Dear Families,
Families making music together, moving together and playing together is as much a treat for me as it is for your children. I can’t think of a better way to make friends.
Research suggests that when a toddler is engaged in free play with an older child, her pretend play becomes both more frequent and more complex. Mixed-age play also offers a number of benefits for older children, including enhancing social-emotional development and communicative behaviors. “It seems the efficacy of the dyad may be increased if the older play partner is familiar to, and perhaps a regular play partner of, the younger child” ~ Dr. Helen Kowlaski
As we come to the end of our ten week semester together, I’d like to thank you all for sharing your family with me. Please come to our May 17th and May 24th bonus classes for making up those sick days. If you’ve not yet re-enrolled in Family Time for the summer semester beginning May 31st, call or email TODAY so that you and your family can enroll in the next class.
And again, thank you for sharing your family with me,
Kindermusik’s Foundations of Learning - some of the benefits your child received from today’s activities are:
Benefits of Reading Aloud
Reading to a child on a regular basis benefits him in several ways. Reading increases his knowledge of the world, his vocabulary, his familiarity with written language, and his interest in becoming literate. As teachers, we should encourage parents or other family members to read aloud to their children at home – the larger the variety of fluent readers he hears, the better (Armbruster, Bonnie and Jean Osborn. 2001).
Movement
A child needs the freedom to move. It is important to allow him plenty of opportunities for movement in a safely arranged space where he can practice using the muscles in his body. This allows him to explore his surroundings, refine his coordination, release some of the energy that keeps him on the go, and develop new skills (http://www.zerotothree.org/brainwonders/parents-18-24-2.html).
Experiential Learning
Moving with a prop provides and excellent opportunity for multi-sensory learning. Gliding a hoop through the room to music, for example, engages the senses of touch, hearing, and sight. Moreover, children can visualize the rhythm and melody and physically apply what they are hearing when they move their props. What a fun way to experience music and movement concepts!
