Teach

Make the conscious effort to teach your child every skill that you want him to learn – whether it is purchasing an ice-cream cone at the shop, making a new friend or writing the alphabet. Show it to him and explain how it is done. Do not expect him to acquire skills out of nowhere and do not assume he will learn it on his own somehow. If you do not teach him, who will?

Practice

Find opportunities for your child to practise the skills you have taught him. Have you taught him how to order a drink at the restaurant? Bring him there and let him order it on his own. Have you taught him how to telephone his grandma? Hand him the phone and let him make the call.

Proficiency

Proficiency is the sharing of knowledge. Your child has truly learned a skill when he can successfully teach it to another child. Encourage him to do so with his friend, sibling or cousin. Observe your child and his “student”. If the latter does it right, then you know your child has truly mastered the skill!

Great thoughts!

At the moment my little guy is absorbing infor at a huge rate.  DH told me recently that he loved to listen to me talk to the baby, because I don't just treat him like a blog that eats and poos!  LOL

I like to prattle along andjust explain to him everything I'm doing and different things about the world.  I'm sure he just like the sound of my voice at the moment and doesn't really understand what I'm saying, but it sets the scene of learning and the exchange of information later on, and I think that it's valable from that standpoint alone.