Learning to write is a thrilling adventure for your child. It’s also key to building her reading skills. Like grown-ups, children use writing to communicate to others. You’ve probably noticed your child pretending to write notes, make lists, and take phone messages to embellish her dramatic play. These early activities provide powerful motivation to learn […]
pine cones acorn caps other natural materials (acorns, leaves, moss, twigs, bark) pom poms glue shoe box construction paper art supplies • supports fine-motor development • encourages creative play With your child, collect pinecones (or you can purchase them at a nursery), along with leaves, twigs, and other “natural” materials.  To make a pine cone creature, your […]
What is oral motor development? Â Oral motor development refers to the use and function of the lips, tongue, jaw, teeth, and the hard and soft palates. The movement and coordination of these structures is very important in speech production, safe swallowing, and consuming various food textures. Normal oral motor development begins prior to birth […]
 What is sensory integration?  The senses work together. Each sense works with the others to form a composite picture of who we are physically, where we are, and what is going on around us. Sensory integration is the critical function of the brain that is responsible for producing this composite picture. It is […]
From the start, babies want to explore their world. They are eager to move their eyes, their mouths, and their bodies toward the people and objects that comfort and interest them. They practice skills that let them not only move closer to desired objects, but also move desired objects closer to themselves. As they grow, […]
 Social and emotional milestones are often harder to pinpoint than signs of physical development. This area emphasizes many skills that increase self-awareness and self-regulation. Research shows that social skills and emotional development (reflected in the ability to pay attention, make transitions from one activity to another, and cooperate with others) are a very important […]
 Long before children can say words or join them into sentences, they are active language learners. Within a few short years, young children go from newborns without language to excellent communicators and lively inventers and tellers of stories.   From birth to 3 months, infants pay close attention to language. In the first […]
 Red, white and blue construction paper A paper plate Scissors Glue Optional – glitter  Cut a large hole in the center of the paper plate, leaving the outer ring intact. Cut out a lot of stars from red, white and blue construction paper.  Glue the stars to the paper plate, overlapping to fully […]
