I wasn’t sure how my four-year-old would react to seeing The Nutcracker performed on stage. Although this was actually his second viewing of the production, I don’t think that at two-years-old he really understood what he was seeing. As it turns out, my preschooler was able to understand much of the story in Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece.
Before we arrived, I prepared my son by letting him know that we would be watching ballet dancers perform a story set to music. I sang the tune to a few of the songs with which I knew he would be familiar, and I let him know that there wouldn’t be any words in the story. He would have to pay attention in order to let the dancers show him the story. My son let me know that he was excited about watching the dancers since he also loved to dance, but that he didn’t want to be a ballerina.
During the performance, he was completely captivated by the motion on stage. He loved the Nutcracker and, as a typical boy, thought it was cool when the rats and the soldiers had their battle. He was excited when he recognized the music, and he even enjoyed the ballet dancing, and I think he was a little shocked to see how good the male dancers were. He did note, however, that he still does not want to be a ballerina. He would rather do flips. (I am envisioning Cirque de Soleil.)
Overall, it was a wonderful experience. My preschooler learned more than I will ever know about the performing arts, and he enjoyed the live production. I am hoping to make The Nutcracker an anual event for our children. It will be interesting to listen to what they discover and like about the performance as they grow older.
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Written by Laura on December 16, 2011
At three- or four-years-old, it is pretty likely that your preschooler is not writing full length stories for you to proudly post on your refrigerator. It is, however, fairly safe to assume that your child tells you many, many stories throughout the day. For example, you may get to hear about their new, imaginary pet lion who needs some meat to eat. And, oh, by the way, her name is Lucy. Or yo
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Written by Laura on November 9, 2011
Although taking time out of your busy day to sit down and watch an episode of “Dora the Explorer” may not be high on your priority list, you can bet that watching a favorite television program is somewhere near the top of your child’s “Favorite Things to Do” list. You can take advantage of this passion by using it to help your child develop pre-reading skills.
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Written by Laura on September 16, 2011
You may have heard any number of children’s songs that begin with a short introduction and then include a list of items that is added to during each verse. This type of song is great for helping children learn to sequence items which is an important skill for both math and language development.
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Written by Laura on July 15, 2011
When your child was very young and just starting to take an interest in books, you probably noticed that your child’s library consisted almost entirely of thick board books that contained brightly colored pictures with very few words. In general, toddlers have not yet made the connection between the words on the page and the story they are telling. However, parents are able to help them ma
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Written by BRWI Staff on March 14, 2011
A few months ago, my two boys and I read the story, “How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight.” My children immediately loved the story, and began asking for it to be read each night at bedtime, as well as several times throughout the day. Although I have to agree that the story is very enjoyable, after about the hundredth reading, it becomes a bit mundane. I was thankful to discover that the
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Written by Laura on November 24, 2010
Storytelling is an art that some people have mastered with their wonderful creative abilities. I, on the other hand, seem to be lacking in spur of the moment creativity, and find it difficult to procure a story on the spot. However, I recently discovered a great way to practice my storytelling while involving my preschooler in the process.
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Written by Laura on November 22, 2010
Most children love to listen to stories, especially when they are read by a loved one. In our family, my husband is the expert storyteller. Our boys get ecstatic when their father is being silly and changing words in a story they know well in order to make them correct his absurd errors. David also engages the boys by reading with wonderful expression. He can truly make a book come alive.
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Written by Laura on October 29, 2010
Have you ever listened to someone tell a story that is difficult to follow because the timeline is disconnected? Or perhaps you have gotten frustrated while watching a movie where the creators thought it would be neat to have ten flashbacks within a fifteen minute stretch of film? The reason these situations can catch us off guard is because we are accustomed to having stories and events told to
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Written by BRWI Staff on May 26, 2010
If you have ever listened to a preschooler tell a story, you know that the thought process doesn’t always flow in a straight line. Little things that catch their attention or that are suddenly recalled at any given moment are instantly inserted into the story. The story may also have no time line. Events may simply be revealed in the order in which the child thinks of them.
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Written by BRWI Staff on May 12, 2010
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