Baby Talk

Okay, Village Moms, what does it mean when your baby cries, "Nehhhh," versus "Owhhhh?"

According to Priscilla Dunstan of Dunstan Baby Language, "Nehhh" means, "I'm hungry-- so feed me!" while "Owhhh" means "I'm sleepy-- so rock me!" After conducting baby language research with more than 1,000 infants (newborn to 3 months old) from around the world, Priscilla, a mother herself and baby language researcher but at one time was a concert violinist and an opera mezzo soprano singer, discovered that there are meanings attached to those phonetic sounds babies make during their first three months. Her research was independently tested at Brown University's leading infant research centre and supported!

"Those 'words' are actually sound reflexes," Priscilla says. "Babies all around the world have the same reflexes, and they therefore make the same sounds," she says. "[And] if parents don't respond to those reflexes, the baby will eventually stop using them," says Priscilla.

Interesting?! To find out more about Priscilla Dunstan and the Dunstan Baby Language, log onto www.dunstanbaby.com or view her appearance on Oprah's November 13, 2006 show-- http://www2.oprah.com. Then click on "Listen to secret Language babies" to view 'Baby Talk'.

Musically,
Miss Sunny

www.musikandmotion.com

Signing: The "Hands-on" Second Language

I know posts on blogs are supposed to be short so bear with me on this one as it's a bit long, but it is a topic I'm very passionate about so here goes:

During my graduate studies at Cal. State. University of Los Angeles, I was absolutely facinated by the field of applied linguistics and language acquition. Part of the reason, of course, was that I had struggled as a language learner myself: first, as a child learning Korean after having spent the first 6 years speaking French in West Africa, and then a few years later learning English as a child who by then spoke fluent Korean! Not easy in terms of adjusting culturally, socially and lingusitically... So, when I received my Master's degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages-- a multidisciplinary field, which includes theoretical and practical studies of second language acquisition and language pedagogy), it seemed as though I had come a full circle in understanding and appreciating my own experiences of learning a second or third language!

When it comes to learning a language, all children have an innate and fierce desire to communicate and interact with those they love and care for them. Out of this human need, children begin to learn to communicate and interact with adults by immitating adult sounds, and speech including the adult actions and gestures they see. Parents and caregivers equally share the desire to connect with their babies by immitating back, approximating and celebrating their child's communicative efforts, however big or small, gestural or spoken, through meaningful interaction.

Back at CSULA, as part of my independent studies requirement, I decided to research a field that I had absolutely no prior knowledge of: American Sign Language (ASL). It proved to be an even more facinating topic than the one I was studying and which further supported the notion that humans are born with an innate ability to learn languages (spoken or sign), and most importantly, that language learning much like other areas of human development must be nurtured from the very first days of a child's life.

My current professional readings on the topic of signing with hearing babies have been overwhelmingly positive. Research supports the natural and meaningful introduction of ASL for hearing babies while they are still learning to develop those vocal muscles. When babies (around 6-7 months) are ready for their speech production, they will already have had both the concept and the sign to match the word they've uttered, and what a joy that will be!

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorder (NIDCD), "The earlier any child is exposed to and begins to acquire language, the better that child's communication skills will become. Research suggests that the first six months are the most crucial to a child's development of language skills. Other studies focus on different ASL processing skills. Users of ASL have shown ability to process visual mental images differently than hearing users of English. Though English speakers possess the skills needed to process visual imagery, ASL users demonstrate faster processing ability--suggesting that sign language enhances certain processing functions of the human brain."

And if you thought signing was only for babies, Marilyn Daniels, Ph.D., author of Dancing with Words: Signing for Hearing Children's Literacy, states that "Signing is a kinetic act that stimulates activities in both the right brain, which is responsible for visual-spatial reasoning and long-term memory, and the left brain, which is responsible for processing language. When you are signing with hearing children, you're not only reinforcing their existing language, you are also giving them another way to express concept they already know thus creating another connection to that information in their brain." Studies like this support that signing with preschoolers help promote higher self-esteem, expression of emotions, higher reading scores and expand their vocabulary. Not only that, it's so much fun! This clearly makes sense since signing taps into the multisensory aspect of learning by allowing children to use all of their senses.

Have fun signing your second language! And visit http://www.aslpro.com/cgi-bin/aslpro/aslpro for a virtual ASL dictionary!!!

Musically,
Miss Sunny

Go into the Brain and Take a Peek

Positron Emission Tomography: provides image of brain activity-- one of many types of brain imaging methods!

In the last decade or so, pioneering brain research with the help of brain imaging technology have made it possible for us to "take a peek" inside the human brain. What we know today is that babies have an enormous capacity to learn and connect information, and this potential is fully realized when children's environment is rich with stimulation—touch, sounds (and songs!), sights, smells, experiences, and most importantly meaningful talk provided by loving parents, caregivers and adults in the child's social and support network.

In fact, a research study put forth by Janellen Huttenlocher at the University of Chicago (March 19, 1999 in vol. 283 Science Magazine) highlights that 20 month toddlers who are reared by talkative mothers have 131 more vocabularies than toddlers of less talkative mothers. At 24 months, the gap widens to 295 words!

So whether you are engaging in vocal play with your child in Kindermusik Village or Our Time class or reading your child's favorite bedtime story and asking questions about it, delight in knowing that with every word you share with your child, new connections are being made or strengthed in his/her amazing brain!

Happy talking,
Miss Sunny

Tea Time

Here’s a cup,
And here’s a cup,
And here’s a pot of tea.
Pour a cup,
And pour a cup,
And have a drink with me!

--Our Time Milk & Cookies

A simple poem like this can take you back to your childhood memories and evoke such powerful feelings of warmth, love and security....

The year was 1973 and I was a 4 ½ year old preschooler at College Jean Mermoz in the city of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Africa. In December of each year, all the students and their parents gathered outdoors for a spectacular Christmas assembly which featured Santa arriving in a helicopter to pass out gifts to all the children! Yes, this was all together a different time and continent! But that’s how I received my very first miniature teacup set which included 4 porcelain cups and saucers-- there I am in the center of the picture, holding my gift with both hands as Mom looked on a few rows behind me.

After school, I would spend hours hosting “tea parties” in the family room (hmm, sound familiar to those who know me?) and delivering hand written invitations to all my guests which typically included my doll friends, three older siblings, Mom and Dad, and my pets: an outdoor cat, two birdies and a gold fish. Ocassionally, one of my siblings would surprise me and sit down to “have a drink with me” but the one person I could always count on was Mom who never tired of coming but instead seemed to look forward to our tea time as much as I did.

Mom always brought her own pot of piping hot Jasmine or Green tea so we could both take tea together. She’d remind me to wash the plastic toy plates and get them ready for the homemade brioche or croissants, which I'd have way too many. When everything was just so, we’d sit across from one another, sipping tea from my porcelain teacups!

Fast forward to December, 2006. Next month Mom is coming to visit from Seoul, and I know we will find ourselves sitting in the family room once more sharing a warm pot of tea together. Of course, 33 years later, I’ll be the one getting the tea ready and serving Mom homemade goodies I've baked. And we'll play catch up on all our stories.

For those of you currently enrolled in Kindermusik's Our Time Milk & Cookies, and even if you're not, won’t you take time to have tea with your child this Thanksgiving week? Remember, you'll be giving her a lifetime of memories she’ll treasure and thank you for! I know I always will-- thanks, Mom!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I live in, or the kind of car I drove… but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.” --Dr. Forest E. Witcraft from "Within My Power"

Musically, Miss Sunny
www.musikandmotion.com

What Babies Want

What Babies Want is an award winning documentary film that explores the profoundly important and sacred opportunity we have in bringing children into the world.

This timely and heart-opening film brings together ground-breaking information about what babies truly are, what they know, and how we can support them to be their best as they develop and grow.

Research is now showing us that our society is a product of how we welcome and raise our children. When babies are welcomed with love and warmth and given the immediate opportunity to bond with parents, they develop minds that are coherent and flexible, ready in turn to make compassionate and meaningful connections with others as they grow.

As we learn how early relationships shape the structure and function of the brain, we are also gaining a new appreciation of the wisdom of ancient cultures that understood the importance of welcoming children before, during and after the moment of birth.

"The feeling of belonging is so important to everyone. Cutting edge research is indicating that infants are awake and aware, and they know if they are wanted. They need a nurturing environment. They want to know that they are coming into a place where they belong, where they are loved, and where they can give their own love. We see the psychological damage in too many adults who are not met in this way, and have spent their adult lives searching to heal their loss.

If we offer babies and children a world that wants them, believes in them, and trusts them -- if we change our own ideas about what babies want, about what people want, perhaps we can bring more hope, more love, and more healing into the world."

-- Noah Wyle, Actor

Reserve your space for you and your family for Family Kindermusik Night at Musikandmotion on December 2, 2006 or December 9, 2006 @ 6:00pm. This is your opportunity to bring your entire family to experience all the songs you and children have been singing, meet other Kindermusik families, share a potluck dinner and view a screening of What Babies Want! RSVP to Miss Sunny!

Musically, Miss Sunny
www.musikandmotion.com

Musikandmotion Parent Info Exchange

Need a nanny or a sitter? Have a question for other Kindermusik moms at Musikandmotion? Want to schedule a play date together? Feel free to post your questions, ideas and comments here and be each other's support network. For example, Sherry and Molly from our Village Dream Pillow class just found out their nanny of 3 years will no longer be able to care for Molly... If anyone out there knows of a loving nanny you'd like to recommend, please post your comments here!

Musically, Miss Sunny
www.musikandmotion.com

The Art of Possibility

Meeting Benjamin Zander, co-author of The Art of Possibility
was one of the many highlights of 2006 Kindermusik Convention in North Carolina.

The book is an excellent and quick read - it will transform your life, both professionally and personally! Try it here Amazon.

Musically, Miss Sunny
www.musikandmotion.com

Kindermusik Intl. Convention 2006

We're back from 2006 Kindermusik convention experience in Greensboro, NC.

What an incredible experience! So many new ways to bring music to children - new ideas for the studio to further enhance the learning experience for all our Kindermusik families at Musikandmotion.

We were honored to meet Michael Dougherty - CEO of both Kindermusik and Do-Re-Me & You! His down to earth personality and positive energy embodied everything Kindermusik represents. We also met Dan Pratt, the original founder of Kindermusik some 40+ years ago. His rich bass voice can be heard in many of Kindermusik songs such as Great Big House from Our Time Milk & Cookies Curriculum! His passion for reaching every child with the power of music was clearly evident in his speech to Kindermusik educators. He encouraged us all to "nurture the children, partner with parents and sustain each other!"

Kindermusik is growing every day bringing one of a kind total child development experience to over 1.5 million children in over 66 countries around the world through 5,000 licensed educators!!!

Thank you for being a part of this unique experience and for entrusting your children with us each week for 45 minutes at Musikandmotion. It is our hope that with our new blog, we can further "partner" with you in helping your children reach their full learning, loving and musical potential!

Please visit our site www.musikandmotion.com

Playing Dress Up!

Treat-or-treat! Here are some of our Halloween visitors to Musikandmotion: Julia in her pink bunny costume, Karley as a ladybug, Lorenzo as a pumpkin, Danelle as a butterfly, and Aubrey as a blue butterfly princess!

If your child loved dressing up on Halloween night, she was doing a lot more than just putting her costume on. She was actively engaging in an important child development activity called "pretend play." Children who engage in pretend play are developing important thinking and creative skills. Pretend play helps children plan and organize events, solve problems, incorporate new vocabularies, tap their imagination, and develop a greater sense of empathy toward others. In addtion, "when children pretend, they manipulate... events and actions, which gives them a sense of competence, an important ingredient in mental health," Kostelnik, Stein, Whiren and Soderman of Guiding Children's Social Development.

So the next time your children want to play dress up, ask them if you can enter their pretend world and play along! Designate a special place where your children can go and play dress up using a variey of costumes and props! Don't forget to "scaffold" the pretend play just as you would in class during our musical exploration time. Incorporate new words, scaffold concepts and suggest positive play themes! Have fun playing dress up!

Musically, Miss Sunny
www.musikandmotion.com