Hello Everybody! Maria here! I want to share my personal experience with you...

 

Felix, my son, remained non-verbal until we met TipToe Music. At the age of three, he did not speak. He had all kinds of tests and assessments. However, specialists could not figure out why, and he was diagnosed with speech delay.

 

In the summer of 2023, we found TipToe Music.  After one semester, he started to dance to music the way Miss E-J taught. ‘Wow, he remembers everything.’ I told myself. Soon after that, he started to hum ALL the time. After another six months, he started to call Mom and Dad! Every parent in the world would understand the joy brought by these two simple words. 

 

We are grateful that meeting TipToe Music meant we helped him find his voice. If you also have a child who is struggling with speech, is non verbal or has speech delays. Here are some of the tips and tricks I have learned through my experiences, I hope you find them helpful!

 

Sing songs without words

Children are wired to learn their native language whenever given the chance. However, we tend to emphasize too much on lyrics. By using vocables, such as La, Di, Bum, and singing songs without words (SWOWs), we are giving melody and rhythm an opportunity to shine! 

 

Felix loves SWOWs. They take off the pressure of language learning and offer him something to play with vocally.

 

Put an emphasis on the rhythm

Felix has been going Rhythm Kids® (RK) classes now for almost a year. I love how the RK curriculum puts an emphasis on rhythm. It might not seem to be obvious, but rhythm is fundamental to children’s learning in early years. 

 

According to research, rhythm discrimination was a better predictor of performance on grammar tests. 

 

Also, the better a kid understands the rhythm, the better awareness of speech sounds he/she has. Plus, it is super fun! You would hear both kids and grownups singing, dancing, drumming and giggling in class. The 2025 RK Summer Camp is open for registration. I have already secured a spot for Felix. Trust me, you do not want to miss it!

 

Appreciate music from other cultures

As a Mandarin speaking family, we love the diversity of the Music Together® curriculum,  to find The Love Song of Kangding, a famous Chinese folk song, in one collection was thrilling!. Also, Felix wanted to visit Bolivia because of the song La Mariposa. Music from other cultures can be very different in terms of tempos, melody, and of course language. Music Together has songs in Spanish, Mandarin, Italian, Japanese and more, which always leaves children wanting to know more.


 

Hi! I am Maria, a proud TipToe Music teacher and mom.

I cannot wait to make music with you - you'll find me in class in Oakville, Erin Mills and Port Credit this semester!

If you have any concerns regarding your child's speech or language development, please see your family doctor.


 

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