I love to walk in the rain, eat tangy pickled turnips, smell flowers and feel mud between my toes. Just like us, children experience their world through their senses.

I have been doing a bit of reading about the Montessori method of teaching children, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori.

Maria Montessori believed that sensory experiences begin at birth. Through senses, the child/baby is learning and beginning to understand their environment. We all know that the first few years of a child’s life are the most important years for brain development, so it is important to let your grandchildren have experiences that use all of their senses. And a gung ho grandma can help with that!!

One of the easiest ways to do sensory play is using what I call Container Play. And it is so simple to do!

Grandma, as I am sure you already know, reading is important… it is a vital part of your grandchild’s development.

I spent 17 years as an elementary school teacher and always, always, always, my most engaged and capable students were competent readers. A child’s reading ability touches every other subject in school. Reading skills are part of encouraging a strong imagination and an interest in learning. Reading with grandma should be a shared experience which produces a love of books from an early age. As a grandparent you can have a profound influence in raising a reader.

Let’s look at 16 ideas for you to try with your little (or big) bookworm, to help them become a better reader:

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