Family Time is Friday from 10-10:45 and is for kids of all ages. Classses start January 21st and run for 12 weeks. This is a great class if you have more than one child at home in the mornings. The curriculum is 'Our Kind of Day' and we will sing, play, and explore daily routines through music. Each family recieves 2 CD's, 3 books, 2 games, and 2 instruments to continue the music at home.
Imagine That! is Tuesdays at 1:00 for 3-5 yr old kids. Classes start January 11th and run for 15 weeks, moms join us the last 15 minutes of each week. This curriculum is "Cities, Busy Places & Friendly Faces." We will explore the busy cities through music and imagine so much as these busy pre-school kids have fun together. Each student receives a game, books, CD's and an instrument.
Young Child 2 is Tuesday from 4:00-5:00 and is for 5-7 yr old kids. Classes start January 11th and run for 15 weeks. This curriculum is a great introduction and foundation to musical education. These kids will be able to read music on the staff, know musical concepts, theories, and techniques. Students receive books and CD's.
Please call or email me if you have any questions! I'd love to help bring the gift of music to your kiddos.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
A Look Back.....
We just finished our Fall semester of Kindermusik for 2010. While I am super excited about the fun and creative curriculum coming up for our next semester starting in January, I am looking back with a little sadness as we had so much fun and learned so much together over the past 4 months. I think the first few classes were a little more challenging as we all learned the routine and what to expect but by the end of our classes I felt we had formed great friendships and created wonderful memories together.
This was our Family Time class on Friday mornings. The kids (and moms I think) loved these cute mirrors where we explored all the different shapes our mouths could make. There were a lot of giggles during this activity! Honestly, I think I was the most nervous for this class because there were adults involved. But it turned out to be one of my favorite hours of the week. I loved watching the little kids watch and learn from the big kids, I loved watching the big kids take ownership of teaching and being the example for the little kids, and I LOVED the giggles and thrills I got to witness between parents and children as we sang and played together.
Sometimes it is a lot of fun for the little kids (and big kids for that matter) to feel large and in charge. We had fun with stuffed animals and letting the kids 'teach' their animals legato and staccato movements. He is having so much fun!!
This was our Family Time class on Friday mornings. The kids (and moms I think) loved these cute mirrors where we explored all the different shapes our mouths could make. There were a lot of giggles during this activity! Honestly, I think I was the most nervous for this class because there were adults involved. But it turned out to be one of my favorite hours of the week. I loved watching the little kids watch and learn from the big kids, I loved watching the big kids take ownership of teaching and being the example for the little kids, and I LOVED the giggles and thrills I got to witness between parents and children as we sang and played together.
Sometimes it is a lot of fun for the little kids (and big kids for that matter) to feel large and in charge. We had fun with stuffed animals and letting the kids 'teach' their animals legato and staccato movements. He is having so much fun!!This was our Imagine That class. The assignment this week was to make their very own snowboots. Look at the creativity as Ali and her mom used tissue boxes and decorated them so cute! We practiced walking in the snow and balancing on one foot, then pretended to build snowman in the pretend snow. This age never ceased to amaze me with their imagination (probably why the class is called Imagine That!) and all the creative things they were always coming up with.
The assignment this week was to make a rain hat. I was so very impressed with the cozy hat, Ritz box, and cool helmet all made with the kiddos and their parents at home. They loved dancing in the rain and staying dry with their cool hats.
This class really got to be good friends and loved to visit with each other by the end of the semester. It was cute to watch them 'catch up' each week.
The assignment this week was to make a rain hat. I was so very impressed with the cozy hat, Ritz box, and cool helmet all made with the kiddos and their parents at home. They loved dancing in the rain and staying dry with their cool hats.
This class really got to be good friends and loved to visit with each other by the end of the semester. It was cute to watch them 'catch up' each week.
I love me some Kindermusik kids!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Holiday Open House
You are all invited to a Holiday Kindermusik Open House in my studio....
Friday December 10th & Friday December 17th
10:00am til noon both days
Come play, read, sing, have fun with your kiddos and meet other great families! All free! Come for 10 minutes or 2 hours, whatever fits your schedule. I look forward to seeing you there! HOHOHO
Friday December 10th & Friday December 17th
10:00am til noon both days
Come play, read, sing, have fun with your kiddos and meet other great families! All free! Come for 10 minutes or 2 hours, whatever fits your schedule. I look forward to seeing you there! HOHOHO
Monday, December 6, 2010
The Power of Music: London University
I LOVED this article and learned so much, once again, about the power of music. It is rather long but very informative. I had so many similar experiences with my youngest son who was very delayed, and ill for a long time. Looking back on it now I see even more what an impact Kindermusik had on him. Enjoy!
The power of music: its impact on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people
Susan Hallam, Institute of Education, University of London
Recent advances in the study of the brain have enhanced our understanding of the way that active engagement with music may influence other activities. The cerebral cortex self-organises as we engage with different musical activities, skills in these areas may then transfer to other activities if the processes involved are similar. Some skills transfer automatically without our conscious awareness, others require reflection on how they might be utilised in a new situation.
Perceptual, language and literacy skills
Speech and music have a number of shared processing systems. Musical experiences which enhance processing can therefore impact on the perception of language which in turn impacts on learning to read. Active engagement with music sharpens the brain’s early encoding of linguistic sound. Eight year old children with just 8 weeks of musical training showed improvement in perceptual cognition compared with controls.
Speech makes extensive use of structural auditory patterns based on timbre differences between phonemes. Musical training develops skills which enhance perception of these patterns. This is critical in developing phonological awareness which in turn contributes to learning to read successfully.
Speech processing requires similar processing to melodic contour. Eight year old children with musical training outperformed controls on tests of music and language.
Learning to discriminate differences between tonal and rhythmic patterns and to associate these with visual symbols seems to transfer to improved phonemic awareness.
Learning to play an instrument enhances the ability to remember words through enlargement of the left cranial temporal regions. Musically trained participants remembered 17% more verbal information that those without musical training.
Children experiencing difficulties with reading comprehension have benefitted from training in rhythmical performance.
Numeracy
Research exploring the relationships between mathematics and active musical engagement has had mixed results, in part, because not all mathematics’ tasks share underlying processes with those involved in music. Transfer is dependent on the extent of the match, for instance, children receiving instruction on rhythm instruments scored higher on part-whole maths problems than those receiving piano and singing instruction.
Intellectual development
Learning an instrument has an impact on intellectual development, particularly spatial reasoning. A review of 15 studies found a ‘strong and reliable’ relationship, the author likening the differences to one inch in height or about 84 points on standardised school tests. A study contrasting the impact of music lessons (standard keyboard, Kodaly voice) with drama or no lessons found that the music groups had reliably larger increases in IQ. Children in the control groups had average increases of 4.3 points while the music groups had increases of 7 points. On all but 2 of the 12 subtests the music group had larger increases than control groups.
General attainment and creativity
There is a consistent relationship between active engagement in music and general attainment but much research has been unable to partial out confounding factors. A recent study, adopting more sensitive statistical modelling overcame these difficulties. Two nationally representative data sources in the USA with data from over 45,000 children found that associations between music and achievement persisted even when prior attainment was taken into account.
Music participation enhances measured creativity, particularly when the musical activity itself is creative, for instance, improvisation.
Personal and social development
General attainment may be influenced by the impact that music has on personal and social development. Playing an instrument can lead to a sense of achievement; an increase in self-esteem; increased confidence; persistence in overcoming frustrations when learning is difficult; self-discipline; and provide a means of self-expression. These may increase motivation for learning in general thus supporting enhanced attainment.
Participating in musical groups promotes friendships with like-minded people; self-confidence; social skills; social networking; a sense of belonging; team work; self-discipline; a sense of accomplishment; co-operation; responsibility; commitment; mutual support; bonding to meet group goals; increased concentration and provides an outlet for relaxation.
Research in the USA on the benefits of band participation found that 95% of parents believed that participation in band provided educational benefits not found in other classrooms.
Working in small musical groups requires the development of trust and respect and skills of negotiation and compromise.
In adolescence music makes a major contribution to the development of self-identity and is seen as a source of support when young people are feeling troubled or lonely.
2
Music has been linked to the capacity to increase emotional sensitivity. The recognition of emotions in music is related to emotional intelligence.
Increasing the amount of classroom music within the curriculum can increase social cohesion within class, greater self-reliance, better social adjustment and more positive attitudes, particularly in low ability, disaffected pupils.
The positive effects of engagement with music on personal and social development will only occur if, overall, it is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. The quality of the teaching, the extent to which individuals perceive that they are successful, and whether in the long term it is a positive experience will all contribute to the nature of any personal or social benefits.
Physical development, health and wellbeing
Rhythmic accompaniment to physical education enhances the development of physical skills.
Learning to play an instrument enhances fine motor co-ordination.
There may be particular health benefits for singing in relation to the immune system, breathing, adopting good posture, improved mood, and stress reduction.
The power of music: its impact on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people
Susan Hallam, Institute of Education, University of London
Recent advances in the study of the brain have enhanced our understanding of the way that active engagement with music may influence other activities. The cerebral cortex self-organises as we engage with different musical activities, skills in these areas may then transfer to other activities if the processes involved are similar. Some skills transfer automatically without our conscious awareness, others require reflection on how they might be utilised in a new situation.
Perceptual, language and literacy skills
Speech and music have a number of shared processing systems. Musical experiences which enhance processing can therefore impact on the perception of language which in turn impacts on learning to read. Active engagement with music sharpens the brain’s early encoding of linguistic sound. Eight year old children with just 8 weeks of musical training showed improvement in perceptual cognition compared with controls.
Speech makes extensive use of structural auditory patterns based on timbre differences between phonemes. Musical training develops skills which enhance perception of these patterns. This is critical in developing phonological awareness which in turn contributes to learning to read successfully.
Speech processing requires similar processing to melodic contour. Eight year old children with musical training outperformed controls on tests of music and language.
Learning to discriminate differences between tonal and rhythmic patterns and to associate these with visual symbols seems to transfer to improved phonemic awareness.
Learning to play an instrument enhances the ability to remember words through enlargement of the left cranial temporal regions. Musically trained participants remembered 17% more verbal information that those without musical training.
Children experiencing difficulties with reading comprehension have benefitted from training in rhythmical performance.
Numeracy
Research exploring the relationships between mathematics and active musical engagement has had mixed results, in part, because not all mathematics’ tasks share underlying processes with those involved in music. Transfer is dependent on the extent of the match, for instance, children receiving instruction on rhythm instruments scored higher on part-whole maths problems than those receiving piano and singing instruction.
Intellectual development
Learning an instrument has an impact on intellectual development, particularly spatial reasoning. A review of 15 studies found a ‘strong and reliable’ relationship, the author likening the differences to one inch in height or about 84 points on standardised school tests. A study contrasting the impact of music lessons (standard keyboard, Kodaly voice) with drama or no lessons found that the music groups had reliably larger increases in IQ. Children in the control groups had average increases of 4.3 points while the music groups had increases of 7 points. On all but 2 of the 12 subtests the music group had larger increases than control groups.
General attainment and creativity
There is a consistent relationship between active engagement in music and general attainment but much research has been unable to partial out confounding factors. A recent study, adopting more sensitive statistical modelling overcame these difficulties. Two nationally representative data sources in the USA with data from over 45,000 children found that associations between music and achievement persisted even when prior attainment was taken into account.
Music participation enhances measured creativity, particularly when the musical activity itself is creative, for instance, improvisation.
Personal and social development
General attainment may be influenced by the impact that music has on personal and social development. Playing an instrument can lead to a sense of achievement; an increase in self-esteem; increased confidence; persistence in overcoming frustrations when learning is difficult; self-discipline; and provide a means of self-expression. These may increase motivation for learning in general thus supporting enhanced attainment.
Participating in musical groups promotes friendships with like-minded people; self-confidence; social skills; social networking; a sense of belonging; team work; self-discipline; a sense of accomplishment; co-operation; responsibility; commitment; mutual support; bonding to meet group goals; increased concentration and provides an outlet for relaxation.
Research in the USA on the benefits of band participation found that 95% of parents believed that participation in band provided educational benefits not found in other classrooms.
Working in small musical groups requires the development of trust and respect and skills of negotiation and compromise.
In adolescence music makes a major contribution to the development of self-identity and is seen as a source of support when young people are feeling troubled or lonely.
2
Music has been linked to the capacity to increase emotional sensitivity. The recognition of emotions in music is related to emotional intelligence.
Increasing the amount of classroom music within the curriculum can increase social cohesion within class, greater self-reliance, better social adjustment and more positive attitudes, particularly in low ability, disaffected pupils.
The positive effects of engagement with music on personal and social development will only occur if, overall, it is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. The quality of the teaching, the extent to which individuals perceive that they are successful, and whether in the long term it is a positive experience will all contribute to the nature of any personal or social benefits.
Physical development, health and wellbeing
Rhythmic accompaniment to physical education enhances the development of physical skills.
Learning to play an instrument enhances fine motor co-ordination.
There may be particular health benefits for singing in relation to the immune system, breathing, adopting good posture, improved mood, and stress reduction.
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