Ideas for Teaching a 3-Year-Old

Children by age three have a vocabulary of approximately 1,000 words and they can follow simple directions. When teaching three-year-olds, give them encouragement by actively listening to them and making the activities fun. Three-year-olds are more willing to follow instructions when you explain them in a clear and positive way and avoid negative words. Play fun games and plan activities that involve movement, noise and flexibility to keep their interest.

  1. Motor Skill Development

    • Motor skill development is important at this age, as three-year-olds learn to jump, run, coordinate their hand movements and use their fingertips. Teach your three-year-old how to accomplish basic tasks while encouraging muscle and motor skill development. Permit the child to play outdoors whenever possible, as sliding, swinging, running and riding on toys engages the senses and develops motor skills. Playing with different size balls is another teaching opportunity, as the child learns to kick and throw. Indoors, encourage fine motor skill development with hand-eye coordination. Set out containers of large beads and buttons along with shoe strings or yarn and let the three-year-old practice putting the string through the small holes. Another way to fine-tune motor skills is to have the toddler help water plants, pick up toys, place books on shelves and set out silverware at meals.

    Colors, Sizes and Shapes

    • Introduce your three-year-old to colors with interactive learning sessions. Make homemade clay or play dough and divide it into several pieces. Mix each piece with a different color of food coloring. Work with the dough and introduce each color to the toddler. Then, mix the colors together and experiment, asking the child to predict the resulting color. Another idea involves large colored blocks, such as plastic building pieces or wooden letter blocks. Ask the three-year-old to divide the blocks according to color. Throughout the day, verbally identify colors of everyday items found in your home, in magazines and from books.

    Musical Exploration

    • Teach your child how to listen and play music, and you're giving her a tool to use for de-stressing, entertainment and skill that she can carry with her the rest of her life. Sing nursery rhymes and seasonal songs, such as holiday tunes, with your toddler. Play hand-clapping games that go along to songs, such as "Ring-around-the-Rosie." Listen to music in any genre you find appropriate. Play simple rhythm instruments, such as hand drums or tambourines, or make instruments with her. Use recycled cardboard tubes, coffee cans or cereal boxes filled with rice or seeds and sealed securely to make noisemakers. Dance along with your three-year-old and introduce dance moves to her.

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