Dear Our Time Parent:
“Happiness is a warm puppy.” -Charles Schulz
As we begin Kindermusik’s Fiddle-dee-dee, we begin our exploration of the world of animals! The Our Time-aged child typically loves singing about and pretending to be animals. Today we enjoyed playful puppy activities including a lively bounce to The Dog Went to Dover and romping and rolling to Walk Along, Rover. We focused on our listening skills as we listened to dogs barking. And of course, we enjoyed making our own dog sounds as well. Other animal activities introduced today included a rabbit fingerplay and the delightful Animal Serenade book. As you and your child enjoy Animal Serenade at home, be sure to listen to the corresponding track 8 on your Home CD 1 and sing along with the songs.
To prepare your child for more Kindermusik fun next week, listen to your Home CDs and talk with your child about favorite animals. I look forward to seeing you next week!
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Kindermusik’s Foundations of Learning - some of the benefits your child received from today’s activities are:
Active Listening: Active Listening differs from hearing in that it is an intentional act. While we are surrounded by sounds in our everyday life we choose whether or not to listen and process the sounds we hear. Active Listening activities allow children the opportunity to learn to listen intentionally.
Benefits of Rolling: Most everyday locomotor movements of children, such as walking, running and crawling, involve the use of the arms and/or legs. Rolling, however, is initiated from the center of the body, with the body eing propelled in a prone state by he hips and torso. Rolling is also unique in that it allows the child (or adult!) to experience the sensation of seeing the world from his stomach and back all in one continuous movement. This provides good stimulation for the vestibular system, which is important in many ways to a child’s development, especially for his sense of balance and orientation in space.
- Dance and Grow: Developmental Dance Activities for Three-Through Eight-Year-Olds, by Betty Rowen
Movement and Learning: “ Movement is key to learning! Our brains fully develop through movement activities such as crawling, rolling, turning, walking, skipping, reaching, swinging and much more! The brain has aplan for development that involves specific an dintensive motor activities to make full use of our complicated nervous system.”
-“Movement and Music: The Keys to Learning,” by Anne Green Gilbert, Kindermusik Notes Nov./Dec. 1998
Literacy: Reading picture books together with adults helps children internalize some skills that are crucial in the development of true literacy.
Reading together:
Fosters reading enjoyment
Provides predictability through repetition
Introduces new vocabulary
Expands understanding of story structures
Promotes critical thinking
Encourages language play and creative expression
Music & Movement Story Time also encourages musical development through tonal rhythm and movement play.
