Rote and Repetition - Your Key to Toddler Learning

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

23 Aug 2006 05:00 AM

Repetition is one of the primary keys in teaching your toddler. While they may very well enjoy exploring the world around them, teaching them various things including their schedule, their ABCs and even the names of things is done by repeating it over and over and over again.

Your 2 year old may very well be able to sing their ABCs and other nursery rhymes, not because they have an intellectual grasp on what they mean, but because they have heard them over and over and over again. This is why getting your baby and toddler into a routine is important. The constant repetition can teach them that they need a diaper in order to get their diaper changed.

It's another reason why parents should refer to each other as Mommy or Daddy, this teaches the baby that this is what they are called. If your spouse insists on calling you by your given name, chances are that your baby will call you by that before they call you Mommy.

Rote Memorization Helps In Different Stages

While memorizing the repetition of their ABCs is one way to teach them the song, this will help them later as they begin the learning process in school. Many of the things they know simply by learning it rote will come to be helpful when they attend preschool and regular school. This is the difference the between knowing something and doing something with it.

Use repetition regularly, from describing what you are doing for your toddler to teaching them familiar and fun nursery rhymes like patty-cake and more.

How did you use repetition to teach your toddler?

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Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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Libby Pelham (12880) 23 Aug 2006 10:37 AM

I kept counting my sweetie's fingers and toes. Now, he loves to count them himself! It almost drives me over the edge, but repetition is the key to learning at this stage!