Art

Reviewer's note 

Children start learning from the time they are born through their five senses, e.g. recognizing mother from the sound of her voice. They learn cause and effect e.g. if I cry mother will pick me up. They learn to distinguish feelings of comfort (a dry nappie) and discomfort (a soiled nappie). The examples are endless. As children grow they begin to become increasingly aware of their environment. Parents can enhance their learning while performing everyday activities e.g. while feeding the child point to the spoon — say "spoon" and "we eat with a spoon" — demonstrate. Do not expect a baby to repeat what you say — that makes learning a chore. Say it and go on to other simple things. The child will surprise you one day and repeat what you have said. This will increase a child's vocabulary and general awareness. There are many activities you can involve your child in, by using common objects found in the home. "Diamond First Steps" is a series of four books geared to enhance a child's pre-reading, pre-writing, pre-math and developmental thinking skills. Use them as guides and develop your own activities to help the child further, to get ready for school. Rote learning of letters and numbers does not sharpen the child's cognitive skills. Use these books to help your child to think, to  

Levels

• Level B

• Level A