Many parents take on the role of being their children's preschool teacher and the responsibility of readying them for kindergarten. To achieve this goal, it is important for parents to introduce a variety of subjects in a positive and playful manner. "Learning should not be forced,"says Marion Godwin, who has taught first grade in Moorestown, N. J. for more than 30 years." It should be taught according to what they know and do best--and that is' play'. When teaching  them, play games and have fun with the subject. And parents should always be looking for'teachable moments'." "You want a child to be a lifelong learner, so you want to show them learning is everywhere,"she says."If parents take the time to lay a strong educational foundation, their children will keep building on it." Introduce children to science with hands-on activities that interest them, such as growing plants from seeds, discussing animals and how to care for pets, and observing the chemical changes that occur during cooking", she says. "Sorting activities, simple patterns and counting games are a great way to teach children the basics of math, and taking them on field trips, singing songs and reciting rhymes also are ways to prepare them for the first day of school", she says. "I think children are naturals when it comes to computers," she says."Let them play educational games on the computer and teach them how to type their first names using the keyboard. When they are more familiar with using the computer, let them find pictures of animals and places on the web. " "Don't criticize the child," she says. "You can't force them to learn something. If they don't get something right, so what? Smile and be happy and make the experience joyful. Parents need to understand that if a child gets something wrong, they may think something is wrong with them. Keep working with them and when they get the right answer make sure you tell them how hard they worked to get the correct answer. " Marion Godwin tells us that we should teach the children according to their  _          .
subjects and needs level and interest teachable moments strong educational foundation