ENJOYING SOUNDS, MUSIC, HEARING AND LANGUAGES
MAGNIFICENTPARENT.COM
GROW YOUR MAGNIFICENT CHILD
CHAPTER 37
LEVEL 6.
ENJOYING SOUNDS, MUSIC AND LANGUAGES.
Baby’s sense of hearing and hearing development.
Your child’s OMSDEP: Her sense of hearing and hearing development intentions:
To completely and totally understand the entire human language and all music and all other sounds she hears in her environment.
A positive influence from people and video:
Your child’s language development is very dependent upon her relationship with her parents and other significant people in her life. She will likely learn to speak in a manner similar to those people with whom she associates. Care must be taken therefore to ensure that, on the whole, she only attends events and associates with people who are likely to be a positive influence on her language and social or intellectual development.
Continue to provide her with quality television or videos for about 30 minutes each day and up to one hour for the occasional very good production each week or two. Always be present when she is watching television, videos or live shows to give explanations when required. Attend live shows such as plays and concerts for children as well as dance, cabarets and other shows created for adults but that are also suitable for children. Always be prepared, though, to leave early or to have breaks from the show to avoid boredom or unpleasantness. Avoiding boredom or unpleasantness should have considerable future benefits when your child is able to sit through long shows and enjoy them while her peers are likely to lose concentration. A three-year-old can, for example, watch over two hours of ballet with sustained interest if she is well prepared for it. Unpleasantness to avoid includes displays of anger, violence, horror or sexually demented material.
Environmental language expansion:
The various environments in which she hears language will now provide much of your child’s language development. For example, if she is learning music, gymnastics, art, pottery, horse riding, swimming, forestry, animal care, medical practice or any other educational subjects then she will learn the language that is used in those subjects. During this Level her language use can also be expanded by playing board games but parental supervision is required to ensure she learns the rules precisely, does not become involved in conflict and, at least for the first six months, always wins. If a child plays a board, card or other game with an adult the adult can usually allow the child to win. While she is winning a child will think positively and constructively about the game and look for ways to win more easily or more quickly. Unfortunately, many people will enter into competition with young children and defeat them in card and board games and, besides undermining the child’s self esteem, thereby limit the child’s opportunity to determine ideas and strategies that can be used to achieve the aim of the game. It is important therefore that parents carefully supervise game playing.
Whether playing games or in other environments always encourage your child to ask questions and reply enthusiastically and accurately when she does. Answer immediately or try to find the answer or arrange to give it to her later. Don’t avoid or forget to give her the answer later, this is an important part of building trust between you and her. It is also a way in which she learns to wait and have faith in other people.
Include your child in family decision making:
Include your child in family decision making as one of her primary OMSDEP intentions at this time is to understand her family environment so she can make informed contributions to the well being of, and decision-making processes within, the family. This includes making decisions about subjects such as furniture arrangements, budgeting, what to buy at the supermarket, where to spend holidays, who should do which jobs around the home, and what plans should the family make to spend time together. Listen attentively to your child’s views, never talk down to her and always speak to her as a respected equal. It should be stated here however, as it is in the book “Magnificent Behaviour”, that the parent is ultimately the final decision-maker and positive role model if agreement cannot be reached. Nonetheless an astute parent can almost always sufficiently include the child in decision-making so that the child feels as though she has positively contributed to the decision made. It is usually relatively easy, in fact, to encourage a child to state the desired outcome and for parents to then agree to do what she says. This procedure allows the child to see herself as a competent contributor to family decision making and naturally instils leadership qualities such as cooperation and delegation into her thinking processes.
Continue and discontinue:
Read back over ENJOYING SOUNDS, MUSIC AND LANGUAGES Levels 3,4 and 5 and decide which activities you should continue doing to expand your child’s understanding of language and sounds, and which activities you should discontinue because your child is now fully competent. When you have made the decision then continue and discontinue as you have decided.
The Magnificent Knowledge activities will provide your child with increasing language understanding for as long as you create new Bits of Information cards.
Activities for parents and children:
Read back over ENJOYING SOUNDS, MUSIC AND LANGUAGES Levels 3, 4 and 5 and decide which activities you should continue doing to expand your child’s understanding of language and sounds, and which activities you should discontinue because your child is now fully competent. When you have made the decision then continue and discontinue as decided.
Five times each day ask your child, “Do you have any questions for me?” Throughout the day encourage her to ask questions and reply enthusiastically and accurately when she does. Always answer her immediately or give a clear reason why you can’t and when you will answer.
Watch quality television or videos for about 30 minutes each day (and up to one hour or more once each week or two if there are particularly good productions that will benefit your child).
Continue to read to your child for twenty minutes every night before sleep.
To increase your child’s language use to cover an ever widening number of words and their meanings involve her in new environments, activities and events by doing the following:
Play snakes and ladders, chess, Ludo, checkers and other board games.
Play outdoor games such as bowls, and mini golf.
Attend events such as gymkhanas, dog, cat and other animal shows, fairs, annual shows, garden club shows, chess and stamp clubs. Attend live shows such as plays, concerts, dance and cabarets.
Take your child to events where language, behaviour, music and sounds are of a high standard. On the whole, associate only with adults and children who are likely to be a positive influence on your child’s language, social or intellectual development.
Include your child as an equal in conversation and family decision making processes. Gently encourage her to be involved in making decisions about many subjects. Encourage your child to make the final decision.
Do the Magnificent Knowledge activities, as they will provide your child with increasing language understanding for as long as you create new Bits of Information cards. Try to show at least 3 sets of Magnificent Knowledge cards 3 times each day. That is, a total of nine Magnificent Knowledge activities each day.
What your child should be doing at this Level of development:
Understanding 2000 words and simple sentences.
Following two and three-step instructions.
What your child should be doing as she enters the next Level of development:
Understanding language as well as the average six year old child.
When baby can do as above she graduates to Level 7 of Enjoying Sounds. Click on the diploma below to move on to Level 7.
An average child is likely to move on to Level 7 at approximately age 6 years.
A Magnificentparent.com child could potentially move on to Level 7 at approximately age 3 years.
