*We were given a subscription to Kidloland to help us faciliate this review. All thoughts and opinions are honest and based on our experience.
Naomi is the spitting image of myself. She loves to talk, has as sweet, stubborn spirit and has the ability to command an army. God created Naomi as a talented artist. I’m sure she smells colors and sees the world differently. The Lord has used her in my life to show me the beauty, wonder and skill it took to create the world.
Learning is also harder for her. She wants so badly to learn as quickly as her twin brother, but the harder she pushes herself and the more stressed out she becomes, her brain shuts down. She has to stay calm, she has to feel safe and she has to be taught in story form.
When I taught Maddie and Titus letters I could say line down and around or whatever was needed for each letter or number. Naomi needs to have it taught in story form. If it does not have a relational part to it, her brain will not engage. She has to feel like she is apart of something bigger and greater, relationships to her are bigger and greater.
I began telling her Mama Bear and Baby Bear stories. For an A I would said Mama and Baby Bear went for a walk down the drive way, they walked back up and took a short cut to the park, on their way home they took a short cut. This is enough to engage her brain and she is soon writing a whole page on her own in excitement.
Watching her brain engage is thrilling to be, because through most of my learning I could not grasp what I was learning because my brain could not see it. The stories help her to see it, therefore she can do it.
We use salt trays, play-doh and Kidloland to give her atmosphere of learning and practicing, but in a way that is relaxing and fun. Kidloland is a app I have on my iPhone. It is geared for kids 0-5, but in our experience it is better for kids 3-7. Plus, try not to have our kids using devices when they are that little. However, for older kids it worked great.
Naomi was stressed out with learning this morning and taking a break to trace her letters on Kidloland allowed her to breath and learn at the same time. As a parent I have to remember to breath and not get frustrated with her. I know from experience how awful it is as a kid to have a teacher yell at you because you do not understand what she is teaching. It is not Naomi’s issue, it is mine and I need to pray for patience and wisdom.
I am thankful the Lord showed me how to reach her and teach her. Watching her light bulb moments happen is thrilling to me and it is my honor to get creative to help her understand the world around her. To find out more about Kidloland you can click here and to discover how we tailor Naomi’s learning for her click here.