(Ivanhoe Newswire) With many preschools and daycares in Massachusetts and around the country closed due to COVID-19, parents are worried that their young kids might not be learning the school readiness skills they need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right now, parents might be concerned they are not making the grade. They are busy working from home while balancing childcare duties and supporting their children\u2019s learning. For many in the Latino community, especially those without access to the Internet, finding appropriate resources can be challenging. But social scientists have found that parents may already have the resources they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Developmental psychologist Diana Leyva has studied how Latino parents support their preschooler\u2019s math and language skills in their home environment. Leyva asked 210 parents to go pretend shopping with their kids. Parents who provided more math support during the game had children who showed larger gains in math skills by the end of kindergarten. Parents who were less directive were less likely to take over the task for their child and had children who showed greater reading gains. The findings suggest that providing support and feedback, but also letting your kids complete tasks on their own helps them develop math and literacy skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leyva said busy families could build learning into daily activities like setting the table or preparing a meal. She also said, \u201cYou can tell them, \u2018oh, well, I need three eggs, so can you bring three eggs?\u2019 And so, you’re counting. You can also compare, \u2018ok, so do we have more rice or do we have more beans?\u201d Parents can also strengthen language skills at laundry time as Leyva stated, \u201cAny activity or any routine that you do at home can be turned into a learning opportunity, and in a very simple way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n