We are continuing our Teaching Toddlers series by discussing how to teach your toddler a second language. In previous posts in the series, we explored teaching toddler math and critical thinking skills and teaching toddlers to read.

Global Language Statistics

If you’re an American, this might seem like a shocking statistic- Did you know that 43% of the world’s population is bilingual? That translates to nearly half of the world can speak two languages equally well.  Only 40% of the world is monolingual- or can only speak one language. ¹ An article in the Washington Post states that only 20% of Americans are bilingual versus 56% of Europeans.² As American parents, how can we do better to increase these statistics and include our children in the bilingual percentage?

Most parents are eager to help their children learn a second language but find themselves stymied by their young children’s unresponsive ears and slow comprehension. The good news is that with a...

We are continuing our Teaching Toddlers series by reviewing how to teach toddlers to read. In case you missed it, in the first two posts of this series we discussed teaching toddles math and critical thinking skills using an at home curriculum. We covered teaching a variety of early math concepts such a quantities, numerals, patterns, measurement and more.

In this article we will cover not only how to teach toddlers to read but also the importance of doing so from an early age. Did you know that only 35% of US fourth graders are reading at or above grade level? This means that 65% of US fourth graders are “below proficient” which means they are not reading at grade level. Even more worrisome is that 14%- a jaw dropping 32 million adults- in the United States cannot read. 1. One of our goals at Masterminds Early Learning is maximize the potential of every child and help them be them be their most intelligent and happiest selves.

Benefits of Reading to your Baby

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Teaching Toddlers Math and Critical Thinking Skills Using an At Home Curriculum

In part one of this two part mini series we looked at the need for toddlers to build a strong math foundation as well as some of the first steps in improving their understanding of numerals, quantities, and number manipulation. If you missed that, I encourage you to go back and review that post first. In part two of the two part series, we will be exploring teaching toddlers patterns, logic, shapes and spatial relationships such as geometry, and measurements such a size, weight, and volume.

Teaching Toddlers Patterns

While your child is learning quantities, numerals, and how to manipulate them, you can begin introducing your toddler to repeating patterns. We recommend starting with a basic ABAB repeating pattern and moving on to other repeating patterns such as ABC, ABCD, ABBA, and so on. Ask your child to copy repeating patterns as well as encourage them to create their own. Just as before, this can be...

This is part one of a two part series about how to teach toddlers math and critical thinking skills. This week we will be discussing the need for toddlers to build a strong math foundation as well as some of the first steps in getting them comfortable with numerals, quantities, and number manipulation.

Math is All Around Us

It has always been important for children to learn math, but it has never been more important than it is today. The world is becoming increasingly digital, and the best jobs are increasingly dependent on understanding how to use technology. Furthermore, the ability to understand quantitative concepts such as logic, probability, and pattern recognition is increasingly important in a world where so much of our information is presented in the form of charts, graphs, and tables.

I always tell my daughters that my favorite thing about math is that it is black and white. Your answer is either correct or incorrect. One plus one is always two- in every language, in every...

Pros and Challenges of Homeschooling Toddlers

If you’ve been considering homeschooling your toddler, this might be the route for you. Teaching toddlers using an online curriculum has many perks. Just to name a few- it allows for flexible scheduling with your toddler, you can pick and choose the classes you want to focus on, and you can do it anywhere and at anytime. While homeschooling your toddler, you can get the most out of your time with your child. You can teach them in small groups, one-on-one, or even in the car on the way to and from other scheduled activities. It allows you to tailor your teaching to the specific needs and abilities of your toddler.

Homeschooling your toddler comes with many of its own challenges, though, too. You might not know where to start as a parent going down this path. You want to teach your toddler everything they need to know, but you may struggle to get them to sit and listen to lessons. You wonder how you’re going to get your toddler...

What Should I Teach my Toddler?

Perhaps the question should read “What can’t you teach a toddler?”

If your child is anything like mine, you find yourself being asked all sorts of questions on a regular basis- What kind of a dog is that? Why does the wheel make that sound? How do you fix this toy?

If you are anything like me, you might just want to shrug it off and say ‘because’ or ‘I don’t know”. Parenting is exhausting- the cooking, the cleaning, the constant guidance you have to provide. And then comes the phase of the constant questions. You’re tired and all they want is an explanation for every little thing. 

The reality is it takes just as much energy to teach your toddler “That is a golden retriever” as it does to say “I don’t know”. It takes just as much energy to explain “The wheel is squeaky because two parts are rubbing together. We can make it stop by adding some oil” as...

Did You Know? 

Based on over 60 years of research in child development by Nobel Prize winners:

• All children are born potential geniuses
• Every child is born with 100 billion unconnected neurons in its brain
• These neurons begin to connect at a very rapid rate between 0 - 6 years, the crucial age for a child’s learning foundation
• A child is more adept to learn anything during the first 6 years of life than he will be at any other stage
• The ability of a child is a product of stimulation and opportunity, not of a preset alarm clock or a predetermined genetic design
• Children would rather learn than do anything else - as long as the process is joyous
• Capable children are happy children – a better connected brain has lifelong implications for learning, achievement, emotional resilience and well-being

Introducing knowledge through specialized methodology has been proven to grow neural connections in the brain exponentially and multiply the learning child’s...