Fantastic Four: #3
Let’s move on to #3 in my fantastic four ways to boost your child’s speech and language development. Check out #1 and #2 if you haven’t read them already!
The third way to enhance your little one’s communication skills is to sing to them and play music for them. One of my favorite quotes about music is:
“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.”
The impact of music on a baby’s life and his or her overall development is profound. Music puts people of all ages in a good mood which makes learning easier. Studies have shown that we learn better and retain more information when we are in a happy emotional state!
Keep in mind that babies prefer high tones over low tones. They also prefer music in major keys versus minor keys. They also like simple, repetitive melodies. So, start singing!
Stay tuned tomorrow for #4!
Thank You Sarasota MOPS!
Just wanted to give a big shout out to all the mommies that were at the Sarasota MOPS meeting tonight…you are an awesome group and I had so much fun sharing my fantastic four with you! I’ve never met a savvier group of mommies…you taught me some things and made me laugh…thank you!
Remember everyone, stayed tuned tomorrow for my fantastic four ways to enrich your little one’s speech and language development…
A Tip For The Fourth Of July
I took my three year-old daughter, Grace, to her first fireworks this past Fourth of July. It was a lot of fun and very exciting. It was a wonderful, balmy Florida night and the fireworks were spectacular. Grace thoroughly enjoyed herself.
I was a little concerned about what her reaction would be. Although Grace is not overly sensitive to loud noises (she’s like her Dad in this department), I wasn’t sure how she would respond to the noise of the fireworks. So, I decided to use earplugs.
I told Grace that I had them with me in case the fireworks got to loud for her. After the first burst of red, purple, and gold, Grace said “Earplugs please!”
So, for all you parents out there who are concerned your little one might become scared by the bing, bam, boom of the fireworks, take along some earplugs next year. It might work for you!
The Power of Play-Doh!
What is it about the smell of play-doh that instantly puts you in a virtual time capsule and catapults you back to your childhood? Oh the fond memories of playing with play-doh…
I LOVE play-doh! Play-doh was my go-to toy when I was having a hard time maintaing a child’s attention in speech therapy! It’s probably my second favorite toy to use in speech therapy right behind bubbles.
Play-doh is a great way to interact with your little ones at home too! I introduced my daugher to play-doh when she was about two years old. Play-doh’s age guidelines are for three years of age and up. If using play-doh with a toddler, you definitely want to supervise the activity because we don’t want this happy toy to become a happy meal!
I think play-doh’s secret power lies in its intoxicating smell…there is no smell like play-doh! I think you can even buy a car deodorant hanging-thing that is play-doh scented…
Anyway, the ways to build your toddler’s speech and language skills through play-doh are endless…just crack open a can, take a whiff, and start playing! I promise the ideas are going to flood your brain as you continue to sniff the aroma of play-doh!
Enjoy and get baby-talking!
Listen Up!
A child can be taught to be a better listener, even little ones from about 2.5 years of age and up…
One way to do this is through the use of rhyming books. Rhyming is a fun way to play with sounds and teach listening as well. Get a simple rhyming book, perhaps with one pair of rhyming words per page. Read the words slowly and clearly to your toddler and and emphasize the sound that’s different between the pair…i.e. hat and cat!
Your toddler will become quickly tuned in to listening for the next rhyming pair (because they love to hear your voice and have your undivided attention!) and their brain is processing the sound differences between each word! This not only teaches great listening skills, but is a great way to get your child’s brain ready for reading later on in life.
Stay tuned tomorrow for more great ways to strengthen your toddler’s listening skills!
Simple Practical Advice
It has been quite a roller coaster ride around my house the past couple of weeks. My husband has been battling kidney stones, my daughter had a funky rash and mysterious itching last week, and now she’s battling fever and flu-like symptoms. Its really not been a whole lof of fun around here.
My daughter appears to be on the mend and my husband hasn’t had any flare-ups since Sunday. This is a blessing! Hopefully this explains why blogging had to take a back seat for a while.
But now, I’m back! I wanted to share some advice with you that I’m SURE you are familiar with, but it never hurts to be reminded about a good thing.
Do you know one of the best ways to minimize your familys’ chances of contracting the flu, or any other kind of virus or bacteria? I’ll give you three guesses, but the first two don’t count!
You guessed: Wash your hands…frequently, regularly, often, every other hour, every other minute, every other…O.K., I’m kidding about the every other minute, but really wash your hands frequently.
It’s a simple, mundane thing to do, but extremly beneficial and preventative.
So, get baby-talking and hand-washing!