Are you one of those mothers who are in a hurry for their children to learn everything in one go? Well, take a look at your plans for the knowledge you want your child to acquire; they may not be ready yet.
The most significant piece of knowledge consists of a few geographical directions, like “straight ahead,” “backwards,” “above,” and “under,” especially if they are used without naming specific persons or sensory, visible things nearby.
So how can you facilitate your child’s speech, walking, and movement in terms of understanding directions? Here are a few helpful and practical pointers.
- In order to understand the meaning of the word “within” or “inside,” ask them to put a toy “inside” their toy box, for example, and follow along to guide them in the right direction.
- Offer them a ball to play with and tell them to come throw the ball “up high,” after you throw it yourself in the direction you’re talking about. Then repeat this, throwing it “forward.”
- Encourage them to stick a few magnetic toys on the door of the refrigerator, from the “bottom” to the “top,” and then from the “top” to the “bottom,” even if it’s with your help, of course.
- Ask them to put a pillow “under the bed” and then “on top of it,” and correct their understanding of directions when they get confused or make a mistake, never forgetting your constant smile and encouragement.
- Suggest that they crawl “under” the duvet and walk “on top of” the pillows; between the fun and the game, your child will learn some vocabulary for directions and will begin to distinguish between them.
- In the car, repeat in their hearing that, for example, they’re sitting “in the back” in their special seat and that you’re sitting “in the front” to drive the car.
- Play the policeman game together, in which the policeman is hunting the thief hiding “behind” the door.
Ask them to draw things “near” to another drawing or “underneath” it or “on top of” it; this is an effective trick for teaching children some directions.
