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Monday, September 20, 2010

Successful Learning Tip: Establish Routines


For your child to be at optimal learning ability, she needs to be in good health. That means she needs to have healthy meals and also have regular, consistent sleep patterns.

For meals, be sure to work in all food groups. If you are sending your child off to school or a sport/dance/music lesson, be sure the food you are giving her will sustain her through her time gone. Learning requires brain power, and the brain requires food for power. It is hard to concentrate when you are hungry.

Have bedtime as consistent as possible. Try to not sway more than 30 minutes. Also, have a consistent morning wake time. Sure, if your child will sleep in on weekends and you want her to, let her sleep in a bit. But for most days of the week, have a consistent morning wake time within 30 minutes.

If your child is of the age of still needing naps, be sure to work those into your day.

And don't neglect physical exercise. Play outside each day as possible. Go for walks and bike rides. Play tag. Play on jungle gyms and swings. Play sports. Dance. Chase bubbles. If it is a day you cannot go outside at all, do some indoor activities that are physically challenging (see our gross motor activities for ideas).

These things will help set your child up for optimal learning all day long.

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