I’m not a teacher, So how can I effectively help my child learn preliteracy and pre-math skills at home?
The material on this site is already familiar to you, so there’s no new learning for you! The hardest thing for the ‘parent as teacher’ is usually finding the time in a busy world to sit down and work together. Setting aside 15-20 minutes to work together a couple of times a week usually works fine.
Parents are a child’s best teacher because of the innate bond they share and the parent’s deep concern for their future. Parental praise and one on one time are the strong motivators for young children. If you show an interest in their learning this material, they want to please you.
If your child doesn’t like a particular activity or is bored, try another. Let your child’s interest guide the process as much as possible. Working together should be a rewarding experience…. Not ‘work’. It also helps to have stickers on hand that can be ‘worn’ or placed in a special book at the end of each session. Also revisit old activities occasionally to reinforce skills they have learned previously.
Other than time (and perhaps stickers!), patience is probably the other most important element. It’s helpful to remember that children really aren’t ‘miniature adults’, no matter how verbal or smart they can be. And they will work hard for your praise if the task is within their capacity to accomplish.