Released on: July 3, 2008, 11:45 pm

Press Release Author: Barbara Greenspan - MS, OTR Occupational Therapist

Industry: Small Business

Press Release Summary: Keep reading and we will give you some great ideas that you
can do at home and at the playground to stimulate these "movement" systems!

Press Release Body: In the last newsletter Shari Harpaz, eBeanstalk's resident
Speech Pathologist, introduced the concept of how children learn by using their
senses. Everyone is familiar with the 5 senses including Touch (Tactile), Sight
(Visual), Smell (Olfactory), Taste (Oral) and Hearing (Auditory). But there are
actually two more senses (or systems) that we don't hear much about and they are
crucial for movement and learning; they are the vestibular and proprioceptive
systems (sound complicated? It's not). These two movement systems give us
information about our bodies and how we move relative to the world around us.

Where's my head? The vestibular system sits in the inner ear and tells us where our
head is in relation to the ground.

Where's my body? The proprioceptive receptors are located in our muscles, joints and
ligaments and this system tells us where our body is in space.

For example, if your arms are up straight in the air and your eyes are closed, the
proprioceptive system tells us where our body parts are located without using our
eyes. This system also tells us how much strength is needed to do a task such as how
hard to throw a ball or how much pressure to apply to a pencil to write on paper.
Think about that the next time you walk in the dark feeling for the light-switch.

So, as parents, how do we give input to these important systems that help our
children learn about their bodies in relation to the world around them? Keep reading
and we will give you some great ideas that you can do at home and at the playground
to stimulate these "movement" systems!

1. It's time to move: In our first eBeanTALK newsletter, our Physical Therapist,
Deanie Barth, wrote about the importance of having infants spend time on their
tummies. However it is also critical for them to spend time putting their bodies and
especially their heads in different positions (other than just straight upright).
One good way to accomplish this is to lay on your back and lift your baby up in the
air in front of your body and tilt them from side-to-side. Play games and sing songs
while you bring their face close to yours and then back up in the air again. This is
a great bonding activity (and your arms will get a workout as well!) and an
excellent way to teach your baby about movement.

2. Get creative: When your baby starts to crawl, use tunnels and forts to encourage
movement on all fours and again put their head in different positions as they use
these objects.

3. Keep it simple: Another great tool for children this age are exercise balls.
Place your child on his or her stomach on a large exercise ball then carefully tip
them forward until they touch the floor in front of them with their hands, then roll
the ball back until they touch the ground with their feet. Sing songs while you do
this and they will giggle as they go down and back up while learning how the rolling
ball makes their body move.

4. Gravity is fun: After they have learned how to walk, help your toddler feel how
gravity effects their movement by helping them try to walk up a slide and then hold
them as they slide back down headfirst. Another fun playground activity it to
carefully push them on a swing while they are seated and then on their stomachs. Or,
take them on a wheelbarrow walk -- let your child walk on his or her hands while you
hold them up by their feet. Not only are all of these playtime activities helpful in
developing a child's vestibular system they will also help to build strong muscles
at the same time!

5. The bottom line: By being creative you can play an almost limitless number games
that place your child's body and head in a variety of positions that stimulate their
vestibular and proprioceptive systems. All these ideas are building blocks that
prepare a child to direct their bodies in the way they want them to move, and
prepare them for carrying out their important jobs as preschoolers and future
students. So remember, provide your children with many sensory rich experiences
throughout their day because learning doesn't only happen in your brain!

Learning is a two-way street: If you have any creative ideas for me, please email
them to: customerservice@ebeanstalk.com

The 7 Sensory Systems.not just 5
. Touch (Tactile)
. Smell (Olfactory)
. Taste (Oral)
. See (Visual)
. Hear (Auditory)
. Movement of the head (Vestibular)
. Movement of the body (Proprioception)
If you'd like to read more about how the senses affect learning, we recommend the
following books: Smart Moves-Why Learning is Not All In Your Head by Carla
Hannaford, Ph.D. and Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel, MA, OTR and
Nancy Peske.

Web Site: http://www.ebeanstalk.com

Contact Details: eBeanstalk
50 Water Street
Norwalk, CT 06854

Phone: 203-854-9600

fax number: 203 854 5590

Email: customerservice@ebeanstalk.com