From Play Aids to Books

The knowledge of how the learning aids match the child’s development stage and academics is essential; in fact, it’s seen as a crucial element in relation to the use of a magic wand.

 

A. The Necessity of Matching Development;

A renowned Scholar in Early Childhood Education, Dr. Lilian Katz has emphasized the importance of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP). She says, “Recognize that young children learn best through interactions with materials and activities suitable to their age and developmental level.” Learning Aids above the child’s developmental stage and age range can frustrate the child, and those below their standard can be too simple and less challenging, so the motive may not be met.

That being said, let’s further explore how learning aids can be of help to a child’s progress:

1. Birth to 12 months: Babies become aware of new sensory experiences during these first months. The toys help engage their sight, touch and hearing abilities as a foundation for future learning and also encourage grasping and manipulation for motor development.

 

1. Focus: Having them use all their senses and physical development.
2. Learning Aids: Safe and healthy teething toys, comfortable floor mats, high contrast coloured mobiles with good textures, etc.

2. 12 to 24 Months: This stage is where language develops, and they begin to build fascination with the use of exploring materials. Materials for this stage help with vocabulary acquisition, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, gross motor, and spatial awareness.

1. Focus: Language and speech development, fine motor skills, and ability to recognize things and people even when not seen or touched.
2. Learning Aids: Push and pull toys, a basket of toy blocks, etc.

3. 2 to 3 years: Pretend play toys really plays out in this stage as they tend to use the aids to create a world of their own, to act scenarios, and to portray emotions. It could also be an aid to teach them how to count, helping them solve problems and think critically while using the learning aids.

1. Focus: Beginners’ literacy and numeracy, social skills, pretend play.
2. Learning Aids: Toy food and fruits, crayons and coloring books, stuffed toys, dolls, etc.

4. 3 to 4 Years: At this stage children become more curious about how things and the world around them works. So Aids provided should be able to help them reason broadly, give into experimentation, promote their creativity and skills.

1. Focus: Beginner’s Science exploration, Pre-Writing skills, and knowledge building aids their ability to think and reason.
2. Learning Aids: Interlocking toys, sandboxes, creative but simple science kits.

5. 4 to 5 Years: This is a stage to make oral expression and narrative comprehension easier and more appropriate.

1. Focus: Pre-reading, Mathematical skills, Fine motor skills.
2. Learning Aids: letter and number magnets, puppets that can aid storytelling, flannel boards, etc.

All of the abovementioned is a guide that provides a framework for easy accessibility to each age group, but do not forget that individual development amongst them differs from one another. Observe them individually and help them balance their challenges and success.

B. Aside from the Toy Box, The Environment is a major factor.

The environment used for learning itself is as important as the learning process. Make available designated areas with the learning aids in view to help in play-based learning due to the time allocated to the children.

C. Conclusion: The beauty of Matching.

In these developmental stages, matching aids are more than just ticking the boxes; it’s more about creating a conducive environment for the children to learn, experiment and grow at their own pace.

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Mrs. Omotola Lawson is a seasoned Toy Distribution Entrepreneur and government-certified Instructor with a proven track record. She excels in attracting and securing international investors for Nigeria and designing and delivering comprehensive ‘Train the Trainers’ programs for child-focused organizations in both the private and public sectors. Notably, 15 years ago, she founded the first dedicated toy outlet in Lagos, a pioneering venture that has made a significant impact in the industry.