Earlier this year, I put my son in preschool. He absolutely loved it. And then flu season came around and I pulled him out. Now that we have a newborn in the house, I’m weighing whether or not to put him back in preschool. I’ve never even considered the option of homeschooling, but I know that I’m fully capable of educating my children at home. Preschool, in my mind, was always more about giving him social interaction in a structured setting rather than providing formal education.
I have been looking for some type of educational program to do with my son while we’re home. Our days are filled with books and play, but as he gets older, I really want to set aside some learning time. I was recently contacted by PlayBright to check out their Early Learning System. The series of early learning guidebooks were published by the Children’s Home Society of Washington and developed with input from child developmental scientists, brain researchers, and early educators. The goal of the program is simple: Empower and equip parents so they can create learning opportunities through play for their kids on a regular basis.
One of my favorite takeaways from the program is that it is in the “day-to-day, moment-to-moment experiences” that a child learns. The books will teach you how young brains develop, how a child learns best, what skills are important for a child to learn, in what order skills develop, the tools and actions that support and encourage a child’s learning, and activities that will help a child develop particular skills.
The system has 2 components: The Keys to Learning Book and the Guidebooks. The Keys to Learning Book ($39.95) will help you understand how a child’s brain develops during the early childhood years. The Guidebooks ($25.95) focus on a single year of a child’s life (up to age 5) and help you understand a child’s four major developmental skill areas. I like the developmental milestones checklist to keep track of how my children are progressing.
The Keys to Learning Book is really for parental use. It is used to help you as a parent, understand how your child develops which will help you then implement some of of the ideas presented in the Guidebooks. It’s also beneficial in helping parents come up with their own unique ways of fostering their child’s development with consideration to their unique personalities. The Guidebooks really help you as the parent put what you’ve learned into practice. Each book focuses on a year of life and includes a checklist for developmental milestones, a list of safe toys that help a child grow in a particular stage, and a series of activity pages (that make up a bulk of the book). I definitely think you’ll find a nice combination of activities you probably already do with your child, and new ones to help foster your child’s development. I particularly find the 0-12 month Guidebook beneficial, because this is the age range where I find myself wondering how to engage an infant.
Play is the best way for children to learn. The PlayBright Early Learning System is a great way for parents to become actively involved in their child’s learning. And who better to teach them than the ones who spend the most time with them? For more information, just visit their site!
Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for this review. I received a product, courtesy of the company in order to facilitate my review.
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