7 Tips for Helping Toddlers Learn

We’re so excited about the release of our Toddler Learning Kit, which we began offering last week. We love the options included in this kit, and we think you will too.

No matter what tools you use, it’s good to remember a few fundamental concepts when you’re teaching your toddler. Here are 7 tips to keep in mind:

1. Patience is key!

Toddlers’ brains are bursting with ideas, development, and busyness. They’re not ready for long or detailed lessons yet. They have windows of time when they’re well-rested and are seeking engagement and mental stimulation.

Recognizing those windows and keeping learning times short is vital to helping a toddler grasp new concepts.

2. Start with shapes and colors.

One of the first things a toddler can learn is how to recognize and identify shapes and colors. This is the precursor to letter and number recognition.

Your toddler already knows that there are a variety of colors and shapes in the world; teach her to identify them with the right words by pointing them out often and reviewing them with your favorite learning tools.

3. Then move on to letters and numbers.

When you’re confident that your child can name most colors and shapes, you can know that she’s also ready to begin recognizing and identifying letters and numbers. Help her learn their names and what each one looks like.

You can start working on this at age 2 or 3. By 4 or 5, with consistent practice, your child should be able to identify each letter in the alphabet.

4. Read stories.

Here at merka, we often mention the importance of reading aloud to your child. It’s encouraging to know that read-alouds help your toddler understand that letters form words, which form stories. Your toddler can begin to understand the connection between text and language as early as age 2!

An easy way to incorporate read-alouds in the early years is the tradition of bedtime stories. This helps toddlers relax and provides a time of connection each evening.

5. Don’t teach writing too soon.

Toddlers may imitate letters and numbers on their own, but don’t feel the need to push your child to learn to write before he’s 4. At that time, you can encourage him to practice writing his name and other letters in the alphabet.

The fine motor skills needed to write take time to develop, so the best way to teach your child to write is to encourage him to use play-doh, blocks, safety scissors, and other small toys and tools. This will help him strengthen his hand muscles and his hand-eye coordination.

6. Play flashcard games.

If your child is a visual learner, he’ll probably love using flashcards to practice his letters and numbers. Only do as many as he’s enjoying, and revisit them often to enhance his familiarity with them.

7. Have fun!

We designed our Toddler Learning Kit to make teaching your toddler a fun, interactive, and colorful experience. Our intuitive designs will appeal to both you and your child, and make it easy to incorporate education into your everyday life.