Blowing Bubbles

Blowing out candles, blowing bubbles, blowing a dandelion, and Blow Away the Morning Dew. There was a lot of blowing in Village Class today-long and short blows. We blew on wind mills and we played with sponges and water. Next week we'll play with the sponges again and blow bubbles!

Infants who can blow bubbles and lick their lips are more likely to pick up language quickly according to a study by Dr. Katie Alcock at Lancaster University. It was found that the ability to perform complex mouth movements was strongly linked with language development. Blowing also aids in the development of the lungs and diaphragm which are used in the production of vocal sounds and speech.

Blow your way home this week.

• Let your baby feel the cool breeze of you gently blowing on his hand, tummy, toes, or face while getting dressed.
• Blow to cool off your baby's warm breakfast cereal.
• Have bubble blowing fun!

Sing to your baby:

Blow Away the Morning Dew
Blow away the morning dew,
The dew and the dew.
Blow away the morning dew,
How sweet the wind doth blow.

Bring the Learning Home Part 3

I've Got a Secret
Children love whispering secrets in your ear, and learning to whisper is a wonderful way to help your children master their voices. Share secrets like "Watermelon for dessert," or "Grandpa's coming over," and, of course, "I love you!" Encourage your child to whisper back-you could even have a whole whispering conversation, if you don't start giggling first.

The Opera of Our Lives
In the mood for something silly? Try singing an entire conversation with your child. Pretend you're an opera star as you warble dramatically, "Allie, come to lunch but wash your hands first!" Make sure your child sings back! You might not keep it up for long, but you'll have fun-and learn a lot about how singing voices are different from speaking voices.

Early Learning Environments

"According to a New York Longitudinal Study, three major factors in early learning environments lead to competency in adulthood:
1. rich sensory environments
2. freedom to explore with few restrictions
3. available parents that acted as consultants."
Smart Moves by Carla Hannaford

Angie, Kindermusik Teacher
phone: 503-708-2827
web site: http://www.kindermusikwithangie.kindermusik.net/

Pretend Play

Imitation is the first stage of pretend play. As imitation evolves it becomes more imaginative. The complexity of pretend play can be seen when the child re-examines life experienes by adding or changing the happening.

Benefits of pretend play include:
a.. vocabulary development
b.. social skills development
c.. differentiation between reality and fantasy
d.. emotional support

Angie Janson, Kindermusik Teacher
phone: 503-708-2827
web site: www.kindermusikwithangie.kindermusik.net
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One More Time

Baby can enjoy an activity for many repetitions. With this "practice" new connections are made in Baby's brain, actually helping it grow, and Baby experiences the satisfaction of intentionally causing an effect in his world. In one study on this subject, an eleven month old joyfully rolled a ball to a willing adult playmate 180 time before losing interest! Sound familiar?

Kindermusik Teacher
503-708-2827
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Sensory Learning

As you and Baby experience the contrast between a smoothly rolling ball and a jumpy, bouncing ball, she is understanding on a sensory level the difference between smooth, sustained movement, and sharp, detached movement. This is an important element of music and language.

Kindermusik Teacher
503-708-2827
web site: www.kindermusikwithangie.kindermusik.net
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Brain Development

Exercise that crosses the midline helps develop the corpus colossum, the connection between the two hemispheres of Baby's brain for learning to read.


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Security

Babies who have warm, responsive care are more resilient later in life. By following your instincts to cuddle Baby, you are providing the securtiy and safety necessary for Baby's healthy development.

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Stop and Go

Music is sound and movement, and it is silence and stillness. Just as we expereince sculpture in terms of where it begins and ends in space, we experience music in terms of where it begins and ends in the time that surrounds it. We explore this "stop and go" aspect of music in many Kindermusik class activities.

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Reading to Baby in a cozy, pleasant environment creates positive associations with books and learning. Of course, it also helps Baby begin to decode language. Research has shown that babies younger than six months can distinguish familiar words from unfamiliar words.

Choose nursery rhymes and stories to tell Baby. Try making up a story about something familiar to Baby. As you speak, see how many different ways you can use your voice. This helps Baby learn expressive use of voice.

Kindermusik Teacher
503-708-2827
web site: www.kindermusikwithangie.kindermusik.net
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Stop and Go Games

Babies enjoy "Stop and Go" games. The element of surprise delights her at first. As she becomes familiar with the activity, she will enjoy anticipating the stops and starts, understadning the structure of the music in much the same way spoken language prior to speaking it.

Angie
Kindermusik Teacher
503-708-2827
web site: www.kindermusikwithangie.kindermusik.net
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Village Class Babies:

Babies in this multi-age class are changing more rapidly than at any other time in their development. Therefore, each activity presents features and choices for lap babies, crawling babies, and walking babies, each participating at his own level. The crawling baby may be walking ay the end of the course, and lap baby may be crawling. Diversity is expected and welcomed. There is never the need to ask: "am I doing it right?" Kindermusik Village teaches "your baby's way is the right way." Watch and take note. Then enjoy exchanging ideas and observations with other parents.

Angie
Kindermusik Teacher
503-708-2827
web site: www.kindermusikwithangie.kindermusik.net
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Kindermusik Village Babies

Kindermusik Village babies are in a "receptive" mode of development, in preparation for movement towards a more expressive stage of development. Kindermusik Village lessons acknowledge this by providing a wide array of sounds, images, tactile and movement activities for Baby to experience. Parents and caregives are encouraged to enhance every activity by imagining yet another way to position Baby to view his/her world, another sound or movement to try, and are invited to observe and ntoice Baby's preferences, antics, and responses.

Angie Janson
Kindermusik Teacher
503-708-2827
web site: www.kindermusikwithangie.kindermusik.net
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Kindermusik Village:

Kindermusik Village stresses the interactive nature of the total development of the whole child in body, mind and spirit by naming and claiming these benefits of music education for society's littlest members. These Kindermusik Foundations of Learning are incorporated into every Kindermusik Village lesson.

Angie
Kindermusik Teacher
503-708-2827
web site: www.kindermusikwithangie.kindermusik.net
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Hand/Eye Coordination

Baby's eye follows the sound and makes the discovery. This marks the beginning of hand and eye coordination.


web site: www.kindermusikwithangie.kindermusik.net
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Baby's eye follows the sound and makes the discovery. This marks the beginning of hand and eye coordination.

Kindermusik Teacher
503-708-2827
web site: www.kindermusikwithangie.kindermusik.net
blog: www.kindermusikwithangie.blogspot.com
Become a fan of my Facebook page!

Crawling which is a cross-lateral movement, activates development of the corpus callosum, the nerve pathways between the two hemispheres of the cerebrum in the brain. Research shows that children who miss the vitally important crawling stage may exhibit learning difficulties later on.

Play and Language

"Baby needs reaction and interaction in play before talking happens." Dan DeJoy Ph.D. Speech-Language Pathologist

Kindermusik Teacher
503-708-2827
web site: www.kindermusikwithangie.kindermusik.net
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