The Whole Child e-zine brings you free preschool activities each week to maximize your child's potential, build skills and parent-child relationships in just a few minutes per day. Useful tips, quotes, resources, opportunities and articles will be added for extra value!

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1.Don't skip Music and Art Appreciation

Charlotte Mason wrote that education is a science of relations - A child needs to be introduced to a wide range of subjects and allowed to make his/her own relations with them. This is the idea behind a ‘generous’ education and the teacher or parent’s role is to help the child to make these relations.

It was after reading this, that I realized the purpose of art appreciation. I want to expose my children not just to the ideas of great authors, but also to the works of great musicians and artists.

I think it is almost common knowledge these days, that classical music played to babies and toddlers helps to stimulate the development of the brain. Apparently, Baroque music in particular, stimulates the development of nervous connections in the developing brain of young children and it is believed to enhance mathematical and language skills in particular.

You might think that preschool children may not appreciate the classical music of Bach and Beethoven or the art of Van Gogh or Picasso, yet research has shown that neither good artists nor classical musicians need an audience with bow ties and lots of money to be appreciated!

Don't let your own lack of exposure to the classics put you off either. You, yourself, do not have to be musically or artistically talented or even very knowledgeable in order for your children to develop an appreciation for fine music or art. Its wonderful to embark on an exploration of these arts as a fellow-learner, along with your children.

I have described some activities and resources that we have used over the years to develop Art Appreciation ...and here are some ideas and resources for encouraging Music Appreciation.

In addition to the links and suggested resources provided from the pages on my site above, the following may also be useful:

The Classics for Kids website is also a good place to find music to 'appreciate' together. There are also activities and worksheets for older children.

You can also visit Making Music Fun

Free art appreciation and lessons – these are also aimed at elementary aged children but you can view slide shows of various artists and find printables.

Continuing your own education:

My three older children have been taking piano lessons for a few years now and I recently decided to teach myself to play the guitar too, using a home-study guitar DVD series...and its working – so its never too late to start learning to play a music instrument! Maybe I can inspire you!

2. Check my website

Coming up:

Sunday, 21 June is Father's Day

3. Quote

"The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom." - Henry Ward Beecher

4. Tips & Advice

While I believe that raising our children, loving and serving our families are a mother's most important work, I know that many moms need to contribute to the family income.

Are you a working mom, struggling to balance your career and family?
...or are you at home with the kids, but really need some stimulation and extra income?
...or maybe your kids are in preschool and you need a creative and productive outlet or a new challenge?

Perhaps you could also benefit from the same opportunity that came my way, when I started building my preschool activities site.

Click here to read About My Site and how I created a successful dollar-generating website or click on the SBI banners for more info about Site Build It!

5. Readiness Activities

Click here for Back issues of The Whole Child publication.

To download the activities in a printable pdf, click here.

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed. It’s a free download.
Repeat these activities often - with your own variations too!

May

1. Gross motor skills

Let your child climb into a pillow slip or large sack. Ask her to take small steps with her feet in the corners, while holding onto the top of the pillow case. She can also try jumping with both feet together in the style of traditional sack races!

2. Fine motor skills

Hand-eye co-ordination: Give your child a balloon and encourage him to keep patting it to keep it in the air. He should first use one hand and then the other.

3. Visual skills

Colour perception: Choose a picture book with colour pictures that are 'busy'. Pick an item from the page and describe it to your child. Say, “I see something that is red, white and blue. Can you guess what it is?” Take turns describing items or figures from the pictures.

4. Auditory skills

Choose a piece of classical music to listen to with your child from the website Classics for Kids, say Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolai  Rimsky-Korsakov. Ask your child whether or not he or she likes this piece of music. Why or why not?

5. Mathematical skills

Ask your child to set out the silverware at the table. Encourage her to count how many of the various items are needed. Play simple addition and subtraction games as you set and clear the table together.

6. Language and thinking skills

Auditory Conceptualizing: Play a rhyming games as follows: I'm thinking of something that rhymes with box, inside our shoes we wear … (socks).
I'm thinking of something that rhymes with cot, I cook food on the stove in a ...(pot).
I'm thinking of something that rhymes with nose, on my feet I have ten little … (toes).

Let your child complete the missing word. Use only words with one syllable at this stage.

7. Faith-building

Read your children Bible stories about mothers, such as Moses' mother, Hannah, the mother of Samuel or Mary, the mother of our Saviour. Discuss the different situations they faced and how they blessed their children and enabled them to fulfill the plans for their lives, despite the cost to themselves. Let your children know that our Father also has a special plan for each of our lives.

Greetings until next month
Shirley

P.S. If you'd like to learn more about building an income-generating website like mine, click on the SBI banner!

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