Experimental Learning

Moving with a prop provides an excellent opportunity for multi-sensory learning. Gliding a hoop through the room to music, for example, engages the senses of touch, hearing, and sight. Moreover, children can visualize the rhythm and melody and physically apply what they are hearing when they move their props. Props are a fun way to experience music and movement concepts!
Resources for parents: Make your own props by recycling simple things around the house. An oatmeal container can become a drum. A paper towel tube can become a conductor’s baton or a fairy princesses’ scepter. Empty boxes can become a jack-in-the-box toy to hide in and jump out of. A shoe box can become a stringed instrument by cutting a whole in the top and stretching some rubber bands across it. Sturdy paper plates can be filled with dried pasta and securely fastened together to make a tambourine shaker. What excites your child’s imagination and gets them moving around?

A Road Trip!!!

Are we there yet?!?!?!”


Sound familiar? We all know road trips can be tough with little ones. So, considering we have entered the heaviest traveled season of the year, it’s time to gather up some songs, toys, and games for those long car rides. We at Kindermusik have a few ideas to help make a long car trip just a little more fun & musical for your child, which means travel gets just a little easier for you!
We asked our community to tell us their favorite Kindermusik song that they listen to in the car. Below is the Kindermusik Road Trip Playlist, which we compiled out of your favorites. You can download the below kids songs right off play.kindermusik.com to build your own portable road trip playlist.



The Kindermusik Road Trip Playlist
Wishy-Washy
Skinnamarink
Rig-a-Jig-Jig
Ram Sam Sam
Clapping Land
Lukey’s Boat
Walk Along, Rover
Peep Squirrel/Whisky Frisky
Old MacDonald
Usagi, Usagi (Rabbit, Rabbit)
My Bonnie
Yankee Doodle
Lucy Locket
Baby-O

6 Tips for Stress-Free Holidays

Okay maybe not stress free, but less stress?

With the holidays just around the corner, it’s a good time to have a plan for reducing the feelings of stress and overwhelm that are often a part of the holiday season, despite our best efforts otherwise. Here are six tips that can help you formulate a plan to ensure that the whole family can enjoy the holidays to their fullest.

Determine to take time for the little moments. A holiday-themed or other favorite book before nap or bedtime. A dance around the kitchen while the pasta cooks. A drive through the neighborhood to see all the lights. Just a simple cup of hot chocolate :)
Choose to establish one new tradition or special holiday ritual for your family. Perhaps it’s attending a local kid-friendly holiday concert. Or maybe you might choose to make or buy an Advent Calendar to help you count down the days. With older children, you might opt for taking cookies to an elderly shut-in.
Enjoy the music of the season. Take all of your favorite Kindermusik-style activities right into the holidays! Move-along, play-along, dance-along, and sing-along to all of your holiday favorites. Enjoy a free holiday music download of Winter Wonderland on us this month only!
Keep your daily routines as consistent as possible. While everyone in the house benefits from a predictable routine, young children especially need the familiar predictability of their regular schedule to keep them from falling apart or feeling out of sorts.
Decide ahead of time to keep things simple. It’s easy to let all the activities, excitement, and glitz of the holidays take over to the point of overwhelm. Deciding in advance to keep things simple (i.e., maybe one tree instead of two, or just one or two parties, or buying goodies to give instead of making them all) can really keep the joy in the season.
Focus on people more than expectations. After all, it’s the love of those special people around us that make the holidays matter the most. Even when we know that, it is still easy to allow ourselves to be let down by unrealistic or unmet expectations when really it’s all about just being present in the moment and realizing that being together can be one of the best gifts of all.

Daddy/Mommy Says

This activity for toddlers 12 to 18 months is a great one for the child who LOVES to mimic! At this age, your little one loves to imitate you. Daddy Says (or Mommy Says) is like the well-known game “Simon Says.” But, it’s better because it’s led by Daddy or Mommy! Encourage your child to imitate you as you wiggle your fingers, stomp your feet, wave your hands, flap your arms, or shake your head. Toddlers learn by doing! Engaging games that link movement and words help your toddler learn words faster.



Kindermusik music classes are another great ways for parents to bond with their children. Find out how to be a part of the world’s largest & most researched musical learning program or sign up for a free class, a no commitment, fun activity to do with your toddler anytime!

Music Quote

Music is the hardest kind of art. It doesn’t hang up on a wall and wait to be stared at and enjoyed by passersby. It’s communication. It’s hours and hours being put into a work of art that may only last, in reality, for a few moments…but if done well, and truly appreciated, it lasts in our hearts forever. That’s art. Speaking with your heart to the hearts of others.”– Dan Romano

Hearing Patterns

When children drum along to the rhythms in a song or to their own name, they practice careful listening and pattern recognition. This is one way children hear sounds in words – a skill necessary for word recognition, speaking, reading, and writing. Each time a child is exposed to a new object or experience, new neural connections are made in his brain. So, even babies can learn from banging against a homemade drum.




Ideas for parents: Turn a plastic bowl or empty oatmeal container into a simple homemade drum. Let babies learn the cause and effect by just banging on the drum. Allow your toddler to drum away – to a favorite recording or just to the song in his heart. You can also play an easy “Echo Me” game where you chant a short, simple rhythm and they tap it back to you on their drum. You can up the challenge for your preschooler or big kid by asking them to tap back the rhythms in a favorite song or the rhythms of some fun words.

Singing

A baby’s first singing experience is really one of rapt listening. A baby’s vocal chords may be limited by lack of muscular development, but interestingly enough, her ears can differentiate one pitch from another. Joyfully nurturing a child’s developing ability to produce sound, combined with keeping her world full of a wide range of sounds, gives the foundation that assures the development of speaking, singing, and the ability to engage in conversation.


Tips for parents: The more exposure to music that you can give your child, the better. And it can be as simple as turning the music on so that your child can be listening to music throughout the day. Try out some fun new music from play.kindermusik.com or buy the Kindermusik radio mobile app so that music is only a touch away.

Kindermusik Christmas

Sign up for next semester by December 10th, receive $10 off AND I'll wrap up your Home Materials and have them ready to go under the Christmas tree. If you are like me we do not need one more game, or toy, or movie. Give your child the gift of music for weeks, even months into the new year.

Classes start January 10th. Click on the Enroll Now button for the schedule!

Learning Through Movement

A primary need of young children is the ability to express themselves through movement. Fundamental movement development occurs in children between the ages of two and seven, which means our Kindermusik kids! During this time, locomotor (e.g., creeping, running, or leaping), non-locomotor (e.g., stretching, twisting, or shaking), and stability and balance skills are able to flourish when children are provided with sufficient practice opportunities. (Gallahue, 1982)

Ideas for parents: Children are naturally on the move most all of the time. You can help focus their movement “practice” by encouraging them to dance along with some favorite music and suggesting that they try different ways to move. Or play a game where you call out a movement word (like creep, run, tiptoe, or slide). Your child gets to move (creep, run, tiptoe, slide, etc.) until you say “Now let’s stop!” Not only will their movement development be enhanced, but you’ll also help contribute to their creative self-expression, language development, and self-control

Rain Rain Stay Stay Stay!!

One of those rainy days?


Puddle Jumping:
Scatter several hula hoops on the ground or floor. One person is the “drummer leader”—drumming on a box, trash can, bucket, or hand drum. As long as the drummer is just playing a beat, the other players walk between and around the hoops. On a loud bang, everyone find a hula hoop and quickly jumps in it. Take turns being the drummer leader. Try running, leaping, skipping, hopping, twirling and other ways to move between and around the hoops. This activity combines sound, movement, cues, and social interaction, helping preschoolers develop their attention skills.

Musicians have better hearing?

“If you spend a lot of your life interacting with sound in an active manner, then your nervous system has made lots of sound-to-meaning connections” that can strengthen your auditory system, says Nina Kraus, director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University. Musicians focus extraordinary attention on deciphering low notes from high notes and detecting different tonal qualities. Kraus has studied younger musicians and found that their hearing is far superior to that of their non-musician counterparts.


To find out, she assembled a small group of middle-aged musicians and non musicians, aged 45-65. She put both groups through a series of tests measuring their ability to make out and repeat a variety of sentences spoken in noisy background environments. Turns out, the musicians were 40 percent better than non-musicians at tuning out background noise and hearing the sentences, as Kraus reported in PloS ONE. The musicians were also better able to remember the sentences than the non-musicians — and that made it easier for them to follow a line of conversation.

Timing is Everything

Too true right? Timing has so much to do with life, at any age! Our little kiddos gain a huge advantage in being able to feel, hear, see and then repeat rhythm in our Kindermusik classes. This week we invited moms to join us and we had some great ensemble opportunities. First we would sing a song so we were all comfortable with it. Then we would divide into groups and each student/parent partnership had a different instrument. Each one was instructed for their very own special word to play their instrument on. We began by singing and taking turns righ on beat playing our instruments together. It takes a lot of body control and patience or a little 5 year old by to wait, wait, wait for thier beat!

Then we would switch instruments and therefore beats and do it again. So their memories were being stretched to know which one they had now and just where in the song was their special part. After singing and playing instruments we would then stop singing and just play the song with the beat and instruments. Being able to hear the song in your head is pretty advanced and I was so impressed by these kids! They were looking around following the song and waiting for just the right time for it to come to them!

This sense of timing, and practicing patience and body control is so crucial in their lives. Being able to swing the bat and connect with the ball, being able to line up in class, being able to read with a constant even beat are all ways that they will benefit.

Musicians are Smarter?

As the Huffington Post reports:

Researchers tested the mental abilities of senior citizens and discovered that musicians performed better at a number of tests. In particular, musicians excelled at visual memory tasks. While musicians had similar verbal capabilities to non-musicians, the musicians’ ability to memorize new words was markedly better, too. Perhaps most importantly, the musicians’ IQ scores were higher overall than those who spent their lives listening to music rather than performing it.


Kindermusik just posted on this blog about how 6 year olds taking music lessons were shown to have enhanced IQs. This study shows that the benefit to intelligence and IQ lasts throughout life, well into the senior years. That leads to another very important point that I read. The research proved that the younger the musician was when he or she started playing an instrument, the sharper the mind in old age. Now, that doesn’t mean starting your toddler at piano lessons at age 2 is right either (there is an appropriate age for proper music instruction to start). But, it does mean that doing age-appropriate musical activities with your children from a very young age may actually help raise your child’s IQ and intelligence.

Learning by Contrast

Children enjoy learning within the context of contrast, as it is one of the primary tasks of their preschool years. Understanding contrasting concepts (i.e., loud and soft, fast and slow, high and low) is a significant aspect of cognitive development. The capacity to learn relationships between ideas and then apply the learned information in other situations is highly related to a child’s success in school. (Johnson-Martin, Attermeier, and Hacker, 1990)

Tips for parents: Play the Contrast Game. Sing a line from a song or say a line from a favorite little rhyme or chant in a high voice. Ask your child what she heard. Was it high or low? Then invite her to copy you in her low voice. Repeat this with other musical contrasts like fast and slow, loud and soft, or long and short. You can also switch and let your child be the leader. (This is a great game for the car, while you’re getting supper ready, or while you’re waiting in line at the store!)

Young Child 1

“Not every child understands from the same learning approach. There are several different approaches for each child. It’s finding the way to teach the material to the child that’s key…”*



This week’s class offered a diverse array of musical experiences—from aurally identifying percussion instruments to playing instruments on a musical cue, from listening to sounds of nature to visually recognizing a new music notation symbol, and from singing songs to playing movement games. Through various learning modes, several musical concepts were introduced and learned. Each Kindermusik classroom is likely to include children with different learning styles. For example, some children learn best when a concept is introduced visually, some through aural introduction, and some through movement. Each and every Kindermusik class incorporates several learning modes, making learning accessible to each and every child!

I love You Baby!

Here’s a little activity from Kindermusik that you can do to bond with your baby and help with baby’s digestion, circulation, and even mood!

Position your baby on his back. Beginning with your hands at the top of your baby’s chest, slowly move your hands outward and down, in the shape of a heart, to gently warm up his mid-body. Sing or hum Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star or another favorite lullaby as you continue to move your hands slowly outward and down. This type of loving touch stimulates healthy levels of stress hormone in your baby’s brain and aids his digestion and circulation.Plus he will love to hear your voice singing to him and the eye to eye contact.

Just a Thought...

“Hands-on parenting cannot be underestimated in its effect on young children and their brain development. As parents, we must provide numerous, ongoing, and enriching experiences that will nourish our children’s brains. Music is such an experience.”

By Ear

Have you ever heard the expression he or she 'plays by ear?' Basically this means the musician is playing from his or her musical memory. In recent years, we have come to realize that 'playing by ear' is an important skill that all musicians need to develop. Playing from musical memory or 'by ear' is an indicator of good audiation skills and helps the musical perform more expressively. We want to encourage your child to develop the ability to perform music by ear as well as by reading traditional notation.





I used to worry if students were playing too much by ear and not enough by reading music. But then I thought that is how we learn to read. We learn to speak, we learn the alphabet, we learn the letter sounds, and as we read to our kids when they are young we are building their vocabulary through audation. They learn words and the ability to speak 'by ear' and the better vocabulary they have the easier it is for them to read and recognize the letters and words on a page. The same goes for music. The more musical experience and memory they have the easier it will be for them to recognize patterns and intervals in music!

Let's Get the Beat

Simple percussion instruments such as rhythm sticks provide many opportunities for children to explore and refine their ability to keep a steady beat. The rhythm sticks also help to prepare children for other fine motor skills such as drawing and holding the mallets of a barred instrument.

The best thing is a pair of spoons or really any kitchen utensil is a great pair of rhythm sticks. Challenge your child to listen and find other steady beat rhythms around your house, like the phone, an alarm clock, the blinking of the microwave, it's all around us!

Music is Everywhere!

We live in a world of sound. As children develop their ability to perceive and respond to the sounds in their environment, they are developing important skills that can enhance all later learning .Good auditory perception skills facilitate the development of language as well as music.

Where do you hear music? This week, work with your kids and help them recognize music through out their day. In the grocery store, in the car, at school, even hum or sing or put on the radio at home during the day at different volumes and see when they recognize it. Then feel free to reward their auditory discrimination skills by asking more questions like 'what kind of music? happy/sad/fast/slow. Get specific with them then ask them to move their bodies to match the sound! It's sure to increase the giggles and grins as well as their listening skills.

Let the fun begin!!

We started this semesters classes off with a bang! Young Child 1 (5-6 yr olds) had a great time moving and dancing all around with their moms. When you are a first timer to Kindermusik you may feel a little silly dancing and flipping around a room with other adults, but I think you quickly learn how much it means to your child and how much fun they have! Just let loose and dance and sing with them! They were all saying 'this is so fun mom!' They were excited about their new bags and CD's and folders and books. We learned 'I like to play the sticks' and are working on feeling the beat.

Young Child 3 had so much fun building their very own dulcimers with their moms. There was so much excitement as they received new materials, CD's, songs, a cool bag for their dulcimer and even got to bring their instrument home on the very first day and decorate it!! I was so impressed with how much these kids actually remembered and retained over the summer break. We did a little rhythm and note review and they were right back on the bike. They even remembered quite a few of the songs too! Now they can't wait to play their new string instrument.

Love to have more of you :)

Why haven't you signed up?

In a world full of noise and with little time for reflection or introspection, helping children experience the grace that music can impart is a noble and extremely challenging task. It seems in today's society things must be measured to ensure their value. If early childhood music experience is to be deemed 'worthy' we must be able to say "Music does all of this for the young child and here's the scientific evidence to back it up.' In recent years, musicians and researchers have come together to try and quantify just what it is that music does for the developing child. Volumes of research are now available about how musical experience in early childhood benefits overall child development, enhances reading and mathematical skills, supports language development, increases spatial awareness, enhances motor skills, and nurtures high level reasoning skills. However it is still the grace and inner awareness of beauty that places music above so many other disciplines.

When properly approached, music plays a significant role in the development of sensitive human beings who are able to to reason intelligently and with compassion. That is to say, despite all of the concrete evidence that music increases our capacity to think and perform at higher levels, it is the 'soul' of music that in the end, makes a difference in human behavior.

Even 2 days into school our lives are busy and scheduled and I appreciate and protect the time I have to listen to music with my kids.Singing on the way to school, singing during homework, humming them to sleep. Music has a way to calm and touch their souls in a way ordinary instruction can not. Kindermusik gives us the chance to push the noise of every day life away and enjoy something together. You will find the benefits of Kindermusik to be much more far reaching than initially expected. Here are just a few:

Singing and Vocal Development

Movement (fine and gross motor skills through patterned movement, body awareness and ensemble preparation)

Listening

Exploring and Playing musical instruments

Ensemble Development

Reading and Writing Music

Musical Concepts and Focus

Creativity

Self Confidence and Self Image

Now is the time to register. Classes start in just a few days!

Classes start in 2 Weeks!

Enroll today for early bird discounts!!

The Whole Child

Kindermusik provides a whole child approach to music education. Children move and sing, play musical games, learn about music in other cultures, talk about and listen to the instruments of the orchestra, develop their discriminative listening skills, build self-esteem through group interaction and music making, begin to read and write basic musical notation and much more.

I often get calls from eager parents, ready to spend gobs of money on private music lessons for their 3-, 4- and 5-year olds. I first ask them, how are the children’s fine motor skills? Are they reading? How big are their hands? Are they ready to practice at least 20-30 minutes each day? By the time children complete a 2-year Kindermusik class, they have played a pre-keyboard instrument, a simple string instrument and a wind instrument. They are eager to pursue private lessons and have more staying power!

When you choose a music program, make sure it is compatible with you and your child. Be prepared to be an active participant and supporter of your child’s music experience. It could be the best investment you ever make.

Music turns kids on. So turn it up!

A Workout for your Brain

I was doing some research about the benefits of music study today and ran across an article about the effects of music study on the brain. I found the article interesting because of the following quote: “The effect of music training suggests that, akin to physical exercise and its impact on body fitness, music is a resource that tones the brain for auditory fitness and thus requires society to re-examine the role of music in shaping individual development.”

Simply put, music is great exercise for the brain, particularly in those areas which affect listening, reasoning, and language skills. Parents who expose their children to musical activities, such as our Kindermusik classes, are giving their children an early advantage for enhanced development and academic success. The developmental foundation that is established in these young minds will increase memory function, listening skills, and creative learning.

You can read more by clicking HERE.

Enroll Now!

Just click on the purple button to your right. Register before August 25th for a $10 discount off any class! I also have a refer a friend discount of $5 and a multiple sibling discount!

6 Reasons for Early Music Experiences

If you think that music and movement classes for little children are just fluff, an article written by Autumn L. Zander in the Aug-Sep 2010 issue of American Music Teacher will make you think again. According to Ms. Zander, early childhood music classes (like Kindermusik!) will:

1. Expose children to basic music fundamentals that will help them be successful when pursuing private lessons later

2. Introduce social skills

3. Ease children into a nurturing learning environment

4. Promote peer interaction in a setting in which they share, listen to others, and support their friends

5. Help children discover that different learning styles abound

6. Make music – and music lessons – a routine priority in their schedule, now and in the future.

Ms. Zander stresses, “Caregivers play an enormous role in the support and commitment needed for children to succeed in private lessons. The musical foundation that teachers strive to introduce and create is nearly impossible to accomplish without the caregiver’s support. From the first day of classes, the joy of creating music in a classroom, as many of my own families share with me, continues on the car ride home, in line at the grocery store, at the park, before bed time … everywhere. What a wonderful foundation to build upon–one in which music is a vibrant and active part of a family’s daily life.”

Another reason I love Kindermusik

We finished up our 4-6 year class this week. This a super fun age because the kids learn so quick and are able to then play/clap a rhythm or rhyme and echo music. They are so proud of themselves when they are able to participate in a group setting. As I've thought about this age group I've thought of so many positive things Kindermusik offers our kids:

* Great social interaction. Sure they get that at school, soccer, dance and other activities. BUT Kindermusik is such a positive group activity. We make music together, we don't compete against anyone or perform or are judged according to performance. There are no regulations that say our music has to even sound good! Every child is able to participate on their level and be proud of what they can do! They are able to build friendships and simply enjoy playing instruments and making music, just for the benefit of music!
* Kindermusik meets a child where they are at. We had a super shy little boy in class, then a few super social kids. The shy boy just sat back and watched and was hesitant to participate the first few classes. By the last class (week 4) he was right along visiting, telling jokes, moving and playing instruments with the other kids. He needed some time to observe and figure things out. And that was just fine. He never had to participate until he was ready. Kindermusik is a safe, happy environment for children to become comfortable and grow into the experience as they need to.
* We get to move! This month we worked on Presto (fast) and Largo (slow). Most children like to move fast, jump high, yell loud. Most of the time we need to point out the opposite of that slow, quiet, low etc. We had a boy this month that could only move fast, literally. During one activity we were listening to a song that switched tempos between presto and largo and we needed to move our bodies to match the tempo. He was running and running and running so I went over and held his hands and asked him to move low with me. He said 'This is as slow as I go.' and started running in place! It made me laugh but also made me realize he is probably right and that's okay.

For the Love.....of Reading

I can not say enough about reading. It is one of our families favorite things to do. We started reading the same book to our kids each night, before they were even born! Sounds crazy but it helped them learn our voice and know that we have time to sit and listen to them and share every day.

Literacy begins early, with nothing more than simply spending time with a book. Even if your baby puts the book in her mouth while you read, she absorbs the sounds of your words, the action of you turning the page, and the pleasure you derive from reading.

The first time your little one points to a picture in a book, she’s understanding the concept of symbols – the idea that the words and pictures represent objects and ideas. A child’s motivation to learn about and use symbols grows as she realizes that this is how she can make her needs and thoughts known to others. This is the very basis of learning letters represent sounds, numbers represent quantity and musical notes represent rhythm and beat.

When it comes to choosing books, recent research shows that children who have been exposed to nursery rhymes and lyrical stories in their younger years become better readers and are more successful in school.

Here are some of my favorite tips for developing good taste in books.

Your baby: Spend time with your baby and an open book. Point to the pictures and talk about what you see. Even if your child doesn’t understand a single word, she’ll absorb your love of books and reading. This will create a ritual of sitting together and visiting and sharing what you are learning together. This is priceless when our kids become older and busier and we long for them to just sit with us.

Your toddler: Now your child can start adding sound effects when you read together. Choose stories with animals so your toddler can imitate their sounds and movements.

Your preschooler: Your little one is now ready to make up his own stories. He can also use a favorite story as the basis for his own pretend play. Help your preschooler make his own book using a favorite song or family photos. Share this “published” work with the whole family!

The Power to Read

So much of the intelligence children will ultimately have is developed before they even go to kindergarten. That's pressure right? When you read to your child, you are building pathways in their brains needed for successful reading experiences. They will develop auditory perception that allows them to think about how words sound. Listening to stories helps children enhance their vocabularies and use longer sentences. Another wonderful benefit of reading to children is that it increases their attention spans and ability to focus on what is being said. More than anything else, reading to young children gives them a desire to read.

My oldest recently began reading chapter books. He really likes the series Magical Treehouse. A few weekends ago we bought a swing set that had a 'fort/playhouse' and his first response when it was up was 'I'm going to go grab my books and make this into my own magical treehouse!' I wanted to jump up and down! He loves to read and has learned that reading isn't a chore (okay he's 7 so some days it is) but rather a new adventure every day! Share your excitement and love for reading with your kids. Library cards are free and most libraries will issue them to kids at around age 5. Enjoy the power to read!

Young Child 5-7 yrs old

I will have a Young Child 1 on Tuesdays at 4pm and a Young Child 3 on Wednesdays at 4pm this fall. This is a wonderful curriculum to introduce your child to music. We learn our alphabet years before we learn to read. This way your child can learn music before they learn an instrument.

Kindermusik for the Young Child: Build a Musical Foundation
Using a small-group approach to music education, Kindermusik for the Young Child provides a pressure-free class where your child can develop a strong musical foundation by learning the concepts, language, notation, and vocabulary of music and its greatest composers.

The program is designed to prepare the young child who is eager for first experiences with musical symbols and instrument discovery but is not yet ready for formal lessons and traditional music reading with an instrument.

You can expect:

Singing and vocal development -- It may sound like a foreign language when a child sings “ta” and “ti-ti,” but this is the language of professional musicians and composers and getting young children ready to read and write simple rhythm patterns.

Movement -- See children dance expressively to music, giving them the practice they needs to coordinate their body movements to the sound of music. This kind of musical play not only improves musicianship, but physical coordination as well.

Reading and writing -- Young children will learn melodic notation and identify pitches such as the C, A, and D notes on the treble clef, plus rhythmic notation. Eventually even composing their own music.

Focused listening -- Children will learn to identify a range of orchestra instruments and their sound qualities, while also gaining an early awareness and knowledge of composers and masterworks in Western arts tradition.

Exploring and playing musical instruments -- Authentic percussion, string, pre-keyboard, and woodwind instruments expose children to the many choices for future musical study, and at the same time provide them with the opportunity to musically succeed before taking on more formal instruction.

Enrollment includes:

• Developmentally appropriate curriculum for children ages 5 to 7 years; caregivers attend the last 10-15 minutes


• 15-week semester


• Weekly 60- to 70-minute class


• One set of Home Materials—Children’s folder with stickers and Music At Home cards, Family Songbook, instrument (wind, string, or pre-keyboard instrument depending on the semester), CD of music from class, canvas bag (during first semester) and games bag

A Lifetime of Benefits

The musical experiences your child enjoys in the early years can provide a lifetime of benefits. At Kindermusik, we see this every day. And our numerous research studies have proven the results as well. We've found that a child who stays enrolled in Kindermusik class is highly likely to exhibit growth in some or even all of the following areas:

Perseverance
Confidence
Responsibility
Identity & Self-esteem
Discipline
Love of music & art
Culture
Identification of Talents
Using time wisely
Teamwork
Following Directions
Intellectual and social development
Precision and Motor control
Overcoming fears in public speaking and shyness
Commitment to Excellence
Creativity & Self-expression

Emotions & Learning

Emotions have a tremendous impact on learning. This was so evident to me when my oldest son began first grade. Going from half day of school to entire day of school, being in charge of eating lunch on his on in only 15 minutes, then coming home and doing homework was a little too much all at once! He was stressed out and tired and didn't think he could do it. He began to resent school which was not like him at all and he really struggled for the first few weeks. We had to create a new normal with new routines and rituals that allowed him to focus on what he liked and enjoyed about school. He was able to then feel confident and successful which motived him to continue learning. Our children are much more likely to reach out and learn when they are comfortable and happy.

Simple family activities like rocking together help develop a child's sense of security and worth, allowing him to grow into an assured, confident, learner with healthy self-esteem.

Unstructured Play

Child-development specialists describe unstructured play as essential to children's growth and crucial in cultivating creativity and imagination. Unstructured play also has a role in expanding intellectual, emotional, and social skills. In other words play with no rules, little or no adult direction and free for the children to go in whatever direction they desire, packs a powerful developmental punch.

I read a great book about child brain development a few months ago (my kids were thrilled that I was 'learning how to be a better mom) and it had a few chapters on the power of unstructured play. There have been studies to show how great it is for a child to be able to explore and discover the world through unstructured, undirected play. This is how they learn about reality and the real world, how to problem solve, make decisions, get along with others etc. There are a few elementary schools that have implemented 2 hours of unstructured play a day for grades K-3 each day, as part of their regular curriculum. The children are given an initial idea/direction such as 'let's play fireman and save a family who's house is on fire.' Then the teacher is there in the background in case she is needed but largely stays out of the way.

I used to be of the mindset that my kids need me to direct them and be involved. Yes I love to play with my kids but I've learned to be a follower in their play, not a leader. I allow them to take one idea nad let it go in any direction for as long as they'd like. I hate to wake a sleeping child, and I've learned to try very hard to not disturb a playing child either :)

Routines & Rituals

While routines provide continuity, comfort and security for children, rituals provide children with the opportunity to build connections with others. In a sense, rituals are routines with 'extra sparkle.' Families often have rituals associated with holidays and birthdays. For example, in our family we always start a birthday off with the child's favorite breakfast and put candles in it! This year I didn't have a 7 candle for my son and he was not about to let me off the hook. He put a 6 and 1 in his pancake and we sang to him that way. He knew that that is what we did for birthdays and he was planning on it.

Routines comfort children an serve as cues for what is expected of them, giving children a sense of control over their environment. When a child know what will happen next and what is expected of him, he will be better able to participate and to act independently, which is an important developmental step.

IDEA: Plan for simple, fun ways to add the sparkle to your everyday routines that will turn them into special rituals. A 'wake up' poem in the morning, a posted schedule for the day, a special place mat at lunch, letting everyone tell about one favorite part of their day around the dinner table, a family dance, and a lullaby sung before bedtime at night-any of these are the kinds of little things that can add joy and predictability to your child's day.

Sign Language

I've been doing some reading and research about baby sign language because I'll be offering this class this fall. I ran across an interesting article. Even though sign language is a great way to encourage early communication in young children, some parents, like the one in the article, are concerned that this form of early communication might delay their child's verbal development. I MAY have been one of these parents years ago. I thought maybe it would make my child 'lazy' and they wouldn't feel like they needed to speak. But I tried it and it was great!

The opposite is typically true. The combined experience of movement and spoken language encourages your baby's understanding of the word, as well as increases retention of the new word. This is because he is engaged actively in the learning experience and movement has stimulated the brain to receive the incoming information . It becomes a multi-sensory experience and activates more of the brain.

Parents can begin to work on baby sign language as early as 3-6 months, and children will typically begin to sign back around 6-12 months old. However, it's not too late if your child is past that age. Sign language can be a fun way to communicate for children of all ages. I recommend taking a sign language class with your child to learn how to present the signs in an interactive, age appropriate and fun way. A sign language class will also help you to understand your child's hand development. If a sign is too difficult for them to form, your child will likely make adjustments to the sign. Once you learn what to look for you may be surprised to find your child has several signs they are ready to use.

I remember the first time my now 2 year old put 2 signs together by himself. He signed 'more milk' and I wanted to do a back flip! I was so excited because he was able to tell me what he wanted without any frustration or concern and I was able to meet his need! Classes start in September!!

Echo Listening

Listening activities help children move beyond simple hearing to purposeful, active listening. Children not only learn to become active listeners, but exercise their attention and auditory discrimination skills. Imitation and echoing are fun ways to develop singing, musical thinking, listening, and attention skills.

Engage your little Sinatra in a singing conversation! Practice echoing pitch and melody in response to a questions' pitch and melody. Then take turns-one person singing short questions and the other answering using the same pitch and melody. For example: sing 'What would you like for dinner?" and encourage your child to sing their answer int eh same way, as in "I would like some noodles." Spice things up by using a different voice to echo-small and squeaky, rich and booming, and more.

Enjoy a fun new way to communicate!

Legato & Stacatto

Zoo Train was all about smooth and connected (Legato) and short and disconnected (Staccato). Understanding and controlling movement is an important skill that helps children with balance, expressive movement, and coordination. I hope you have discovered that your family experiences each of these aspects in your everyday life. Movement and music can affect the way we feel: we feel different when we see or experience bumpy movements instead of smooth ones. Just like in movement, music can be smooth or bumpy. Our world is most commonly organized in straight lines, emphasizing efficiency and directness. When children have the opportunity to explore lots of different ways to get from one place to another, they enhance their awareness of the world around them, and develop increased agility. When a child creates curves and zigzags with their arms and upper body, they frequently crosses the mid line, helping to strengthen their corpus callosum and the ability of the brains' two hemispheres to communicate with each other.

We also got out little beach balls and enjoyed being seals in the sea, rolling and bouncing them all around. Playing with a ball not only provides your children with a means for social interactions with peers and adults, but also enhances the development of arm and hand muscles, eye-hand coordination, and cause and effect relationships. Ball play also strengthens future recreational development including blowing, baseball, basketball, football and soccer.

So head on outside and bounce, roll, throw a ball curvy, zigzag and straight. Have a 'ball' and feel good knowing your growing child is learning and the same time!

Tempo

The lesson focus in Zoo Train today was Tempo. We talked about animals that move fast (allegro) and slow (andante). We rode the train fast and slow, and we visited slow gliding giraffes to move around slowly and reach for the sky, and then we visited zebras to gallop fast and race around.

As children develop, they learn all of the ways that their bodies can move, and one important aspect of this movement is speed. As babies learn to crawl, we often find them cruising around the room quickly. When toddlers learn to run, and later as preschoolers reach new levels of physical ability, we find them stretching their limits to go, go, go. In our fast-paced world, children don't often have opportunities to explore slow movement. We will make a point to experience both fast and slow through fine-motor movements, instrument exploration, moving and listening.

Another highlight was looking into little family mirrors to see what the monkeys see when they look at us. There were so many wonderful grins and giggles as kids and mommies made silly faces, sad faces, copy cat faces and enjoyed this great activity.

Move & Groove

We started our summer camp for 4-6 year olds this week. The curriculum is called Dance with Me and we learn about Treble Clef (high sounds), Bass Clef (low sounds), and different styles of dancing-ballet, tap, and jazz. We also get to feel, listen, and move to a triple meter rhythm, similar to a waltz. The kids LOVED playing the glockenspiel to a 3 beat rhythm and it was a lot of fun to kick off our summer together. It's never too late to sign up!

Zoo Train

Family Time Zoo Train starts tomorrow afternoon and I am so excited! I've been busy putting the studio together, getting the craft kits ready, singing the songs and brushing up on my ASL. I know these families will love this class! Here is a little sneak peak of some of the activities for our first day:

We will visit the monkeys! A silly thing that monkey's will do is copy you! Turn to your grown up or a friend and tap your nose-see if they will tap their nose back! Now blink your eyes and watch them blink their eyes. Now jump up and down and they will copy you!
Sing together- The monkey taps taps taps his nose. The monkey taps taps taps his nose. Monkey see. Monkey do. The monkey does the same as you! This
Instrument Play-We will pass out rhythm sticks and practice our steady beat and monkey copy cat. Play your sticks on the floor, tap them together, now tap them to your partners sticks too! Steady beat is an organizer for a child, purposeful and calming. Studies show a positive correlation of steady beat with reading, vocabulary, math, music, and physical coordination. It seems to help in these areas because it contributes to a child's ability to concentrate, understand space and distance and have better control of physical movements.

Now it's time for a visit to the Lions! This is a fun little finger play for a lion.
I'm a great big cat with whiskers (draw whiskers from your nose out with your fingers.)
I have big feet and claws (make big claws with your hands.)
I have a long and furry tail (shake your tail.)
I make a lion's roar! (pretend to roar like a 'nice' lion.)

I like to crawl and prowl around (crawl around on all fours)
and then when I am done
I stretch myself out oh so long (lay down and rest )
and lie down in the sun.

Thyme and Vocal Play helps your little one solidify the meanings of new words. Kindermusik carefully selects songs, poems, and rhymes with accompanying movements to emphasize the word meanings knowing that this is particularly effective in helping little ones gather and retain new words in their vocabularies. Include some finger plays with your favorite nursery rhymes. We LOVE to do this in the car, sometimes and church, and Always at the check out line at Wal-mart :) My kids love them!

And time permitting we will then take a ride on a carousel! Every kid loves the carousel and we have hoops, a large parachute, blankets, animals, so many ways to enjoy this up and down and round and round activity!

Relaxation

Children learn many skills from adults, such as tying their shoes or reading a book. They must also learn how to relax, self-calm, channel feelings, and focus. With continued practice, persistence, and a little creativity, children learn not only how to relax, but also how to use this skill effectively every day, even in chaotic environments. Relaxing together with a little soothing, gentle music in the background will go a long way towards helping your child find his own calm amid the busy chaos that can be our lives.

TIP: Establish a Relaxation Ritual in your home, perhaps first-thing in the morning or just before bedtime. Turn on some quiet music and just relax with your child – holding them if they’re small enough or just cuddling up beside each other if they’re too big for your lap. Model being still and not talking, just breathing deeply and quietly enjoying one another’s company. You might also want to sing a simple lullaby to your child at the end. This will likely become a very treasured and much-anticipated time for you and your child(ren)

A few FREE ideas

The best things in life are free right? With summer around the corner I'm super excited to have more time to play and do fun things with my kiddos, but I'm also a little anxious about the price tag :). Here are a few free ideas for your family

FREE MUSIC
Of course I think one of the best things you can do with your child is Kindermusik! Go to play.kindermusik.com to register and receive three, free music downloads. There are just so many incredible developmental benefits to exposing your children to music early in life. You can also preview our children's music classes at no cost while connecting with other parents and spending quality time with your child.

CHECK the LOCAL LIBRARY
Libraries are one of the best no-cost places to take your kids. They are stocked full of books, music, and dvd's for your learning little one.

KIDS EAT FREE
Many restaurants nationwide have specific days of the week where kids eat free. Websites like kidseat4free.com will find the restaurants in your area that offer free dining for kids.

LOCAL MUSEUM for FREE KIDS DAY
Most museums offer free days for kids. mark the free local museum deal days in your calendar early so you remember when the days roll around. The Hogle Zoo always does their free day in the spring.

NATURE WALKS
Being outside is a great way to spend your time. Head up the hills for free and go on a nature walk, collecting leaves, rocks, flowers etc and then bring them home for some fun arts and crafts! head to the lake for a sandy beach day! Enjoy your summer!

Summer! Summer!

Summer Camps start in less than 2 weeks! It's not too late to sign up as there are a few more spots in each class. It's a great time to try it our for less money and a shorter commitment. Plus it's a wonderful activity for your kids to learn and grow while they are playing and laughing with new friends and with their favorite person, you!!

Call or email me today to sign up! And don't forget there is a $5 off discount when you refer a friend and they sign up too!

Pretend Play

'Learning to imagine is the first step in stretching the human potential.' The ability to pretend and imagine usually starts around 18 months. From there, the developmental progression of pretend play generally moves from using one object to represent something else, to dressing up and/or pretending to be something else, to role-playing and interacting while in that role. Kindermusik classes help provide the kinds of experiences that provide the opportunity for imagination to blossom, but you will probably notice that your child engages most readily-and sometimes most humorously-at home where your child is the most comfortable.


IDEA: Simple toys like blocks and stuffed animals, dress-up clothes from the thrift store, and even empty containers or cardboard tubes can inspire hours of pretend play. Organize these items into containers that are easily accessible to your child and watch their imagination take over!

Repetition & Body Control

Again!! Again!! children learn through repetition. Each time a child is exposed to a new object or experience, new neural connections are made in their brain. Through repetition, these connections are strengthened and learning occurs. Every Kindermusik curriculum is designed to repeat certain activities-in part because of this important connection between repetition and learning, but also because repetition of activities helps to create the Kindermusik classroom community. Ritual and repetition at home are important components of a predictable and nurturing home life as well.

Tip: So go ahead, sing that song or read that book AGAIN! For the hundredth time. Take satisfaction in know that you are doing your child's brain a world of good!

During movement activities, children learn to organize the available space in relation to themselves and in relationship to objects and other individuals...this is how they develop body control, spatial awareness, and confidence in the power and ability of their own bodies.

Tip: Turn on some dancing music and dance around the room together. Add a prop, like a scarf, a ball, or a hoop for more movement and body control fun and learning.

Summer of Musical Fun

Are you ready? The kids will be out of school in just 3 weeks! Sure the first few weeks will be a lot of fun but we all know after a too much free time they are going to want something to do!! And you will too! Adding music to your schedule is one of the most fun (and developmentally beneficial) activities you can do with your kids.

In just four lessons, I’ll give you a summer’s worth of music, stories, and activities created to inspire a lifetime of learning. In a Kindermusik summer camp, you and your child will play, learn, sing, dance, create, and share in the fun of making music together. Inspire your child's love of learning in our delightfully engaging summer sessions. Best of all, every one of our summer camp activities—the music, stories, and crafts—is specially designed to nurture your child's natural curiosity, eventually drawing them toward learning new words, new concepts, and new big ideas. Fall semester will begin after Labor Day and this is great way to 'try it out' and see all the great benefits and the power of music in your child's life. Enrollment includes: Developmentally appropriate class for parents and children ages newborn to 7 One set of At Home Materials including a literature book, CD of music from class, and an instrument. Guaranteed giggles and grins! Sign up today and get $5 off! Just click on the Enroll Now button on the top!

Did You See it! Did you See it??

Kindermusik with Jamie was featured on the front page of the Ranches HOA monthly newsletter in May. It is a great article with lots of great information and our summer schedule. I hope you saw it because..................there is a discount offered for HOA members!! Let me know if you saw it and definitely let me know which class I can sign you and your kiddos up for this summer! It's coming up FAST!!!

The way They Learn

We all learn in different ways. The more children you have, the more potential you have to see this in action. Some of us are visual learners, some are aural learners, some or kinesthetic learners. Here are some questions to start you thinking about you and your kiddos learning styles:

*What are the two main ways that you and your children take in information? Are you a concrete or abstract perceiver?

*What are the two main methods people use to order the perceived information? Do you order information sequentially or in random chunks?

*How does this information help you to have the most beneficial relationship with others?

Sometimes this can be an area of frustration with our children. If we learn in different ways it may be hard for us to understand why they can't pick something up as easily as we can, or why they don't understand something we may be trying to teach them. Maybe we are teaching them int eh way that we learn, not in the way that they learn.

Discovering your learning style and your loved one's learning styles is exciting because it's empowering. I am always ready to ad some tools to my relational and parenting tool box.

The Kindermusik classroom is a great opportunity for kids of all learning styles to learn! We hear the music, we see and feel the movement in our bodies, instruments, sometimes a parachute or something really fun! No matter your child's learning needs, it will be covered in Kindermusik!

play.kindermusik.com

Just wanted to remind you of this GREAT webpage. It has EVERY Kindermusik song available. You can search by age, category, theme, style. It's super quick and easy to download songs to your computer, phone, ipod anywhere you'd like to take your music along with you! When you sign up for a class and receive your Home Materials you will receive a coupon full of free credits to use on this webpage.

ABC Music & Me

These pictures do not do justice to our music class at Little Chicks Daycare. Or maybe the do! I couldn't get a good picture because of all the movement going on! Every Tuesday morning you will find me at Little Chicks Daycare with a handful of great kids singing, playing, and learning all about music! Kindermusik has developed a special curriculum just for day care centers and preschools.

Each month has a different musical focus. This one was the Drum. We traveled to Africa, South America and visited a few Indian Tribes on our quest to learn more about the drum and keeping a steady beat. Just like other classes, we move, sing, dance, read, and play instruments each week.

These kids are great and we all look forward to class together each week. If you know of a local Daycare or Learning Center that would benefit from our Kindermusik program, please let me know!

It's All About the Beat

In all Kindermusik classes, there is always emphasis on hearing, feeling, moving, and even 'seeing' a steady beat. It may seem very elementary, but it is essentially the cornerstone of music. More importantly, steady beat plays a huge importance in our speech, movement, thoughts and verbal organization. From a baby's first hesitant steps, he slowly finds his pace and soon starts to walk steadily and confidently. Our preschoolers who have a strong sense of beat would be able to use the scissors more skillfully. Ever watch a basketball game? The steady dribble of the ball before it is tossed smack into the basket requires an acute sens of beat and timing. Even writers rely on a sense of steady beat and rhythm in their prose to produce a good read.

Because it is such a fundamental element, parents an teachers often do not give sufficient attention to the development of this very important underlying skill-a strong sense of beat. The consequence of insufficient steady beat experiences in early years can result in poor physical coordination, halting speech, and even weakness in thought flow. Would you have imagined that something so apparently a strictly musical characteristic can have such bearing on so many areas of our functioning?!

Here are some simple and fun activities that you can do with you child at home to reinforce the concept sense of steady beat:

MOVEMENT-Turn on the music and pretend to be a marching band. March, stomp, r jump to the the music. For younger babies, put them on your lap and bounce to a steady beat or dance with them around the room.

INSTRUMENT PLAY-Use the instruments from your home materials or make your own. An old pot and spoon work great! Practice keeping a steady beat along with the music.

READING-Nursery rhymes are a great way to introduce steady beat. Clap or tap along as you recite your child's favorite rhymes.

I've had more than one parent tell me how after only a few Kindermusik classes, their child did better on their spelling tests at school! Ever seen the movie about the young girl who won the spelling bee by keeping a steady beat tapping on her leg? It helps them stay focused, organize and sequence their thoughts appropriately. And as any other learned skill it takes practice so be patient and have fun!

Birthday Party

Thanks so much for everyone that came to my birthday party! We had over 35 kids come and play and sing and celebrate. We had great fun and it was a great activity for moms and kids. Each child got to make their own bracelet with beads and bells-practicing their hand/eye coordination, pattern recognition and creativity!

We had a fun bean bag toss!!

We hid a shell under the cups and tried to trick each other!

And of course danced and played with our instruments!

And thanks to everyone who stopped by at the Street Fair yesterday. I met some wonderful families and am thrilled to say my summer camps are filling up! It's a wonderful time to enroll your kids!

What are you doing this Saturday?

Eagle Mountain City has a great Street Fair each spring and fall for all the local business owners in the area. It is right behind the Chevron on Peregrine Rd (by Nolan Park). It runs from 12-4 in the afternoon. The weather should be great and it would be a fun little free outing for the family. Please come by and say HI!! Be sure and enter to win free materials and pick up my summer schedule.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me! That's right- this month marks 1 year since I started my adventure of Kindermusik with Jamie. I can't believe it's been a year since my first class. I still remember being So incredibly nervous. What if the kids didn't like me? What if I forgot the songs? What if no one came? I'm so grateful for the kiddos and families that have been a part of a wonderful first year. So what are we going to do about it? We are going to have a Birthday Party!!!

Wednesday April 13th from 10-noon

OR

Friday April 15th from 1-3pm

It's spring break so it will be a great FREE activity for you and your kids. Come sing, play, read and get a little taste of a Kindermusik class. Maybe it will be just what you need to sign up for my summer camp as well! Spread the word-everyone likes a party!

One-to-One Correspondence

One-to-One correspondence is the ability to assign and understand that each number counted corresponds with an object. The development of this skill is the basis for understanding math. Finger counting helps children reinforce one-to-one correspondence skills because it is a concrete experience that is both physical and visual, so it easily demonstrates the relationship of numbers from 1 to 10 to objects, or sounds, being counted. Most children can count to 10 or even 20 by the time they are 2 or 3, but this is different than having an understanding that each number represents a quantity of objects or sounds. 'The foundation for children's mathematical development is established in the earliest years. Appropriate mathematical experiences challenge young children to explore ideas related to patterns, shapes, numbers, and space. Children learn math concepts through everyday activities: sorting, reasoning, recognizing patterns, singing motion songs, and using spatial visualization.' (National Council of Teachers of Math p. 8) We have quite the collection of songs in Kindermusik that include counting objects or sounds. It is the basis for learning and counting rhythm in music as well. The children are given opportunities to count and move to different timing in music, a 2 beat song, a 3 beat song, and so on. They are able to feel the steady beat, count the steady beat, and move their bodies! They love being so smart!!

Listening Skills

Good listening skills are becoming more and more important in our world. Sometimes it may seem that your children's talking skills are much more developed than their listening skills! It is important to remember that hearing and listening are quite different. Hearing is a process involving nerves and muscles that reach adult efficiency by age four or five. 'Listening is a learned behavior, a mental process that is concerned with hearing, attending, discriminating, understanding, and remembering. It can be improved with practice, isn't that comforting! Listening affects social interactions, one's level of functioning, and perhaps one's overall success in life.' (Jeanne M. Machado).

Listening is a social skill that must be practiced and is necessary for success in social functioning. You can be a part of this process by gentle leading your children in quiet, attentive listening activities. Show with your body language that you are listening carefully. Lean slightly toward the source of the sound, remain quiet while you listen. Offer opportunities to practice focused listening through your day. Even 20 or 30 seconds of still, quiet listening, and then visiting about what they heard will expand their ability to listen and process their surroundings.

In a Kindermusik class each week we have a few focused listening activities. They only last about 15-20 seconds, but it's something that the kids look forward to. We gather around our sound source, rub our ears to 'turn them on,' then listen, listen, listen. It's so fun to share all the wonderful images and thoughts the children had while they were attentive and quiet.

A Summer of Music

That's right! It's not too soon to think about your summer schedule and I would love to be a part of it. I know there are many things out there you want to do with your kiddos and schedules will fill up fast, so I wanted to let you in on a little secret-Kindermusik would be a fabulous addition to your summer!!!

ABC Mom & Me will be a great time for you and your toddler to spend together. If you only have 1 little one this is the class for you! We will explore basic musical concepts and contrasts, learn fun songs and stories, and have a great time singing and dancing together.

Move & Groove is for your older kiddos (you can drop them off) who are ready for some music education in the funnest way-moving! We will introduce basic music rhythms and steady beat, introduce Treble and Bass cleff, and sing and play together!

Family Time is great if you have a few kiddos between the ages of baby and 7. This is a great opportunity to bond through music as a family. We will have fun going to the zoo each week and visiting different animals-which will teach us about music and moving our bodies!

JUNE
ABC Mom & Me Wednesdays 10am-10:45 2-4 yrs old
Move & Groove (drop off) Wednesday 11am-11:45 4-6 yrs old
$50-includes 4 classes, a workbook, a CD, and an instrument to take home!

JULY
ABC Mom & Me Wednesday 10am-10:45 2-4 yrs old
Move & Groove (drop off) Wednesday 11am-11:45 4-6 yrs old
$50-includes 4 classes, a workbook, a CD, and an instrument to take home!

FAMILY TIME
Zoo Train (newborn –7 yrs)
June 7th-July 12th Tuesdays at 10am-10:45 & 1:00pm-1:45
$80 per family-includes 6 classes, a book, a CD, and an instrument to take home!

The classes in June and July will be different, so you can sign up for 1 month or for both months! There is a $10 discount if you sign up for both months. There are also sibling discounts available if you have multiple kiddos in the same class together (the exception being Family Time as that is a family price already).

Enrolling is as easy as leaving a comment, a quick phone call to me, or even better, click on the purple Enroll now button on the upper right hand corner! Thanks!!

Playing, Pretending and Learning

Play is not just play. Through play, children are developing cognitive, emotional, social and physical skills. Play is children's work. There are several activities in Kindermusik which integrate pretend play. The process of 'making things up' is an important step in cognitive development. Children at this age are practicing distinguishing between what is real and what is pretend. You may notice when a child tells you a story, another child will chime in with 'I did that too!' They are not purposefully lying, but are sharing their excitement and trying out new ideas in their heads.

The rood word of imagination is 'image.' When children use their imaginations they are creating mental images. These images add depth and permanence to the music experience. The experience becomes more 'three-dimensional.' In this world of canned entertainment children are becoming passive learners. They need practice coming up with their own ideas, having their ideas valued by adults and in creating images in their mind that have not been fed them by visuals on a TV screen. When children use their imagination, they 'make it their own.' These experiences are more likely to hold children's attention because they will follow the interests of the child.

So feel free to encourage your child to pretend play, dress up, tell stories and create their own world for a day. Get involved and imagine up a whole experience just for them. Don't forget to sing your way through it all!

Mozart Therapy

A recent article from Science Daily summarized some very interesting findings by the Tel Aviv Medical Center, namely that creating a musical environment for premature babies positively affected their ability to grow and thrive. Preemies who were exposed to 30 minutes of music by Mozart expended less energy during that 30 minutes, thereby using fewer calories and allowing for greater weight gain. Having a healthy body weight means these babies have a stronger immune system and go home sooner.
"The TAU study is the first to quantify the effect of music, specifically Mozart, on newly born children. Medical practitioners are aware that by changing the environment, we can create a whole new treatment paradigm for babies in neonatal care,' says Dr. Mandel. 'That's our main goal-to improve their quality of life."
While the study is based on the controversial 'Mozart effect' and researchers still aren't clear on the long-term effects of Mozart's music, one result is certain-music makes a difference. Thousands of Kindermusik educators around the world can attest to that; we are privileged to see the wonderful effects of music on young children and their families week in and week out. We especially love it when science confirms what we've known all along; one of the best gifts you can give your child is the gift of music.

Teaching the Whole Child

All learning, including music learning, is integrated. Kindermusik International has developed an integrated curriculum that builds on the children's interests and experiences and allows for individual learning styles and temperaments. Nothing happens in isolation; children use 'all systems' when they learn. Since children's development and learning are so highly interconnected, an integrated curriculum is the very best way we can teach the whole child.

All Kindermusik classes have integrated learning experiences within and across lessons. These experiences integrate the senses, learning domains, developmental needs and interests of the children. Developmental domains that are ex;pored and integrated are:

*Language-discussing & describing
*Cognitive-remembering, recognizing, pretending, imagining
*Musical-singing, being introduced to simple instruments and basic rhythm
*Physical-hearing, seeing visuals, moving, mirroring
*Emotional-expressing through music, movement and visual art; experiencing beauty through music, bonding with care givers
*Social-listening to others, waiting for a turn, ensemble experiences together

It is expected that each child will participate at different developmental levels and will be stronger in some areas than others. The integrated activities in Kindermusik provide points of entry for participation by all types of learners. Each child learns differently and each class provides unique opportunities for everyone to play and grow and learn the best way they can.

All cooped Up?

Winter time can be a hard time, no matter where you live. I thought we were in for spring and then today happened. If it's not snowy, it's rainy. And often it's too cold to be outside. Or you're all trying to get well form the latest virus that the whole family passed around one by one. So what's a parent and a kid to do when you've been cooped up inside the house for too long? I suggest that you get moving...to some music that is!

The easiest way to get started is just to turn on some lively music, the kind that has your feet going and your hands clapping. Even just a few minutes of carefree, not thinking about the laundry dancing with your kiddos can turn the day around for both of you! Of course, movement is not just important for helping children let off a little steam or pent up energy but it is also a key factor in their overall development. And it's a great way for a child to be able to get close to and connect with someone she loves.

You might also enjoy moving in a slightly 'structured' way by making a small circle and doing a circle dance. Remember 'Ring around the Rosie?' Circle dances like this actually help your child focus on directing and moving her busy little body. She also becomes aware of her body in relation to the larger physical space. She learns about coordinating her body movements with the words of the song. Plus, she increases her memory and attention span as she follows the simple sequence of steps. Who knew a little dancing could accomplish so much?!

Kindermusik Tips

Research shows that listening and playing along with music is one of the few activities that stim fully engages both sides of your childs brain. Add the fine motor coordination it takes to hold and instrument and tap in time to the music and your child is working on the coordination it takes to hold a pencil, cut with scissors, tie their shoes, and dribble a basketball later on.

For your Baby-Gently tap the steady beat on your baby's hand, foo, or knee with an instrument or your hand.
For your Toddler- Invite your child to use the instrument to tap on his/her own toes, knees or even tummy!
For your preschooler or big kid-Preschoolers ad older kids can march around the house in a musical parade working on their whole body competency-arms and legs together!

Kindermusik Tools:
Radio App- The Kindermusik Radio App (which can be used on any iPhone or iTouch with 4.0 software) offers a parent-child activity for every song, and each activity is designed to engage and entertain young listeners as well as stimulate early childhood development. To take a look for yourself, click here.

Play.Kindermusik.com- At play.kindermusik.com you can preview, purchase, and download your favorite songs and albums. You'll also find activity ideas to do at home, written by individuals from our network of over 6000 Kindermusik educators from round the world. Check out the musical e-cards you can send to your friends and family-some with great animations.

Imagine That!!

It's so fitting that this is a class full of busy boys! Not the little girls wouldn't love it and probably help chill things out occasionally, but the energy level and imagination is abundant every week. We are always punching the air, shooting a gun, flying a plane, and doing many boy things!

This particular week the Home Assignment was to make a sculpture. child-directed sculpture is a wonderful activity for young children. It allows them to discover, invent and construct on their own, while developing and expressing their creativity visually and kinesthetically. It develops physical skills of fine motor coordination and eye-hand coordination and provides an opportunity for children to use their imagination and problem solving skills. I was so impressed with the sculptures that came to class the next week. We had Lego's, marshmallows, play-doh and paper mache. Each boy had worked hard and was very excited to share their creation.

We put the music on and danced all around our sculptures (that were each carefully placed on a platform aka hool a hoop) then when the music stopped we had to pick one sculpture and copy it with our body. We had to roll in a ball like the globe, pretend to be dead like the marshmallow man, or shoot like the Lego figure. The boys loved it and it was a very fun way to practice their stop and go body control!