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The Tiny Toes curriculum is based on research and experience
to provide a solid lesson of fun and learning for each child.
Children who participate in our program will not only improve
motor skill development, they will also learn skills that will
help them improve in the classroom. Our classes focus on
activities that stimulate movement, motor skill development,
attention span, spatial awareness, balance and crossing the
midline.
Researchers have traced a pathway from the cerebellum to parts
of the brain involved in memory, attention and spatial
perception. It was found that the part of the brain that
processes movement is the same part of the brain that
processes learning…thus creating the strong link between
movement and learning (Jenson 2000).
A study by Rhodes and Courneya (2003) found that exercise
activity increases neuronal growth, which positively
correlates with improved learning. Children who are exposed to
an environment that is rich with various activities and
learning opportunities at a young age can experience greater
stimulation and greater number of interconnections in the
brain. (Stevens-Smith 2006). This is one of the reasons why
professional gymnasts must start young and children can learn
a foreign language much more easily than adults. This is a use
it or lose it phenomenon.
Our classes also include exercises and games to help children
with crossing the midline: understanding the connection
between their left and right sides; having the ability to
cross body parts over the middle of their body; and feeling
comfortable with movement through the midline. According to
Hannaford (1995) this process is important because the brain
uses the same neural connections used in reading, writing, and
math. As adults, we take the process of reading and writing
from left to right for granted; however, this is a learned
skill that requires lots of repetition before it becomes an
unconscious process.
Our classes are age specific and focus on the appropriate
developmental milestones. So parents can find the class that
gets their little ones’ toes wiggling!
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