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The Gift of Experience
Providing your child with new experiences naturally exposes her to new vocabulary. These experiences can capture your child’s attention and provide an opportunity for you to model new vocabulary in the appropriate setting. These experiences can happen anywhere, whether it be heading out about town to visit a new place or participate in a class, or having a fun activity delivered straight to your door. In addition to promoting language development, these experiences support your child’s cognition, sensory, fine motor, and creativity. Christmas is a great time to give the gift of experiences, many of which will last well beyond the holiday season. Below are some suggestions on how to give the gift…
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Being Comfortable in the Water at Goldfish Swim School
When we first began swimming lessons with Goldfish Swim School, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I wasn’t interested in lessons where I would have to “dunk” my daughter’s head under water. Luckily, this wasn’t the experience we encountered in our lesson. Goldfish Swim School practices patience and allows your baby to experience water on her terms. In each lesson, the instructor provides techniques to help you guide your child to feel comfortable in the water. The mini lessons are formatted for the parent/child to participate in the class together. If your child is anything like my daughter, she will probably cling to you during the first few lessons. As your child becomes…
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Language in Daily Routines
Some weeks there is just no time. Between work, family commitments and household responsibilities there isn’t time for anything else. This post looks at promoting language development in daily routines. No extra materials needed or mess to clean up. These routines are most likely being done in your household, so with a few changes you can turn them into a learning opportunity for your child. Laundry: Laundry is a never-ending chore that your child can easily help with. It definitely takes a little longer, but it is a wonderful opportunity to build clothing vocabulary and help your child understand directions. When a wet piece of clothing is taken out of the washer,…
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Goldfish Swim School Promotes Independence
We have been attending swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School for more than two months. With each class, I see my daughter become more comfortable in the water. As her comfort level increases, so does her willingness to try new skills and demonstrate greater independence in the water. Goldfish Swim School does an excellent job of fostering a child’s growing independence by providing opportunities to practice swimming skills, be proud of her accomplishments and carryover learned skills. In order to promote independence Goldfish Swim School will teach your child to: Respect the Water: As your child learns to be independent, it is also important to learn to be safe. Water can be fun, but…
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Exploring Traverse City with Kids
Located on Lake Michigan, Traverse City is the “Cherry Capital of the World” and a wonderful place for a weekend trip in the fall for any family. We had heard so many wonderful things about Northern Michigan that we decided to hit the road to check it out for ourselves. In one weekend, we fell in love with the city and it’s residents! The people were refreshingly friendly, the scenery was breathtaking and we never had to search far for a good meal. Read on to see how we spent a fall weekend exploring Traverse City, Michigan, with our 14-month-old daughter. Where to Stay The Sugar Beach Resort Hotel – Located…
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Goldfish Swim School Promotes Language Development
We have been attending swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School for a little over a month. With each class, I can see my daughter becoming more comfortable in the water. With each passing lesson, she becomes more relaxed when floating on her back and when she “catches her bubble” when dipping underwater. Not only is she learning the basics of swimming and water safety, but I watch her vocabulary and her ability to follow directions increase with each swim lesson. Below I have listed five ways Goldfish Swim School will promote your child’s language development. 1. Action Words: Each swim class focuses on actions. Your child will be kicking, reaching, climbing, jumping etc.…
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All About Apples
The beginning of fall means that apple season is here! I am excited to take baby girl apple picking and then play, taste and cook with all of the apples. Read on for all of the ways I promoted language development with all things apple. Visit an Apple Orchard: A trip to the apple orchard provides opportunities for language development in a natural setting. Below I have listed 5 simple ways to promote language development while picking apples. Reach Up: Use the spatial direction, up, to talk about the location of the apples in the tree. Give the verbal direction, reach up, to direct your child where to pick the apple. Put In: After picking the apple,…
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5 Ways to Promote Language Through Cooking
My one-year-old is with me all the time in the kitchen. She is either begging to be picked up to see what I am doing or begging for tastes of what I’m cooking. She is so interested in food and cooking that I have decided to include her in the process. Not only is exposing your child to cooking a great way to expand her palate, but the process provides a great way for her to build her language skills. Below I have listed 5 simple ways you can include your child in the cooking process to promote her language development. Wash: Wash hands, wash food, or wash the dishes.…
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Baby’s first swim lesson at Goldfish… What to expect!
What should I expect with baby’s first swim lesson at Goldfish Swim School? This was a question I was asking myself before arriving for our first swim lesson at Goldfish. To be honest, I was unsure about signing my one-year-old up for swimming lessons. I had been exposing her to water for some time and she seemed fairly comfortable, I wasn’t sure how she would do in a structured swimming class. I just couldn’t envision how a swimming class for a one-year-old could go smoothly. It took only one swimming lesson at Goldfish Swim School, for me to realize that all of my concerns were for naught. From arrivals to goodbyes, Goldfish does baby swimming…
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Language Fun at the Playground
The playground is an excellent place to get your child moving and working on their gross motor skills. It is also a great place to promote your child’s language development. Recently, my daughter has become interested in moving and is very excited when it comes time for a trip to the playground. She loves all of the opportunities for movement and social interactions. Below I have listed ways to provide additional opportunities for speech and language development at the playground. Make Friends: The playground is a wonderful place to interact socially with other children. Practice using greetings by encouraging your child to wave and say “hi/bye.” You can also encourage…