Monday, May 23, 2011

Song and motion for language development

My mom sent me this article from The Guardian: Singing to Children May Help Development of Language Skills, by Amelia Hill

As Daniel Dwase, editor of the online Child Development Guide, points out, songs with actions help children to learn "balance, co-ordination, body awareness and rhythm." The best songs with movement I learned came from Lucia's Waldorf kindergarten. At some point, I should teach you the song that begins thus:

Show me your foot and let me see your shoe
We will do what the washing women do,
We're washing, we're washing, we're washing all day long.
2X.

After we wash the clothes, we wring them out, dry them, iron them, and fold them. When we're done, I announce, "You've done such a lovely job with the laundry. Now, the rest of your family to put their clothes away." I've tried to implement this policy in real life. It sometimes works.

3 comments:

Lone Star Ma said...

Fun. As a GS camp counselor, the LSG knows lots of songs with motions. For the little ones, we do lots of "This is a repeat-after-me song." ...("This is a repeat-after-me-song.") "It's got motions!" ("It's got motions!")...etc.

gusDon said...

Working for the family is always fun, especially when together ... Will make all familiar!

Of course!

germandolls said...

Wow! I know that song in German. It's an old kid's folksong.

In German it goes:
Zeigt her Eure Fuesse,
Zeigt her Eure Schuh',
Und seht den fleissigen Waschfrauen zu!

etc...