If you’ve been following Play & Grow for any time you know I’m fond of rhymes for children. It doesn’t matter if they’re traditional nursery rhymes, action songs or fingerplays. Have you wondered why I’m so insistent children learn these? See below for just some of the benefits! Language & Reading: ● Nursery rhymes and/or fingerplays help children develop an ear for language! The rhymes and rhythms highlight the sounds and syllables in words. Repeated exposure to nursery rhymes or … [Read more...]
Words Matter
Words matter to all of us—what’s said and the way they’re said, but that’s especially true for the youngest among us. For children 0-3 years old, words are vital to their development. Their brains are growing and developing more during this time than any other, producing 700 new neural connections every second! Because their brains develop and grow so rapidly early in life, any experience—whether positive and negative—can have a huge impact on them. Parents can support their infants’ brain … [Read more...]
Sing, Sing a Song-Why Singing is Important
Singing: I think it’s one of our inalienable rights, something everyone should be able to fully engage in and enjoy. Unfortunately too many (my husband being one) have been told at some point in their lives…usually as a child…that they can’t sing and, traumatized, they stop. That is flat out cruel. YES, some people have better pitch than others, so what! Singing makes you feel good and is good for you by exercising your lungs and heart and releasing endorphins...Nature's feel-good hormones. So … [Read more...]