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← Older postsEnhancing Your Child’s Readiness for School Through Music and Movement
by Valerie Frost-Lewis, MS Ed., Owner/Director, Peppermint Tree Child Development Center
How did you learn your ABC’s? Probably by singing them. There are research-based reasons why songs “stick” in our brains. Now that we have sophisticated brain imaging technology, we have learned that music activities use both sides of the brain, and stimulate the brain cells to strengthen connections for learning. We have also learned that the brains of very young children (those under five years of age) have a great deal of “plasticity”, meaning their brains are growing and reshaping rapidly as they learn. The more stimulation they get, the stronger the brain growth. So, music and movement is not only fun and exciting for children, it is also an educational tool that enhances brain development.
According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s guideline, Developmentally Appropriate Practice (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009), “The preschool years are now seen as the key period for establishing positive attitudes and behaviors about learning.” Having enthusiasm for learning is an important factor in school readiness. Music and movement add fun to learning, and keep children engaged in the topic at hand.
In addition, music’s rhythm patterns prepare the mind for math. To enhance this effect, you can encourage children to count out beats, claps, stomps, taps, spins, skips, etc., and before you know it they are having fun with numbers! Having a child repeat back a simple rhythm on a drum or with a shaker is early patterning, which is an important foundational math skill. Patterns can also be a part of the movement activity during a song as well, like in the song, “Head, shoulders, knees and toes”, in which the children learn the repeated pattern and follow through by identifying each body part.
And, in the area of reading readiness, singing songs expands your child’s vocabulary and gets them to tune in to the sounds of words (phonemic awareness). One of the easiest ways to encourage singing is to sing together with your child and especially by singing songs with lots of repetition, or call and response sections, so the children can catch on and learn it confidently. Once a child enjoys singing, they can be encouraged to fill in the blanks in the lyrics with their own details, then make up their own verses to songs, make up their own melodies, and to sing their own songs. This lays a creative foundation for them to one day write their own stories.
Movement activities help lock in learning further, because, as is commonly known, children learn by doing. So, when children sing and dance, they are making connections and stimulating many parts of the brain at once. Movement can also foster creativity, as children explore the use of their bodies to act out the actions in a song’s lyrics, or just move to the way the music makes them feel. Music and movement also can work to enhance emotional development. As children experience and identify different feelings that the music evokes, they can learn to express those feelings through movement. Movement is a wonderful form of self-expression for children, especially for those who do not yet have the words to fully communicate.
So sing a song, and dance a dance, and invite a child to join you! You’ll be building their brain power while creating lasting memories of fun and togetherness.
Peppermint Tree Director and Mr. Scott the Music Man to Speak at the NAEYC National Conference in Orlando FL in November
We have just received the exciting news that The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has once again selected Valerie Frost-Lewis, the owner/director of The Peppermint Tree Child Development Center and her husband, Scott Lewis, aka “Mr. Scott the Music Man”, to make a presentation on the topic of early childhood music and movement at their annual conference. The title of our presentation will be: “Move Your Feet to the Beat!: A high energy, motivating, interactive exploration of music and movement in the early childhood classroom.” We will be making this presentation at NAEYC’s 2011 Annual Conference, November 2-5 in Orlando, FL. Continue reading Peppermint Tree Director and Mr. Scott the Music Man to Speak at the NAEYC National Conference in Orlando FL in November
OPEN HOUSE All are Welcome!! Monday, May 16, 2011 6:30-8:00 p.m.
OPEN HOUSE: Ice Cream Social, Monday, May 16th 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
JOIN US!! All are welcome!
FREE Ice Cream, a Mr. Scott the Music Man Concert, the Fun Bus (fitness fun on wheels) and a visit from “Sister Bear” from the Berenstein Bears! We will also have games such as ring toss, horse shoes and every child will receive a prize for participating!! Activities are suitable for toddlers through elementary school age children and their families. Babies are also welcome to attend along with their families.
Come see why “There’s No Place Like The Peppermint Tree”! If you would like more information on our Summer Camp and School Year programs, visit us on the web at www.pepperminttree.com, or call us at 732-929-2500.
Hope to see you on Monday, May 16th at 6:30 p.m.
Valerie Frost-Lewis, MS Ed.
Owner/Director
Strengthening Families at The Peppermint Tree
We are proud to be a “Strengthening Families” Center. We provide resources, family friendly activities, information and support to our community of families. We are one of only eight centers in Ocean County that are participating in this national program. Here is a bit of background on this program: Continue reading Strengthening Families at The Peppermint Tree
Family Game Night was so much fun!!!
Our first ever Family Game Night was a wonderful success! The forty parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, children and staff that all came to The Peppermint Tree on Tuesday evening, March 22, 2011 were treated to four classrooms filled with a variety of games set out for everyone to play. Adults and children alike had a blast playing “Checkers”, “Elefun” “Limbo”, Twister”, “HeadBanz”, “Bingo”, “Hungry Hippo’s”, “Uno Moo”, and many more games. Children played games with their own family members, with their school friends, and with Peppermint Tree staff members. We all mixed it up and had so many laughs. Thanks to all who attended, and a special thanks to the families who loaned us games, brought in treats and helped to plan the event. Thanks for making The Peppermint Tree such a wonderful community for our children and for all of us!
Preschoolers at The Peppermint Tree Learn to Grow Their Brains
The children at The Peppermint Tree Child Development Center in Toms River are learning how to grow their brains. Through an original set of lessons developed by the school’s director, Valerie Frost-Lewis, preschool students are learning that they have the power to actually grow their own brains. Based on research by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., one of the world’s leading researchers in discovering what makes people successful, Frost-Lewis has created developmentally appropriate lessons about the brain to motivate preschool students to be persistent in the face of a challenge; to work their brain to make it stronger. Dweck’s original research was targeted to middle school students, and she has also written books for adults.
Continue reading Preschoolers at The Peppermint Tree Learn to Grow Their Brains
“My Parent & Me” Music and Movement at Peppermint Tree in Toms River
Hi everyone!
I am so excited for our first “My Parent and Me” class after the holidays. It will be Saturday, January 8th at 9:30 a.m. We are putting together some fun interactive songs to help us get to know each other and enjoy music and movement together. For more information on the program, click here: http://www.pepperminttree.com/my-parent-and-me/
Continue reading “My Parent & Me” Music and Movement at Peppermint Tree in Toms River
Meeting needs of Toms River Families
In these rapidly changing times, we are finding that the needs of our families are also shifting. To help our working families, we try to be as flexible as we can to meet your needs. If you need a special schedule for your child, to fit a new work schedule, just let us know, and we will work to make Peppermint Tree suit not just your childen’s needs while they are here, but also your family’s needs.
We are also adding some new programs to meet the needs of our community. Beginning in January, we will not only be offering a morning preschool class from 9:00 a.m. – 11;30, but we will also be adding an afternoon class 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. These classes are in addition to our 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and full day offerings.
Also beginning in January is our “My Parent and Me at The Peppermint Tree” music and movement classes on Saturday mornings. Many parents, working more hours, have told us they are looking for an opportunity to bond with their young child and socialize with other families. So, the class is 30 minutes long, followed by a 15 minute social snack time. Join us! For more information, click here: http://www.pepperminttree.com/my-parent-and-me/
And, we are excited to announce our new Full Day Kindergarten offerings for the 2011-2012 school year. This sure beats having the children on and off busses for just a 2.5 hour school schedule. Click here for more information: http://www.pepperminttree.com/full-day-kindergarten/
Full Day Kindergarten at Peppermint Tree in Toms River for Fall 2011
Since the Toms River public schools offer only a half day for Kindergarten students, we have received much interest in our Full Day Kindergarten and other Kindergarten options for the 2011-2012 school year, so we are starting registration early for these programs. We want to save spaces for our interested current Peppermint Tree families, before opening up registration to the public in January. Space is limited! So we have begun to accept inhouse priority registrations from our current families, and in January, we will open registration up to the general public.
Here is an outline of our Full Day Kindergarten program: Continue reading Full Day Kindergarten at Peppermint Tree in Toms River for Fall 2011
New Programs at the Peppermint Tree!
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