Thursday 3 July 2014

How to teach your kids about opposites

Opposites are an important basic concept for kids to learn.




          Teaching opposites is an ideal way to help improve your child's ability to communicate.The addition of descriptive words to their vocabulary will greatly transform the level of detail your child can convey - 'soft bunny', 'bigteddy' or 'little boy'.

          We chose opposites because we believe that it is important for a child to understand that not everything is the same.They need to know that not everything is fast, cold, or big but there is also slow, hot, and little items too.

         Opposites are very important to education, but not just to education but to life. Without them, we would not know what soft was compared to hard and what cold was compared to hot.

Some Kids Opposites


big / small                        young / old                    light / dark       
clean / dirty                     happy / sad                   open / closed 
empty / full                       wet / dry                        yes / no
front / back                      tall / short                      awake / asleep
good / bad                      top / bottom                  laugh / cry
fast / slow                        up / down                      stop / go   
near / far                          in / out                           girl / boy 
high / low                         on / off                           soft / hard  
hot / cold                         day / night
                      

Understanding kids Opposites

         Opposites are one of the most important basic concepts that a growing toddler can learn.Many learning programs seen either online or on the TV show a child opposites so that they can learn to detect the differences.Here are some opposites that children began to learn at a very early age:


Soft
Hard

Big
Little

Outside
Inside

Slow
Fast


Teaching your child Opposites with Toys

        Toys are something you're sure to already have plenty of... so creating opposite games with toys is only limited by your imagination!

Find a small teddy bear and a big one to teach big and small or baby and adult.
Using balls of different sizes and weights you can teach big and small, heavy and light, and float or sink.
Using a ball and a bucket, cup or box, teach your toddler in and out, over and under, as well as up and down.
Some toys have volume - for example toy dog, trucks, dolls. Use these toys to teach loud and quiet.

Teaching your child Opposites with Movement


         Here are a few simple activities that you can do with your toddler indoors or out. Once familiar with the game, ask your child to do the opposite. For example, if you reach up, your toddler will reach down.

Reach high to the sky and low to the ground
Take a big step and a little step
Clap your hands loudly and quietly
Run fast, then slow (toddler’s pace)
Happy face, sad face
Fill a cup with water, empty cup
Open lid, shut lid
Sit down, stand up
Turn to the right and then left
Jump up and crouch down.

Using Games to Teach kids Opposites

        You cannot underestimate the power of simply talking to your baby as the day goes on. Simply narrating aloud whatever task you happen to be putting your hands to is a great way to teach baby. As you do this, look for examples of opposites in your every day life. For example:


Open and Closed

     There are plenty of things in a day that you open and close. The dishwasher door, cupboards, toys with lids, etc. As you go about the day or play with your baby, repeat the action of opening and closing the item and simply say "Open", "Closed". You might also use your hands and chant this common child tune:

Up and Down

      You can have lots of fun when you teach baby about up and down concepts and possibly get a bit of a workout to boot. You can do this by lifting your baby up high and then down low, repeating the words "Up" and "Down" as appropriate. Additionally, you can lie on your back, knees bent with feet planted on the floor. Position your baby on your legs and hold firmly under his arms with your hands. Lift your legs up and down, and say, "Up we go!", "Down we go!"

On and Off

       How many things can you think of that you turn off and on during the day? Light switches, televisions, radios, water spigots. Then also think about the things that you put on and off your baby; hats, socks, etc. These are all great times to illustrate the concepts of on and off in your baby's everyday world.

Flashcards


        Finally use Your Own Create or buy index cards with pictures of opposites on them. Have your toddler match sets of opposite flashcards - happy and sad, hot and cold, big and small, up and down and so on. They can pair the flashcards as they find the set of opposites.


Image Credits 

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