How Sippy Cups Can Impact Speech & Development

Today we are pleased to feature a guest post by Speech and Language Pathologist, Chelsea Roberts, M.S. SLP/CCC. Chelsea is sharing with us the impact sippy cups have on oral motor development.

Let’s talk sippy cups.  There are so many to choose from so how do you know which one is right for your child and their development?  While most of the variations among sippy cups are a personal preference, there is one variation that can affect your child’s speech and language development.  The oral portion of the sippy cup can actually be detrimental to your child’s oral motor development. 

First, what does oral motor mean and how does it affect your child?  Oral motor refers to the strength, range of motion and coordination of the structures around and inside your mouth: lips, cheeks, tongue, soft and hard palate.  If these structures develop poor posture or general weakness it can affect feeding, swallowing and speech production (articulation). 

As a licensed Speech and Language Pathologist, I highly recommend you avoid traditional sippy cups secondary to their negative affects to the oral structures.  The traditional sippy does not promote proper lip closure and actually encourages continued suckling-like movement of the tongue which should no longer be the primary method for nutrition.  To encourage adequate oral motor strength and posture, parents can introduce cup drinking or straw drinking between six and 12 months of age.  If you decide to use spill-proof straw cups, continue encouraging open cup drinking, as that is the ultimate goal. 

Another step for developing strong oral motor skills is to stop the use of bottles by 12 months of age. 

If you have any concerns regarding your child’s speech and language development, please contact our office for a free consultation.  Red flags to watch for include slurred speech development/poor articulation, open mouth breathing, drooling, and food frequently spilling out of the mouth. 

Reimaginespeech.com  -   chelsea@reimaginespeech.com  -  (214) 994-7920

Chelsea Roberts is a mother of two, ages 1 ½ and 3 years, and a licensed Speech and Language Pathologist.  She loves to reach out to moms who have questions or concerns about their child’s development.  Her practice, ReImagine Speech and Language Therapy, PLLC stands above other companies through unique accessing to services through in-home, on-site and telepractice delivery.  Her team specializes in treating patients with a variety of speech, language, feeding, swallowing, and cognitive disorders across the age spectrum.  Contact her to schedule a speech therapy evaluation.   info@reimaginespeech.com 

Spring Break

We hope you're enjoying Spring Break with your little ones! As a reminder, classes will resume in Allen, McKinney and Murphy next week. See you soon!

It's Never Too Late to Register!

Did you know it is never too late to register? During the course of one semester, the theme of each class changes three times! This even allows for all new Home Materials each theme. And most importantly, we always pro-rate your tuition!

We currently have classes going in the following cities:

Allen, TX
Joe Farmer Recreation Center
1201 E. Bethany Road, Allen TX

McKinney, TX
McKinney Community Center
2001 S. Central Expressway, McKinney TX

Murphy, TX
205 N. Murphy Road, Murphy TX


In case you missed it, we will also be inside of Babies "R" Us in Allen beginning in March. Please join us for a FREE preview class at noon on either March 5th or March 19th!

FREE Event: Bubble Party

We are pleased to announce that we are hosting another FREE event. Please join us for a fun morning of bubble play! This event is for children of all ages so feel free to invite your friends!

What: Bubble Play

Time: 10-11 a.m.

When: April 19, 2013

Where: Towne Lake Park, McKinney (1405 Wilson Creek Parkway @ Central Expressway)

There are many developmental benefits to bubble play. For toddlers and infants in particular, bubble play helps with hand-eye coordination, motor skills and language development and so much more!

This article touches on the benefits and provides a simple recipe to make at home. Here is an in-depth  article that talks about using bubbles to teach about body parts, follow instructions and improve cognitive skills. Lastly, this article discusses some unique ideas for bubble play, including foods with "bubbles."

Photo Friday!

Happy Friday, Friends! We are starting a new feature where we will share a candid shot from one of our classes each Friday! If you have a photo you'd like to submit, you can email it to me at any time!

This photo is from our class in Allen and features one of our favorite Mother-Daughter Duos!

Summer Class Registration is Here!

We are pleased to announce that our summer schedule has been released! For a complete list of our classes, and to enroll, click here.

Summer classes will take place in the following cities:

McKinney - McKinney Community Center

Allen - Joe Farmer Recreation Center

North Garland - Holford Recreation Center

If you're new to Kindermusik and would like to preview a class, email us any time! You can also be added to our mailing list to get information on our playdates, FREE events, and discounts on classes.

Motor Skill Development: Easter Edition

We love to hear from our Kindermusik Moms what you're doing to simulate and educate your children at home! Kindermusik Mom Shara recently shared an idea with us to capitalize on Easter, that allows you to get more use out of those plastic eggs!

Shara took a few eggs and filled them with healthy snacks for her adorable daughter Elaina. Inside the eggs were items such as pretzels and fruit. Elaina loved the novelty of seeing the eggs, and it is very beneficial for toddlers around Elaina's age (12-24 months) to practice opening the eggs and trying to fit the halves back together! Easy motor skill practice at home!

Here is sweet Elaina in action:

Courtesy: Shara Sulkov

Courtesy: Shara Sulkov

Courtesy: Shara Sulkov

As always, we encourage you to email us to share what activities you're doing at home! You could be featured on our blog!

New Classes Starting in Garland!

We are pleased to announce new classes starting in two Garland locations. Join us at Firewheel and Holford Recreation Center. Visit our website to register, or email us with any questions!

The classes in Firewheel will take place at:

Yoga Synergy Spa
125 Cedar Sage Drive
Garland, TX 75040

The classes are:

Village (nb-18mo)
Mar 5-Apr23 (8 weeks)
Tuesdays 12:30-1:15 p.m.

Family Style (nb-4 yrs)
Mar 1-Mar29 (4 weeks)
Fridays 4:30-5:15 p.m.

The Holford classes will take place at:

Holford Recreation Center
2314 Homestead Place
Garland, TX 75044

The class is:

Family Style (nb-4yrs)
Feb 25-Mar 25 (4 weeks)
Mondays 9:45-10:30 a.m.

Lovely Lullabies

With the cold weather surrounding us, I love to work in some extra snuggle time with my little ones for warmth, especially at night.  How can I resist?  I also love to sing a song or two while they are wrapped up tight and dozing off. 

I love that Kindermusik has provided me with a collection of sweet songs to sing to my children in bed.  I must admit that when my son was a newborn I didn’t know any lullabies.  He was a Thanksgiving birthday, so I sang a lot of  “Silent Night,” and “What Child is This.”  After being exposed to the Kindermusik curriculum, among my favorites are “That’s an Irish Lullaby,” “White Coral Bells,” “Hush Little Baby.”  Other popular lullabies include: “Sleep, My Little Bird,” “Simple Gifts,” “Sweetest Little Baby,” “Rurru,” and “You are My Sunshine.”

You can find all of these, plus hundreds of song downloads on play.kindermusik.com. 

I do hope that you are treasuring your moments with your little ones, and taking time to sing to them everyday.  And, I hope that Kindermusik is providing you with songs and activities so you can sing throughout your week.  They grow so quickly, and these special moments slip by us, so sing your heart out!   And, don’t worry what you sound like—your voice is your child’s favorite!!

New Classes Starting in Garland, TX!

We are pleased to announce new classes starting in Garland, TX! Registration is easy, simply email kindermusikloveandgrow@gmail.com

Love and Grow Crafts: Vinegar and Baking Soda

Given the odd weather of late, I have been searching high and low for suitable indoor crafts and experiments. The former Chemistry teacher inside me just loves anything science-related so this craft was right up my alley.

The original source for this idea came from Two Big Two Little. This is literally the easiest craft yet, and you will always have the supplies on hand.

Here is what you need:

Vinegar
Baking soda
Food coloring

Here's what to do:

Pour the baking soda onto a tray. Fill small cups with vinegar, coloring each cup a different color with the food coloring. Then, show your kids how to drop the food coloring onto the baking soda for a cool "reaction."   When they run out of food coloring, they can smush the final product in their hands for a great sensory experience!

Here's my sweet Lucas experimenting!

Free Trial Infant Music Class!

We are hosting a FREE trial class with our infant curriculum, in McKinney, TX at the community center. Reserving a spot is simple: email kindermusikloveandgrow@gmail.com and we will schedule you in! See you Wednesday!

Spring Into 2013 with Kindermusik!

Our Spring Kindermusik classes are currently enrolling. We are pleased to offer classes in McKinney, Allen, Garland/Holford and Garland/Firewheel! To see a full list of classes, visit our website.

To enroll in McKinney, TX click here.

To enroll in Allen, TX click here.

To enroll in Garland, TX at the Holford Recreation Center click here.

To enroll in Garland, TX at Firewheel, please email Ms. Cara here.  

We are very excited for the new curriculum. See you in class!

Introducing Susan Geffen!

We are very pleased to introduce to you the newest Member of the Kindermusik Love and Grow family, Susan Geffen!

Ms. Susan is a licensed Kindermusik educator who has been teaching arts education to children since she was in high school. Music is her calling, and she is active as an educator, a pianist, a speaker, a piano adjudicator, and even as a managing editor of Clavier Companion, a magazine devoted to the piano and piano pedagogy. Her M.A. (under the tutelage of composer Robert Rodríguez) is from the University of Texas at Dallas, and she has a Permanent Professional Certification from the Music Teachers National Association. She is also a member of the Music Critics Association of North America.

Whether her students are three or seventy-three, Ms. Susan believes that music enriches every life and that Kindermusik classes are an exciting, joyful, and meaningful way for children to begin their musical journeys. 

Look for Ms. Susan to be teaching the following classes: Village in Allen (Wednesdays), Young Child 2 in Allen (Fridays),  as well as Village and Our Time in Firewheel (Tuesdays). 

The Importance of Sensory Bins

In Our Time classes last week we explored Fall-themed sensory bins. Children learn about their world by using all of their senses!  Babies and toddlers touch everything and put things in their mouths.  They make funny noises and experiment with how the world sounds with their finger stuck in their ear.  They laugh at the feeling of spinning or swinging. 

As a parent, providing your child with sensory stimulating opportunities allows them to learn how to use all of their senses and make sense of and organize various stimuli.

Other areas of brain development are stimulated during sensory play, including:

-Labeling the consistencies/tastes/sounds with new words to develop language

-Sorting and separating strengthens fine motor skills

-Sensory play provides a calming experience for a child

-New textures and sounds allow opportunity for imaginative play

Sensory play is a key component of Kindermusik classes at each age level.  A few of the regular sensory activities woven into the Kindermusik curriculum include:

-Village- Intentional touch, Hammocking

-Our Time- Rocking, Fingerplays, Active Listening and Lots of Movement!

-Imagine That! & Young Child- We identify and explore musical concepts using a variety of sensory experiences. 

Even at a young age, your child will show preferences for certain sensory activities over others.  For instance, while some toddlers are constantly squirming and moving about, others are more content to sit and quietly observe from mom’s lap.  Take some time to explore different sensory activities with your child, and discover what his or her preferences are!  From finger-painting and exploring “sensory bins” to swinging and rocking, to lifting and pushing heavy objects, there are a myriad of ways to expose your child to sensory experiences.  And these experiences make for stronger and healthier brain development in multiple areas.

In the bin:

Corn Feed
Fall colored leaves
Small gourds
Jewels
Foam animal shapes

We explored the bins using our hands, cups, shovels, scoops and sifters. Implementing this learning technique at home is easy: take items you already have on hand such as rice, oats or beans. Then, simply hide some small toys for your child to discover using measuring cups and spoons! You can also try hiding marbles or M&Ms to develop fine motor skills.

For a great resource to learn more about incorporating this type of learning into your home routine, check out Growing an In-Sync Child. 

Kindermusik Playdate ~ November 3, 2012

Kindermusik Day

“Is today Kindermusik Day?”  Have you heard these words ring through your home?  What’s so great about Kindermusik Day?  Is it your child anticipating the singing and dancing in class with his friends?  Or is it that you enjoy seeing your mom-friends and engaging in adult conversations?

Kindermusik brings a joy to your daily routine and a fun experience for your children to look forward to.  But, that’s just the start of what Kindermusik provides.  Together, we are laying a strong educational foundation for your child through:

            -building relationships

-developing listening skills

-participating in group routines

-experiencing collaborative play

            -nourishing self-expression through movement with music

-increasing coordination and basic timing skills

-and much more.

Together we are learning about your children and starting off on a great and wonderful journey.  What do you love about Kindermusik? Kindermusik is just one of many successful steps to keeping children in love with learning about the world around them.

We thank you for allowing us to be a part of your weekly schedule of activities to enhance your child’s development and enrich their childhood.