Musical Parenting Tip: Move baby and label his movements
Why?
Spatial awareness is the knowledge of where you are in relationship to other people and objects in your environment. To develop spatial awareness, children learn concepts such as direction, distance and location.
Studies have suggested a link between a well-developed sense of spatial awareness and artistic creativity, success in math, and the development of abstract thought.
The ability to organize and classify abstract mental concepts is related to the ability to organize and classify objects in space.
How?
Look at 'Play it Safe.' As your child explores the space around him, use these ideas and tips to keep him safe ;)
Also, have fun with, 'On the Road to Counting.' As you enjoy these activities with baby, be sure to throw in some spatial orientation labels. Can she see which utensil is 'beside' the spoon? How many fingers does Mommy have 'on' her hand? How many scarves are swirling 'above' baby's head? Count the laps as you dance 'around' the coffee table, together.
Cue up Mrs. Murphy's Chowder, on the Kindermusik "Yum" CD, and teach the dance to your whole family! Don't remember the steps? Make up your own, unique, family version! Don't forget to label, using directional words, and words of position...
Want to Learn More?
On our blog: What is 'spatial awareness?'
Kindermusik 7-year continuum:
Right now, you move your baby's body for her, so that she becomes aware of different ways to move.
As a toddler, your child will use those body movements to connect to the music, and to learn basics like steady beat.
In preschool Kindermusik classes, your child will use body movements to represent musical concepts like high and low sounds, and loud and quiet sounds.
As a big kid, in Young Child classes, those early experiences in movement and spatial awareness will help him as he explores the geography of a glockenspiel (with low notes on the left side, and high notes on the right).
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