Parenting Tip:  Count to the ‘Peekaboo I See You’ game with baby!   Why? One, two, buckle my shoe. Three, four, shut the door. Five, six, pick up sticks. Seven, eight, lay them straight. Nine, ten, begin again. You did it, didn’t you? Before you finished reading that nursery rhyme, you found yourself singing it, instead. It’s how many of us learned those building blocks of math and reading—through nursery rhymes, songs, and maybe a few dance moves! Learning to count by rote helps your child develop number vocabulary, memory, patterning, and sequence—all foundational skills for math. Rolling shakers 1-2-3, counting to three and jumping up during a circle dance, or reciting numbers while playing with balls, all give your child practice counting in a fun, engaging way, which reinforces the beginning stages of learning numbers.   How? Read the “Peekaboo Face” e-book, and count 1-2-3 with baby! Bounce 1-2-3 (rest), 1-2-3 (rest) to Pop Goes the Weasel (from Kindermusik’s ‘Playtime’ CD)! Be a bunny, and HOP-HOP with baby, as you count ‘1-2.’  Turn on Hop to It (also from ‘Playtime’), and HOP-HOP & count all around the house.   Want to Learn More? On our blog:  Learn the Benefits of Music, in Math Learning!   Kindermusik 7-Year Continuum: Playing counting games in Kindermusik baby classes, paves the way for your child’s success as a toddler, when she tries out her own moves and ways to play, counting 1-2-3.  As a preschooler, your child will take counting a step further, as he tries musical games where we play on beats 1 & 2, but rest on beat 3, etc.  In Young Child classes your big kid takes those counting skills, and transfers them to understanding beats per measure, rhythm, and the way that barlines organize notes into groups of beats.