School is different than it was when I was a kid. I’m not sure what happened, but somehow, kids just got smarter. I don’t recall learning the things that schools are teaching in kindergarten. I’m not complaining. It’s pretty awesome to see what kids are capable of. But, if you’re a normal parent, you have probably had moments when your child wasn’t getting something that you knew they would need to master soon. That can be a scary feeling. After all, no one wants to think that their child is going to fall behind. Unfortunately, not all parents are natural-born teachers, and sometimes it can be difficult to figure out the best way to help our children retain information that they learned in school. Thankfully, Parragon Books has created excellent educational tools that are created to help parents and kids make learning together fun.
It is especially crucial that younger children adopt a positive view of learning from the beginning. If learning is not fun for them, it will be harder for them to remember the information, and frustration will set in. Discouragement can be detrimental to the learning process and can cause kids to plateau. They need to be assured that learning is not a chore, but rather a privilege that they can enjoy. One of your many jobs as a parent is to help them to want to learn.
So, it’s great that Parragon is offering a series of educational tools called “Learnalot” that starts with preschool material. One of their offerings is a fantastic comprehensive workbook that covers a full curriculum. Geared towards ages 3 to 5, the preschool workbook includes activities, games, and worksheets that help make learning an interactive, hands-on experience. You don’t have to be an educator to help your child navigate this workbook. It is all laid out for you. In the preschool workbook, you’ll find the crucial building blocks of the alphabet, number recognition, tracing, shapes matching and colors.
The kindergarten version of the book is created for ages 4 to 6. It graduates to word recognition, counting, science, nature and also includes matching, games, and tracing. I also took a look at the second-grade book, which builds on earlier concepts, and includes reading and math. This book is geared for ages 7 to 8. All of the books include 100 stickers that will help your child feel validated at the end of a fun lesson.
Parragon also provides a learning pack, which includes five workbooks. The preschool workbooks cover the alphabet, counting, animals, shapes, and colors. The kindergarten pack covers math, writing, phonics, science and social skills. There are 250 stickers included in this pack.
One of my favorites is the Learnalot game book that is packed with 500 questions for a more Socratic method of learning. This really is a great tool for kids, as it helps make critical thinking entertaining. Parents ask the questions, and kids have a blast reinforcing their skills while interacting with mom and dad. In the first-grade game book, the skills that are covered are literacy, math, science, music, social skills, nature, creativity, and health. This is a great tool to take with you on the go when you’re riding shotgun or at a restaurant.
Last but not least is a smart little activity book called Coding and Computers, perfect for the little techie in your family. Computers already intrigue most kids (and adults), and this book builds on that intrigue. Coding and Computers is a great way to peel your kids’ eyes away from a screen and put them onto a page. They are able to learn the basics of creating a game, from the initial generation of ideas, to the actual coding, to sound production. Through vibrant illustrations, activities, puzzles, and mazes, kids will gain a better understanding of how computers work. It helps them to learn how their natural interest can translate into practical application that can be very useful to them in the future. Just be prepared. This book might make your children smarter than you.
Learning doesn’t always have to be drudgery, and parents should take advantage of every opportunity to make learning enjoyable for our kids. The folks at Parragon Books have already done the legwork, so all we have to do is take the time out to use the methods to jump-start a passion for education at an early age. These tools can help us to put our kids on a healthy path to a life-long love of learning.
LOVE board books for Dylan