Let's Celebrate

We celebrate so many milestones with our children.   We call everyone in the world who will listen as soon as we think they have said, mama or dada.  Well, I guess now we tweet or post.  In all actuality it was probably a little burp. They sort of, kind of crawl and we celebrate.  Think about ALL the celebration that goes on with potty training!!  Regardless of how small the step, the word, the whatever, we celebrate.  And well we should.  Each of those things is very important in a child's development.  Each little encouragement gives them the confidence to continue.  We have given our approval.

What I don't get, is why we don't use that same thinking in a child's educational development.  The first little scribble on a paper deserves the same celebration because your child is demonstrating the first step as a writer.  Pick up a book, even upside down, first step in being a reader.  As your child starts to write his or her name, don't respond with Oh, that's close but this is how you write your name, or you left out the k.  Try, wow, look at you, you wrote your name!  As they mature and see the name in print and modeled seeing it being written, they will get it. Remember to a young child, they haven't learned that the order of the letters is important.   In their young mind,  if you read it, mixed up letters and all, it must work.

Let's keep that same thinking going with counting.  As young children learn to count there are just some number names that are difficult to say.  If they leave out a number, it's okay initially.   Respond with, You counted to 6!  Good for you!  As you count objects around the house or in counting books, then you can model including all the numbers.

We want kids to be risk takers in their learning.  That only happens when we celebrate attempts at learning and not always correcting them.  Check for that in your child's school, preschool, daycare etc. Do they allow for and celebrate attempts at learning?  Look for a risk free environment.

Keep celebrating, but be more inclusive in your celebrations.