Flux. 

These are only a few of the many options available to you. Games such as Scrabble teach spelling and increase word knowledge. If your child does not understand the word you placed, use this as an opportunity to expand his or her vocabulary. 

Games such as Apples to Apples teach history and general knowledge. Through games, you can teach your son or daughter more about the world and pop culture. 

Games like Bananagrams, Monopoly, and Math Flux will teach your child all about numbers and math. With Monopoly, you can teach your child about the value of money and how to count money. 

Encouraging your child to learn through play is a guaranteed win-win! 

Video and Computer Games 

Kids of all ages love video games. With technology such as portable consoles and tablets, accessing games has never been more convenient.

There are thousands of education-specific apps catered to children on Apple’s App Store and Android’s Google Play. Popular apps include Lingokids, Sesame Street: Alphabet Kitchen, Puzzle Kids, and PBS Kids Games. 

Apps such as ABCMouse.com create customized learning plans for your child and provide engaging games to learn subjects such as grammar, math, art, social studies, reading, and science. ABCMouse.com requires a subscription.

Popular consoles such as the Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and the Wii also offer educational content. Third-party developers have designed games such as Brain Challenge, Eat Your Letters and Jeopardy. 

Books as an Opportunity for Learning 

As highlighted above, some children cannot get enough of reading. This is a healthy habit to develop early on. The great thing about reading is it can take you on a journey and even transport you to different eras. 

If your child wants to learn about a certain historical figure or event, a book is a great place to start. Books, of course, can teach about a variety of different subjects as well. 

There are many classic books for children or teenagers that are recognized as excellent examples of literature. Novels such as Treasure Island, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Alice in Wonderland, and Winnie the Pooh are some examples. 

Books can also be helpful in exam studying. If your child is preparing for an exam such as the HAST test, a practice book with exam question types can be very beneficial. 

Read More Educational Content 

How tools such as television shows and board games can be an opportunity for learning is one of many educational topics we discuss. Other educational topics we highlight include how to choose a great pre-school, a guide to at-home learning, and the importance of local school improvement. 

For more educational-related content, check out more of our blog today! 

Related posts