To many school-age children, language and math are subjects learned in the classroom; the integral role of these skills in everyday life is sometimes overlooked. However, the thought processes required for language and math are the building blocks for nearly all other skills. The earlier a child begins to master these skills, the more adept he or she will be at future learning.

Language Development

Language development involves both expression and comprehension. Language expression is the ability to produce sounds that are used to express a child's needs and thoughts, while language comprehension is the ability to understand others. Activities such as listening, singing, repeating, reading, and speaking all promote language development. A child's language develops rapidly when they are surrounded with both the spoken and written word.

Here are some things you can do to promote the development of language skills:

Infant

  • Talk and sing to them as you work around the house.
  • Talk to them in complete sentences.
  • Read stories to them so they can see, hear, and recognize new words.

Toddler

  • Talk to them before they go to bed. Discuss what happened that day, and talk about the plans for tomorrow.
  • Encourage your child to recognize symbols and attach them to words by asking them to look for certain items when you go shopping.
  • Respond to their language, even when it does not make sense.

Preschooler

  • Label items in their rooms so they associate the written word with the object.
  • When riding in the car, start making up a story. Every time the car stops, the next person adds to the story.
  • Give your child the daily newspaper and a pencil. Have them circle words they can identify.

Early Childhood

  • When traveling to new places, designate your child to be the navigator, keeping an eye out for street names, store signs, and restaurants.
  • Write down several items on your grocery list for your child to find when you go to the store.
  • Have your child write down topics they would like to discuss and put them in the glove compartment of the car. When the car ride gets boring or stressful, pull out a topic and have a one-on-one conversation with your child.

Math Skills

Math skills are developed as children interact with objects. Concepts such as size, shape, form, numbers, sequencing, and grouping are all included in this category.

Infant

  • Allow your child to build towers with blocks.
  • Play hide-and-seek games.
  • Give toys with bright colors and a variety of shapes.

Toddler

  • Instead of just handing over objects, count as you give them to your child.
  • Help your toddler sort the laundry by color.
  • Recite finger-plays and songs that involve numbers.

Preschooler

  • Have your child measure ingredients during cooking.
  • Make a chart for daily activities and have your child keep a record of occurrences. You can chart sunny days, phone calls, books that have been read, and other activities.
  • Send your child on a scavenger hunt in his room, the back yard, or at the park. Have him collect the items he finds in a bag and identify the biggest/smallest, lightest/darkest, and tallest/shortest items.

Early Childhood

  • Designate your child as the official score keeper when playing games. This promotes fairness as well as math skills.
  • Give your child a weekly allowance. Identify guidelines for how the money can be used, and allow the child to make spending and saving choices within the guidelines.
  • Watch for numbers on license plates and have your child add them.
  • Continue looking for ways to turn everyday activities into learning opportunities for your children. Allow them time and freedom to explore the world around them, and most importantly, show them that learning can be fun.

Keep in mind that the early years in a child's development are the most critical; whatever you can do to enhance the learning process in these years will provide a head start for your child in the future.