Time is a very complex and abstract concept, especially for children who are 3-4 years old. However, there are various ways to teach your child the days of the week and make the lessons fun for both of you.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Presenting the Days of the Week
Step 1. Explain that each day is a new day
The first goal is to teach your child that every time he wakes up a new day begins.
Step 2. Tell him what the days of the week are called
Teach him the names: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tell him what day it is today.
Write each day of the week on a piece of paper and explain the correct sequence. Arrange the papers on the table or hang them on the wall and order them together
Step 3. Explain that the week consists of seven days
Let him know that a week lasts seven days. When it's over, another begins.
Step 4. Teach him to distinguish between yesterday, today and tomorrow
Although it can get confusing, try to clarify the difference between past, present, future.
- Yesterday: comes earlier than today. Tell him what day it was yesterday and link it to what you did.
- Today: this is the day you are living and try to connect it to what you have decided to do.
- Tomorrow: comes after today. Tell him what day it will be tomorrow and remind him what to do.
Step 5. Clarify the difference between working days and holidays (weekends)
Teach him that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the days when children go to school and parents work. This is why they are called working.
Then he explains that Saturdays and Sundays are the days of the weekend, during which you can relax and have fun, because the school closes on Saturdays and in some cases you don't go to work
Part 2 of 3: Using Agendas and Calendars
Step 1. Show your child the days of the week on a calendar
Get a calendar and show him that each line includes a week. Indicate each day and color it so that you can distinguish it more easily. For example, use red for Monday, yellow for Tuesday, and so on.
Step 2. Present the days of the week using an agenda
It is possible to make children understand that some days are different from others based on the commitments made. Link an event to a specific day to help them remember what day it is.
For example, Monday is the day of the football school, Wednesday is that of pizza for dinner, Sunday is that of visiting grandparents and so on
Step 3. Count down important tasks
By counting down the most important events in your child's life, you will help him realize the days go by.
- For example, if he can't wait to go to a birthday party on a Saturday, you might ask him during the week, "How many days are left at the party?"
- Alternatively, if he's not in the mood for his birthday, which he will be celebrating in several weeks, you might ask him, "How many Mondays still have to go until your birthday?"
Part 3 of 3: Learning the Fun Way
Step 1. Use hilarious songs with catchy rhythms for your child to learn the days of the week
There are many fun and educational nursery rhymes to teach children the days of the week. Try writing "days of the week for children" on YouTube: you will see several videos on this topic.
- These are songs that are easy to memorize because they have a simple rhythm that sticks in the mind. Plus, they can be hummed almost anywhere. In this way, your child can take advantage of several opportunities to practice and learn the concept of time.
- According to experts, singing not only promotes the production of endorphins (the feel-good hormones), but also strengthens memory abilities and brain development by stimulating the brain to engage in multiple activities at the same time.
- Simply put, if you sing, you are happier and more mentally awake. Hence, it is the ideal way to teach your child the days of the week. You can also put the songs in the car for your child to practice en route to school or when you go out on errands.
Step 2. Create a calendar with your child
To help him learn the days of the week, try showing him a calendar and ask him what their names are. Then, ask him to create another calendar together on a blank page.
- Ask him what he does each day of the week. For example, if she only goes to kindergarten three times a week, she might say, "I'm going to school on Monday," and so on. Allow them to use stickers and images cut from newspapers to "distinguish" each day and remember it more easily.
- For Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, they might use a sticker depicting a school building or a picture of a school bus, while for Tuesdays and Thursdays, they might choose something that they spontaneously associate with those days. For Saturdays, she could take a photo of a supermarket or a typical family situation, while for Sunday she could use some image representing your place of worship if she wants.
Step 3. Make a drawing consisting of the days of the week
Another fun idea is to draw the "caterpillar of the week". At first, the child will have to draw eight circles.
- The first will be the head of the caterpillar, to which he can add eyes, nose, mouth and all the details of the face he prefers.
- The other circles should enclose the names of the days of the week. In this case, he can add any symbol that reminds him of the moments he spends at school, in the family and in other contexts.
Step 4. Use picture books
Get picture books based on this theme and read them to your child. If he can do it himself, ask him to read aloud. Alternatively, ask him to explain the images and situations depicted.
Step 5. Use the jump rope and the bell game
Singing while jumping rope or playing hopscotch is a great way to learn the days of the week. As the child is jumping rope, he may sing:
- "Monday chiusin chiusino, Tuesday pierced the sheep, slipped out Wednesday," Pio, pio, pio "fe 'Thursday, Friday was a nice chick, caught a grain on Saturday. Sunday morning already had its crest".
- Alternatively, play the bell game. Draw 7 squares on the ground, one for each day of the week. He might sing the same nursery rhyme while jumping from square to square.
