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Foundations of Learning for the month of October
Play is Learning: Baby's natural play is Baby's way of learning and is essential to Baby's cognitive development. Hands-on activities with everyday materials aids in making sense of the physical sensations Baby experiences.
Thought and Movement Process: Baby processes thought, and therefore acts upon that thought, more slowly than does Adult. When possible, give Baby the time and opportunity to act for himself (such as reaching for an egg shaker).
Pattern Repetition: Information is more easily absorbed by repetition of a movement or a vocal pattern. A repetitive activity can help Baby learn a movement, such as "twirling and swirling" and can help Baby begin to associate body parts with labels.
Left and Right: In order to know the difference between left and right, Baby must first feel, in her body, the difference between left and right.
Exploration:
Baby's natural tendency is to explore, and by doing so, Baby learns about the physical qualities of objects. Given ample opportunity, Baby will become a curious and eager explorer.
Audiation: Audiation is the ability to hear music when no musical sound is present. When you audiate, you have internalized music and are "thinking" music. This activity has an invitation to audiate when the last note is left off of the song. As the song becomes familiar, some babies may spontaneously fill in the blank. Regardless of the response, this is an opportunity to engage Baby's listening skills.
Trust: Have you noticed how interested Baby is in other people? Watch the babie during hour shared music time. Babies imitate each other's facial expressions, explore each other through touch, taste and observation. Through happy, small-group experiences sych as this, the babies are also developing a sense of trust in others and an understanding that they are valued by other Adults.
Balance and Stability: In order to develop balance and stability, babies age 1-2 should practice walking in different directions and in different patterns. Non-walkers begin to develop the sense of balance by experiencing varied movements in an adult's arms.
Sense of Self: An individual's identity is based upon his sense of self. "Selfhood first comes about as babies learn that they have a personal physical identity. They obtain this knowledge by exploring their own bodies, and then experiencing their bodies in interaction with objects and other people; opportunities [for exploration and play] help the baby develop his skills and thereby increase his independence, expanding his understanding of himself." ~Claire Kopp, Ph.D., in Baby Steps
Music Appreciation:
By providing a stimulating music environment, Adult can nurture Baby's natural capacity for music appreciation and music making.
Daily Routines: Daily routines may seem like chores to harried parents, but maintaining a relatively stress-free attitude can help Baby develop a cheery outlook. Help Baby enjoy life by making even routine chores playtime.
Vision: Baby's visual ability develops rapidly over the first months of life. Stimulation with distant, up-close, and perception games can help this development as well as provide fun moments for Adult and Baby. The art banners included in your home materials is an excellent source for visual stimulation.
Sense of Smell: Baby learns through her senses. One sense we often overlook is the sense of smell. All the senses are operational from birth, needing only variety of exposure to help Baby make sense of the world around him.
Developing the Diaphragm: Baby's lungs and diaphragm are developing with each breath that he takes. Blowing long and short breaths is another way of developing the diaphragm, which is necessary for production of any speech sounds. | 
Sign & Sing is coming!
