Now in a completely revised third edition Sue Doherty, anthropologist and author of the pioneering, practical book, Kinergetics: Dancing with Your Baby (1994), offers must-have cutting-edge research, advice, and insight. A groundbreaking look into the art and science of song, dance, and melodies--and their profoundly nurturing, therapeutic, and developmental effects for infants and caregivers. It is an unprecedented, eye-opening investigation into our evolutionary instinct to rock a baby in our arms. An inspiring and easily accessible guide exploring the expressive heartbeat of human nature. Discovering a baby's amazing capacities reveal how music and movement has helped shape humanity across cultures and throughout history. From acquiring language acquisition to learning to self-regulate, a baby makes impressive gains socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively, when engaging with the rhythms of his or her surroundings. Doherty provides a convincing synthesis of current scientific evidence to promote a deeply immersive and stimulating physical engagement. Fully illustrated, she introduces the reader to various "carriages" to dance freely with a baby, and with the use of a baby carrier. There are chapters on bonding and the importance of touch, stress reduction in baby and caregiver, specific recommendations for babies with special needs, tips on necessary back-care, and tai chi and yoga for warm-up and cool-down. Doherty offers parents and caregivers fascinating science that spans infant development, child psychology, neuroscience, cultural anthropology, music and movement therapy and much more. And, as Julia Dimitrova and Michael Hogan argue in their Psychology Today review: " The book will also be of interest to psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists and educationalists interested in dancing toward greater insight and understanding of human development." Praise for Dancing With Your Baby "Every parent wants his or her child to feel connected, validated, and treasured. Dancing with Your Baby is a wonderful tool parents can use to develop deep connectedness. Since children internalize how their parents relate to them on a verbal and physical level, what better way to create this essential foundation than through dancing with them?" Dr. Shefali Tsabary, Clinical Psychologist and author of the Oprah acclaimed The Conscious Parent and her follow-upw Out of Control and The Awakened Family "This book is a great blend of practical and creative methods, resting on a solid scientific foundation." Rick Hanson, Ph.D. neuropsychologist, Senior Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, New York Times best-selling author of Hardwiring Happiness, Buddha's Brain, Just One Thing, and Mother Nurture "Doherty uses language that is accessible, colorful, and rich with imagery. This book is a must read for any parent, caregiver, or soon-to-be parent interested in learning about the incredibly dynamic, rewarding, stimulating techniques for bonding with their baby that Doherty advocates." Julia Dimitrova and Michael Hogan, Ph.D. senior lecturer and neuropsychologist at National University of Ireland, Galway "Integrating dance and musical activities into the parent-infant relationship is a wonderful way for everyone involved to feel socially connected, to be physically active, and to have fun. Sue Doherty carefully outlines safe, flexible, and age-appropriate ways to build dance into your baby's life, while exploring how infant cognitive, social, and motor development shape these activities" Laura Cirelli, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow in Psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada

Gentle Goodnight will guide you through a step-by-step sleep method that will have your baby or toddler to sleep in less than 25 min. You will have control over nap and bedtime at home or on the go; keeping you on the schedule you choose throughout the day; giving you the time you need for yourself day or night. Dancing your baby or toddler gently to sleep has many important benefits including getting the baby weight off quickly.

Provides a simple introduction to French artist Edgar Degas and his pastel paintings of ballerinas.

Zen Buddhists have long taught that success at any task can be achieved only through a mastery of concentration. The college freshman and business professional alike will appreciate this effective approach to learning made enjoyable.

After Anya dresses up as a ballerina princess, she and her delighted grandmother dance their way around the house.

Instead of napping, baby dances with the farm animals.

One of the foremost authorities on the use of sign language with hearing children provides a guide for teachers and parents who want to introduce signing in hearing children's language development. Marilyn Daniels provides a complete explanation for its use, a short history of sign language and its primary role within the Deaf community, an identification of the steps to reading success delineated with suggestions for incorporating sign language, and finally the results of studies and reactions of children, teachers, and parents. She shows how sign language can be used to improve hearing children's English vocabulary, reading ability, spelling proficiency, self-esteem, and comfort with expressing emotions. Signing also facilitates communication, aids teachers with classroom management, and has been shown to promote a more comfortable learning environment while initiating an interest and enthusiasm for learning on the part of students. Sign language is shown to be an effective agent to accelerate literacy in hearing children from babyhood through sixth grade. A comprehensive exploration of the physiological rationale for the educational advantage sign carries is presented. Overlapping integrated brain activities are incited by movement, vision, meaning, memory, play and the hand itself when sign language is used. Recent findings clearly indicate this bilingual approach with hearing children activates brain growth and development.