What is Wonder: Playing to Learn?
Ever wish you had someone in your kitchen, whispering what to do next as you watch your child fumble with pencil grip?
His hand wraps around the entire marker, and the wrists turn in a way you didn’t know was possible. Is that comfortable, you think? Ouch!
You lovingly lean over to adjust his hand only to have him wail, rejecting any assistance.
Whew! I just cannot teach my child, you think. He is impossible!
Feeling frustrated, you enter the Google search rabbit hole, how to help my child write.
Just like misdiagnosing a rash, we may be misidentifying our children’s milestones.
We spend hours searching for an answer without guidance about what is appropriate for our child’s age or stage.
Now let’s rewind.
You see your child’s entire hand wrapped around the blue marker as they haphazardly color in the shark you drew for a morning Breakfast Invitation.
BUT NOW you’ve taken this course.
Now, you have the confidence to make an observation, use a key phrase from your downloadable resources, and know exactly how to move forward to help your child reach his full potential without hovering.
This guidance is what our online course is all about.
How do we honor our child’s development, keep our sanity, and enjoy our time together along the way?
In this course, you will gain or polish tools to help your child learn through play at home – plus, you’ll better understand how learning progresses from one milestone to another.
Playing to Learn is an online course for parents of toddlers and preschoolers.
Whether you work inside or outside of the home, if you want to learn how and why to support learning through play and bring out the best in your little one, this course is for you.
We are surrounded by ideas and activities online, but after talking with more of you in our community, I wondered what was missing?
It was the HOW and the WHY.
HOW do we reach these young children, OUR young children, without the power struggle?
WHY should we? Is it really going to make a difference?
Let’s tackle this together by learning how to be a student of your own child.
Let’s learn how to use activities to connect with our children and concepts such as counting, the ABCs, and cutting.
Let’s create a fun-loving, playful home without the stress of becoming the perfect parent – because we all know that perfect parenting doesn’t exist.
Let’s talk about why recognizing and gently prompting learning opportunities sets your child up for a lifetime of success in reading, math, analytical skills, and critical thinking starting now.
Inside Wonder: Playing to Learn, I share noteworthy insight on the behind-the-scenes when working with children.
Our course begins with our acronym W.O.N.D.E.R.
W.O.N.D.E.R will become the foundation of your daily interactions with your child as they play. You will also learn the difference between independent and guided play. – Both are essential ways to play to make everlasting connections that build on prior knowledge.
What we need is an encouraging approach to understand better how our child thinks and thrives.
Are learning and play are two separate categories?
The short answer is no. Play and learning can be a seamless combination.
What if I told you that whatever it is your child loves to play with, you can turn it into a learning opportunity and set them up for a lifetime of success – all while having fun together? Babydolls, robots, and magnetic tiles all qualify!
The online video course is one hour to respect your time and give you the most valuable information to help your child learn with hands-on experiences—no supply list. Here, you will see how you can use what you already own.
Curious how play connects with learning?
One of the most important things a parent can do is make sure their child has fun while learning. Time for play sets the stage for future opportunities to build on prior knowledge and a growth mindset with problem-solving.
Here, you will learn how to grow your child’s learning with play and honor their development. You will also learn conversation starters and tips that will help extend your child’s thinking in a risk-free, enjoyable way.
Wonder: Playing to Learn is created by a former teacher and now parent of three to guide you through 10 video lessons. This course also includes clickable downloads to take what you’ve learned and put it into practice.
Let’s honor learning styles and teach the whole child.
Every child has a unique way of learning.
Our children remember what they see, do, and touch. They learn from problem-solving and need to be allowed to make decisions on their own terms.
As caregivers, we want to provide ample learning through play opportunities so when it comes time to memorize a definition, children can attach the words to an experience.
Wonder: Playing to Learn lessons include:
- An overview of the progression of learning to build upon existing knowledge
- Powerful conversation starters
- Flexibility to have meaningful conversations in everyday interactions
- Hands-on activity ideas
- Variations of ideas to play with different stages
- Sensory play
- Art
- Gross Motor
- Fine Motor such as how to introduce scissors to your child
- Number Sense
- Language Skills
Wonder: Playing to Learn also Includes:
- Ten powerful video lessons
- Colorful downloads designed to summarize each module
- Clickable images to put what you have learned into practice
- Permission to print downloads and keep on hand
- Over 25 play prompts
- Conversation starters to encourage and extend your child’s thinking
Wonder: Playing to Learn is your roadmap.
It is a self-guided course to take you on a journey to understand the seamless transition between content and play.
Use Wonder to complement what you are already doing. This is your HOW, and your activities are your WHAT.
As we move from at-home learning to back to school, let’s bridge the gap between the home-school connection to help you and your new Kindergartener walk into school with confidence.
How long is the video course?
This course is a little over an hour. I honor your time and pack each module into short, doable lessons. You will leave with confidence and knowledge to extend your child’s thinking in a risk-free, enjoyable way.
Who is this course for?
Wonder: Playing to Learn is for caregivers of toddlers and preschoolers.
This video course will guide you to understand better how to set up play in your home and encourage your child to explore mini-milestones through play.
It sure does! I created summaries of each module for you to store on your computer or print to hang. Each download is colorful and shares the essential information to refer back to as needed.
The downloads also have clickable images! My goal is to leave you excited and inspired to implement all you’ve learned! The activities put the material learned into practice.
Great question! I am a former teacher that taught Kindergarten, first grade, Reading, and Fourth. I also have a Master’s in Teaching Reading, a passion for working with children. Working with early learners brings me so much joy!
I now stay at home with my three boys and have put everything I share into practice. No guesswork. This online course is created after 14 years of classroom experience and seven years with my children. What I share is based on lots of experience and many, many different learning styles.
Certainly! Much of what I teach you in this video course, you will notice your child doing in preschool. This course will encourage the home-school connection with caregivers from all different lifestyles, ages, and stages of learning.
I don’t have time for setting up activities.
Isn’t this the truth? As a caregiver, we are wearing a lot of hats. Many families do not have time to prep and set up complicated activities.
You will still leave this course feeling empowered.
Wonder: Playing to Learn shares practical information that can be used as an activity setup or to put snacks into a bowl. This course is created with the busy parent in mind with useful, tangible tips.
This video course is all you need! You will notice I mention paying close attention to your child’s interest and using what they love to promote learning through play. I created downloads to put what you’ve learned into practice, and you also have the opportunity to purchase activity cards to keep at home. You have the control and flexibility to make this your own!
I am always available by email: beth@dayswithgrey.com – Looking forward to connecting!