The Genius of Natural Childhood

Fifty-two percent of parents admit they never read to their child. Toddlers watch 41/2 hours of television daily. More children are obese, enter school developmentally delayed and need special education. So Sally Goddard Blythe draws on neuroscience to unpack the wisdom of nursery rhymes, playing traditional games and fairy stories for healthy child development. She explains why movement matters and how games develop children's skills at different stages of development. She offers a starter kit of stories, action games, songs and rhymes.

Contents: Movement and training the senses, rough and tumble play--why movement matters Music and language--prenatal development, movement and music, nursery rhymes Lullabies, rhymes and song--origins and uses Action songs and games for babies to preschoolers, massage and rhythm, finger play Power of fairy tales Day in the Garden, story for movement "Getting ready for school"--developmental factors to look out for; assessments of hearing and vision; where to go for help