Teaching toddlers

I think the toddler stage is one of the most fun times with kids. Challenging, yes, but so very fun to see them growing! They are also super-fun to teach new things, as they're so eager to learn and their minds are like little sponges, just absorbing everything! Yesterday, I was sitting with Eden (my little princess in the pictures) while she told me about the colors in her blanket. She did pretty well telling me white, blue, green, and yellow, but got a little mixed up on her pink and purple. Not bad for not even being two yet!

She also likes to count and point out numbers that she sees on things. I don't remember my older ones picking up on these things quite as quickly as she has, but Eden has so many older brothers and sisters, that it seems natural she would learn things just by hearing so much. I do have a few favorite things I like use with my toddlers to help teach them. And when I say teaching, this is not sitting down and doing endless workbook pages-we just have fun! We read often and stock up on tons of library books each week. We have simple workbooks we use with coloring, cutting things out, writing letters, etc. Again, no pressure for them to do it 'just right'-they're just learning to have fun. I also love using the Lauri toys http://www.mfwbooks.com/toddler.htm Good selection there-I especially love the color and shape sorter. They are good for occupying little ones when you are homeschooling the older ones. Another great item I just recently bought at Christmastime are the preschool prep videos http://www.preschoolprepco.com/h/p/video.php . We got the shapes, letters, numbers, and colors DVD's. I was skeptical at first,, but they truly work and little kids love them! Warning, though, they can be quite annoying to parents after a while, as they repeat words over and over. Well worth the investment. I am hoping to get the other sight words videos that we do not have soon. I also love the Leapfrog videos http://www.amazon.com/Leap-Frog-4pack-Set-Leapfrog/dp/B0006A9J24/ref=pd_sbs_v_7 , though we don't own any right now. We check them out from the library from time to time and my kids love them! I am always open to new ideas about teaching my younger ones-and big ones too! If you have any great ideas that work for you, please share! Happy teaching! :-)