Tuning In The Benefits Of Song And DanceFor Kids (NAPSA)—There’s a reason childhood development experts sing the praises of music and dancing: Studies show that they can benefit youngsters’ minds and bodies. Dr. Kathleen Warren, an auth- or and professor of early childhood education, is in the camp that firmly believes that singing helps children’s speech development, and that there’s “a general benefit” to be had from their involvement in all the creative and expressive arts. “As children listen to music,” she explained, “it helps them to understand melody, rhythm, tempo and dynamics. Learning dance, with all its elements—body movement, memory and imagination—may enable them to better respond to ideas, moods and physical stimuli.” No doubt that explains why experts are encouraging parents to get their children tuned in to music and dance. Now a new program block from the 24-hour, preschool TV channel Sprout could help you do just that. It features the Wiggles—thelegendary group of preschool entertainers known worldwide their wiggly dance moves—in their own show from 6 to 9 a.m. ET every weekday morning. Called “Sprout’s Wiggly Waffle,” it’s filled with new songs and fun segments designed to help preschoolers get an active start to their day. But the show is also an interactive experience, with skits such as “Wake Up Jeff” inviting viewersto send in their ideas on how to wake Studies show that music and dance can play an importantrole in childhood development. the napping purple Wiggle. There’s also “The 5th Wiggle Game,” which lets parents upload photographs of their children to SproutOnline.com to be animated in a dance video. Some videos will be randomly selected to be aired nationally on Sprout. Plus, the show—which takes place in and around an oversized, fruit-covered waffle set—weaves in nutritional inmation with skits like “Dorothy’s Daily Digest,” where Dorothy the Dinosaur interviews a Wiggle dressed up as a healthy breakfast treat. “We know that children learn through play, and there’s a really sound educational base to this fun, interactive new show,” said Paul Field, managing director of Wiggles Pty Ltd. You can learn more byvisiting SproutOnline.com or calling 1-8SPROUT-411 (1-877-768-8411).
