All Children are Teachable

I am amazed more and more each day at how the mind of a child can absorb so much information.  Elie is learning at such a fast rate, it is hard to keep up with all that she knows.  For example, the other day I thought that she could only count to three, then she started counting all the way to ten!  Now she is going up into the teens.
In doing therapy for children with autism, I have learned that all children are teachable.  It is just YOUR job to teach them in the way that they learn best.  One child may learn best by repetition, while another child learns best through visual stimulation.
In our house, we do many things to foster the best learning environment for our child.  Below is a list of ways that are helpful to us:

• Limited TV - It is easy to rely on TV as a babysitter, but we limit the amount of TV that Elie is exposed to.  She can watch a 20-30 minute segment every few days.  All shows that she watches are based upon Christian morals or educational.  This also means that we do not have the TV on while she is awake.  This allows us to either focus on Elie or other things around the house.
• Blanket Time - Blanket time is a means of teaching your child self control.  During this time, Elie is allowed to play with 1 toy or do 1 activity.  She must stay on the blanket for a designated amount of time.  When her time is up, she earns a reward.  During this time we either spend time teaching her difficult material (sight words, counting materials, learning letters) or allowing her to have alone quiet time with 1 toy.  I thought she would have a hard time learning how blanket time works, but after a few days, she began to beg for it! 
• Teaching Through Play - We often get on the floor with Elie and teach her indirectly through her play.  For example, when playing with a car ramp, I may ask her a multitude of questions while we play.  She does not realize that she is learning, but it is an excellent teaching opportunity.  Some questions I may ask during this time may be, "What color is the car?" "How many cars so we have?" "The car says _____" and "Touch the hood/door/wheels."
• Schedule - Children thrive when they know what to expect.  We have times by which we do things.  For example, wake up at 7:30, breakfast 8:00, lunch 11:00, nap 12-2, snack 2:30, dinner 5, bath 7, bedtime 7:30.  Now things may not always happen just like this, but we have a goal for how our day should be.  I know she has an early bedtime, but the most important aspect to having children is having a happy marriage.  This time allows for Chris and I to spend time together without Elie (or me to blog...haha).

These are not all of the things we do, but just a start to give you an idea of ways in which to teach your child.