17 Month Old Re-Enacts WeJoySing at Home -AMAZING!!

“Bounce, Bounce, Bounce….STOP…SHHH,” directed little Elliott as she re-enacted her WeJoySing “Heart Strings” class at home. Mom grabbed her camera, captured these delightful memories and shared them with Mrs. Karen, Elliott’s WeJoySing teacher, and Mrs. Jo, WeJoySing’s President.  They were thrilled to see the tremendous amount of language development and sequencing of thought emerging during Elliott’s musical play.

The power of music during our play time with our children extends far beyond smiles, giggles and bonding. While the child is actively involved in the work of playing; his/her musical, mathematical, language, and emotional intelligences are all being ‘wired’ in the brain.

 Language Development:
*Elliott’s use of the ‘B’ sounds as she bounces teddy and her use of the ‘T’ sound while she taps her leg demonstrates her phonological awareness and approximations towards the words ‘bounce’ and ‘tap’!
*The rhythmic bouncing, stopping and shushing show Elliot’s sequencing skills which will assist her in future sentence construction as she gains more language skills.
* Bouncing an infant or toddler provides an ideal experience of steady beat. “The child must be rocked, patted, bounced to develop a feeling of the beat. Meter and beat are often used in early rhymes and favorite books which will assist in expanding language development.” (Music and Movement for Infants and Toddlers: Naturally Wonder-Full.  By John M. Feierabend, Ph.D.
*Elliot is clearly in the transitional stage of learning where she can now transfer to her teddy bear the things we once did to, for and with her! The class bouncing activities have been internalized by Elliott and she can now ‘do it herself’!

*The exposure to a variety of vocabulary, both in the action words Elliott is using and in the lyrics she will begin to repeat soon, will enhance Elliott’s future repertoire of vocabulary. “For if you wish for children to develop a sophisticated spoken vocabulary, they must also hear a sophisticated vocabulary.” (Music and Movement for Infants and Toddlers: Naturally Wonder-Full.  By John M. Feierabend, Ph.D.)

 The sheer number of words a baby hears affects his language ability later in life. Notice the graph here as it relates to vocabulary development in children who are talked to and within their formative first years of life.

GRAPH from pg. 40 in WeJoySing manual, From article: Inside Your Baby’s Brain

Elliot’s videos clearly reveal that she is ‘talking’ excessively to her little baby! Wouldn’t you love to know just what she is saying so vibrantly and lovingly to her teddy?  Obviously, her WeJoySing musical experiences have made a lasting impression on this 17 month old little life!

These early impressionable years are extremely important in our little ones’ development. The amazing, joy-filled moments of music and play in their lives have far-reaching effects on their overall development and are happily disguised as play! So Bounce, Bounce, Bounce awaaaay!!

Joyfully
Mrs. Kristi!
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Music's Influence on Speech and Language Development with Speech Pathologist, Courtney Jones

I LOVE the WeJoySing curriculum.  As a WJS instructor and a WJS parent, I have seen how WeJoySing can make a difference in the lives of children and parents alike.  We strive to create an atmosphere where learning can TAKE OFF! But the best part is – it all happens in the context of PLAY! The children think they are just PLAYING.  When in reality, so much BRAIN WORK is happening! 

I have seen it in action and have read the research supporting our approach, but I wanted to hear from a professional in the area of speech and language development.  A parent in one of my classes, Courtney Jones, is a Speech Language Pathologist.  I asked if I could interview her to get her perspective on WeJoySing and how it helps children in the area of speech acquisition. 

Tell me a little about your family and professional background:I am a Speech Language Pathologist with a Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders.  I have spent the majority of my career working with children at the preschool level with speech impairments and expressive, receptive and social language deficits.  My husband, Travis, and I have a 16 month old son Oliver and I am currently a stay-at-home mom.

How did you hear about WeJoySing?  
Once my son turned six months old, I was feeling a need for an activity for him (and me!) since he was so busy.  My friend, who has a daughter a year and a half older than Oliver, told me about WeJoySing.  Oliver and I visited a class last February and have been back every session since.  Because we live in Zanesville, it takes us 40 minutes each week to get to class.  However, because Oliver enjoys the class so much, and I see how impactful WeJoySing has been to his social and language development, the 40 minute drive has been nothing but worth it. 

Why did you decide to sign up for WeJoySing classes?  
I first sought out WeJoySing as a way to add some routine to our schedule and to get us out of the house!

How do you see WeJoySing helping children with language acquisition and development? Have you seen ways that WeJoySing has influenced Oliver's speech and language development specifically?
I have been so impressed by the professionalism of WeJoySing and by the program’s ability to incorporate so many fundamental language components through the use of music. One-step direction following, social engagement, turn-taking, spatial concepts, use of instruments, new vocabulary and established routines are just a few of the things I see WeJoySing implementing to help with language acquisition in these young children. 

The 1 Year Olds like their "La La's" on the Tummy!!

Throughout the weeks, I saw my son develop familiarity with the songs and routines.  For instance, the stuffed animal dog who greets the children each week and a stamp (or “lala” as they call it in class) the children get on their hands at the end of each class.  Oliver would smile during the welcome song, try to imitate gestures like clapping and waving, “dance” along to the music and would giggle in anticipation of gross motor movements like lifting him up high or swinging him around. I will never forget being home with Oliver and after saying the sounds “lala” to him, he looked at his hand and pointed, making the connection between the sound and meaning of the sound.  It was one of the first times I realized he receptively understood what I was saying!

The WeJoySing instructors are very knowledgeable and friendly and the environment is warm and welcoming.  I feel so grateful to have learned about WeJoySing.

With many thanks to Courtney for her expertise and
word of “wisdom” for our parents and reader!
JOYFULLY!
Mrs. Jody