Birdie, Birdie in My Window
Play the song.
Watch the short instructional video.
Motor Imitation
Teaching your child to imitate your motor motions
Why is motor imitation an important skill to teach young children?
Imitation is a foundational skill for early learning. Imitation is a skill that serves two purposes for young children:
- Learning – the means for children to acquire new skills and knowledge
- Social – a way for children to interact and express their emotions with others
Early face-to-face interactions give both infant and parents opportunities for “games” that include vocal and motor imitation, as well as facial expressions. Babies fall even deeper in love with their caring adults when they talk, sing, bounce, dance, and share playful interactions with them. Toddlers love imitation games that include gestures, such as finger plays and action songs.
As infants grow, play starts to include imitation with toys and other objects. Playing with toys is the best way for toddlers to interact with other toddlers, as they interact by performing the same actions with the toys. Toddler “play dates” typically consist of two friends playing side by side in “parallel play.” With time, these early interactions create an interest in playing with others. Children love imitative play when they can lead the “copycat” game as well as follow the actions of another.
Here are some simple ways to enrich and extend your child’s learning of imitation and other key developmental concepts.
Animal Actions. Using the “Birdie, Birdie” melody, sing about “Kitty, Kitty” or “Turtle, Turtle.” You can easily learn new American Sign Language (ASL) animal signs and actions by doing an Internet search for signed video dictionaries such as ASL Browser or Signing Savvy. Encourage your child to select her favorite animal. Talk about the movements the animal makes. Sing, sign and/or move to your new song together. What other animals can you imagine seeing outside of your window?
Show You Know! Sing very high pitches to accompany the words “tweet, tweet, tweet!” Ask your child to “show you know” whether the song that you sang was high, in the middle, or low by performing these actions: HIGH – both arms above head; MIDDLE – hands clap; and LOW – hands pat legs or floor. Model the movements for him. Repeat the game, and let your child take a turn being Birdie.
Bird’s Nest Fun. Turn a sturdy cardboard box or plastic bin into a bird’s nest the perfect size for your favorite little “birdie.” Add a cozy blanket or towel and invite your child to hop into her perch. Place the nest by your bookshelf so she can easily reach her favorite books to enjoy in her special spot. Move the nest to your kitchen so that you can sing together as you make dinner.
What Do Birdies Do? Birdies are busy! They fly, eat worms, build nests, sing, peck, walk, flutter, fluff their wings and lay eggs. Ask your child to “be a birdie” and act out one of these actions. You can guess what your birdie is doing. Now it is your turn to be the birdie! Imitate him as he shows you how to move like a birdie.
Nourishing Nest. Make a bird’s nest good enough to eat! Mix some peanut butter “mud” and a few chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Warm slowly, stirring frequently. Remove from the microwave and enlist your child’s help to stir in some “sticks and twigs,” such as whole grain cereals, pretzel sticks or chow mein noodles. Substitute the contents of a butterscotch or chocolate pudding cup for peanut butter if you are preparing the mix for children who may be allergic to peanuts. Scoop the warm, gooey mixture into a child-size cup so your child can gobble it up with a spoon!
Family Songs. Make your bird song personal by inserting your child’s name in place of the “Birdie, Birdie” lyric. Rock, spin or gently pat your child as you sing her very own song. Allow wait time at the conclusion of the song so that she can sing “tweet” or any lyric she contributes: “Hi, hi, hi ... me, me, me … cookie, cookie, cookie!” Give your child plenty of opportunities to hear you sing the “tweet” refrain so that she can imitate you and learn to add the “tweets” or special lyrics she creates without your help.
Your Little Storyteller. Imagine the birdie has some friends who live in the beautiful yellow cottage with the brown roof in our book. Encourage your child to make up her own story about the inhabitants of the little house, and their friendship with our birdie.
Here are more books to read to your child that pair beautifully with our Birdie book!
If your child loves books about birds, here are some more great ones!
Birds by Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek
Counting Is for the Birds by Frank Mazzola Jr.
Flutter! Fly! by Kaaren Pixton
I Heard, Said the Bird by Polly Berrien Berends
In My Nest by Sara Gillingham
Here are some picture books to read that can help you teach your child to imitate.
Clap Your Hands by Lorinda Bryan Cauley
Follow the Leader by Erica Silverman
From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
Tap Tap Boom Boom by Elizabeth Bluemle and G. Brian Karas
The goal of the activities is to create memories and teachable moments that you can enjoy with your child, while connecting with them in a more meaningful way. Music combined with play, rich picture book literature and YOU as your child’s play partner create the engagement a young child needs to learn and grow. SING.PLAY.LOVE. songs, books, and learning activities can be powerful tools for supporting the development—and delight—of your youngster.
The song and instructional video are sold with the Birdie, Birdie in my Window picture book published by Meeker Creative LLC and are available exclusively at www.SingPlayLove.com. This link is provided to the purchaser of our picture book product and is licensed solely for the purchaser.
Anne Meeker Watson© 2024. All rights reserved.