What is Child'Space?
Child'Space is a unique and comprehensive method of sensory movement education that encourages babies' development in a holistic way using touch and floor-time activities. Simple movement sequences are matched to each child's pace. This promotes motor skills, early language and social-emotional growth.
Click here to read the recently published Child'Space research entitled Moving into tummy time, together: Touch and transitions aid parent confidence and infant development.
The History of Child'Space
The Child’Space methodology was developed by Dr. Chava Shelhav, internationally renowned movement educator and Senior Trainer of the Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education.
Through over 40 years of experience working with adults, children, and babies, Dr. Shelhav concluded that many difficulties in later years have their origin in the first year of life. She discovered that early intervention and stimulation of children’s primary developmental pathways can prevent or alleviate later impaired development.
She developed Child'Space to give children a solid foundation for lifelong learning and social competency.
Dr. Shelhav has a Ph.D. from the University of Heidelberg in the Departments of Sociology and Life Sciences and a Master's degree from Boston University. Her master's thesis, "Working with Brain Damaged Children Using the Feldenkrais Method," and her Ph.D. thesis, "Movement as a Learning Model" reflect her interest in children's learning.
Dr. Shlhav introduced this method to a variety of institutions in Israel and Germany, among them hospitals, child-development centers, kindergartens and schools. She has presented her work with babies at international conferences and collaborated in the late Professor Esther Thelen's research in infant motor development.
She has been training teachers and trainers for Child'Space since 2002. Her book is now available on Amazon.