One of my cousins has a 2 year old boy. She told me that children are very observant and can learn things very quickly. Small children are natural copycats. Preschoolers learn a lot by watching what we do and then trying it themselves — whether it’s positive or negative. So it is very necessary for us to watch what we do.
Studies have proven that if a child starts school with a certain set of skills and habits, a behavior to learn more will enable them to take at most advantage of everything that the school and its environment has to provide to the child. Some skills come naturally to the child, while some need to be infested through an environment that promotes learning.
What I’ve observed in the younger age group of 2-5 years is that songs and rhymes are very helpful in teaching and entertaining these tiny toddlers. The most important reason for parents to use music and rhymes to engage with their little children is that it provides an opportunity for both of them to bond and enjoy. Above all, it is an experience of fun and learning.
With the help of my cousin, I have chosen 5 videos that can be shown to a preschooler which include counting, role play, storytelling, with plenty of actions and movement, all invaluable tools for learning. The list is as follows:
(1) ABCD’s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETLTkjSix5g )
(2) Five little ducks ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmoebx4gbs4 )
(3) Old MacDonald had a farm (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EQjDEpzSU8 )
(4) The Wheels on The Bus ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbiFZKt5irI )
(5) Twinkle Twinkle little Star ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py-J_LvPLnI )
In the fourth video, “The Wheels on the Bus”, the girl who is singing the song keeps asking questions. When the kid watches the video multiple times, he grows used to the questions posed by the girl in the video, and may even start answering to them. Even if he doesn’t answer to the questions, he may simply begin to sing along or clap to the tune. Every time my cousin’s son watches the video, he starts jumping and laughing. This is the reason why “The Wheels on the Bus” is on every playgroup’s favorite list; the lively actions never fail to get everyone joining in!
Another aspect of these videos which is to be considered is the color of the video. Color has a powerful affect on the mood and behavior of the child. It is therefore, very important for us to consider the dominant color of the video before showing it to the child. Bright colors such as red, yellow, blue, green, pink and white can attract the kid’s attention and also promote a welcoming feeling. For ex. the color of the bus in the first video is bright, same is it with the animals and dress of the girl.
Children are more fascinated by those videos which they can relate to- videos which show things they see and hear every day. The video “The Wheels on the Bus”, shows a bus, its doors, its wheels, the driver, the passengers, etc. It talks about what sounds each of these elements make.
Talking and listening are extremely valuable for school success, and parents have countless opportunities to develop their child’s language skills. It is therefore very important for parents to be very careful about choosing the right kind of videos for their children and also showing these videos in the correct sequence, so it is simple for the child to learn and absorb the content.
