There is so much more to learning that just completing a task…

My 3 year old started this puzzle activity (after watching his older sisters breeze through it) saying, “Mommy that’s too hard for me”. I told him I would help. I didn’t expect him to match words or even search through all the pieces to find 3 or 4 out of 100 to put together. It would have overwhelmed him. I started by putting 3 pieces that matched (mixed up) in front of him (not making it obvious I was). It took him a while to fit the three together but halfway through he gained confidence and practice. By the end (about 30 minutes later) I stopped putting three in front of him. He figured out there were concepts/images and parts he recognized out of the whole he was to complete. He was so proud when he finished, and by the end didn’t need any help. Learning is so much more than being able to complete a task; it is planning, figuring, practicing, building, creating, anticipating, trying and more…