Play Wisely

Sam and I started a new class last week...well, last week was our trial class. I really liked it so we signed up. It's called Play Wisely and is (to keep it simple) "brain-based learning" for little ones 4 months-36 months. Each class (only 30 minutes long) consists of 2 'card-set' sessions for developing visual skills and for learning and language development and 2 movement sessions for developing balance, strength, coordination, gross motor and fine motor skills. We learned about the class from one of the pre-schools that Sam is on the wait-list for. After attending our trial class last week, I summarized the class by telling John, "It's like a learning video (Baby Einstein, Brainy Babies, etc.) in person!"
A couple of 'issues' (my personal issues, really) prompted me to try Play Wisely. #1. A year ago (when we should have been getting Sam set-up for pre-school/MDO this year), we didn't feel he was ready for 'school' (or maybe we weren't ready to think about sending him to 'school'). And just recently I've started feeling like maybe he is ready for some kind of structured learning environment. #2., and probably the biggest issue (my issue, of course) is that Sam has been showing an interest in numbers, letters, colors, etc. I've wanted to take advantage of his interest and start teaching him these things, but I know very little about early childhood development...I call this an 'issue' because I put pressure on myself to know what to do because I am a "teacher"! And my dear husband has so much faith in me that he tells me, "Oh, you can teach him that." But there's a big difference in early childhood and 5-8 grades...well, in some ways. :) Thanks to my favorite art book, Young at Art by Susan Striker, I have been able to teach Sam his colors using art...finger painting. We're still working on purple though...it just looks too much like blue!
After reading about Play Wisely and attending a trial class, I'm so excited now about the direction we're going...my two previously mentioned issues have been resolved with this class. I feel so blessed to be able to stay home with Sam and I'm excited to have found a program to help me teach him the things he might be learning if he were in 'school'...I love that I'm going to be so involved in this early learning with him. I asked for "homework" after our first class (okay, yes, you can laugh at me) and I'm in the process of trying to make some of the cards we use in class so we can do them at home too. This week in class, 'circle' was our shape. My goal this week is to point out as many circles as I can to Sam as we're out and about...as soon as we got to the car we noticed his snack bowl lid is a circle, the bottom of his cup is a circle, and the wheels on cars are circles. I could see Sam stopping to think and making this connection!
I say all this to communicate how much I love this class! Unfortunately (for those of you who live elsewhere) Play Wisely is only offered in and around Dallas. Coach Patty, who created Play Wisely, lives here. Oh, and they have classes in Prague! I mean, just in case someone over there is reading my blog. But, two videos (soon to be four), called Sparkabilities, based on the Play Wisely program are available. I'm not a big video person (my friends know this and are probably shocked that I'm mentioning a video), but hey, if you're going to use one, it may as well be a good one! If you do live in the Dallas area, check out the Play Wisely website and see if there's a class near you. I'm sure you'll be impressed.