Teachers alone cannot give your child the education they need for going out into the world. We want to
foster independent learners who have a thirst for knowledge.
Raising children to successfully face the future can be a challenging task for parents but not impossible.
Understanding that you are your child’s first educator is the key to helping them succeed and is easier
than it sounds.
Parents who recognize the importance of home activities as a supplement to the classroom understand
they have an important role in educating that child. They realize there is so much they can give at home
that a child will not get in a classroom.
The moment a child comes into your world you become that child’s first teacher. Willingly or not, by
words and by example, you are their first influencer. Your child will use your actions as a guide to
interpret their surroundings and they will develop skill sets from your guidance, learning how to
navigate the world as they grow.
The home is where a child will build trust and a willingness to learn. It’s where they become self-aware,
learn confidence and consideration for others. They form the foundation for building a life through
attachments, predictable and consistent routines. A solid foundation gives them the sense of security,
love and assurance that encourages social interactions. They welcome opportunities to socialise and will
relate to others well.
Provide a child with a safe, comfortable, supportive and loving environment with discipline,
boundaries, and degrees of freedom that works for their unique personality, and they will
thrive. At home, through observation, your child will learn their moral values and attitudes.
Show them respect, kindness, honesty, compassion, courage, perseverance and self-discipline
and you lay the groundwork for understanding right and wrong. Giving them some of the skills
they will need to merge into society as a positive contributor.
The time and effort you put into your child’s early years is very valuable. You are educating, mentoring
and preparing them for their academic careers and a journey of life-long learning.
One of the most important things to give your young child is literacy, a love of the spoken/written word
and how they relevant to success. Help them become good readers by working on their language skills,
learning to read and write will give them confidence to communicate and socialise as they enter school.
Talk to your child, read to them, ask questions, point out things in the environment around them and
they will learn words associated with those things. You can play games while driving or shopping, ask
them to name things they see. Encourage things they show interest in. You don’t need to do formal
teaching, simply talking and exchanging words helps develop language.
Introducing your child to book is very important for developing language skill and a love for reading.
Skills that are necessary for entering a formal education environment. Routines is crucial to a child’s
development so set aside time for consistent daily development of literacy (15 to 20 minutes every day).
You must demonstrate that reading is important to you, make it fun and enjoyable. Your child will learn
to love reading and learning through exploration and imagination.
At the Reading Circle, we help children boost their literacy skills in a safe and fun environment. Tutors
help with that extra effort invested in language development through fun reading and comprehension
activities. We are passionate and committed to helping students reach their full potential by providing
educational support during their education career. Our goal is to solidify foundational skills from an
early age for continued confidence, strong self esteem and a lifelong love affair with learning.
You can reach out to us with questions, concerns or support at pickeringreads@hotmail.com or follow
us on social media.
Mala Mahabir
Executive Director.
The Pickering Reading Circle