101 WAYS...
101 Ways to help your child develop strong speech, language, social, fine and gross motor skills.
1. Provide Eye Contact
Infants and parents often gaze at one another. These are the some of the first social communicative attempts a child makes. We often take these moments for granted. However, it is important to understand that eye contact is a foundation for speech and language development.
2. Moderate TV Watching
In 1999 the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement about television viewing for children. This policy delineated the benefits that TV can have as well as the developmental risks that it can pose to children, especially those under the age of two.
3. Read Books With Your Child - Actively
Reading books every day with your child can help with many areas of development such as speech and language acquisition, eye-hand coordination, cognitive-linguistic skills and more. However, to make the most of reading time - do more than simply read aloud while your child listens. Even if your child can't read yet, there is much he or she can do to engage further in the activity to enhance learning and development.
4. Encourage Dramatic Play
Play can facilitate all areas of development. It is an essential part of growth. When children are infants they engage in holding and banging toys - the rudiments of understanding cause and effect, emergence of motor skills, attention, and overall development. By the time a child is several years old play should become more advanced; that is, children begin to engage in dramatic play.
5. Sing Songs
Sing songs that include finger, hand and / or body movements with your child. This helps with speech and language development, intonation, and motor skills. Some great children's songs that include movement are:
6. Provide Good Nutrition
Plentiful research has been conducted on the effects of nutrition on child development and growth. Poor nutrition has been shown to negatively impact child development significantly. It is important to understand your child's nutritional needs, which can be difficult when there are many different views as to what constitutes a good diet.
7. Plenty of Sleep
Children require plenty of sleep to grow and develop. Sleep can be as important as nutrition and exercise. It can be difficult to know how much sleep children require. The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies has provided the following guidelines: