Did you know...MUSIC CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Music plays an important part in the lives of people. Everyone can learn and benefit from the study of music. There is musical potential in every individual and like all potential, it should be developed to its fullest. Music can connect us to our history, tradition and heritage while providing a constructive use for leisure time.The study of music aids in mental, physical and personal needs.Music is a uniquely powerful means of involving and integrating the activities of both the right and left halves of the brain, combining the rational and the aesthetic. There is a proven correlation between musical study and the following:

• Muscular Development: It improves a child’s small motor skills, hand-eye coordination and over-all physical coordination.


• Increased Listening Ability: This helps to increase the attention span, concentration, and long and short term memory.

• Increased Primary Mental Abilities: (verbal, perceptual, number, and spatial) This sharpens a child’s communication, critical thinking and problem solving skills. He or she learns to understand, interpret and use symbols in new contexts.

• Creative Potential: This promotes awareness of student’s capabilities using imagination and self expression.

• Development of Personal and Social Skills: It can help to build confidence, self-discipline and responsibility. They learn to work for and cooperate with others.

Through participation in music, children learn the gratification of work shared and challenges met. It helps your child learn how to learn.

Stimulate Those Calf Muscles for Brain Development

Did you know that stimulation of the calf muscle aids in language development? Put your child on the floor in front of you so that you can bicycle her legs. Then flex their feet and have your child just push against your hands as hard as she can. I think they just have fun trying to be as strong as you! But the work is good for their brains as well. It actually aids in the language development of children. Why? This information is in Carla Hannaford’s book Smart Moves, Why Learning Is Not All In Your Head. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more ways to stimulate learning.This kind of stimulation of the whole body is why children need to be jumping, running, climbing, twirling, singing and dancing and playing in free, joyful situations. And this is why Kindermusik is such a good investment…your dividends increase exponentially

Nurturing Your Baby’s Brain Development

When parenting my first born, I was often overwhelmed. Not only was I responsible for the well-being of this tiny person, but there was a staggering amount of brand new information to assimilate. My pre-parenting career had provided woefully little contact with infants!
I didn’t understanding much about Sarah’s brain development during those early months when I was barely surviving. However, I wish I had! There’s a lot a mom can do to stimulate brain development in her infant. Thankfully, a lot of what our babies need we do instinctively. So fear not. You’ve probably been doing just fine if you’re new to this subject. But we can also contribute even more if we learn a bit and begin to consciously create an environment for maximum brain development.

A Mini Lesson in Brain Development:

The cerebral cortex makes up 85 percent of the brain. It is divided into the right and left hemispheres. The left hemisphere receives information from and controls the right side of the body. The right hemisphere receives information from and controls the left side of the body. The left hemisphere contains the center for spoken and written language and positive emotions. The right hemisphere handles spatial abilities such as judging distances, reading maps and recognizing geometric shapes and negative emotions. It’s popular these days to talk about being “right-brained” or “left-brained” based on which hemisphere’s abilities we seem to express more strongly.
When babies are under 1 year old, their cerebral cortex is said to be highly plastic because the hemispheres are not yet committed to a certain function. By 1 year old, lateralization has occurred, which means that the brain has specialized. Now certain areas of the brain are committed to a certain functions. This is why it is so easy for young children to learn new languages; their brains are not fully lateralized.
The brain is made up of 100 to 200 billion neurons, which are nerve cells that store and communicate information like a computer chip. By the end of the 2nd trimester, the brain has developed all the neurons it will even have! The neurons make up the communication center of the brain as each neuron develops thousands of connections to other neurons. Tiny gaps, called synapses exist between neurons. Chemicals sent by neurons bridge the gap, providing a path for sending messages back and forth. As a baby grows, the neurons connect and communicate and all the lobes of the cerebral cortex integrate. Neurons which are not stimulated by incoming information from the environment die off from disuse, while neurons that are used continue to form other connections. Therefore, when a baby’s brain has lots of proper stimulation, it develops more connections.

Developing A Brain Stimulating Environment:

Providing a brain stimulating environment is somewhat second nature to parents, but with some intentionality, can be that much more effective and fun. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests a couple of ideas for creating an environment for normal brain development to take place in their book, Caring For Your Baby and Young Child:

1) Lots of face to face communication—talk, sing, play!

2) Careful observation allowing for early identification of developmental problems

3) Opportunity for your child to explore a variety of safe places

4) Positive Parenting: Raising your child in a loving, supportive and respectful environment

Other ideas might include: reading books to your baby, playing classical and other styles of music, going on daily walks, regular play dates or other outings, classes that allow for communication with other children and adults, sensory stimulation such as bath times and tummy play time with a variety of toys. Kindermusik classes are based on the science of brain development. Music, rhythm exercises, parent-child interaction, a stimulating environment, lots of fun, intentionally contributes to brain growth.
Information overload was a part of my early parenting experience. However, learning to recognize and encourage Sarah’s brain development would have brought even more focus and encouragement to my daily activities. Now that your brain has been exercised with this science lesson, here’s a couple suggestions:

1) Observe your routines. Note what you do to encourage brain development. I bet you’ll realize you already do a lot—Pat yourself on the back!

2) Choose to add one more activity this week.

3) Read more on the science of brain development!

Source Material: Development through the Lifespan, Laura E. BeckCaring for your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5, Steven P. Shelov, MD, Ed.