Language Exposure

Brandi “B” Day Care ecourages communication in many ways.

Language Exposure Through Music:

Children are natural musicians, and exposure to music during the early years enhances the learning process by promoting language development, creativity, coordination, and social interaction. When given the opportunity, young children quickly realize that music communicates a variety of things, including feelings and ideas. Early exposure to music plays a fundamental role in a child's development.


Infants & Toddlers:
Music can contribute to a soothing environment for infants and toddlers and they soon begin to sort out musical sounds from other sounds.

Music & Movement:
Older preschool children can understand movement as a form of nonverbal communication as they begin to tell stories and express their feelings through body movements. At this stage, children enjoy songs that ask them to move and swing around, jump, twist, and clap their hands. Children respond favorably to music that is familiar. Playing a song several times as background music can boost familiarity and build vocabulary as the lyrics are learned.

Making Music:
Musical instruments fascinate young children. Infants should be encouraged to make their own music by experimenting with rattles and bells. Instruments can also be created by using blocks, spoons, pots and pans, empty margarine tubs, and coffee cans.



Baby Sign Language:

Sign language gives babies a way to communicate what they are truly thinking, feeling and/or needing. Because they learn to communicate early, their mind develops a rapid interest in increasing communication ability. Baby Sign benefits also extend to children over 3 years old. Older children who used Baby Sign as infants and toddlers have better verbal and reading skills. Baby Sign Language is empowering!

Baby Signing Benefits:
- gives your baby the ability to express his or her important needs and thoughts.
- promotes the development of language skills
- reinforces language skills already developed
- reduces frustration at not being able to express needs
- increase speed of spatial reasoning development
- develops understanding of language for communication of emotions
- creates feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment
- may increase IQ
- increases creative thinking
- teaches a 2nd language that is formally recognized (ASL)
- reduces unexplained emotional outbursts
- increases early literacy skills
- teaches baby how to start (and participate in) a conversation

You can actually teach an infant Baby Sign Language, and it will promote the use of speech sooner rather than later. Language is conceptual, so you have to be able to picture an item and relate a word to the picture in your mind. When a child learns how language works by using Baby Sign Language, it is only natural that the baby will attempt to use the actual word as soon as possible while increasing vocabulary and promoting early use of complex sentences.

Learn signs that are most important to and appropriate for babies and toddlers here.


Spanish:

Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in our country. Beginning to learn and speak Spanish at an early age encourages children to be involved in other cultures as they grow. Recent brain research proves that children learn immense and varied amounts of information during the early years. Young children learn other languages easily and quickly.

Brandi "B" Day Care explores the Spanish language through our pre-school curriculum and circle time lessons. We use opportunities daily to say the Spanish word or number in activities in which the children are involved.