Family Time: Here, There, & Everywhere Week 9

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

Timbre: The distinctive quality of a sound (voice, instrument, or sound in nature) is called its timber (pronounced “tam-ber”, as in tambourine). There are so many different kinds of sounds: voices, instruments, and animal sounds each have their own timbre. Timbre is the quality that allows you to distinguish the sound of the saxophone from the sound of a trumpet. Children learn how to distinguish sounds and how to produce the subtleties of language and music by experiencing a wide variety of sounds and their small yet important differences.

Emerging Literacy: Children begin the process of learning to read long before they enter formal schooling. Families play an important part in this process. For decades, research has shown that children whose parents read to them become better readers and do better in school. But reading to children is not the only activity that helps children become better readers and learners. Activities such as telling stories and singing songs may also encourage the acquisition of literacy skills.

Social Interaction: As children grow, they must learn to play with others. Sharing and taking turns are difficult lessons to master, but as children spend more time playing together, they begin to recognize other’s feelings and advance from parallel to cooperative play.