Kindermusik: Dream Pillow

I've noticed how much B seems to love music and rhythm, and signed him up for Kindermusik Village classes at around 10 months. Over the weeks, I've been pleasantly surprised by how wholistic (comprehensive?) his classes are.  One would think that baby music class mainly involves moms singing a bunch of nursery and action songs, hoping that at least half of the little bubs pay attention while the other half don't get too cranky!  But in reality, there's so much more that goes on.  Here's what we learned from his first "Dream Pillow" term:

Babies are great listeners but they get distracted as they grow through improved visual acuity and mobility. Activities ("opposites" and body action songs) and instruments that introduce rhythm create opportunities for anticipation and sequencing.  It also ensures that the vestibular system which contribues to movement and balance gets adequate stimulation early on.  In addition, the longer babies are exposed to appropriate music and experiences, the better their audiation, i.e. the ability to sing silently/hear music inside our heads which is critical for musical memory and performance.

Babies learn best when emotionally involved in an activity because the incoming sensory stimulation is first processed through the non-rational non-conscious limbic system (the seat of emotion) -- and only THEN, goes to the neocortex, the rational brain. Simply put: The less emotional the content/experience, the less memorable!  That explains why to this day, he recognises and responds to the "I Love You" from Skinnamarink, rhythm and audiation from Sarasponda, various instrumental action cues from Tants, Tants, Yidelekh, random joyful dancing to Dance, Little Baby, slowing down to All Through The Night and pausing to rest with Softly, Softly.

Music is as much silence as it is sound and elements of both help develop a life skill of focused attention.  On the flip side, babies need plenty of rest too (and not just sleep!). Balance structured stimulation and engagement in age-appropriate activities with wakeful leisure time, unstructured moments where you just don't DO anything but rather, BE restored together.  This down time helps your child's brain process the learning that occurs. If quiet time is elusive, try to engage your baby with soft conversation, a gentle touch, light movements (standing/rocking/walking slowly). Relaxation is actually a learned behaviour!  Watch your baby for cues and pace yourselves during the day, alternate between boisterous and quieter activities, hold baby close and breathe deep, massage!

Some term book recommendations from Ms. Shauna at Kindermusik with Love:

1. Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting. Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn
2. Smart Moves: Why Learning is Not All In Your Head. Carla Hannaford
3. Goodnight Moon. Margaret Wise Brown

It's fun to be ONE!

One year ago, you came into our lives and it's been a ONEderful, occasionally sleepless, always amazing journey. May you grow godly, healthy, happy and wise. Love you too much! 

Month 11 Week 2: How To Multiply Your Baby's Intelligence

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain

There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots, the other wings. - Hodding Carter

It took 3+ hours to curl my hair (after 5 years!) so I managed to finish Doman's book on "How To Multiply Your Baby's Intelligence" as I'd been curious about their approach since that Gymnademics trial class.  Stuff that got me thinking below.

Why start now vs wait for formal school (primary at 6 or nursery/kindergarten at 3)

• Learning begins from birth
• The brain grows the most at the early stages
• The first six years are the genesis of genius, limited only by how much material babies get to learn and how it's presented
• All significant brain growth is finished by six years with growth in ability dropping sharply each year
• See this recent article on how frequent, positive stimulation can make a big difference in the early years 
• What we do not use, we lose - the human brain has the memory capacity to hold ~3 million hours of TV shows :).  What are we filling ours with? 
  • Input: see, hear, touch, smell, taste
  • Output: mobility, language, manual competence
• When "teaching," have fun. Tell your kid how great he is, how much you love him ... often!  

How to teach your baby to read:

• Only humans can read
• Words must be large, clear, repeated enough, presented enthusiastically
• The more speed, the more new material, the more joy, the better
• Suggested sequence: Commonly used words, self/body, home objects, baby's possessions, foods, animals, actions, colours, modifiers (pairs, opposites), x is a/an/the y z (e.g. "Mango is a sweet yellow fruit") 
• Suggested approach: Start with 25 words - 5 new ones 3x/day, mix order. Remove one word/day after 1 week. 5 steps: Single words => couplets => phrases => sentences => books
• Note: I'm already reading books and flashing words with B but like the sequencing and approach which makes more sense than following the alphabet.  After all, what does "A" or "Z" really mean?!

How to teach your baby encyclopedic knowledge;

• Suggested approach: Show 10 cards, 10 sec, 3 consecutive days. Intro related facts and sub-categories, list 1 to 12 magnitude of knowledge, expande on sub-categories
• Suggested categories: biology, history, geography, music, art, math, human physiology, general science, language, literature
• Note:  Instead of following Doman's (excessively) detailed "bits of knowledge" specs, I may start a digital catalog instead (on iPad/Windows 8 tablets?). This is environmentally friendly, cost efficient with unlimited capacity given the ample real-life beautiful pictures and facts available online

How to teach your baby math

• Intro with the facts vs intro "laws" i.e. numerals and symbols
• Science = branch of knowledge dealing with a body of facts systematically arranged to show the operation of laws
• Suggested 5 step approach:

1. Quantity recognition: Use dots and patterns to intro 1 to 20
2. Equations: Demonstrate additions, subtractions, multiplication, division
1. Using the same dots, illustrate +, -  and x first
2. Intro 0 - shift similar quantity dots around (e.g. 5 dots + 0 = 5 dots)
3. Intro up to 100 (does not have to include all numbers from 20 on)
4. Illustrate / division
3. Problem solving: Offer choices, sequencing (e.g. 1, 3, 5, 7), greater less than scenarios
1. Doman's overall approach is that teaching/learning should be fun and testing should be limited to games or real-life evidences
2. Even if they get it wrong, your response should be along the lines of "Good try, that's actually X, this is Y"
4. Equalities: Intro (in)equalities, fractions, simple algebra 
5. Numeral recognition: FINALLY, digits (numbers) as we know them!
1. Use equalities to show 0-20, mix up the order of dots and numerals 
2. Intro 1-100 and go beyond 100s
3. Proceed to equations with numerals

Month 11 Week 1: Reading intentionally

These are 2 general approaches to boost speech and vocabulary: whole words and phonics. What I'm doing is combining the two when reading to B, supplementing with flash cards and picture books, using some of the tips for tots below (go here for more great reading material and tips!):

1. Your attitude and approach
- joyous and enthusiastic, approach it like a game or adventure
- teach at a time of day when both you and your baby are happy
- best duration for reading sessions is 30 seconds or less
- introduce new material when your child is ready for it - follow his lead
- be consistent with doing your program
- start as early as possible - the younger the child, the easier it is for him to learn
- go here for fun ideas on reading out loud to your kid

 2. Size and orderliness of reading matter
- the younger the baby, the bigger print should be used!
- size of the print is crucial to your success - very young children have immature visual pathways
- if the print is too small they get frustrated because they have to work so hard to see the type
- make a gradual transition from large to small print and from words to couplets to short sentences to longer sentences one change at a time

3. Read with mom (or primary caregivers like dad or grandparents)
- Doman believes that parents are the best teachers
- their love and confidence in their children provide the best inspiration, regardless if they are with the child the whole day or working and able to spend just a few hours a day

 4. Always stop before your baby wants to stop
- one of the most important rules: the child should be begging for more
- if your child gets tired after 5 slides, show just 4, but leave him hungry for more
- don’t bore your child!

5. Keep it fun, fresh yet consistent
- introduce new material often, show it quickly
- if no interest, show it even faster, update even more often (or use sound effects!)
- show less words more often and consistently than more words occasionally
- kids learn by repetition as long as you update your material often enough
- Doman believes testing is a sign of distrust, the opposite of fun. Though ... there are games/tricks that can keep your spirits up by showing that your child is actually learning, and can be even more fun for him!