Staying at Home with Your 3- to 5-Year-Old
Learn some new ways to interact and have fun with your 3- to 5-year-old at home.
Learning can happen at home, too
We all want what is best for our children, and for your child, that may be staying home. If so, you may decide to blend therapies into your daily routines. Or you might want to hold off for a while if you are not ready to begin the evaluation process for special education services. But since you know your child better than anyone, you can teach him at home using real-life experiences to help him learn. Whether you are starting off on your own or have an army of help from family and community, there are some basic things you can do to make your interactions with your child more meaningful.
If you decide not to pursue Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services yet, you can request a ECSE evaluation later whenever you are ready.
Home-based activities and tips
- Play! You are your child’s first playmate! Playing is your child’s job. It is how he learns about the world around him.
- Talk or sing to your child as you move about the house, if you are doing chores, bring your child into the same room and talk about what you are doing. Children love to hear their parent’s voices. And children who know more words become better readers.
- Bath time can be a learning experience. Children can learn the names of body parts, do science experiments during water play, and work on early literacy skills.
- Don’t be afraid to get messy. Sensory experiences are all around us. Use these experiences to create learning activities. These will help enhance your child’s skills as he explores the world around him.
- Explore and discover. Check out 5 Great Home Engagement Ideas from the Region 13 ECSE video library. Videos are available in English and Spanish.