The Weak Connections

Improve Your   's  IQ

 

 

 

 

With the influx of  tapes, CD, DVD of nursery rhymes, numbers and alphabets songs, parents can easily find something suitable for their babies to listen to as they fall asleep or as they rest.  

Memory connections can be enhanced through continuous interaction and repetition.   Let the toddler listen and then repeat the letters or the numbers, use toy blocks or illustrations or cutouts to further reinforce whatever you want the child to learn.  You will be amazed how fast they learn when they are showered with praises by other family members.   The three most important things to remember are: be positive; never force the learning process - so what, if the child doesn't learn it today, there is always tomorrow; make them enjoyable and happy experiences for the toddler.  The child's eagerness for hugs and kisses, for praises and attention will help parents make each moment with the child a learning opportunity. 

 

Learning can be fun at this stage because there is no pressure to learn for results, pressure from test measurements, rigid expectations, and fears of failures.  There are myriads of opportunities and situations that can be utilized to improve the toddler's memory.  In fact, even in the situation when the child is being punished for misbehavior, parents can take the opportunity to improve the child's memory.  A good way is to give the child a lecture of the wrongdoing, the misbehavior that should not be repeated and the consequences of the wrongdoing.  Then let the child repeat the lecture word for word.   Of course, it is important to tailor the lecture to the child's level of understanding and language proficiency.

 Fun games are the most effective ways to improve memory.  This is also the time to start the arithmetic drills, those dreaded multiplication tables, mental addition and subtraction.  Instead of endless baby talks, 2+3=5 or 2x3=6 won't hurt, after all the baby won't know the difference.   Personal interactions between parent and child are more effective than just watching television shows like Sesame Street, etc.   One terrific way to teach a child how to count is to set-up a toy store and let the child purchase the toys he wants with real coins.  Put a price tag on each toy and then give the child some money to buy them from you.  It is really amazing how fast the little ones learn how to count especially when they start to run out of money.  You can even take it a step further by occasionally cheating on the "change" to teach the child that when it comes to money, always count it carefully.  When the child runs out of money to buy toys then let him earn it by helping you clean up the toy store and put the house back in order.  This way the child learns early on that money does not fall from trees.  For the stay home mom, a little planning and lots of creativity will make every waking hour a success in helping your kid improve the brain's connections.  Lots of hugs and kisses will make the learning experience a joyful and a loving experience that the child will cherish and remember, thereby strengthening the familial bond.