PARKING!

Please do not park in the street when attending music classes. My parents live in the house to the south of my studio, and they would love to have you park in their driveway, if mine is full. The city gets a little testy if cars are parked on the street. Thanks for your cooperation. Susan

"HOP TO IT"!

In "Imagine That" we have been hoping and jumping to a song called "Hop to it"! I have been helping the children think of different ways in which to hop and jump throughout the song. Did you know jumping might not seem like a remarkable feat, but clearing a puddle requires balance, strength, and the precise coordination of arms, knees and hips. Throughout the elementary school years, a child jump increases an awe-inspiring average of 3-5 inches in distance and 2 inches in height per year. Kids learn to jump soon after they learn to run, usually starting at about 24 months. First a child tries taking a single step down a stair, next they'll explore other kinds of objects that are jump-offable then overable, then aroundable. At about 30 months, once kids have the leg strength to defy gravity and the balance they need for landing, jumps become more sophisticated-bunny hops, grasshopper jumps for instance,, that move the jumper not just up but forward. By 4 or 5, a child enters the golden era of jumping mastery, coordinating arms with the extension of legs and torso, resulting in a long jump with serious distance. It's a skill she'll need to launch herself over a puddle instead of into it. Unless, of course, she doesn't want to!