Learn With Less

There is a link between your infant’s babbling and the development of early gesture. This episode of  Learn With Less  focuses on this topic – and Ayelet gives you ideas to use musical experiences with your babbling baby to develop the sense of “vocal play” that results in experimentation, play and – ultimately – language!  Below is the transcript of this episode’s “Developmental Thought,” an exce...

Even in the first 6 months of life, there are communicative milestones through which infants move. This episode of  Learn With Less  is focused on those wonderful, intense and amazing first 6 months of an infant’s life – and the parts of communicative development about which it helps to become aware!  Below is the transcript of this episode’s “Developmental Thought,” an excerpt from the full episo...

How do we build relationships (and support relationship-building) with our infants and toddlers? In this episode of  Learn With Less,  Ayelet explores the ways we as caregivers and educators support our young children in one aspect of social/emotional development: relationship building. The discussion delves into the use of tools we have at our disposal (including screens) – and the effi...

Music hits on all aspects of development – including early developing math concepts! Did you ever think that simply playing music or singing a song to your young child would be beneficial for cognitive development? In this episode, Ayelet explores the idea that when your baby listens to patterns in music (and when you do things to play with those patterns), it helps set the foundation for early ma...

When a book is not just for reading (it’s used to build early literacy)! We’re used to thinking of the term “literacy” as a word to describe people who can read. What about the term “early literacy?” Does it simply refer to teaching young children how to read? In this episode of  Learn With Less , Ayelet discusses a few  more  ways to use books with infants and toddlers than simply...

What are “visual supports” and how are they useful for young children? This episode of  Learn With Less  focuses on the use of visual supports (pictures, photographs, text – in the environment) to assist in early development. Below is a transcript of this episode’s “Developmental Thought,” an excerpt from the full episode.  For an interactive musical family experience, please listen to t...

Welcome to  Learn With Less , a family enrichment program for parents, caregivers, infants and toddlers. What is Learn With Less? This is the introduction episode, so here, I’d like to tell you a bit about the origins of  Learn With Less,  and talk a bit about my mission. In all future episodes, we get together to sing a few songs, discuss some ideas for play, and outline some insight about early...

Infants and toddlers learn holistically. We have to look at the whole child! On this episode of the Learn With Less podcast, Ayelet discusses the fact that infants and toddlers are learning “all at once” – learning in one developmental domain cannot be separated from learning in another!  Below is a transcript of this week’s “Developmental Thought,” an excerpt from the full episode. For addit...

When we play with language, our children pay attention! Transcript of this week’s “Developmental Thought,” an excerpt from the full episode. For additional information, music, play ideas and the complete interactive family experience, please listen to the entire episode.   When we play with language, we integrate play into everything we do! Around the 12-18 month age range is the age when you typi...

It’s said children thrive on routine. In this episode, Ayelet discusses the topics of routines and rituals. We cover ways to maximize routines with infants and toddlers by embedding them with value – promoting the inherent ways they promote development, and helping us enjoy the interaction! Below is a transcript of this week’s “Developmental Thought,” an excerpt from the full episode. For addition...

Why do we sing to young children? What  is  it about music? In this episode, Ayelet discusses some of the innate ways speech, language, and music are connected. Music is the framework used to connect with young children here at Learn With Less, and in this episode of the podcast, you’ll learn about some of the ways that’s done.  Below is the transcript of this week’s “Developmental Thought,” an ex...