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Dance it Out!

April 27, 2020

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This week I thought I would share a fun video incorporating language development.  Dr. Seuss’s “Fox in Sox” is an engaging rhyming story.  This video about the book has a pulsating and driving  rhythm behind the words.  Rhyming and rhythm help develop language skills without much effort. 

Think about how we don’t typically teach kids the words “a”, “the”, and “is” directly.  Also think about how these words are abstract.  Think about…we don’t see an image of “a”  and “the” like we do “horse” in our brains.  Our ears in coordination with our brains and rhythm do most of the work.  As we grow, our ears pick up on the rhythm in our native language, and our brains then incorporate those simple words such as “a” and “the” without much effort.  Our ears are constantly being trained to pick up on words and also pick up on and store longer and longer sentence structures. 

Rhythm is also why we remember details better when they are in a song.  The rhythm is prominent in a song, causing the words of the song to link strongly to one another.  Music is also unique in that it is stored all over the brain.  It’s why someone who has a stroke may not be able to talk, but they can sing.  Rhyming also works this way, creating a strong link between words and additionally training the ear to pick up on rhythm.  

Now add dancing to the mix, and you have a total multi-sensory experience.  Dancing helps your brain develop even more!  So take this video and play it in a wide open space and dance with your kiddo!  You’ll have a lot of fun, and be working on language at the same time.  What a great combination!

Here’s the link.  Enjoy!!!  https://youtu.be/hqIbEHNqbPs