What should parents focus on teaching during the first five years? Part II

The Basic Building Blocks


What should you focus on helping your child learn? What things will be of most value to her? There are several key building blocks upon with which all other learning and education stand. First and foremost, a young child must learn that she can trust her caregivers and that she is of value to them. (We will discuss this more in the chapter on nurturing your newborn.) After your child feels secure in your love, there are several other mind-building activities you should focus on as you nurture and educate your child in her early years. Here is a list of five major areas of focus:


1. Building your child’s ability to communicate
2. Developing your child’s ability to reason
3. Building your child’s ability to discern differences using sight, sound and touch
4. Improving your child’s large and small motor skills
5. Teaching your child numbers, colors and letters