Starting Something

 Most experts agree that children learn the most in the first 3 - 5 years of their life. I can't refute this. Babies go from adorable jelly, pooping, blobs to up-right, walking, talking, terrors toddlers. 😎 (IYKYK)

That makes us then start to ask what is the best way to teach our little ones. In my case, both of my children like to learn at their own pace and like to learn through mimicking. (It was fun to hear my son yell "No shit." at church after the pastor said Christ is Risen.) My daughter (Hannah) is currently learning to cook in her own little way. She likes to come in the kitchen and climb up on her stool then ask a lot of questions and touch everything I'm touching. Her first grab of ground beef left me laughing. She kept calling in Play Dough. 

I want to use this to my advantage when starting her in preschool. This means that she is going to learn through a lot of playing. Many children learn best this way, but some are calmer and like to be shown and then do. My spicy girl doesn't like to be shown. She is more of an explorer. 

There are a few methods that fit this type of child. Montessori is one of the most prominent. There is also Charlotte Mason's method, which tends to be more nature-centered and allows for outdoor exploration along with structured time. 

Let's be honest, we live in Ohio. Now is not a good time to have our 2yo go outside to explore with a windchill in the negatives. I'm also not great with going full force into a method where you need "special supplies" that are insanely expensive. This is where my teacher senses start to tingle (like Spidey senses, but for teachers.)  

What if I re-create some of these opportunities with toys we already have or things we have at home. This is where I am right now. I'm searching through all of her non-electronic toys and finding things that allow for pretend play, motor skill development, and possibly reading and math skills. 

I'll have to post some of what I find that works.