A child is a person under the age of 18. According to the definition of international law, children are defined as every human being below 18 years of age. The Convention on the Rights of the Child outlines 54 articles and three optional protocols on children’s rights. These rights include the right to life, to freedom from discrimination, to development and protection from violence.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a United Nations treaty that states have signed to protect the rights of children. This includes ensuring that they have access to education, health services, food and water. It also requires states to act in the best interests of their children, and to take into account the children’s rights when planning policies and implementing actions.

UNESCO has developed a comprehensive set of guidelines for teaching children, called the Learning through Play Framework. This is based on evidence that children learn better when they are encouraged to explore, discover and play.

Play is the best way to engage your child in learning, and it can have a huge impact on their development and well-being. It helps them develop their cognitive, physical, emotional and social skills, as well as their empathy and compassion for others.

Let them lead the way in their play, so they can direct it and get to know their environment more deeply. This can lead to greater exploration, self-regulation and causal understanding.

Help them learn their names and numbers using a combination of visual, auditory and kinesthetic methods (using touch and eye movement). Use a variety of textures to engage your child’s senses as they practice identifying and counting objects.

Make sure your child’s language skills are progressing at the same time, by encouraging them to say words, sentences and stories that use new vocabulary they have learned. This will help them build confidence and give them a head start in reading and writing later on.

Join Empowered Parents + for free to access a range of printable puzzles, stories and activities that can help you teach your child through play!

Sing songs and play music

Singing nursery rhymes is a great way to introduce your child to new sounds and rhythms. Children love to repeat what they hear, so songs are a great way to support their development. They also help your child understand phonics, as the repetition of sounds can help them decode words.

Teach lacking skills

It can be frustrating for a parent to try to teach a child something that they have not yet acquired, but there is no need to throw in the towel. If you have a limited amount of time with your child, or are working with a difficult child, it may be easier for them to learn these things on their own.

The Learning through Play Curriculum, which includes a year’s worth of activities for young children, is available to download for free as part of the Empowered Parents Plus membership package. It will help you create a safe and loving environment that allows your child to develop their full potential.