As a 30+ year veteran public school teacher, I can say for certain that kindergarten is five years too late to begin educating a child. Parents, grandparents, big brothers and sisters, nannies, and other caregivers often determine the academic success of a child by how they interact with him or her early in life. So, if these caregivers are teachers, why not teach them how to teach?

 Here’s a simple model for teaching anything to almost anyone. It’s called the 5E Model of Instruction and many teachers around the world use this model in formal lessons every day. It can just as easily help nannies, moms, and other caregivers feel secure in their teaching approach.

Engage: For example, ask a question, point to something of interest, or give the child something play with that you’ll talk about later. Generate curiosity about something.

Explore: Let the child see, feel, hear, taste (if appropriate), and smell an object. Give him time to get to know it.

Explain: Talk about it with the child. You explain what you want him to notice. Let him explain to you what he has learned about it.

Elaborate: Encourage the child to use what she’s learned and apply it to new situations. For example, if she learned that an apple is red, let her point to other red things in the house.

Evaluate: Give the child opportunities to show what he’s learned. For example, put several toys out and have him play the “red” game by choosing the red objects and placing them in a basket. It won’t take long to find out if the child really understands the color “red.”

Working moms and working dads, talk to your nanny and let her know that you want her to actively teach your child age appropriate concepts. With the 5E Model of Instruction, she can adapt almost any lesson to a child of almost any age.  If you use the Tender Tidings Infant/Toddler reporting page that comes with a Tender Tidings subscription, there’s a place on the form for Nanny to document what she taught your child each day. What a great way to give your child a firm educational foundation.

Go to www.TenderTidings.com and see all the wonderful features that help working parents stay connected to their at-home children. Working moms and dads don’t have to feel separated from their kiddos any longer.