Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes

By: Christine Cox, The Choosy Mommy

At my daughter’s 18 month doctor’s appointment, the physician asked me if she knew where her nose was. At that point, the honest answer was no. I was teaching her the “fun” things, like animals and the sounds they make and what we saw out the window. We were working on our ABC’s and 1, 2, 3’s, but it never occurred to me that I should be teaching her about her body parts.

It was like a duh moment for me. All parents have those but I can honestly say that I felt like I skipped this lesson when it should’ve been one of the first to be taught. Not only are these important but it can really help to tell me what is hurt when she falls or what doesn’t feel good on a bad day! So we started working on where her nose, eyes, ears, hair and toes were as soon as we got home.

Now, I am happy to say that I am running out of body parts to teach her and we are now able to play body part games like head, shoulders, knees and toes. I was playing the Choosy Nation CD in the car while we were traveling one day and it mentions moving her head, shaking her elbows and waving her hands in the air and I could see her in the rear view mirror doing all of those actions, even in her car seat! So when we got home, I played the same song so she could move and dance along with it. She loved it!

Needless to say, I went from, “Oh my gosh, I missed a parenting step” to, “She knows all of her body parts” proud parent moment in no time. It is important to continually educate our children but keep it fun too. My daughter most certainly learns best when it is an active and engaging activity. Sometimes it is a game to her, but in reality, she is just soaking up the knowledge!

What body part games or songs do your children love?

About the Author: Christine Cox is the blog master and The Choosy Mommy for Choosy Kids. She has always had a passion for writing and is honored to contribute her work to this blog. Most of her writing inspiration comes from her daughter, Capri, who is fun-loving and full of energy. Click here to learn more about Christine.

Moving and Music: Essential For Child Development

By: Dr. Linda Carson

By age three, most children have acquired around 1,000 words. By the age of six, they have acquired nearly 10,000 words! This highlights the significant role we have during the first five years of life to lay the foundation for expanding vocabulary as well as using language for learning and communicating.

How can busy parents support and enhance this significant stage of child development? Probably the easiest way is to talk to children as much as possible. In the youngest toddlers, describe what they are doing as they explore and experiment. With preschool children, ask questions and have conversations about everything from what they might see in nature to their preferences for activities or foods. And be intentional about introducing new and unusual words so that your child’s vocabulary expands. Another very important but easy way to build vocabulary, and at the same time encourage a love of books, is bedtime reading.

While you are at it, add words to your playtime. Babies think and communicate with their bodies before they actually think with words, so your day to day playful interactions can be very meaningful for learning as well as for building bonds of trust and love. During early childhood, children learn a lot with their bodies and about their bodies. There are rich vocabulary words to be experienced by moving and exploring.

You can download this Healthy Vocabulary Framework chart of vocabulary words from Choosy Kids that can be used to mix and vary active learning experiences for young children. You can also listen to Choosy Kids song, I Am Moving I Am Learning, which incorporates words on the chart.

Combining music with deliberate movement has even greater impact on early learning. When young children hear music, they naturally respond by moving their bodies. Movement and music have been shown to influence and enhance the healthy development of the brains and bodies of young children. Music stimulates both sides of the brain. When childhood songs encourage movements that use both sides of the body and incorporate healthy messages, a powerful double whammy learning experience is taking place inside the child.

“Developmentally appropriate music activities involve the whole child-the child's desire for language, the body's urge to move, the brain's attention to patterns, the ear's lead in initiating communication, the voice's response to sounds, as well as the eye-hand coordination associated with playing musical instruments.” (Harman, M.A. Music and Movement - Instrumental in Language Development, http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=601).

So music and movement can not only build vocabulary and motor skills, they can also lay the very necessary foundation for school readiness and school success.

Choosy Kids is a company devoted to early learning through music and movement. Listen to samples of well-conceived, fun-filled songs that encourage active learning.

You can check out more blogs like this from a team of 51 other bloggers at the #Blogger52Project, brought to you by The Quinntessential Mommy.

About the Author: Linda Carson, Ed. D, is the founder and CEO of Choosy Kids, LLC, and the Ware Distinguished Professor Emerita at West Virginia University. An award winning, nationally recognized expert, Dr. Carson has devoted her career to promoting healthy preferences for young children and the adults who make decisions on their behalf. Click here to learn more about Linda.