Scout is a one year old; toddling and tinkering with all he comes in contact with.  He can now use his hands to reach and manipulate objects.  His fine motor skills are unfolding and developing in so many ways.   He has mastered moving with reflexes, can combine and coordinate simple movements, and is on his way exploring complex movements.  He cannot yet make nor expand complex movements.  Children in Scout’s age group demonstrate an increased proficiency in motor skills, which shows physical and motor competence.  The California Department of Education’s Child Development Division uses the Desired Results Development Profile-Revision (DRDP-R) to make an assessment on a typical child’s development.  The Infant/Toddler Instrument measures a child’s development from birth to 36 months of age.  Seeing that Scout is one third of the way through the age requirement for this instrument, it is wonderful to see his competency lies near the mastery end of the developmental continuum.  It could be said that he is above average in his development, compared to a typical child in his age bracket.

Moving with Reflexes

Responding with Reflexes

When Scout was five months old, he came to my Yoga Tots class with his momma.  It was here that I took this simple photo of him lying on his back, holding his hands in fisted position.

Combining Simple Movements

Interacting with Objects in His Environment

Here is Scout at 13 months, opening and closing his hands as he is exploring the magic of nature in the park.  On this occasion, Scout came across sticks, leaves–both soft and crunchy, grass, and rocks; all of which were thoroughly gone over between both hands and his mouth.  He really took his time exploring nature with all of his senses.

Coordinating Simple Movements

Adjusts grasp to size and shape of toy

On Scout’s first birthday, he tagged along the back of this ride, grasping the fender with fists.  This reveals competence of making adjustments to different shapes and sizes of objects.

Exploring Complex Movements

Using Index Finger and Thumb

Scout pulls apart a crispy leaf and crumbles its bits between his index finger and thumb, while grasping the leaf itself between the index finger and thumb of the other hand.

Mastering Finer Motor Skills….

Scout still has a bit more to learn in the areas of making and expanding complex movements before he can move up to the next level for DRDP-R assessment.  He must learn how to manipulate objects using both fingers and wrist on one hand, while stabilizing an object with the other hand.  Pulling a zipper up, twisting a cap, or putting beads on a string require competency at this level.  The ability to do a task like these using both hands is necessary for developing the task of expanding complex movements.   When Scout can button a large button or turn both knobs on an Etch-A-Sketch, with both hands, simultaneously, he will be on his way to mastering his fine motor skills at this developmental level.

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In creating a plan for learning for a toddler, experiences fostering social/emotional, cognitive, physical/ motor, and language development are of utmost importance to consider.  Through play, children learn these key pieces of development.  It is the decisions that a teacher makes in creating a stimulating and enriching environment  that will either foster or impede this development.

Sand play

A sand box creates an atmosphere for discovering the senses.  Sand can be molded and shaped by hands, it is a stimulating texture, things can be hidden and dug up in it, and it can be poured over heads for even more discovery.  It is also safe to explore in the mouth, in small amounts.  A sand box is always a place to make new friends.  Modeling another child’s motions is another way for small children to learn new experiences.  When conflicts arise in the sand box (ie. not sharing, battle wounds, ect.)  conflict resolution may occur between the children all on their own, or they may need adult help.  Both methods build emotional development and set children up with the future tools of coping mechanisms.   Language skills are also learned in a sandbox.  Small children may babble, older children may sing songs while they play, others may tell little stories or make believe; all of which are picked up by other ears and become part of the individual child’s dialogue.  The interplay is simply beautiful to watch when children share kind words and mend their own little disputes.  Adding stimulating objects to the sandbox can foster cognitive development for children.  Measuring cups, blocks of wood, bowls filled with water–all add to the mysteries and joy discovered in a sandbox.  Through sifting sand, stacking blocks, and floating objects, children learn basic math and physics.

A nature hike can also be a very adventurous time for small children.  Even a short stroll through a backyard can take a half an hour or more.  Toddlers will keep their eyes to the ground before them, for the most part.  But the airplane overhead takes their spatial development to a whole new level.  Suddenly they are looking up into that bright blue sky with a slight unsteady stance about them, pointing and asking questions about the strange flying noisy object.  Insects, worms, frogs, and snails make for a science lesson within close reach.  Children can touch and feel these little critters, exploring tangible nuances and making connections between themselves other living things.  Learning to be gentle and kind are taught here, which can be used in the future when a social event occurs, requiring those kind and gentle manners to be called on once again.  Children learn language through listening to adults and other children, so a good lesson for teaching gentleness is by modeling the gentle hand gestures, at the same time using a calm, relaxed tone of voice.  Emotional development is gained through displaying these gestures and tones because the child will pick up on them and add them to their emotional tool box.  Frogs can teach us so much about ourselves!

Snacks are a must to keep those little brains ready for the next lesson in life.  Healthy, whole foods are coming back in style so what better way to learn about them then to grow them in a children’s garden?  Letting children dig in soil and be part of the growing of foods will only encourage them to eat those greens when they are on the table.  A garden is another place for learning language and developing socially and emotionally.  Working as a team can provide lessons that will reach far beyond the task at hand, fostering leadership and community skills for the future.  All the while little hands are in the rich earth, giving water to plants, and enjoying the fresh air.  Homegrown carrots are the best reward after a job well done!  Letting children help prepare snacks and meals engages their sense of ownership and

preparing the future

responsibility.  Even a small child can stand on a chair at the sink and play in soapy bubbles.  Having a set of wooden fruits and veggies allows the littlest one to participate in the event.  There is a set on the market that have velcro between the slices so that they can stick together and the child can cut them with the little wooden knife and cutting board.  This takes some practice, but little hands soon learn to coordinate with the brain and voila!  sliced bread for all!

Music can soothe the soul, but it can also activate the dendrites in little brains too!  Children can put most any two objects together and get a rhythm out of them.  When they are offered a variety of things to choose from, the choices are endless.  Metal chimes, wooden rods, kitchen equipment, fencing–I’ve even seen a child “play the grass” once.  Washboards are one of my new favorites, as well as those finger chimes found in belly dancer’s shops.  Really, anything for a good jam band can be found around the home.  Over turned pots and pans, strainers, wooden spoons, the list goes on and on.  You really

grow a gourd–make a drum

don’t even need to do the work in finding these things, the children already know where they live.  Including music in a daily routine can do wonders for the body, mind, and spirit.  Dancing creates body awareness, stimulates organs, fosters coordination, and it’s just plain fun.  Even a CD of any sort can fill a room full of laughter and chaos during the hum-drum part of the day!

Daily Learning Plan

morning:  circle time–singing a greeting song, hand rhymes, free play

mid morning:  snack, outdoor play, gardening/hike (rotate these each day)

noon: lunch, crafts and art,  story time, rest

afternoon:  music, dancing, outdoor play (sandbox, building blocks, free play)

For Scout, in particular, this daily routine may provide him with a variety of schemes for development.  He’s only a year old, so it isn’t quite appropriate to make decisions about what areas he needs improvements in.  In providing numerous objects for creative play and discovery is key at this point for his growth and development.  The most optimal environment for him is one that is full of nurturing connections and opportunities for exploration.  Below is a Child-Centered Web diagram that shows his preferences for learning on the right and goals for teaching him on the left.

Scout's Learning Web

After my family and I moved back to the golden Sierra Foothills last summer, I started up my child/parent interactive yoga class.  I had taught a similiar class a few years back (before I had my own child) and found that I would need to converge age groups into one class now that I had a little one of my own.  So–upon many requests–began Wee Do Yoga.  The children who have brought their parents range in age from 5 months to 6 years old.  The intention of the class is simple:  Finding ways to bring out the play in yoga and the yoga in play.  Wee pretend we are animals.  Wee look at ourselves upside down in the mirror.  Wee have yoga dance parties.  Mommas and poppas (and grandmommas and grandpoppas) learn new ways of playing with their little ones while getting a refreshing stretch in for themselves.  New parents learn how moving baby’s legs in a certain way can allieviate painful gas and engage tummy muscles–and how the power of touch can truly connect parent and child.

Sometimes the wild and mysterious energies of children lead us into frustration.  In this class, Wee attempt to explore that energy because sometimes Wee just have to blow with those kind of breezes to experience new lessons and possibilities.  With that in mind, this class is only lightly structured.  Plenty of fun things to Do but participation is never enforced.  When one child needs to cuddle momma one does.  If tree pose isn’t within one’s reach maybe one would rather become a flower stretching up to the warming sun.

Just getting the opportunity to get down on the floor and spend a half hour playing with a child can be difficult with the demands of the world.  This class offers the time and space for us to nourish our connection with those important to us.  The room is light and airy.  The spacious bamboo floor offers endless opportunity for creative movements.  The families you meet and play with provide the sense of community that we as human critters seek out.

If you are a resident of the Sonora area or if you will be visiting soon, come play with the friends in the neighborhood.  Wee would love to Do Yoga with you!!

***This class has evolved into a Mommas Series.  Mommas (and Poppas and other caregivers) are invited to bring along baby (up to 3 years) to this class which allows us to get back into our bodies after sharing it with our little ones for so long.  Saturday mornings from 11:45-12:30pm.***

visit www.yogaloftsonora.com for more details and class updates

It's amazing to see the joy of a child playing with simple wood shapes.

“Plastics Make ‘It’ Possible?” from the ramble bramble mind maze of Jessica Robertson

What is ‘It‘?  And what is ‘It‘ making possible?  Cancer?  Pollution?  Stupidity?  Child obesity?  What is actually possible is the depletion of the human ability to learn resourcefulness.

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