Patience has its own rewards.

I've been teaching him for over a year now. I greet him at the door each week before class, but he only hides and looks away with uncertainty in his eyes. Sometimes I catch him watching me, when he thinks I'm not looking. I smile, and again he looks away. I know he's happy to be in Kindermusik. His face usually beams while he plays the instruments with his mom and dad. However he struggles to branch out and interact with anyone except his parents, so we continue our delicate dance around each other each week. Sometimes I wonder if I am dancing with the "elephant in the room", but all of that changed this week.
When I greeted him at the door, I caught a subtle smile before he looked away. It played at the corner of his mouth with a hint of impishness and was gone as quickly as it appeared. I saw it several more times, even if only briefly, throughout the class. While listening to the story time, he pointed in answer to a question I asked him. This was something completely new, and I was thrilled that he was finally getting comfortable enough in his social skills to participate on this level. Then the unexpected happened. We were about to close the class with a goodbye song, and he walked right up to me, looked me in the eye, and spoke. Not only spoke, but he took my hand to show me more about the question that he had. I tried to remain cool and calm as we walked together hand in hand. I wanted to appear as though this was totally expected, but inside I was trying to absorb this unexpected turn of events- to savor everything about this moment. It's the little victories that make teaching so rewarding to me. It's a joy to witness a child reaching out to accomplish something that I know was a true challenge for them. Those moments are often few and far between, and there is a fine line between challenging that growth without pushing so hard that you crush their desire to achieve it. 


I guess it's true after all. Patience does have its own rewards.

Again! Again!

Have you ever wondered why a child will ask you to read the same book over and over or perhaps never tires of rolling the ball back and forth? A newly published study may shed some light on this learning technique of young children. Nicknamed the "Goldilocks effect", the study examines the attention span of infants in relation to the complexity of the world around them. The results showed that infants focus only on situations that are neither too difficult nor too easy.

"The study suggests that babies are not only attracted by what is happening, but they are able to predict what happens next based on what they have already observed," says Kidd, lead author on the report. "They are not passive sponges. They are active information seekers looking for the best information they can find." Children who are engaged in a sensory rich learning experience are best equipped to receive and retain new information. The repetition of a fun activity likely yields new information each time for your child and provides an opportunity for them to test their predictions based on their latest observations.  "Parents don't need to buy fancy toys to help their children learn. They make the best use of their environment. They are going to look around for what fits their attention level. Kids learn best from social interaction," reminds Kidd.

I hope your family can enjoy some fun, social interaction in a Kindermusik class this summer! Click here for a free preview coupon.


 

Feeling like a Failure

This post is originally from Studio 3 Music's blog. As a fellow mom to homeschooled children and teacher, Analiisa's post met me right where I needed it, and I thought a few of you might be there too.

Yesterday, I felt like a complete, utter, failure. I’ve got a sensory child, and I’m also a home schooling mom of three. People often ask me how I do it, and to be perfectly honest, sometimes I wonder, too. Most days, I look (at least I think I do – please don’t crush my delusion) put together on the outside, but like teachers everywhere, there are days when we go, “Did they actually learn anything?”


Back several months. Rob had just finished vision therapy, which for us, was the missing piece of our sensory journey. We’d already done occupational therapy, physical therapy, water therapy, seen a sensory motor specialist, and finished speech therapy. At this point, you can meet Rob and you wouldn’t know he’s a sensory kid. I thought the rest of this schooling year would sort of be an all-come-together year. So much for my plan.

Yesterday, I was doing Singapore Math with Rob. And suddenly, he looked at me and said, “I don’t remember how to divide.” Three weeks ago his violin playing took a huge leap backward. His biggest complaint was that (and I quote), “I can’t keep all the information straight in my head.” I’m having lots of trouble getting punctuation rules to stick in his brain, too.

I’ve noticed over the last couple of months that all he wants to do is PLAY. With his friends. And read. For hours. This from the kid who a year ago couldn’t read for more than 15 minutes without his eyes getting tired. That doesn’t mean, of course, that he doesn’t do school. He does. He likes grammar and history and anatomy and physiology especially. But yesterday, I kept thinking, “How could we get this far and do division all the time, and suddenly, you can’t do it?” It seemed to appear so out of the blue, that I thought that perhaps I just had my head in the clouds and wasn’t paying attention and finally noticed what was going on. Where had I missed the signs?

So I emailed Jesikah, who used to be my assistant, and now bears the more lofty title of Director of Operations. She’s my email therapist, sometimes, too. (She’s also the mother of Rob’s best friends.)
I wrote –
He’s so struggled in some areas at school this year – it’s not a cognitive thing. His brain has just had difficulty processing all the information now flowing in (thanks to vision therapy). However, I feel like I’ve failed him somehow this year. We haven’t accomplished as much as we’ve needed to.

And then I got back the most amazing response –
The Montessori teacher told me recently that some years the children really pour themselves into academics, and some years their social/emotional development needs are so much that it is a distraction against academics and not much is accomplished there…but social/emotional needs are more important than academics – it is what makes us good husbands/wives, parents, friends, siblings, good students and even employees… At the end of one’s life, we always want to be better spouses, better parents, better friends…we never regret that we weren’t as academic as we could have been. Children have a knack for catching up academically, too.

You have not failed Rob. Perhaps, this is a growing year for him socially/emotionally, which is why school is so hard for him. Those other needs are more important at the moment, even if he is incapable of expressing those sentiments.

Thank you, Jesikah. The fact that as a fourth grader, Rob’s brain has felt the need to do something else for his development (rather than what I want it to do), is perfectly okay. So we’ll do a little math this summer, and practice writing a few friendly letters.
-posted by Miss Analiisa, who wants to tell discouraged parents and teachers everywhere that it’ll be okay. Because it will. Even if you have to pull out of the violin recital at the last minute.There will be another one.

Be Encouraged!

Meet me in Kindermusik!

I was sitting in traffic the other day, and I began to think about the car in front of me at the light. She was a single mom with two daughters. One daughter attended Randall Middle School . She enjoyed yoga and long distance running, and she lived in Fish Hawk Ranch. I knew all of this not from personal knowledge, but simply by reading all of the magnets and stickers on the back of her car. We are definitely a society that likes to connect with others through labels and interests. How else do you account for the massive success of websites like Pinterest, Meetup, and the like?
Connecting with those around us and feeling a part of something are important to your little ones as well. In fact, the Institute for Early Childhood Education and Research states, "a body of research has been building to suggest that there is a strong link between young children's socioemotional competence and their chances of early school success (Raver, 2002). In fact, studies demonstrated that social emotional knowledge has a critical role in improving children's academic performance and life long learning (Zins, Bloodworth, Weissberg, & Walberg, 2004)." As a parent, I tend to focus on activities that I believe will enhance academic success for my children. It's nice to be reminded that having fun in a group setting is important for their academic success as well! What kind of social activities have you enjoyed lately with your children? We are now enrolling in our Kindermusik classes! Click here for a free preview pass.

What's in store for today?

Familiarity... It's such a simple thing, and yet knowing what to expect can bring such a sense of security and comfort. If you look at your daily routine, and you'll find there is usually a sequence that your day follows. Now picture someone coming in and messing with that routine. You have to come in to work 2 hours earlier tomorrow morning. Your job responsibilities change, but no one can tell you exactly what is expected of you. You go to the grocery store, and they have changed all the aisles around. I'm guessing you would feel pretty frustrated by the end of the day. Now picture that same frustration in the body of a young child.

Children like to know what to expect and thrive on routine. If you think about it, a young child has very little control over what happens to him throughout the day. They depend on us to feed and bath them. We are responsible to put them to bed and ensure their daily care. If you don't have an established routine in your home, it may leave your young child just as frustrated and out of control as you would have felt in the above scenario. Familiarity brings a level of comfort and security that allows your child to freely explore their world and comfortably transition from one activity to the next. It also benefits your child as he learns more about sequencing. Here are a few ideas to help with your routine.

• Sing a song when it's time to change activities. You can use a favorite song or even make one up for bath time, dinner time, or a favorite lullaby for bed time.
• Use a picture chart to map out what to expect each day. As each item is finished, remove it from the chart using tape or velcro. You can find some free pictures here.
• Use sequencing activities and songs, such as "B-I-N-G-O", to strengthen the "what comes next" concept for your little one.

I heard that!

Recently on our Facebook page, we focused on the parenting topic of multi-sensory learning. Using all of the senses for learning helps your child to better retain the information gained from the experience. It requires active participation in the learning process and engages the whole child. There are lots of great ways to use this approach to enhance listening skills with your children. This vital skill helps your child develop social skills such as conversational skills, new vocabulary or proper word pronounciation, or listening to directions in a classroom setting. Music has been found to greatly enhance listening skills in young children. Try a few of these ideas out at home!

• Go on a sound hunt with your child. As you "spy" different sounds, see if your child can identify the sound and mimic it.
• Sing silly songs with your child and encourage them to make up new silly words that would rhyme. 
• Leave out a word or phrase in a familiar song and enocurage your child to fill in the blanks as they sing along.
• Encourage your baby to listen by allowing him to watch your face when talking to him. Sing simple songs and mimic his sounds if he tries to "sing" back to you.
• Sing echo songs together. You can even make them up as you go along.

Simply "Be"!

I love the simplicity and freedom that children enjoy. They live each moment without a thought or concern of what the next moment will bring. We could learn a thing or two from that. We get so consumed with the details of our daily responsibilities and time constraints, that we forget to simply enjoy being in the moment with our children. Think you've mastered this skill? Take this quick test, and find out.

1. You are leaving for a quick trip to the grocery store, and your toddler begins to insist on buckling her seat belt herself. You...

A. tell her you don't have time today. She can try next time. 
B. give her a couple of seconds to try on her own, before buckling it for her
C. wait as long as it takes for her to finish and celebrate the accomplishment.

    2.  You are surfing the net, and your 7 year old comes up to ask you a question. You...

A. ask him to come back later.
B. quickly answer the question without looking up.
C. stop what your doing, look into your child's eyes while listening, and then answer him.

    3.  You pick up your child from school, and just as she begins to tell you about her day, your cell phone rings. It's a friend that hasn't called you in a while. You...

A. answer the phone.
B. say "excuse me a moment" to your child and then answer the phone.
C. hit the silence button on the phone, so that you can better hear your child.

    4. You take your child to a library story time or other enrichment program where your friend also attends. You...

A. spend the whole time talking with your friend while your child plays with the other children.
B. interact with your child when you see they need assistance participating properly.
C. and your friend focus on enjoying each activity with your children together.

How did you do? If you chose 3-4 "C" answers, you are likely making the most of every opportunity to enjoy your children as they grow! If you had only 2 "C" answers, don't sweat it. There simply may be some times in your day that you need to re-focus. If you had 0-1 "C" answers, I challenge you to watch your child today and remind yourself how to live in the moment.

Sibling Rivalry

As a home school family, I spend a great deal of time around my children. We have a great time learning together, but, like any other family, we also have days where disputes arise. I have come to learn that no matter where you're from or how you raise your children, the fact of the matter is that sibling rivalry is sure to raise its surly head! Conflict resolution is an important skill that children need to learn to succeed in life. However, it's easy to feel frustrated when your working though this with your children because you don't want to appear to be "taking sides". Here are a few pointers I picked up from the James Dobson book, The New Strong-Willed Child.

• Don't inflame the natural jealousy that your children feel by comparing them to each other.
• Establish a workable system of justice at home. In other words, you should have reasonable rules that protect each family member an ensure their fair treatment, then consistently enforce those rules.
• Recognize that the hidden "target" of sibling rivalry is you! The bickering may be an attempt to capture more attention.

I hope it will help smooth the rough edges in your household as your children grow and learn how to successfully work with those around them.

Of horses, children, and all things teachable

Recently, I took my daughters on a field trip to Forever Florida to learn more about Florida's cattle history and horsemanship. While there, we participated in a horse training session. During the session, positive behavior was reinforced with a treat or verbal praise, and negative behavior was redirected. Within about 15 minutes we had trained one horse to yawn on command and another to roll a ball back to you. I was intrigued because I use this same technique in my Kindermusik classroom each week! Positive reinforcement can start with a small treat or verbal praise each time the desired outcome is achieved. The rewards will then begin to decrease as the new habit begins to form. There are a number of reasons that positive reinforcements works.

• It supports what the child is doing right instead of focusing on what the child is doing wrong.
• It increases the odds that your child will behave in that manner again.
• It encourages your child's positive choices when you "catch them being good".

Positive reinforcement is nothing new to parents, but we often get so busy that we miss the opportunity. If we're not careful, we may only notice when the behavior has become undesirable. When that happens, it's important to redirect your child back to the original goal and reinforce the appropriate behavior once it occurs. I'm sure they will be galloping to success in no time flat! ;)

You might be a home schooler...

As I walked through my home the other day, I noticed a quilt thrown in a pile on the floor of my music room. With a sigh and a mumble of "wishing people would just learn to put things away", I reached to fold it up. I stopped, however, as I realized that there was something more going on with that quilt. It had become a classroom. A crack along the edge of the quilt was allowing in just enough light for a 4th grade reading class to exist beneath its quiet shroud. As a home school family, this behavior is not that unusual for us. However, I venture to say that most of you don't realize that you are home schoolers too!

Webster's dictionary defines a classroom as "a place where classes meet". To many this looks like a room with 4 walls, desks, and children seated in neat and tidy rows, but I believe a classroom is better defined as "a place where learning occurs".  Realistically, learning can take place anywhere at anytime. You might learn about math or nutrition on a trip to the grocery store. Little ones learn phonics and other pre-reading skills simply by singing silly songs with you in the car. Maybe you've even found yourself explaining the concepts of momentum and physics while playing ball with your children. (although you might not have used the technical jargon! LOL)

The point I'm trying to make here is that just because your child is enrolled at a traditional school or is too young to go to school yet, YOU are always going to be your child's most important teacher. It doesn't matter what your educational background is like. No one knows your child better than you do. No one has the vested interest that you have to ensure your child's success in life. Teachers can have an amazing impact on their students. It's one of the reasons I love my job as a Kindermusik teacher so much, but I truly believe some of the most important skills your child will ever learn will come from you as you guide them through everyday life. So embrace your "homeschooliness" and enjoy learning with your children each day! 

What's your potential?

We were recently discussing in one of our Kindermusik classes that a two year old child has twice as many neural connections as an adult. They are so busy learning everything about the world around them, that they are constantly forming connections in the brain. Later they will go through a pruning process where the more useful connections will be strengthened for continued use. Let's put this in perspective. Our brains contain one hundred billion neurons. "Suppose each neuron was one dollar, and you stood on a street corner trying to give dollars away to people as they passed by, as fast as you could hand them out- let's say one dollar per second. If you did this twenty four hours a day, 365 days a year, without stopping, and if you had started on the day that Jesus was born, you would by the present day only have gone through about two thirds of your money."


That's an impressive amount of potential. That's why it is so important to give your children a sensory rich experience when they are young. Interact and play along with your child to help them understand the world around them or answer their questions during the creative process. Who knows, you might make a few new neural connections of your own! ;)

Excerpt from This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin

How Music Can Protect Against Hearing Loss

This post originally appeared on the Minds on Music blog for Kindermusik International and was written by Jamie Sterling.
My husband is a professional musician. He’s spent the majority of his life playing loud music through loud amplifiers (and in booming tones). Did I mention he’s a bassist? Not only that, but he likes to listen to pretty loud music – and he wears headphones to do his recording and other loud, musical work every day. I’ve expressed my concern for his ears and the potential hearing loss I was sure he was doomed to deal with. But, despite my nagging…I mean, despite my expressions of concern… he has always insisted that he has “tough ears.”


One time, he was having a hard time hearing – to the point that he decided to go to the doctor. This is something, because he is one of those guys who likes to avoid the doctor, unless it is very serious. I was sure I was going to have my ‘told you so’ moment on his hearing. Turns out, it was a massive amount of earwax! And, after taking a requisite hearing test at the ear, nose & throat specialist, he was deemed to have “exceptional hearing.”

Now, this just didn’t compute for me. Didn’t my Dad tell me he lost a little bit of his hearing at an early age from standing too close to the amps at big concerts in the 70s? How does exposing yourself to music constantly, as a part of your profession, allow anybody to have better hearing? Perhaps it’s just my husband. He really is a ninja (black belt in Isshinryu karate), so maybe this is just another way his ‘ninja-ness’ manifests itself?

Turns out recent research actually suggests that musicians’ ears ARE tougher. NPR published that embracing music early in life can actually stave off age-related hearing loss!

The article states:

“If you spend a lot of your life interacting with sound in an active manner, then your nervous system has made lots of sound-to-meaning connections” that can strengthen your auditory system, says Nina Kraus, director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University. Musicians focus extraordinary attention on deciphering low notes from high notes and detecting different tonal qualities. Kraus has studied younger musicians and found that their hearing is far superior to that of their non-musician counterparts.

Knowing that younger musicians seemed to have a distinct hearing advantage made Kraus curious about what happened to those same musicians later in life.

To find out, she assembled a small group of middle-aged musicians and non musicians, aged 45-65. She put both groups through a series of tests measuring their ability to make out and repeat a variety of sentences spoken in noisy background environments. Turns out, the musicians were 40 percent better than non-musicians at tuning out background noise and hearing the sentences, as Kraus reported in PloS ONE. The musicians were also better able to remember the sentences than the non-musicians — and that made it easier for them to follow a line of conversation.

So, my husband will likely be a really sharp older man because he will have less hearing loss, be able to carry conversations better, and have an enhanced IQ. I’ll be the crazy old lady sitting next to him, responding only with “Huh?” and wondering who the President is… unless I pick up my viola – or maybe take up those guitar lessons again!

Listen to the full story on NPR.com.

(Also, as a disclaimer, I highly encourage everyone to wear earplugs and listen to music at a normal decibel level, as the safest precaution against early hearing loss).

I'm not your friend - I'm your mother

Parenting is a tough job! We want our children to feel loved, encouraged, and successful, and there are so many ideas about how to successfully accomplish this. Maybe you've found yourself asking one of these questions-How young is too young to understand the concept of "no"? Will boundaries make my child see me as an ogre instead of a loving parent? If I challenge my child to do things even when they are difficult, will I hurt their self-confidence?

In an article by Barbara Minton about the importance of boundaries, she states, "Image you are standing on the roof deck of a skyscraper. There are no railings, the wind is blowing and the building sways. Where would you be? You would probably be in the center where you could gather some feeling of security. Now imagine there are high sturdy railings around the edge of the roof deck. You walk over to the railing, push on it a few times to make sure it is sturdy and will hold. Now you feel secure and free to stand by the edge, maybe even look down or out into the beyond." I found this to be a great word picture on the importance of boundaries. Your child needs the security of a loving parent who will guide and support them as they learn about the world around them. They require someone to teach them right from wrong. My wise grandmother used to say that the misbehavior of children was an subconscious cry to be reminded of the boundaries. They wanted someone to care enough to tell them "no", and the sooner you start working on that the better. Here are a few things to consider:

• Always clearly and consistently enforce your boundaries.
• Lead by example, because your children are watching.
• Boundaries as an expression of your loving care for your child, not a means of control over them.
• Your child wants a parent not just another friend.

Until next time...
Mrs. Aimee

Screen time needs a time out!

Earlier this week, we posted a research article on our facebook page about how TV shows like SpongeBob effect the development of young children. However, I am concerned that not enough parents understand the negative effects of too much screen time as a whole. We live in a world consumed with technology, such as TV, video games, IPads, lap tops, and more. Many parents see nothing wrong with allowing their children to enjoy these items as long as they deem the content "eduational". However studies show that too much time spent in front of the screen can have a damaging effect on your child's development, such as sleep issues, language delays, obesity, and inability to focus. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that children under 2 years old should not watch any television and that children older than 2 shouldn't watch more than one to two hours of TV a day. Here are a few facts I discovered in my research:

• 20 percent of children under 2 have televisions in their rooms. [Source: AAP]
• 
  Parents spend an average of 3.5 minutes each week in meaningful conversation with their children. [Source: CSUN]
• The average child watches 1,680 minutes of television each week. [Source: CSUN]
• 70 percent of day care centers use TV during a typical day. [Source: CSUN]
• 54 percent of 4-6 year-olds, when asked to choose between watching TV and spending time with their fathers, preferred television. [Source: CSUN]

I found some of these statistics quite alarming. I would encourage you to carefully consider where your family stands on this issue. You can find some great tips for encouraging good television habits in your home at this link.

Sleep like a baby...

The author, Leo J. Burke, once said, "People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one." How many parents can attest to the truth of this statement. In fact, as a developmental specialist for young children, sleep related issues are among my most popular topics in discussions with parents. Toddlers and children under 3 years of age should sleep about 12 hours a night with a one to two hour nap during the day. Babies will require two or more naps in addition to the 12 hours a night, and older children will drop the nap and sleep around 10 hours a night.

Many parents express frustration in getting their children to sleep. Perhaps the child cries or keeps getting back up. I know it's tempting to give in to unhealthy sleeping habits. Sleep deprivation can really wear you down, but the sooner you can establish healthy sleep patterns the better. Here are a few tips to remember:

• Activities leading up to bedtime should be calm and quiet.
• Establish a nightly bedtime routine so your child will know what to expect.
• Avoid using DVDs or the TV to help your child fall asleep.
• Dim the lights and any household noise to signal it is time for sleep.
• Try to help your child learn to self sooth and relax.
• If your child is afraid, try a night light or sitting in the room until he/she is comfortable.
• Avoid using "quick fixes" that you know you will not be able to continue long term.

Wishing you sweet dreams,

Is she ready?

With the school year quickly approaching, many of you are busy making preperations to send your children off to elementary or pre-school for the first time. I have my own special memories of that time, but how do you know when they are ready for Kindergarten? Here's a great little checklist to find out. Kindergarten Readiness Checklist - FamilyEducation.com
You can also check out our new Laugh & Grow class. Laugh & Grow was designed with Kindergarten readiness in mind. Each week your children will spend 2 hours in a structured class featuring:

• phonics
• counting skills
• calendar skills
• music
• listening skills
• fine motor activities

Now enrolling!

Do you LOL?

They say laughter is good for the soul, and I believe it's true. You can't help but smile when you hear the sound of a baby's belly laugh or the giggles of a young child. Laughter is one of the things that can be enjoyed all around the world. It crosses language, social, and age barriers. It can be an ice breaker in a nervous moment, a source of healing in a stressful moment, or a time of bonding between two people. It's often associated with some of our most priceless memories. Scientists have even studied the power of laughter and determined that it, not only, lowers blood pressure and releases "happy" endorphins, but it can also boost your immune system for up to three days following a good hard laugh! All this wholesome goodness, and it's still fat free!! So go on, find something to laugh about with your family today!

The Fixinator!

I was recently having a conversation with one of my children. She was feeling a bit inadequate with her abilities in a class she is taking, and her response to me was, "Why can't you just fix it? You can fix anything!" Now, don't get me wrong. I was flattered that, in her eyes, I am still Super Mom, but it bothered me that she assumed I could fix EVERYTHING! That's a tall order, but that's what parents do, right? We fix things- broken toys, cuts and bruises, spilled drinks. We are referees to all things sibling rivalry. Champion of the defenseless on the playground. Defender from the Boogie Man and monsters under the bed. Able to leap loads of laundry in a single bound! The depth of our super powers are simply staggering! ;)

However, I am of the firm persuasion that it doesn't help children to have everything neatly and pleasantly packaged. I love my children immensely, and it pains me deeply when they are hurting. Yet, I know they need the opportunity to venture out from under my Super Mom wing and fail sometimes. Out of failure comes some of life's greatest lessons. Things like humility, unselfishness, common sense, self discipline, and determination. It was bittersweet leaving her bedside that night. I had to step off that pedestal and admit I couldn't fix it. I simply reminded her, "Do your best, because your best is always good enough for me!" I'm thinking about keeping the super hero costume though. It might be fun to wear at her wedding. LOL :D

Yours truly,
The Fixinator
AKA

A Talent for Giftedness

Q. My child's teacher says that he is gifted. Isn't that just another way of saying he is talented?

A. Giftedness goes well beyond individual talent. It affects both ability as well as emotional/social interactions and many other aspects of daily living. The current definition of giftedness is "Students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities." I encourage you to read more about giftedness here. It is a common misconception that gifted children learn the same as other children and will be the model student in the classroom. The truth is that without the proper understanding and learning environment, gifted children will often become bored, have behavior problems, struggle with social interactions with their classmates, and purposely fail classwork.  In fact, I recently read that when Thomas Edison was a boy, his teachers told him he was too stupid to learn anything. I recommend that you discuss your child's development with your school's psychologist, enrichment teacher, or a local child psychologist to further understand what to expect.

The "Signs" of Language Learning

I was doing some research today on baby sign language and ran across an interesting article.  Even though sign language is a great way to encourage early communication in young children, some parents, like the one in the article, are concerned that this form of early communication might delay their child's verbal development.

The opposite is typically true. The combined experience of movement and spoken language encourages your baby's understanding of the word, as well as increases retention of the new word. This is because he is engaged actively in the learning experience, and the movement has stimulated the brain to receive the incoming information. "Talking and signing together flood the baby with language," says Acredolo whose research, published in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, indicates signing may even give children a slight future verbal edge. "At 36 months, the [signing] babies in our study were speaking, on average, the equivalent of non-signing 47 month olds," she says. *



Parents can begin to work on baby sign language as early as 3-6 months, and children will typically begin to sign back around 6-12 months old. However, it's not too late if your child is past that age. Sign language can be a fun way to communicate for children of all ages. I recommend taking a sign language class, such as Sign and Sing, with your child to learn how to present the signs in an interactive, age appropriate, and fun way. A sign language class will also help you to understand your child's hand development. If a sign is too difficult for them to form, your child will likely make adjustments to the sign. Once you learn what to look for, you may be surprised to find your child has several signs they are already using.

*MSNBC.com article written by Victoria Clayton