An easy way to teach your preschooler left from right

My daughter has recently shown an interest in directions. She has a really good natural sense of direction, to the point that my husband would argue, she has a better sense of direction than me!

So to extend upon this interest, I have started talking with her about identifying left and right.

Age
3.5-4 years old

Prior knowledge
This method requires the child to know a capital 'L', so knowledge of at least upper case alphabet is essential.

Method
Ask your child to make an 'L' shape with his/her thumb and pointer finger. Now ask them which hand is the correct way to make an 'L' shape. When they identify the left hand correctly, explain that 'L' is for left. Then explain that the other hand means right.



Putting it into practice
You can talk about left and right whenever, wherever you are. For example, this morning, whilst riding to preschool, I used this opportunity to discuss each direction change with my daughter using this method.

Another great opportunity would be whilst you are driving in the car, turning at traffic lights, roundabouts or intersections. You could even make it into a game!

Remember, be patient, as it is a difficult concept for their little minds to grasp, but consistent discussion and reinforcement will see your pre-schooler soon be telling you which way to turn!

Do you have any tips on how you helped your pre-schooler grasp this concept?

#preschooler
#education
#tips
#top_tip
#under_5 's
#development

%parent101