OUR TIME: FIDDLE-DEE-DEE Week 3

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

THE VALUE OF REPETITION: Growth and development of the child from birth to seven years old take place primarily through the child’s body experiences. Repetition aids in solidifying the brain’s neural pathways which are formed through experience of activities.

CREATIVITY: Activities that provide an opportunity for flexibility, change or rearrangement encourage creativity. The creative process enhances the child’s ability to think in different ways, extending the thought process.

PRETEND PLAY: Imitation is the first stage of pretend play. As imitation evolves it becomes more imaginative. The complexity of pretend play can be seen when the child re-examines life experiences by adding or changing the happening. Benefits of pretend play include: vocabulary development, social skill development, differentiation between reality and fantasy, and emotional support.

MUSICAL VARIETY: Experiencing musical variety is essential to a complete musical education. Listening to the non-Western instruments featured in the recording of Usagi, Usagi and hearing and singing music in non-Western tonalities present the brain with new patterns and information to interpret, or new food for thought and brain development.