Nov 27, 2012

Kids Dance Education Is Also So Important For Them

In the age of standardized testing, arts environments can provide the safe havens where mistakes are treated as discoveries and expression is celebrated. Higher order thinking is a natural part of the performance and students exit the stage smarter and more prepared for whatever life has in store for them. Dancers have an edge.

Kids dance education can teach them to practice what is usually reserved for older students in other academic subjects. Dance gives the freedom and permission for students to question and explore, "What if?"

From a movement strand to composition structure to the study of alignment, the dance class is a constant set of negotiations happening in real time.


The body is constantly engaged in physical experiments dealing with weight, time, and force with variables shifting day by day or even hour by hour. Students have to be present and aware in a way that traditional classes wish they could engage.

The type of learning involved in dance study engages the whole child: physically, emotionally, and intellectually. As a result, it is also an inclusive environment where students with all types of learning styles can have an equal chance for success.

If we compare Bloom's Taxonomy, a theory about learning styles divided into three main categories (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor), to general approaches to the creative process, we see that they are virtually the same.

The traditions of dance training innately apply these sophisticated goals. Imagine what could be done with attention to teaching details that allow the students to see behind the curtain and have some input in how and why they produce dance.

Creating dance, particularly when involved in the information gathering and decision-making aspects of dance-making, is a direct example of higher order thinking- the most valuable type of learning. Essentially, students are learning how to learn and how to communicate. This is what kids need in order to be able to address a future world we can only dare to imagine now.

Nov 20, 2012

Kids Can Learn A Lot From Kid's Educational Toys

When children are growing up, they need to be surrounded in an educational environment in order to foster learning. This allows them to be better prepared for when they turn into adults, and it also prepares them for the real world. There are some kid's educational toys that can be found online, which gives parents a chance to enhance their child's learning while have fun at the same time.

One of the best kid's educational toys to purchase today is a wooden tool bench. These benches are great because they give children a chance to role play. Just like their parents when they work, children can feel like they are building unique items with their tools and workbench. Imagination is everything for a child because it fosters their critical thinking skills. Having a wooden tool bench allows children to learn without having to be consumed by technologies such as the television or computer.


Another toy that is great for improving a child's learning capabilities is a wooden drawing board. These boards allow children to use their imagination and create unique drawings. They can also practice their spelling, which prepares them for when they are back in school. Children can even practice math problems on this board if they so choose. Children can play games on these boards that teach them about the value of competition. Games such as tic tack toe or word finding games are great for teaching children about new vocabulary words. These boards are easy to set up and store, which makes them ideal for children who want to keep their rooms clean.

Building blocks are also great for sparking a child's creativity. They can make unique structures, which allow them to use their imagination. Building blocks are also great for building relationships between a child and their friends. The can invite them offer and can help each other build. They can improve their critical thinking skills and increase their social skills as well with building blocks.

When children are out for the summer, they should always be surrounded in an educational environment. This allows them to develop their mind and stay sharp even when they are not in school. This can be done with the use of these educational gifts mentioned above. They will be able to come home and learn new things while having fun at the same time.

Oct 14, 2012

Benefits of Early Childhood Education

There are so many benefits of early childhood education that many parents are of the opinion that it should be made essential and not just an option. The beneficial abilities children develop and the existing ones they improve, these two attributes alone make the case for Early Childhood Education and its huge positive impact on a child.
In today's article, we will shed some light on the benefits of enrolling children in school early on. Parents considering early education or those unsure if their little ones are ready for school just yet will find this information very useful.
1. The Ability to Learn
Perhaps the single best ability a child develops and embraces in an early childhood education program is the ability to learn. The first small step towards education, prosperity and a overall successful life. All children are curious by nature and whatever they will react to whatever they see, hear and touch. This ability to learn and adapt must be carefully supervised early on in order to mold the child into a better person in the long run and make him a successful human being in society. Preschool Education is instrumental in putting a child on that path.
2. The Importance of Communication
Children will communicate by any means necessary. It is important for their voice to be heard. Preschool education will engage the child head on and improve his or her communication with the world. Children will learn how to express themselves properly and how to understand what is being told to me. This ability to communicate effectively helps them in their daily tasks and provides them with better understanding of the world they inhabit.
3. Emphasis on Teamwork
It is commonly understood that children are most comfortable with peers their age because in their own minds they see them are someone "equal" that they can interact with. The classrooms in preschools have numerous children of the same age group interacting with each other and performing tasks and engaging in learning and recreational activities. Preschool education teaches the child the importance of teamwork and how everyone in the group has to put in the effort to make it to the finish line.
4. Improved Health and Well Being
Children demand time and attention. Parents find it hard to make time for time due to work and other family duties. Early childhood education is essential in this regard as it gives children plenty of room to develop both mentally and physically. Preschool education puts great emphasis on the importance of sports and recreational activities. A healthy body keeps a healthy mind and early education programs strive to keep children in shape for their age and height and keep developing at a steady pace both mentally, physically, socially and emotionally.
Hopefully this will give parents a good idea of how beneficial preschool education and early childhood education can be for their children. They provide the building block for a child to grow in all aspects. All parents should take advantage of this.

Jul 27, 2012

There Are So Many Benefits Of Music Education For Children

Making their child to be a genius child is the same dream for all the parents in the world, the child is always the pride of the parents. To make us unique, education is the most important thing for all the children since the baby. There are quite so many things the children need to learn, and all the education is necessary. Today more and more parents like to give their children the amateurish education, such as dancing education, chess education and so many others. Music education is always the parents' favourite, because they know that there are so many benefits of music education.

Although learning music is the very hard work, but very rewarding, it can lead to a genuine increase in self-esteem. This can happen when a student masters the many steps along the way to becoming proficient, as well as when they have a successful recital or concert.


Music education can increase children's memory through the children learn to recognize all the different notes., it is quite beneficial to their study in the future.

Music can be seen as a creative outlet for self expression. This may take the form of learning music that mimics experienced emotions. Or it may be expressed in creating music and lyrics, which can then be presented to family and friends.

Learning music can help them to boost academic achievement. Although the exact mechanics of this is often not understood, the belief is that learning music stimulates parts of the brain that then have a carry-over impact on all academic areas. It also provides structure and focus which may benefit other areas of learning.

Learning to work well with others is aslo one of those things that when present is often overlooked, but when absent is often painfully obvious. Performing music requires the skills associated with teamwork that are valuable throughout life. In order to play an instrument successfully students need to be tuned in to what those around them are doing so that the various instruments form a cohesive unit.

When talking about the benefits of music education it is important to acknowledge the value that can be found in the structure, organization, and discipline that it offers. Structure and organization are important skills to be learned. They can carry a child forward in many areas of life, not just music education. When talking about discipline here we are discussing the discipline it takes for the child to set aside time each week to practice. Learning to discipline themselves can eliminate procrastination, and like structure and organization, can be valuable in all areas of life.

Enjoyment may not be the top priority for many when considering the benefits of music education, but can be a great asset to consider. If playing an instrument is considered enjoyable it may take time away from less desirable things, such as watching television or playing video games. In addition to this, any activity that is enjoyable can be a great stress reliever, which may be especially important for our kids right now since they are living in a world of ever increasing stress.

Jul 22, 2012

Development in Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education knowledge has grown due to advances in medical technology. Cat scans, MRIs and Pet scans have opened up the brain to study in ways never before possible. Information on how the brain assimilates information, how it processes information and how it reacts is building new understanding. This understanding is forcing researchers to ponder how to develop early childhood curricula that infuses new knowledge about language, cognition and motor development, as well as social and emotional behavior.
Language Development
According to Dr. Ann Epstein's article "Montessori Early Childhood Language: Life-Long Literacy," language development is the cornerstone of all early childhood curricula. Although a good early childhood curriculum is an asset in a classroom, the moment-to-moment interactions children have with teachers and other children have a more significant impact on language development than only implementing the curriculum. Communicating with children positively impacts the development of language concepts and skills. Talking to children about what is happening in their lives is the opportunity to create language that fits within context.
Cognitive Development
Cognition is the process of thinking. Piaget, a prominent child development researcher, identified two stages of early childhood cognitive development--sensori-motor and symbolic representation. A curriculum focusing on sensori-motor development provides infants to 2-year-olds with the opportunity to learn about the world using their senses. A curriculum focusing on symbolic representation has activities for 2- to 4-year-olds that support the ability to create mental images and to remember them when the object is not immediately in front of them.

Jul 5, 2012

Parents Should Not Over Use iPad In Early Childhood Education

As we all know, iPad is lightweight, stylish, easy-to-use, and functional. Many young moms and dads might give up traditional way to teach their kids in their early childhood education while use this magic device from Apple to educate their little boys and girls. Undeniably, iPad offers an easy access for parents to rich educational source and content like stories, games, numbers and so on. But young moms and dads should not over use this tablet PC in early childhood Education. If not, parents probably not only could not achieve their educational purpose, but also cause damage to their babies' eye sight and intelligence.
Little kids aging from 2 to 3 years haven't got their vision fully developed. It is a common sense for parents to restrict their kids from watching TV. Hardly menus, applications and pictures have no bright colors on iPad, right? As we all know, bight color easily cause excessive vision stimulation. Long time stare might cause fatigue to kids' optical nerve. In worse situation, the kids might suffer from nearsightedness. So, the next time you use ipad to please your kids when they are upset, think about the possible consquenses first.
Using iPad for early childhood education for long term is not all good. To kids, iPad is a picturized electronic device. If they have too much contact with this gadget, they might have difficulty in their future study. This electronic could influence kids' attention development. Like TV, iPad enables us to have faster operation because of its touch screen design. Therefore, many kids have no time to think but have to accept. If moms and dads use the device as long term educational tool, their kids might lose their elaborative faculty.
Although iPad have a lot of applications designed for kids. Comparing to traditional books, they have more abundant information and attractive exhibition ways. And books are much easier to handle, it doesn't matter if your kids drop it. However, iPad belongs to video education if they are used to early childhood education. Parents need to restrict their kids contact with iPad for consideration of their little angels eye sight and intelligence development. Advanced electronics are not all good.

May 3, 2012

Music May Assist Cognitive Development For Children


child plays the piano
ScienceDaily (Mar. 16, 2009) — Children exposed to a multi-year programme of music tuition involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers, according to a study published in the journal Psychology of Music.
  
Several studies have reported positive associations between music education and increased abilities in non-musical (eg, linguistic, mathematical, and spatial) domains in children. The authors say there are similarities in the way that individuals interpret music and language and “because neural response to music is a widely distributed system within the brain…. it would not be unreasonable to expect that some processing networks for music and language behaviors, namely reading, located in both hemispheres of the brain would overlap.”
  
The aim of music study was to look at two specific reading subskills – vocabulary and verbal sequencing – which, according to the authors, are “are cornerstone components in the continuum of literacy development and a window into the subsequent successful acquisition of proficient reading and language skills such as decoding and reading comprehension.”
  
Using a quasi-experimental design, the investigators selected second-grade children from two school sites located in the same geographic vicinity and with similar demographic characteristics, to ensure the two groups of children were as similar as possible apart from their music experience.
  
Children in the intervention school (n=46) studied piano formally for a period of three consecutive years as part of a comprehensive instructional intervention program. Children attending the control school (n=57) received no formal musical training on any musical instrument and had never taken music lessons as part of their general school curriculum or in private study. Both schools followed comprehensive balanced literacy programmes that integrate skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
  
“All of this adds a compelling layer of meaning to the experimental outcomes, perhaps signaling that decisions on ‘when’ to teach are at least as important as ‘what’ to teach when probing differential neural pathways and investigating their associative cognitive substrates,” note the authors.
  
“Study of how music may also assist cognitive development will help education practitioners go beyond the sometimes hazy and ill-defined ‘music makes you smarter’ claims and provide careful and credible instructional approaches that use the rich and complex conceptual structure of music and its transfer to other cognitive areas,” they conclude.
  
Peaking about her appointment, Rosa said: “Music Generation will bring great opportunities for children and young people to get involved in music in different ways. I am really looking forward to being part of the programme. I have worked across many different areas of music and the arts and I firmly believe in the Music Generation model of creating local access to music education will bring tangible benefits to the community.
  
We have some great plans for Music Generation Laois, such as the Laois School of Rock, the Music Box – a music programme for children with special needs – a choral Singfest and providing access to instrument banks for children and young people.”
  
Director of Music Generation, Rosaleen Molloy, said: “We are delighted to have Rosa on the Music Generation team. Her wealth of experience in arts administration and music education will significantly enhance the exciting plans for music education and for children and young people in Laois over the coming years.”