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as much directional
terms as north, south, east, and west. Other words that
describe such features as color, size, and shape are also
important.
* Show your children north, south, east, and west by using
your home as a reference point. Perhaps you can see the
sun rising in the morning through a bedroom window that
faces east and setting at night through the westerly
kitchen window:
* Reinforce their knowledge by playing games. Once children
have their directional bearings, you can hide an object,
for example, then give them directions to its location:
"two steps to the north, three steps west ...."
* Use pictures from books and magazines to help your
children associate words with visual images. A picture of
a desert can stimulate conversation about the features of
a desert--arid and barren. Work with your children to
develop more complex descriptions of different natural and
cultural features.
Maps
Put your child's natural curiosity to work. Even small
children can learn to read simple maps of their school,
neighborhood, and community. Here are some simple map
activities you can do with your children.
* Go on a walk and collect natural materials such as
acorns and leaves to use for an art project. Map the
location where you found those items.
* Create a treasure map for children to find hidden treats
in the back yard or inside your home. Treasure maps work
especially well for birthday parties.
* Look for your city or town on a map. If you live in a
large city or town, you may even be able to find your
street. Point out where your relatives or your children's
best friends live.
* Find the nearest park, lake, mountain, or other cultural
or physical feature on a map. Then, talk about how these
features affect your child's life. Living near the ocean
may make your climate moderate, prairies may provide an
open path for high winds, and mountains may block some
weather fronts.
* By looking at a map, your children may learn why they go
to a particular school. Perhaps the next nearest school is
on the other side of a park, a busy street, or a large
hill. Maps teach us about our surroundings by portraying
them in relation to other places.
* Before taking a trip, show your children a map of where
you are going and how you plan to get there. Look for
other ways you could go, and talk about why you decided to
use a particular route. Maybe they can suggest other
routes.
* Encourage your children to make their own maps using
legends with symbols. Older children can draw a layout of
their street, or they can illustrate places or journeys
they have read about. Some books, like Wi
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