Parents, educators, therapists, and countless kids have been touched by Carol Kranowitz’s successful child developmental books.  In 2010, Carol Kranowitz teamed up with Joye Newman and they wrote Growing an In-Sync Child: Simple, Fun Activities to Help Every Child Develop, Learn, and Grow.  Based on the authors’ more than seventy combined years of professional success working with children of all abilities, they have penned another wonderful resource for caregivers of young children.

In Growing an In-Sync Child readers will find sixty simple, fun activities for kids that make up the In-Sync Program. The program is designed to give your child the movement experience he needs to get In-Sync.  The authors tell us that childhood motor development is the foundation for a child’s physical, emotional, and academic success. They show how even skipping, rolling, balancing and jumping can make a world of difference for our children.

High Fives to Carol and Joye for their advice to parents and their philosophy on child development.  They say about today’s society: “Today, the emphasis on early academic achievements and technological expertise, as well as the modern conveniences all around us, have resulted in a world in which sedentary activities have become the norm.” They add:” Times may change, but the time required for a child to grow and develop never will. Human development permits no shortcuts.” YES, I totally agree!

Sage parenting advice found tucked here and there in this book…

• The In-Sync child is a successful child.
• Instant gratification may be possible when booting up a computer, but it is impossible when raising a child.
• Children are expected to do more than their bodies are ready to do.
• All children require movement experiences to build a sturdy foundation.
• Most kids develop in the same sequence, but not at the same rate.
• Practice of a basic skill makes subsequent skills easier to acquire.
• Do not be overprotective and overhelpful—children need  independence to reach their potential.
• Repetition is a wonderful tool for learning.
• Success is a powerful motivator.

How Is an In-Sync Child?

The authors describe an In-Sync child like this:  ” … movements are efficient and fluid. You feel comfortable in your body, and when you are comfortable in your body, you feel good. When you feel good, you function better. Everything works.”

In 2012, Carol Kranowitz and Joye Newman have come out with  In-Sync Activity Cards: 50 Simple, New Activities to Help Children Develop, Learn, and Grow! Based on their book, Growing an In-Sync Child – Fun Activities for Kids to Develop, Learn and Grow, these cards are also for ALL children of all abilities. And the same high quality standard you are accustomed to find in other Newman and Kranowitz products is found in this small box of activity cards. See our review of the  In-Sync Activity Cards here.

How Is an Out-of-Sync Child?

The Out-of-Sync child is described like this: “…may be clumsy, trip over themselves, avoid playground equipment, exhibit behavior problems, and have noticeably low self-esteem. They often develop into adults who are equally uncomfortable in their own bodies.”

How is MY Child?

After answering a twelve question abilities and behaviour quiz on your child, you can see in which areas your child needs reinforcements.  Next you incorporate the In-Sync Program activities as part of your daily life.  The authors firmly believe that Sensory and motor experiences are crucial for children’s development and learning.

By using the In-Sync Program, parents will understand their child’s sensory, perceptual motor, and visual processing development. They will be able to see if their child needs professional intervention.

In Part Four, parents can read Watching Your Child Grow: Developmental Milestones. These general guidelines on the sequential developmental of basic motor skills are for children between the ages of 2 and 6. The authors remind us often that children develop at different rates and at different times. These milestones may raise concerns, which is a good thing, because then parents can consult a pediatrician for early intervention.

Activities in the In-Sync Program

• Developmentally based skills—Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
• Flexible and Adaptable—Customize activities to suit child’s specific needs
• Addressing many skills at the same time—Activities incorporate sensory, motor, and visual skills

Features of the In-Sync Program

• Easy to use—Simple instructions, minimal equipment
• Portable—Do activities indoors, outdoors, playground, backyard, bringing in groceries…
• Expandable—Adapt, add, invent other activities
• Inclusive—Include friends and family to ‘play with you’
• Economical—Cost of the book, simple equipment, and your TIME

Meet Carol Kranowitz, MA

Carol (to the right of photo) was a teacher at St. Columba’s Nursery School in Washington, DC for 25 years. In the 1980s, Carol and an occupational therapist began screening preschoolers for Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), a common developmental problem causing difficulty in interpreting and using sensory. They guided children with probable SPD into occupational therapy, the primary treatment for this disorder.

They steered other children with perceptual motor problems (and possible SPD) into purposeful physical activities, best found at organizations such as Joye Newman’s Kids Moving Company. Joye and Carol met and have been buddies ever since.

In 1995, Carol earned her master’s degree in Education and Human Development at The George Washington University. She created a course of study about her special interest in sensory processing and turned her thesis into her book, “The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder”

Carol is Editor-in-Chief of “S.I. Focus” magazine and a board member of SPD Foundation. Her website is www.out-of-sync-child.com

Meet Joye Newman, MA

Joye (to the left of photo) is a perceptual motor therapist. Perceptual Motor Therapy (PMT) helps children, and also adults, to develop and enhance basic movement and learning abilities. Integrating studies in behavioral optometry, occupational therapy, and psychology into her graduate work, she developed her unique method of PMT.

Recently, Joye closed her Kids Moving Company studio to focus on in-school programs, individual evaluations, and consultations with parents to help them understand how they can help their children become more confident and competent in everything they do.

Joye lectures on school readiness, creative movement, and perceptual motor development, and she consults to area preschools, helping them develop and refine their movement programs. Her website is www.kidsmovingco.com

Read our Interview with Joye Newman

Buy the book from Future Horizons and get 15% off PLUS free delivery in continental USA!   Add the coupon code KIDCOMPANIONS when you checkout of the store for discounts!

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Related Reviews

• Interview with Joye Newman Expert on Childhood Motor Development, In-Sync Child, Activity Cards
• Resources for Early Childhood Motor Development: Meet Carol Kranowitz & Joye Newman
• Parenting Book, What Children Need to be Happy, Confident and Successful
• Interview Jill H. Mays: Child’s Motor Development from Birth to Their First Sport