What’s an IEP? Kids with delayed skills or other disabilities might be eligible for special services that provide individualized education programs in public schools, free of charge to families. Understanding how to access these services can help parents be effective advocates for their kids. The passage of the updated version …
admin 
Introducing Preschoolers to Music
Like most preschoolers, your child probably already loves music and has favorite songs. This may have happened with little encouragement from you beyond simply playing music on long car trips. But did you know that your preschooler is now at an ideal age to expand his or her musical horizons and …
Introducing Toddlers to Music
Music is a natural part of life for toddlers. They might sing to their stuffed animals, tap their feet to the rhythm of nursery rhymes, and enjoy the sound of their parents singing to them — even if mom and dad can’t quite carry a tune. But this early introduction to …
Learning, Play, and Your 1- to 2-Year-Old
What Your Toddler Is Learning Kids transition from babies to toddlers during the second year of life, as tentative first steps give way to confident walking. As your toddler starts exploring, be sure to childproof your home to prevent household accidents. Language. Kids this age also make major strides in understanding language and …
Learning, Play, and Your 1- to 3-Month-Old
What Your Baby Is Learning After learning to recognize your voice, your face, and your touch, and to associate them with comfort, your baby will start responding even more to you during these months — and will even give you a smile! Babies this age spend more time awake and alert and become …
Learning, Play, and Your 4- to 7-Month-Old
What Your Baby Is Learning By 4 months old, your baby has learned to recognize you and familiar caregivers, focus and pay attention to things, and actively engage your attention. Your infant will learn to sit during this time, and in the next few months will begin exploring by reaching out …
Learning, Play, and Your Newborn
What Is My Newborn Learning? Play is the chief way that infants learn how to move, communicate, socialize, and understand their surroundings. And during the first month of life, your baby will learn by interacting with you. The first thing your baby will learn is to associate the feel of …
Music and Your School-Age Child
Reasons to Love Music Whether dancing around the living room on a rainy day or singing along to the radio, school-age kids love listening to — and participating in — music. And there are loads of good reasons to encourage this enthusiasm. Research shows that kids who are actively involved …
Rainy Day Fun
When rain or snow puts a damper on playing outside and cabin fever is driving everyone bonkers, these quick play-and-pretend ideas will keep kids occupied and happy for hours: Put on a Show With Homemade Puppets We’ve all created puppets out of cotton socks, paper bags, markers, and a handful …
Reading Books to Babies
Jacob loves books. His mom knows this because when she sits down to read to him every night, he waves his arms excitedly. His favorite page of “Goodnight Moon” shows a cow jumping over the moon. He squeals and reaches for the book every time he sees it. When she …