Kindermusik with Mindy

Imagine That! ~ "See What I Saw"

2011-01-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

Imagine That!

“See What I Saw"

3 to 5 year olds

In this class, preschoolers use their real experience of playing in the park to create imaginative, storytelling scenarios with music—go on an imaginary trip to Grasshopper Park where they sail down the park slide and then recreate the sound of that experience with a loooooong vocal glissando. Each week pro vides preschoolers one uninterrupted session of imaginative play that's guided in a very specific, sequential way—with a special sharing time with parents in the last 15 minutes of class. Recreating this experience at home is a snap with the park play set complete with trees, grass, a fence, a lake, two children, a sailboat, and more. Imagine That!

Home Materials: Two books—Can You Find Me? and The Ant Picnic Feast, Two Home CDs, See What I Saw Play Set, a Family Activity Book, a slide whistle instrument, and a backpack.

Spring 2011 CLASS TIMES:

Tuesdays

11:00 AM - 12:15 PM

February 15 - May 24

(to register for this class online, click here)

Fridays

1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

February 18 - May 27

(to register for this class online, click here)

The "Imagine That!" class is designed for children, ages 3 to 5 years old. Children attend class on their own for the first 60 minutes of class. Caregivers join for the last 15 minutes. Doors open 15 minutes prior to class. Several discounts are offered, including a 'sibling' and 'bring-a-friend' discounts.

Please email me at mindyjj@gmail.com for more information!

Our Time ~ "Fiddle-dee-dee"

2011-01-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

Our Time

“Fiddle-dee-dee!”

For children 1½ to 3 years

We’ll meet many animal characters in our books, activities, and songs-each specifically chosen for a toddler’s emerging interests and physical skills. With silly, bumpy lap bounces, we’ll help toddlers develop rhythm while further developing their ever-emerging language skills. With a special stringed instrument emphasis in the music from class, parents can bring home the violin, cello, and orchestra sounds to help their toddlers stay happy and engaged learners at home, too.

Home Materials: Double CD featuring songs from class; two interactive storybooks-This Little Piggy Played the Fiddle and Animal Serenade to develop early literacy skills; Home Activity Book, and a pair of Fiddlestick instruments.

Spring 2011 CLASS TIMES:

Mondays

9:30 am - 10:30 am

February 14 - May 23

(to register for the Monday morning class, click here)

Mondays

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

February 14 - May 23

(to register for the Monday morning class, click here)

Tuesdays

9:30 am - 10:30 am

February 15 - May 24

(to register for the Monday morning class, click here)

The "Our Time" class is designed for children, ages 1 1/2 to 3 years old, and their caregiver. Classes are held once a week for 14 weeks and are 60 minutes in length. Doors open 15 minutes prior to class. A variety of discounts are available, including a 'sibling' and 'bring-a-friend' discounts.

Please email me @ mindyjj@gmail.com for more information!

Music Instruction and Preschoolers

2009-09-29T21:57:00.000-07:00

"Effects of Music Instruction on Emergent Literacy Capacities among Preschool Children: A Literature Review"

"The research studies discussed in this article show the extent to which interdisciplinary programs in music and language can promote basic learning in both subjects, as early as preschool. Canadian and American reports indicate that some children enter primary school with existing reading and writing difficulties (Statistique Canada, 1996; U.S. National Institute for Literacy, n.d.). Thus, it is essential to propose different methods to introduce these young learners to written language before they begin their schooling.

Because music education offers a holistic type of education that may facilitate the development of listening and analysis abilities, it can be used as an efficient complementary educational approach. As we pointed out in this article, many authors and researchers claim that musical activities promote the development of three important components that are equally involved in the development of linguistic abilities: auditory perception, phonological memory, and metacognitive knowledge.

Given this evidence, early childhood educators can give young children the opportunity to fully develop their potential in the domains of music and emergent literacy by supporting music education and interdisciplinary projects that enable them to acquire skills in many fields."

View the entire article, here.

Music is Math

2009-09-27T21:59:00.001-07:00

Music Is Math from Glenn Marshall on Vimeo.

So when I decided I wanted to blog about the relationship between music and math, this is not really what I had in mind. During my research, I happened upon a fascinating video by Irish musician/video artist Glenn Marshall. Glenn uses a computer program called 'Processing', which has the ability to listen to music and generate visuals based on particular sounds, to create these interactive videos. Simply brilliant!

Visit Glenn Marshall's website here. See more of Glenn's videos, here.

More 'music and math' blogging to come!

Why is Kindermusik the single best choice?

2009-09-22T21:00:00.002-07:00

For your child

Kindermusik introduces your child to the joy and adventure of music and then moves at his pace, pausing to engage his interests, nurture his gifts, and celebrate his discoveries.

From birth through age seven, with the caring guidance of a trained and licensed Kindermusik educator, your child can grow and learn without pressure to perform, only encouragement to explore and discover. You'll witness a developmental evolution in language skills, literacy, listening, problem solving, social skills, self-esteem and a love of music! Kindermusik uses the power of music to develop the individual your child was born to be.

With every class, your Kindermusik At Home materials include the highest quality music recordings on CD – a diversity of vocal and instrumental arrangements that will delight your whole family. While materials vary with each program, you'll enjoy creative activities, children's literature from the Kindermusik Library, and specially designed instruments – all created to complement and extend your child's learning at home.

For yourself
Because Kindermusik acknowledges that you are your child's first and most important teacher, your Kindermusik classes will empower you as a parent.

Life is busy, and family time together is a precious commodity. A Kindermusik class is truly the essence of "quality time," offering you a place to create special memories with your child and gain new insights into your child's development.

You will discover a unique sense of community and belonging in the Kindermusik classroom. Not only will your child blossom in this environment, but you will come to appreciate the support and friendship from the other adults in class.

For life
No other single activity offers the integrated, creative, child-centered experience that Kindermusik does. It's music that makes the difference.

Invest in your child's future by making early music exposure a priority. Research indicates a link between music and early learning, but Kindermusik creates a musical learning environment so powerful that you and your child will likely carry a love of music for the rest of your lives.

Kindermusik has been creating magical, musical memories for children and their families for more than 25 years. Begin your child's Kindermusik journey today and open up a whole world of new possibilities – for your child, for yourself, for life!

WHAT goes on in a Kindermusik class and WHY?

2009-09-22T21:00:00.001-07:00

SINGING fosters the development of your child's most important instrument, the voice, through vocal exploration, songs, and chants.

MOVING develops body awareness, coordination, and spatial relationships through synchronized movement, creative movement, and simple dances.

PLAYING introduces a variety of musical timbres with percussion instruments such as rhythm sticks, jingle bells, drums, resonator bars, and simple instruments your child creates at home.

CREATING stimulates your child's imagination and encourages new exploration with sound and movement.

PATTERNING boosts your child's ability to think musically through the integration of basic rhythmic and tonal language.

LISTENING cultivates your child's heightened attentiveness to sound discrimination.

EXPLORING timbre, dynamics, tempo, and pitch lays the foundation for conceptualization of the elements of music.

...and the learning doesn't stop there!

As your child engages and plays with other children, he also learns to share and cooperate in a safe, encouraging environment!

Delayed Gratification

2009-09-18T23:39:00.000-07:00

Delayed gratification: the ability to wait in order to obtain something that one wants.

Delayed gratification is an important element in several Kindermusik activities, but it is perhaps most evident during an instrument demonstration/exploration exercise.

How the activity works: For this activity, an instrument (such as a drum) is shown to the class. The teacher demonstrates how to use the instrument in various ways (depending on the lesson focus). Following a brief description of the activity, the teacher then passes the instrument to the child next to her, creating a 'passing direction' (I try to alternate this with each activity, so as to not allow predictability). Each child is then given the opportunity to explore playing the instrument on their own. After a short period of time, the child then passes it to the next child in the circle (moving in the same direction around the circle).

In a classroom of 8-12 students, this can sometimes take quite a bit of time. As you can imagine, the child who is sitting at the 'end' of the circle has to wait longer to have a turn playing the instrument than those sitting toward the 'beginning' of the circle. Waiting is sometimes not an easy thing to do. Especially when you're a toddler.

Inevitably, when a new instrument is introduced, every child wants a turn and now is usually their choice time frame. What is so fascinating about this activity is that it does not take very long before a child begins to comprehend the pattern of the activity - understanding andbelieving that every child will have a turn! This simple activity gives toddlers an opportunity to grow their patience, in a loving and caring environment.

Creating intentional 'delayed gratification' activities, is a great idea because it allows you to focus on the elements in the activity that will help them to be successful, while controlling elements that might get in the way of the purpose. Communication is one of the elements that determines success.

Describing the activity is an important step to ensure that the child knows what to expect. During the activity, it is important to determine and expand on the child's understanding of the process. For instance, when a child is done exploring, the teacher could say, "Who's turn is it next?", prompting the child to either answer, or pass the instrument onto the next child in turn (as acknowledgement that they understand). For the child at the end of the circle, it is important to point out the process while it is happening, and reassure the child that he will eventually have his own turn.

Why are activities such as this important?

Delayed gratification has everything to do with patience.

"Patience requires us to understand that our needs are just as important - but not more important - than the guy ahead of us in line. It’s not enough to build a child’s self-esteem, as the latest parenting credo suggests. Many criminals have high self-esteem and end up committing crimes because reality doesn’t match what they believe they deserve in life. Patient children learn that the rewards in life take time and effort. Instant toys and money for no effort lose their glitter. They learn that setting goals is a good way to work toward the things they want. They learn to be responsible for their choices. Our culture tells us that we can have anything we want now with no credit, no money down, and no commitment. Whether we are talking about a care or a relationship, our children have watched us consume these things and throw them away once we're bored or inconvenienced. I believe that anything worthwhile takes time - a redwood tree, a marriage, a successful business, a thriving country. That's what children need to learn to survive and thrive in the world today."~Christine Nelson (to read more by this author, click on her name)

Where do your children play?

2009-09-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

Follow me to Kindermusik...

2009-09-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

Countdown to Classes

2009-09-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

The countdown to classes has begun! In less than four days, the fall Kindermusik semester will begin. What does this mean? For many young children and their parents, it will mean a lot of singing, clapping, smiling, laughing, jumping, hopping, drumming, exploring, and learning!

Not signed up yet?

There is still time!

While the fall semester begins on September 14th, it is NEVER too late to join. If you join after the start date your registration is pro-rated so you don't pay for any classes that you missed. Visit www.mindy.kindermusik.net for class information. To sign up, simply click on the "enroll" button on the right side of the page, or contact me for more info!

Just for fun...

2009-09-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

"Ghita" by Cleopatra

Fall 2009 Class Preview: Imagine That!

2009-08-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Imagine That!
"Toys I Make, Trips I Take!"
3 to 5 year olds

Think of it like taking a course inside your child’s imagination. We’ll use the theme of a toy shop to make our pretend-creations, using rhythm and songs with every imaginary saw, hammer, and nail. The result is building your preschooler’s sense of a sequence of events, which is good for storytelling, as well as making his ideas a reality.

Each week your preschooler will grow by leaps, skips, and hops in this fun-filled journey of the imagination. We’ll build a pretend toy shop filled with boats, trains, balls, jack-in-the-boxes and many other exciting toys, then take make-believe trips over oceans and mountains—singing together all the while. Your preschooler will love telling stories and developing rhythm and abstract thinking skills by playing the Kindermusik drum. Children play and learn with me for the first part of each lesson, and you’ll come in at the end for Family Sharing Time. So the class also helps prepare your preschooler—and you!—for the transition to kindergarten. "Toys I Make, Trips I Take" At Home Kit includes: Double CD features 50 songs, sounds, and recordings of favorite activities from class; two story books (If I Had A Big Blue Boat and Tippity, Tippity, Too), to develop early literacy skills; Home Activity Book; Pretend Play manipulative component; and Kindermusik Drum to promote steady beat exploration and play.

One 75-minute class p/week.

"Toys I Make, Trips I Take!" At Home Kit:

Fall 2009 "Imagine That!" class time options:

Mondays @ 12:45 p.m.
Tuesdays @ 12:45 p.m.

Curriculum Change

2009-08-31T08:44:00.001-07:00

Due to an oversight on my part and an unavailability in At Home Kits, the Imagine That! theme for the fall semester of 2009 is being changed. Instead of the "Cities" curriculum, we will be exploring with "Toys I Make, Trips I Take".

I apologize for any inconvenience. If all goes as planned, we will re-visit "Cities" next semester!

Synchronisation Demonstration

2009-08-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

Do newborn infants have a sense of rhythm?

2009-08-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

Are humans innately musical?

Many believe that exposing a fetus to music during pregancy can have a large impact on the musicality of the fetus. Others believe that music-related things - like rhythm - are developed within the first few months of life, with exposure to music and movement (ie: singing, rocking). In this study, researchers studied the brain waves of 14 infants, within the first few days of life, to determine how newborns perceive music.

What did the study show?

"Shortly after each ‘deviant' segment began, the babies' brains produced an electrical response indicating that they had expected to hear the downbeat but had not. As such we could show that newborn infants can detect the beat in music (The results will be published this week in PNAS Early Edition)."

To read the full article, click here.

2009-08-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

Fall 2009 Class Preview: Our Time

2009-08-06T23:06:00.000-07:00

Our Time
“Wiggles and Giggles”

1 ½ to 3 year olds

This unit is all about movement (wiggles!) and fun, funny words and sounds and emotion (giggles!). The more than 30 songs, 15 dances, and eight different instruments create these unique music activities, designed to reflect the importance of movement in the life of a toddler. Toddlers uncover an engaging musical world while building confidence, self-control, and communications skills. Singing, imitating sounds, rhyming, and object identification foster language skills, while creative movement to various musical “moods” develops a sense of balance, timing, and spatial awareness. Listening and turn-taking encourage blossoming social skills. "Wiggles and Giggles" At Home Kit includes: Double CD features 50 songs, sounds, and recordings of favorite activities from class; two story books (Watch Me! and Pete and P.J.), to develop early literacy skills; Home Activity Book; and specially-made pair of zigzag blocks to develop rhythm and hand-eye coordination - all conveniently stored in a Wiggles & Giggles carry bag.

"Wiggles and Giggles" At Home Kit:

Fall 2009 "Our Time" class time options:
Mondays @ 9:30 a.m.
Mondays @ 6:00 p.m.
Tuesdays @ 9:30 a.m.

Buzz Splash Sparkle!

2009-08-05T00:13:00.000-07:00

Bees have buzzed, swimmers have splashed, fireworks have sparkled...

Our little ones have experienced the joys of summer...playing outside amidst the sunshine, walking barefoot in the grass and on the beach, cooling off with sprinklers and swimming pools, popsicles that melt too quickly, road trips and parties, and many more memorable summertime activities! It is all winding down and we will soon witness the changing of the leaves that comes with the fall season and the start of a new school year. What does this all mean?

It's time for Kindermusik!

The Fall semester of Kindermusik with Mindy is scheduled to begin on September 14th. As always, this semester is packed with songs and activities that will have you and your child exploring the wonderful world around you (and singing about what you see)!

This semester, 1 1/2 to 3 year olds in the Our Time class will explore "Wiggles and Giggles" - featuring the book 'Pete and P.J.' (a favorite of past students!). 3 to 5 year olds in theImagine That! class will learn all about towns and neighborhoods in the session, "Cities! Busy Places, Friendly Faces". 5 to 7 year olds begin a new path of learning through in theKindermusik for the Young Child "Semester 1" class, which introduces young learners to graphic notation and prepares them to play the glockenspiel! In addition, the "Family Time" class will provide a musical learning environment for those families with multiple children under the age of 7. If you're looking for something the whole family experience, this class is for you!

What fun!

Keep watching for class previews - coming soon! For detailed information about classes and tuition, visit my website.

Goin' Green

2009-08-04T23:43:00.000-07:00

"For 30 years, Kindermusik International has created and brought to classrooms the world over a body of work that has transformed music education and informed teaching methods and parenting skills. Yet we have come to know we have a responsibility beyond the classroom. We want to become a small company that is truly a model for others who seek to make a responsible profit while honoring its people and its planet. We are guided by core values at Kindermusik International, the first of which is “We do what is best for the parent and child.” In these days in which so many companies are focused on the “quick buck,” we consistently strive to make choices for the long term.

Discover more about our commitment to sustainability in our first Sustainability Report (below), detailing our commitment to the environment through measurement, impact reduction, education, and activation."

Kindermusik's Sustainability Report 2008

Why Do We Teach Music?

2009-08-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

Why do we teach music?

Music is a science

• It is exact, specific; and it demands exact acoustics. A conductor's full score is a chart, a graph which indicates frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody and harmony all at once and with the most exact control of time.

Music is mathematical

• It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fractions which must be done instantaneously, not

worked out on paper.

Music is a foreign language

• Most of the terms are in Italian, German, or French; and the notation is certainly not English--but a highly developed kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The semantics of music is the most complete and universal language.

Music is history

• Music usually reflects the environments and times of its creation, often even the country and.or racial feeling.

Music is a physical education

• It requires fantastic coordination of fingers, hands, arms, lips, cheek, and facial muscles, in addition to extraordinary control of the diaphragmatic, back, stomach and chest muscles, which respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets.

Music is all these things, but most of all music is art

• It allows a human being to take all these dry technically boring (but difficult) techniques and use them to create emotion. That is one thing that science cannot duplicate: humanism, feeling, emotion, call it what you will.

That is Why We Teach Music!

• Not because we expect you to major in music

• Not because we expect you to play or sing all your life

• Not so you can relax

• Not so you can have fun

• Not Because we expect you to major in music

• BUT--so you will be human

• So you will recognize beauty

• So you will be sensitive

• So you will be closer to an infinite beyond this world

• So you will have something to cling to

• So you will have more love, more compassion, more gentleness, more good--in short, more life.

Of what value will it be to make a prosperous living unless we know how to live?

That is Why We Teach Music!

Author: Unknown

Back on the 'Blogwagon'

2009-08-04T22:10:00.000-07:00

I am official making a commitment to blog on a more constant basis, after falling of the 'blogwagon' for a while.

There. I said it out loud (kind of).

Thanks for holding me accountable.

Change the words

2008-09-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

In the Imagine That! class, you will often hear me ask the question "What do we get to do to the words of a song?", which the children will usually reply, "Change the words!"

Being able to change the words in a song means that we can adjust any song at any time, making it fit a particular situation. Personalizing a song with your own words will help to engage the child, making the song more contextual. Because music provides such a variety of emotions, it is a great tool to use for soothing children when they are tired, directing their attention when they are distracted, engaging them in various activities, and adding extra fun to an activity!

The children in my Imagine That! classes have enjoyed coming up with ideas for our "Mulberry Bush" song. For this particular activity, we begin by discussing things that we do in the morning. By changing the first set of words to "this is the way we_______" and leaving the last part of the lyrics the same ("so early in the morning"), we create a new song about our morning activities. The children's ideas are placed into the song, creating their own, personal song! Here are some of the ideas that the children have come up with over the last couple of weeks:

hop like a bunny
ride a train
gallop around
play on the swings
make a tunnel
ride our bikes
play in the sandbox
ride our scooter
play with our (big) trucks
go to church
drive our car
throw a ball
walk the dog
mow the grass
somersault
run around

Activity: I would like to encourage everyone to try having a mulberry bush morning! See how many of your morning activities you can sing about, using this song. Begin by singing the song to your child as he/she gets ready in the morning, offering a few suggestions to your child by inserting activities into the song. Here are a few ideas you can start with:

"This is the way we stretch our arms"
"This is the way we wash our hair"
"This is the way we brush our teeth"
"This is the way we eat our breakfast"
"This is the way we walk to the car"

Finish each lyric with, "So early in the morning".

The possibilities are endless! You might be surprised when your child takes over your role and begins to suggest other ideas that accompany your morning activities.

I would love to hear about your mulberry bush morning! Share some ideas that you and your child came up with and how your child reacted to the activity. You can comment directly on this page so others can enjoy your ideas, or you can share your ideas in class, allowing your child to be a part of the sharing.

The Wiggles offer a video example of this activity (note: The original lyrics ended in, "on a cold and frosty morning").

A Great Big House, Indeed

2008-09-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

I thought that my Our Time families would especially enjoy watching this video of "Great Big House", featuring Kindermusik International employees. While this video doesn't feature the high and low movement that we have enjoyed so much in class, it does feature Kindermusik Founder, Dan Pratt - the man responsible for that very low, bass voice that cues our bodies to dance low, low, low. The man singing with Dan Pratt toward the end of the video is Kindermusik CEO, Michael Dougherty.

Research Highlights for Music & Literacy

2008-09-23T22:25:00.000-07:00

This can be found on the Kindermusik website, but I was so impressed with the 'books' they have featured on the Benefits of Music page, that I wanted to pass it on to you directly...

Benefits of Music
Music & Literacy
"Early music experiences can have a significant impact on literacy and reading. According to experts, learning to read depends on acquiring a variety of skills, including phonological processing, oral language, and comprehension. So when it comes to these literacy-boosting skills . . . how does Kindermusik fit in?" (click on one of the links below)

On the Path to Reading ~ "Our Time"
by Suzanne I. Barchers, Ed.D. and Heidi Gilman Bennett

On the Path to Reading ~ "Imagine That"

by Suzanne I. Barchers, Ed.D. and Heidi Gilman Bennett

Each research highlight book takes you step-by-step through various child development concepts associated with literacy. Once a concept is defined, the authors go on to explain how the concept works in a Kindermusik classroom. They continue by giving you ideas to encourage this development at home and note various developmental milestones associated with each concept.

Music and Math and Music and Social/Emotional Development research highlights are coming soon!

Goodnight sweetheart

2008-09-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

Every once-in-a-while I like to add a post that is simply entertaining. No educational explanation needed - just enjoy (your kids might enjoy watching, as well)! :)

Influencing the Kindermusik classroom

2008-09-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

Swiss Psychologist Jean Piaget has been the backbone of Kindermusik philosophy since the beginining. His theory of stage-development suggests that individuals pass through four, nonvariable stages. You can see his influence in Kindermusik curriculum through the placement of activities that stimulate both the sensorimotor and pre-operational stages.

Piaget's sensorimotor stage - which typically includes children newborn to 24 months - is centered on the child's attempt to make sense of the world around him. The knowledge of their world is limited to their sensory perceptions, that is, what a child perceives the world to be through their senses. During this sensorimotor stage, "Behaviors are limited to motor responses caused by sensory stimuli" (Kendra Van Wagner, Sensorimotor Stage of Cognitive Development, Psychology.com).

During the pre-operational stage - which typically includes children 2 to 7 years - the child uses symbolic thinking to use and represent objects by images and words. This stage can be further broken down into the preconceptual stage (2 to 4 years), which is marked by egocentric thinking and the child's tendency to assign living attributes to inanimate objects, and the intuitive stage (4 to 7 years), where children begin to use mental activities to solve problems and obtain goals.

Kindermusik's proven methodology is largely influenced by the leaders in child development, including; Jerome Bruner - Harvard University Director of the Center for Cognitive Studies, Maria Montessori - Italian physician and educator and founder of the Montessori Method of Education, Dr. Stanley Greenspan - Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences, and Pediatrics, and founder of the Floortime Foundation, Lev Vygotsky - Russian psychologist who developed the zone of proximal development in order to examine a child's ability to solve problems independently and with the assistance of an adult.

Every activity that is introduced in the Kindermusik classroom has a disctinct purpose. Kindermusik Foundations of Learning statements help to explain the developmental benefits of these activities, as they pertain to your child's cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development. Look for these statements in your Family Activity Guide, listen for these statements in class, and watch for a deeper look into these statements on this blog!

“The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done - men who are creative, inventive and discoverers”
~Jean Piaget

It soothes! It energizes! It saves?

2008-09-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

If your child is (or has ever been) enrolled in a Kindermusik class, you probably understand the amazing power of music. It soothes. It energizes. But can music save lives? Well, one mom claims it did. You can read the newsworthy story here.

Digital Canvas

2008-09-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

Have a few minutes to be creative?

Click here to view my personal creation using this digital art pad (you can change the speed of the presentation - fast is VERY entertaining!). Click here to create your own.

My children enjoyed this so much, I have added it to the list of 'favorite links', on the right.

Active listening

2008-09-16T21:56:00.000-07:00

Active Listening:
"Active listening differs from hearing in that it is an intentional act. While we are surrounded by sounds in our everyday life, we choose whether or not to listen and process the sounds we hear. Active listening activities allow children the opportunity to learn to listen intentionally."
~Kindermusik Foundations of Learning

Active listening is an important part of every Kindermusik classroom and is a skill that every child needs in order to succeed in school. Whether listening to the sounds of a hammer and saw, the drops of rain on the rooftop, or the sounds of various brass instruments, each active listening activity encourages the child to take hearing one step further. In the Imagine That and Young Child classes, we extend the activity by discussing the difference between hearing and listening. Children learn that listening requires much more than just our ability to hear - they learn that hearing is something we do with our ears, while listening involves our entire body.

Take a few minutes this week to facilitate this development with your child. Whether it be at home, in the car, at the store, or anywhere else you find yourself throughout the week, we are surrounded by sounds, and therefore, surrounded with opportunities to listen.

Easy steps to facilitate active listening:

Stop all physical movement (as much as possible).
Eliminate all possible sounds that might be distracting.
Get your child's attention by cupping your ear and raising your eyebrows.
Ask your what they hear (you might be amazed at what their answer).
If you child does not offer an answer, offer more guidance by sharing with them what you hear.
Enjoy watching your child investigate, recognize, and react to the sounds they hear.

Let's Make a Big Batch!

2008-09-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the "Milk & Cookies" theme, here is a perfect musical kit for the Our Time student. Includes: CD, book, child's cooking utensils, apron, chef's hat. You can purchase this set on sale from Kindermusik for only $11.95 (plus tax and shipping). For households with multiple little ones, a sibling kit is available for $6.95.

A good problem to have

2008-09-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

In class, you will often hear me mention the "good problems" that can be observed within the Kindermusik classroom (I use the word problem loosely - these are never seen as negative). Here are just a few:

Eagerness to put things away - Amidst all the excitement of 'clean-up time', one child will often want to put away the same instrument as another child. Deciding who gets to be helpful is sometimes a difficult task!
A desire to hug other children - This only becomes a challenge when the receiver does not want to be hugged. :)
Eagerness to share - This happens when one child decides that he wants to share with all the other children in the class and takes it upon himself to distribute instruments to everyone in the class (even if it means giving up his own).
An endless number of ideas & suggestions - This occurs most often in the 3-5 year old "Imagine That" class when I ask for input from the children during a particular activity. There are often times when we have enough ideas to fill an entire classtime with just one activity! (If only I could have a 2 hour class...)
Wanting the class to last longer - Certain children have been known to cry when we begin to sing our 'Goodbye Song' (simply because they do not want the class to end, of course).

If there are going to be problems in the classroom...

these are the kind to have!

One 'good problem' that I am currently experiencing, is that many of my classes are reaching the student limit! How exciting! The energy that comes from having a full class is wonderful! Note: I am never opposed to adding an additional class or two, to accommodate additional families, if need be.

I do have one class that is low in enrollment (cancelling a class is not something I try to avoid). The "Imagine That" class on Tuesday mornings @ 9:15 currently has 2 students enrolled (and what a fabulous time we had together on Tuesday)! The student minimum of 4 children that I place on classes is really about creating a classroom dynamic for the children. Being in a classroom with other children of similar age, taking turns, learning from one another, sharing (both verbally and physically), and making friends, are all important elements of the Kindermusik classroom. Ideally, I would like to see a few more children in the Tuesday morning class.

If anyone knows a family that might be interested in this 3-5 year old class, I am offering a special gift to the family that joins, as well as the family that refers them! If you know a family that might be interested and you would like me to contact them with a personal invitation to attend a free class, just let me know! Otherwise, invite your friend to attend the Tuesday morning class for free (I offer a free preview class to anyone who has never attended a Kindermusik with Mindy class)! Be sure to let me know that you referred them, so that I can thank you!

Colour like no other

2008-09-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

In 2006, Sony Bravia came out with several commercials about colour. The following commercial is a favorite of my children (especially the part after the clown)! What child wouldn't want to paint this way?!

Be sure your volume is turned up so you can hear the 'rain' at the end. :)

There is something truly magical about musical choreography!

Fall Semester is about to start!

2008-09-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

The fall semester of Kindermusik begins the week of September 8th. There is still time (and room) to join, if you have not registered. If you miss the first class, don't worry! You can join at any time, as long as there is room in the class, at a prorated rate. Simply check the website for class information. When a class is 'full', it will be reflected on the website. So...if a class is still 'open', feel free to attend and register that same day!

Come join the excitement!

Make the most of "Imagine That!"

2008-09-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

In order for your child to be able to enjoy Kindermusik class, it is important to remember these guidelines:

Plan to bring your child to class on time, and leave with a quick hug or kiss. Children this age do far better with a promise that you will be back very soon, and to have fun!
If you are bringing your child, make sure your child has had a snack and gone to the bathroom before class begins. At this age, when one has to go, they all have to go!
It may take a few weeks for your child to feel comfortable in a new group experience. Bringing a special teddy bear or stuffed animal is part of the curricular experience to ease separation anxiety from you and to have a familiar friend in a new group. Please have your child bring your their special someone to class each week. Throughout the semester, they will have several opportunities to include their friend in class activities!
Please join us for the last 15 minutes of each class. Your child will invite you back into class. You and any siblings are encouraged to come into the classroom and join in the activities. While in class, please refrain from visiting with other parents for quality time with your child. Have a seat on the floor, relax, and enjoy this special time with your child! Your child may ignore you when you come in or stop and run to you . . . follow your child’s lead. Observe what interests your child. Please actively participate - your child needs to see that you value singing and dancing and that the class activities are important. Typically, we will do circle dances, explore new instruments, and play musical games while parents/siblings are in class.
During the first class, you will receive a complete set of Home Materials. Students do NOT need to bring these materials to class each week . . . they may leave them at home for enjoyment there. There will be occasions where your child is asked to bring something specific with them to class. Please check your “At Home Activity Guide” or the Kindermusik with Mindy blog for weekly reminders.
I will be posting to this blog on a weekly basis. This site will include; class highlights, the developmental benefits of specific class activities, supplemental activity suggestions, class pictures, and much more! This is a great way for me to pass on information to the Kindermusik families throughout the week. Please take some time to visit the blog each week to make the most of your Kindermusik experience!
As in any area of study, the success of the Kindermusik experience depends on the support of the parents. One way in which we can enhance the program together is to have open communication. If you have any questions, concerns, or compliments (!), please feel free to call me. If you have any special talents or resources that would enhance our music program, please let me know!

See you next week!

Make the most of "Our Time"

2008-09-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

Here are a few guidelines to help make the Kindermusik classroom more enjoyable for everyone:

Relax and enjoy music with your young child. If your child cannot focus on the activities and does not sit by your side at all times - don’t worry. As long as your child is in the room, s/he is participating in Kindermusik.
Gently lead your child into the activities. The Kindermusik classroom is a sound environment. It is a place of discovery and a place where it is okay to explore and experiment.
Please leave toys at home or in the car. Try to avoid allowing your child to have a pacifier, blanket, bottle, or juice cups in class. Dress comfortably and plan to participate in the fun! Feel free to visit with others before or after class, but while in class please take part in all group activities.
Should your child become disruptive (crying, screaming, yelling - it happens to all of us!), please quietly and promptly take your child outside the classroom and tell him/her that we can go back into music class when s/he has calmed down. It is impossible to reason with a child during class, and the attention you get from everyone when your child cries is great! Your child will quickly learn appropriate behavior if you do not allow him/her to disrupt class.
Respecting other is in the classroom is a must. In a Kindermusik classroom, we have a wonderfully safe and nurturing environment that allows us to teach social rules to our little ones! Many children have not had the opportunity to learn social rules prior to entering the Kindermusik classroom and will inevitably use this setting as an opportunity to explore social behavior. You can assist your child’s growth by explaining what type of behavior is and isn’t acceptable. Follow this by demonstrating what is expected of the child (children often need physical examples to accompany words). At this age, children are not only curious, but they are physically driven, as well (curiosity can often be confused with aggression). We want to be sure that every child feels safe and respected. In the event that your child is becoming aggressive with other child in the classroom, please walk them outside, explain the acceptable behavior, and reaffirm the social rules (no hitting is a clear boundary). Remember: consistent explanation and affirmation is the key to eliminating undesirable behavior in young children.
Most children adore music. They love to dance, to sing and to play musical instruments. However, a group music experience may be new to your child. S/he may be shy in the group - that’s okay. You may see a completely different child at home as you share your Kindermusik activities there. Most families do. As a parent, it is important for you to assure that the environment in which your child is growing includes music, body awareness and movement, freedom of self-expression, exploration of the imagination, and the emergence of self-esteem. Kindermusik classes will assist you in creating an effective learning and growing environment in which your child’s musical instincts are encouraged and rudimentary musical skills are developed.
I will be posting to this blog on a weekly basis. This site will include; class highlights, the developmental benefits of specific class activities, supplemental activity suggestions, class pictures, and much more! This is a great way for me to pass on information to my Kindermusik families throughout the week. Please take some time to visit the blog each week to make the most of your Kindermusik experience!
As in any area of study, the success of the Kindermusik experience depends on the support of the parents. One way in which we can enhance the program together is to have open communication. If you have any questions, concerns, or compliments (!), please feel free to call me. If you have any special talents or resources that would enhance our music program, please let me know!

See you next week!

Fall 2008 Class Preview: Family Time

2008-08-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

Family Time

“Make Way For Music”

Caregivers and children, newborn to 7

In Make Way for Music, families will sing, dance, and move their way through an exploration of several elements of music: beat and rhythm, concepts and contrasts (such as staccato and legato, high and low, the major scale, and arpeggios), the human voice, instrument families, and ensemble. They’ll engage in developmentally appropriate activities that the whole family can enjoy together, including fingerplays, songs, circle dances, story time, and family jam. In their At Home Materials, families will receive two fingerdrums, one Sing, Play, & Grow home activity guide, two children’s storybooks (Drum Circle and Animals on Parade), a hand puppet and finger puppet of Rex (the lion member of Family Time’s Jellybean Band), and an instrument-matching board game. Get the family band together, and Make Way for Music!

"Make Way for Music" At Home Kit:

"Family Time" class time:
Thursday @ 6:00 p.m.

Fall 2008 Class Preview: Young Child

2008-08-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

Kindermusik for the Young Child

“Semester 2”

5 to 7 year olds

A pressure-free approach to learning, but concrete enough because his mind is ready for the more abstract thinking processes that music requires. Play remains the primary way a young child learns, so throughout the curriculum there is a consistent effort to balance active learning with the e motional reasoning aspects of a young child’s development in mind. At Home Materials include Children's Folder, Music At Home cards & stickers Games Bag, Family Songbook, Home CD, and Carry Bag.

"Semester 2" At Home Kit:

"Semester 2" class time:
Thursday @ 4:00 p.m.

Fall 2008 Class Preview: Imagine That

2008-08-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

Imagine That!

“Hello Weather, Let’s Play Together”

3 to 5 year olds

Hello Weather! Let’s Play Together!—sunshine, rain, snow, thunderstorms, and more in this imaginative and delightful weather-related musical adventure. Preschoolers create storm sounds with a drum to “Wild Storms,” jump in pretend puddles to “Mud Puddle Jump,” throw pretend snow-balls to “Snowballs,” and sing along to “Colors of the Rainbow.” They’ll be surrounded in a creative musical envi ronment that integrates music, pretend play, story telling, movement, and more. At Home Materials include; Two books—Michael Finnigan and Hurry Home, Little Kittens, Hello Weather Play Set, Two Home CDs, Family Activity Book, and Instruments—ankle bells and rain shaker with scraper.

"Hello Weather! Let's Play Together!" At Home Kit:

"Imagine That!" class time options:
Monday @ 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday @ 9:15 a.m.

Fall 2008 Class Preview: Our Time

2008-08-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

Our Time

“Milk & Cookies!”
1 ½ to 3 year olds

Milk & Cookies makes everyday home activities and chores easier and more fun with music! Cook and sing to “The Muffin Man”; dust and clean to the original song “In My House”; get ready to wash clothes to the delightful poem “Washing Machine”. Baking cookies, eating cupcakes, blowing on hot cross buns, wiggling like jelly, going grocery shopping and making tea are all represented in familiar as well as new songs. Move, play, and sing together in developmentally appropriate activities created just for 1 ½ to 3-year-olds. Capture the familiar and new moments of the day and learn how music can impact your toddler. At Home Materials include; Two Books—At My House and Cookies, Two Home CDs, Stir Xylophone instrument, and a Home Activity Book—all arriving in a durable lunch bag.

"Milk and Cookies" At Home Kit:

"Our Time" class time options:
Monday @ 9:30 a.m.
Monday @ 6:00 p.m.
Friday @ 9:15 a.m.

Fall 2008 registration is now open!

2008-08-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming to an end...and with it comes a new semester of Kindermusik!

I can hardly believe that enough time has passed that Fall registration is upon us! In the past, I have looked forward to the Fall semester with special excitement and anticipation and this year is no different. While the summer provides some additional free time for me and my children, it is quite a long break to be away from all my young, quickly growing students!

You may have noticed that my schedule has changed slightly compared to last semester (class information can be viewed at www.mindy.kindermusik.net). Shortly after completing the Spring 2008 semester, I started teaching beginning piano lessons at Hutton’s Hamlet. What a blessing this addition has been! It is always a joy to watch young children develop musically and it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to be a part of their early development!

I will be posting the Fall Preview shortly, which will detail each of the classes I am offering this fall. Please contact me if you are interested in registering for a class, or would like more information about a particular class.

I am looking forward to a fall semester full of new friends, new activities, and new music!

See you soon!

Our Time "Away We Go" Lesson 10

2008-03-31T16:12:00.000-07:00

Word Acquisition: Exposure to a variety of movement words helps children link movement and language at a time when word acquisition is occurring at a fast pace. "Between the ages of 18 months and 4 years, children are comprehending, on average, one new word for every hour they're awake. By age 4, most kids know around 10,000 words." ~Dr. Dare Baldwin, Cited in How to Talk to a Toddler by Christina Frank, Parenting April/1999.

The Our Time classroom is not intended to be a classroom where the children and parents listen to the teacher for 45 minutes. Quite the contrary, in fact. In a Kindermusik classroom, the teacher acts as a guide, leading the children and their caregivers through a variety of activities. While there are certain times during class where talking should be limited (such as active listening), the majority of activities are best supported by the caregiver through communication. This communication is crucial to the child's success in the classroom, while expanding the child's vocabulary exposure.

Word acquisition in the classroom:

In an instrument exploration activity, the caregiver can talk to the child about the instrument - what it looks like, what is sounds like, how it is different from other instruments, the name of the instrument, etc. Communication can be expanded to include instruments and actions of other children as well.
In a music and movement activity, such as "Run and Jump/Soaring", the caregiver can offer a variety of movement suggestions, using scaffolding as a guide (see the blog, Our Time "Away We Go" Lesson 2 for more on scaffolding). Caregivers should always be looking for new and challenging ways to move, in order to expand the child's development, both physically and cognitively. Remember: movements should never be limited to the teacher's suggestions.
Even our rocking/resting activity lends itself to word acquisition. Using soothing words to calm a child, observing and discussing how other children are rocking/resting, and singing together are all ways the caregiver can softly communicate to the child during this time.

"Reading and writing float on a sea of talk."
~James Britton

Young Child 1 - Lesson 9

2008-03-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

Primary Focus and Concepts:

explore ways of creating long, fluid movements
explore high and low sounds with barred instruments
create a sound story using improvised bird sounds
read and "write" patterns that include the divided beat (ti-ti)

This week: The children expanded their learning of ensemble play during the activity, "The Birds". In this activity, three different items were used to represent various birds (rhythm sticks, glockenspiel, and scarves). The children took turns using these items to accompany isolated parts of the poem, while playing an assigned rhythmic pattern. As with the diversity of bird sounds that we have been exposed to, in and outside of class, our poem was full of diversity!

The children have thoroughly enjoyed our exploration of birds and the new sights and sounds of spring have introduced themselves at just the right time! Danielle even brought in a collection of bird pictures (and a couple of her cat!) to share with the class (some looked exactly like the birds on our activity page)! How exciting to be able to explore concepts outside the classroom in such a real and tangible way!

Thanks mother nature!

Our Time "Away We Go" Lesson 9

2008-03-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

Lesson Focus: Up and Down

Emotional Security: Running and jumping into the arms of an adult is a favorite game of young children. It allows children to practice and master the skills of running and jumping and/or leaping. It also has meaningful emotional content. Knowing that Daddy or Grandma will catch her when she jumps is a display of trust and represents a level of emotional security in the relationship. Kindermusik Foundations of Learning.

Next Week: During class this week, notice how familiar and confident your child has become with the airplane activity, "Run and Jump/Soaring". There are various aspects to this activity and the children have become both capable and confident in creating the movement to accompany this special poem/song! From simple to complex we have guided the children into an activity that uses their entire body (and yours!). We began by creating airplane wings with our fingers (while listening to the small propeller plane sound) and then extending it to our arms (while listening to the big jet airplane sound). After practicing our soaring technique (we introduce this first, as it is one of the easiest concepts to grasp), we concentrate on the 'taking off' and 'landing' segments. Finally, we introduce the 'run and jump' segment, with the help of the caregivers. Little by little, the children explore these segments with giggles, laughs, and (of course) a variety of airplane sound effects. It is wonderful to see the children put all the pieces of this airplane poem/song together with such confidence and excitement!

"Music is a therapy. It is a communication far more powerful than words, far more immediate, far more effective."
~Yahudi Menuhin

Classroom pictures

2008-03-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

Imagine That! students, Brock, Hannah Mae, Angela, Colin, Ryder, and Emmalee sail away in their 'big, colorful boats'!

Young Child student ~ Colton

"I Can't See the Wind" interpretive dance with scarves

Mr. Dad is on key!

2008-03-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

Armin Brott, a.k.a. "Mr Dad", recently spoke of the benefits of musical education - specifically recommending classes for young children that feature music, movement, and singing.

You can read his online article here.

Thank you Careyanne Deyo.

Young Child 3 - Lesson 7

2008-03-25T15:15:00.001-07:00

Complete quarter rest: This week, we learn to write the complete quarter rest by simply adding a 'c' to the shorthand version of the rest. This is a very exciting time, as the children become confident in learning and understanding more complex terms and symbols!

Half rest: In addition to learning the completed quarter rest, the children were introduced to the half rest (sh-sh), which is equivalent to two, connected quarter rests. After learning the half note, this concept was quickly understood and succesfully demonstrated by the children.

At the halfway point in the semester, the children have successfully learned the following rhythmic notations:

quarter note (ta)
eighth notes (ti-ti)
quarter rest (sh)
half note (ta-a)
half rest (sh-h)

And we still have more to learn! Before the end of the semester, we will be able to add the whole note (ta-a-a-a) and the dotted half note (ta-a-a) to our musical vocabulary!

Young Child "Semester 1" - Lesson 8

2008-03-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

Primary Focus and Concepts:

explore percussion instruments from home
create a sound story using percussion instruments children made
explore ways of creating long, fluid movements
read patterns that include the divided beat (ti-ti)

Birds: Introducing bird sounds is a wonderful, natural way to expose children to a variety of musical sounds. While we commonly refer to a bird's sound as 'singing', we rarely take the time to analyze the music complexity that a bird's song has to offer. In class, we listened to 6 different bird sounds, analyzing each one and attempting to mimic the sound with our voices. Some bird sounds were easily recognizable - like the owl and the hummingbird - but others were more difficult. My personal favorite, the chickadee, has a uniquely piercing sound and is fun to imitate vocally. We will continue this discovery with more active listening, analyzation, and vocal imitation next week! We will will also learn a new song and game entitled, "Wild Bird".

If your child has something they would like to bring to class that is bird-related, this would be a great week!

Our Time "Away We Go" Lesson 8

2008-03-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

Lesson Focus: Up and Down

The Importance of Doing Nothing: Rocking Time has many benefits, with vestibular stimulation, bonding, and listening to music being at the top of the list. Equally valuable is the opportunity during this time to just do nothing. Children need time to be stimulated and engaged, and they need time to be at leisure. This down time is physically necessary for the brain to process the learning that occurs during structured activities and interaction. ~Kindermusik Foundations of Learning

Books: Books bring people closer together and can also be a powerful expression of language and experience. In the Away We Go! Home Activity Book, you are invited to make a book about wheels. Page 20 suggests ways to construct the book as well as possible topics for its content. Use page 21 as a book cover and decorate it! Please feel free to bring your creation to class, in order to share it with other families and children.

"I travel not to go anywhere but to go.
I travel for travel's sake."
~Robert Louis Stevenson

Imagine That "Toys I Make" Lesson 7

2008-03-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Humming:Humming has two specific benefits, according to Jean Westerman Gregg, speech-language pathologist with a specialty in voice therapy. "Humming over a period of time increases the strength of the fundamental in the acoustic spectrum, therefore affecting the quality of the singing voice. Also, over an extended period of time the vibration sensation of humming seems to increase the carrying power of the voice resulting in more volume with less effort." From Song to Speech: What Humming Can Do For You by Jean Westermann Gregg, The Journal of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, May/June 1996.

Instrument Exploration: "Through instrument exploration a child can learn many musical concepts such as timbre, pitch, vibration, rhythm, tonal relationship, and melody."Kindermusik Imagine That: Teachers Guide

Our Time "Away We Go" Lesson 7

2008-03-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

Lesson Focus: Up and Down

Giving Choices: "Despite appearances to the contrary, toddlers wield very little power. Allowing them to make decisions in the course of the day's events helps them feel independent, proud, and in control. Whenever possible, give choices - but not open-ended ones...You'll sharpen decision-making skills and avoid minor battles of will." How to Talk to a Toddler Christina Frank, Parenting April 1999.

The key to getting a toddler to cooperate is to give them options, without changing your parental parameters. A toddler will be more likely to respond productively and positively if they feel as though they have a choice. Remember: if you are having resistence, think about the parameters you have set. Perhaps they are unrealistically too strict.

Close-ended suggestions for class (would you like this or that):

Would you like to use the rhythm sticks or the bells? This works well for a child who would like to use an instrument that another child is using, by eliminating the occupied toy as an option but still giving the child a choice.
Would you like to sit on my lap or would you like to sit next to me? This option helps the child that tends to leave the singing circle during certain circle activities (often in class, the 'circle' is not such a priority). Options could be extended to sitting next to a friend or a teacher, as well.

For more suggestions on giving your child options, read the January blog, Save "NO" for emergencies.

Young Child "Semester 1" - Lesson 6

2008-03-05T22:25:00.000-08:00

Primary Focus and Concepts:

identify beats in music as fast or slow
hear the difference in teh voice when used for singing or speaking
hear, see, and draw the silent beats (rests)
explore a variety of percussion instruments
continue to build an ensemble around the song, "Tideo"

Ensemble: "Playing in ensemble is a joyful experience for young children because of the beauty that is created in sound and the pleasure that comes from making music with others. One of the first steps in ensemble development is playing simple, steady beat borduns with a familiar song. At the same time, simple speech and/or rhythmic patterns are learned and transferred to body percussion and then to instruments." Kindermusik for the Young Child

This Week: We are setting the foundation for successful ensemble play! In the activity "Tideo", the children begin to explore ensemble play by using either the rhythm sticks or the bells to accompany isolated patterns within the song. In later lessons, this type of ensemble play will extend to a wider variety of instruments and extensions.

Imagine That "Toys I Make" Lesson 6

2008-03-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

Successful Individual Singing: In class, children will have many opportunities to experience successful individual singing. "Goetze and Horii (1989) found that children sing more nearly at pitch level when they sing individually rather than in a group. This finding points to the fact that successful individual singing may precede successful group singing." -"Research in Early Childhood Music and Movement Education", by Cherie K. Stellaccio and Marie McCarthy in The Early Childhood Curriculum: Current Findings in Theory and Practice, Carol Seefeldt, editor.

This Week: "This week's home activity offers some ideas for extending the reading of If I Had a Big Blue Boat to support your child's emerging literacy and to encourage his or her imagination. Research confirms that the one most important thing we can do to help our childrne gain the knowledge and skills they'll need in order to read is to read aloud to them on a daily basis." Kindermusik Teacher's Guide. Your Home Activity Guide also gives you several other suggestions for boat-related books to read with your child.

Some suggested questions to engaging your child while reading:

'Were the boats in the books all alike? How? How were they different?'
'Where did the boats take the characters in the stores? Would that be a fun place to go?'
'Where would you like to go in a big blue boat? How about a big blue truck?!'

Enjoy setting aside a boat book time, perhaps at bedtime, this week!

Our Time "Away We Go" Lesson 6

2008-03-05T08:11:00.000-08:00

Lesson Focus: Up and Down

We have a new lesson focus!

Up and Down: "The focus of up and down lends itself naturally to exploration through music and movement. The Our Time child, a sensorimotor learner, delights in the many modes of experiencing up and down - moving, being moved, making objects move, singing, speaking, vocalizing, listening, and looking.

The concepts of up and down are experienced while using high and low greeting gestures in Our Time Hello, bouncing upward and reaching downward in Giddy-Up, Horsey, listening to and imitating the glides of the slide whistle or voice, falling down and getting back up in All Fall Down, making scarves move up and down in All Fall Down, and making fingers and thumbs move up and down in Tommy Thumbs." Kindermusik Away We Go!, Dena C. Adams.

UUUUUUUUUP! DOOOOOOWN!

Imaginative play

2008-03-04T14:39:00.001-08:00

Who would have thought that imagination was so important? Well, Einstein knew. He was quoted stating, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."

The importance of imaginative play was a recent topic of discussion on NPR (National Public Radio). You can read or listen to this dialogue here.

By the way - Imagination is the foundation for the Kindermusik Imagine That class, for 3 to 5 year olds!

A wonderful world, indeed!

2008-03-03T22:07:00.000-08:00

So, my youngest son (who does not think he is young, at the ripe old age of 6), has been exposed to Kindermusik since he was baby. I remember the first time I heard him echo the song "I See You", in response to my singing, as he sat in his highchair picking cheerios out of his hair. I can still hear him singing the notes on pitch - "la, la, la".

I was amazed...proud...encouraged...

We recently came across a charming video by artist Raymond Crowe featuring shadow puppets created with his hands and choreographed to the Louis Armstrong song, "What a Wonderful World" (a song which has haunted me ever since the release of the movie "Good Morning Vietnam"). Colby immediately broke out in song, singing the entire piece word-for-word. Evidently his Kindergarten teacher had taught this song to his entire class (hallelujah!).

There is nothing like hearing a young child sing with confidence and joy! Thank you Kindermusik, for presenting music to young children in such a delightful way. Thank you Louis Armstrong for singing such a poignantly beautiful song. And thank you to the teachers everywhere, who help to keep music alive in the classroom.

In honor of Colby, I'd like to share this darling video with you...Enjoy!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

2008-03-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

Young Child "Semester 3" - Lesson 5/35

2008-02-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

New note b': Learning the new note b' this week was an exciting venture! The children came across this note by accident in the activities, "Merrily We Roll Along" and "King Kong Kitchie". They continued playing note detective as we searched for the new note on the glockenspiel. Because the dulcimer fret in between a' and c" is a b flat (the note needed last week when the children played, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star") the children will need to use their glockenspiels to find the new note b' and to play "Merrily We Roll Along" with the music they received this week. The children will not need to bring their dulcimers to class for the next several lessons, but they will need to continue to bring their glockenspiels. I will let you know when they need to bring their dulcimers again.

Young Child "Semester 1" - Lesson 5

2008-02-28T18:48:00.000-08:00

Primary focus and concepts:

fast or slow beats
silent beats (rest)
singing or speaking voice
ensemble experience

Reading and Writing Music: "During the four semesters of the Young Child program, reading and writing music is consistently approached through preparation, presentation, and practice. In the preparation stage, the teacher introduces the songs, chants, or listening materials that aurally prepare for what will be named and visually presented later. Like the learning of language, thie aural preparation ensures that the child will approach reading notation as a decoding process of something that is already known. Reading in this program is always the process of discovering visually what has already been experienced aurally." Kindermusik for the Young Child, Linda Swears

Learning "rest":

Preparation included; singing the song "Johnny One Hammer", watching beats being written down on paper, tapping out the beats of the song "I Like to Play the Sticks", and moving our feet to the beat of the drum in the activity "On Our Way".
Presentation included; searching for the rest in the song, "Johnny One Hammer", watching the rest be written on paper, tracing the rest with our fingers in rice, using the ta-ta-ta-rest pattern in our song, "I Like to Play the Sticks" and pretending to walk through the woods to the music "Into the Woods" (featuring the ta-ta-ta-rest pattern).

This week: Using the pattern from the song "Into the Woods", explore the ta-ta-ta-rest beat. Have your child explore creating this pattern with their hands, using their rhythm sticks, with their feet, or with any other beat-making item they may find around the house. They may find that certain items are easier to use than others (an item that resonates presents a little bit of a challenge when creating a rest).

Imagine That "Toys I Make" Lesson 5

2008-02-27T06:59:00.000-08:00

Play: "Young children's play is:

Symbolic, in that it represents reality with an 'as if' or 'what if' attitude.
Meaningful, in that it connects or relates experiences.
Active, in that children are doing things.
Pleasurable, even when children are engaged seriously in activity.
Voluntary and intrinsically motivated, whether the motive is curiosity, mastery, affiliation, or something else.
Rule-governed, whether implicitly or explicitly expressed."
~"A Review of Research on Play", by Doris Pronin Fromberg in The Early Childhood Curriculum: Current Findings in Theory and Practice, Carol Seefeldt editor.

In class this week, we took the concept of a toy boat and expanded this concept into pretend play. We discussed what we needed to build a boat by taking ideas from real life experiences and drawing them into our play in order to create our "Big Blue Boat" (or pink and purple, yellow and black, red and orange!). This week's Family Activity has you expanding on this process with your child by taking it beyond pretend play and becoming a boat builder. Your Family Activity Guide has suggestions to help you with this process. Remember to bring your boats to class with you next week!

"Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made." -Robert N. Rose

Momsense

2008-02-24T20:53:00.000-08:00

For all you busy moms who don't usually have time to watch a 2 minute and 55 second video...this one's for you!

Everything a mom would say in a day, sung to the tune of "William Tell Overture". Hilarious!

Our Time "Away We Go" Lesson 5

2008-02-24T15:51:00.000-08:00

Lesson Focus: Fast and Slow

Conversation Skills: The echoing in the song, "The Toe-Tappin' Blues" begins as imitation, but can develop through improvisation on the part of the teacher or children. The exchange, whether imitative or improvised, allows children to experience the give and take of conversation. This is vital to the development of conversation skills, which is an important element of social development.

Sense of Balance: As you rock from center to one side then the other or forward and backward, there is an experience of alternating between being on-balance and off-balance. This gentle motion stimulates the vestibular system, helping children develop an improved sense of balance. Kindermusik Away We Go, Dena C. Adams.

Away We Go! At Home

How many blues singers can you name? Find a listing of famous blues singers as well as the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame website address on page 25 of the Home Activity Book.

Play the movement game Dance and Stop located in the Home Activity Book, pg. 26.

The first five lessons of Away We Go! focused on the concept of 'fast and slow'. While bouncing to New River Train, singing and moving around the room in Alabama Gal, playing sticks quickly and slowly to Riding the Rails, listening to the sound of a train getting faster and slower, and speaking and bouncing in Giddy-Up, Horsey, your child experienced the concept of fast and slow through a variety of multi-sensory activities. Next week we begin to explore a new concept, as our lesson focus changes. Take the rest of this week to explore some of these fast and slow activities at home, keeping an eye on what your child has learned these last few weeks. Using the scaffolding technique, you can build on what she already knows and expand her learning even further (see Lesson 2 blog for more on scaffolding).

vroom vroom HONK beep beep SCREECH jingle jingle

What kind of world do you want?

2008-02-23T21:25:00.001-08:00

The musical group Five For Fighting is raising money for charity by asking the question, "What kind of world do you want?" In an attempt to answer this question, over 200 personal stories of hope are featured in video format on their website. Money is allocated for autism research and other charities every time a video is viewed.

One particularly inspiring video, set to the Five for Fighting song, "What Kind of World Do You Want", uses one family's personal story and images, along with statistics on autism, to raise awareness and emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and intervention. View the video here.

Music + Math = Fun!

2008-02-23T10:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Phil Tulga, you can add fractions to make musical pies with, Playing Fraction Pies or make sweet melodies with fractions using Musical Fraction Bars. Super fun!

On a more serious note, several studies have shown that music has the ability to improve math skills. Here is one report. Here is another. The evidence is really quite extensive.

Young Child "Semester 3" - Lesson 4/34

2008-02-22T07:39:00.000-08:00

f', g', a', c", d": How exciting it is that the children have mastered these notes?! In class this week, the children demonstrated that they can recognize and name each note, place the notes on the staff, play them on both the glockenspiel and the dulcimer, and distinguish whether they are line or space notes.

Next week: we learn about new note b'

Movement as Ensemble Preparation: "Throughout the curriculum, children are encouraged to move in preparation for instrumental ensemble. Through speech and movement, the child internalizes patterns that will be transferred to a variety of instruments. Movement preparation is fundamental to success with ensemble building at this age." Kindermusik for the Young Child: Semester 3, Linda Swears

Young Child "Semester 1" - Lesson 4

2008-02-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

Primary focus and concepts:

call and response
steady beats
beat/no beat
ensemble experience

Movement: "Physical movement throughout our lives plays a central role in how and what we learn. Fromth birth, movement stimulates a process of nerve cell connecting and networking that results in learning and thought. There is no question that musical understanding is enhanced by movement. As the young child maps music with his or her body, he or she establishes muscle memory that can be called on time and again to recall, expand, or understand a musical experience." Kindermusik for the Young Child: Semester 1, Linda Swears

National Card Reading Day

2008-02-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

Today is National Card Reading Day. Does this count?

Empowering children through music

2008-02-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Children feel empowered when they can personally influence the world around them, and music is no exception.

A child's input is key to every Kindermusik Imagine That classroom. Without their input the toy shop would be empty, the train would never leave the station, and we would always use our walking feet when traveling (how boring!).

Here, musician Eric Herman relies on the input of a young child to guide the song along. As you watch and listen, imagine if the child did not feel as though her input was important and meaningful.

Imagine That!

Imagine That "Toys I Make" Lesson 4

2008-02-20T08:08:00.000-08:00

Auditory Discrimination: "Through auditory discrimination activities, the child is encouraged to develop phonological awareness. Benefits which may be achieved thorugh the development of phonological awareness are the development of language skills, increased motivation to read, appreciation for literate forms, and print awareness." Toys I Make - Trips I Take Teacher's Guide

Phonological Awareness:
the conscious sensitivity to the sound structure of language

"Recent research has confirmed that children who have a greater degree of phonological awareness when they enter school are better equipped to learn to read." Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success, M. Susan Burns, Peg Griffin, and Catherine E. Snow.

In class this week, instead of playing along to "Al Tambor" with instruments, we sat and listened to parts of the song, determined whether the singer was male or female, and counted the repetition of the words Al Tambor. This type of activity promotes phonological awareness in children because it requires that children differentiate various words and sounds that they hear in music. This activity is one you can explore at any time, throughout the week.

This week: Find a song on your CD that features repetition of sounds and have your child listen for the particular sounds throughout the song. Try to think of songs that you or your child are familiar with that involve repetition and sing those with your child.

Getting "inked" to get clean

2008-02-19T17:10:00.000-08:00

Because germs cannot be seen, children will usually wash their hands until they look clean (5 seconds is the average washing time for a preschooler), leaving many germs behind. Squid Soap uses ink as a visual cue that lets children know when they've washed their hands long enough (20 seconds is the suggested duration, which is about how long it takes to wash off the ink).

Add the "Wishy Washy Wee" song with the following lyrics (which should take you about 20 seconds to sing) and you have a multi-sensory learning environment that fosters healthy children in every sense of the word!

"Oh, we like to scrub and wash the germs away

If you watch the ink go down the drain
then healthy you will stay!

Oh, wishy washy wishy washy wishy washy Weeeee!
If you want to wash the ink away,

scrub along with me!"

Click here to listen to a clip of "Wishy Washy Wee".

Changing the words 0f a song is something we discuss often in the Imagine That class. By simply changing a few words, any song can become relevant to any situation! Try changing the words of a song you are familiar with, to make it work for washing hands. Examples:

Change the song, "The More We Get Together" to
"The more we wash our hands, our hands, our hands,
the more we wash our hands the happier we'll be.
Wash your hands and my hands and your hands and my hands,

the more we wash our hands the happier we'll be!"

Change the song, "I Like to Play the Sticks" to
"I like to wash my hands (wash, wash, wash, wash).
I like to wash my hands (wash, wash, wash, wash)."

The sky is the limit!

(Ask your child to help you think of new lyrics - you'd be surprised how fast they can come up with something that works!)

Our Time "Away We Go" Lesson 4

2008-02-19T15:24:00.000-08:00

Lesson Focus: Fast and Slow

New activities: After 3 weeks of focusing on the same activities, this week's lesson included a few new activities, including The Toe-Tappin' Blues - a great blues song that places an emphasis on singing. This song requires the teacher to use the 'my turn' and 'your turn' gestures to lead the class in an echo song.

Phoneme (fō'nēm'):
the meaning or sound of a particular letter or group of letters that make up words

Syntax (sĭn'tāks'):
language 'rules', the way certain letters are put together

The 12-Bar Blues: "Early on, children detect not only the phonemes used in their native tongue but also the syntax of their language. Music also has syntax, and part of the development of musical literacy is recognition of musical syntax and form." The Toe-Tappin' Blues activity "provides exposure to the American (originally African-American) form called the 12-bar blues. The most well-known blues form, the 12-bar blues is based on a set progression of chords across 12 measures of music: I-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V-IV-I-I." Kindermusik Foundations of Learning.

This week: Become familiar with the song, The Toe Tappin' Blues. This is a fabulous blues song with the power to create a jazzy, musical atmosphere! It does require, however, that the adults are familiar and confident in their singing. Remember: the more people that are singing, the more musical the classroom becomes (and the less likely we are to hear one particular voice) and the more likely the children are to sing along!

Young Child "Semester 3" - Lesson 3/33

2008-02-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

Since its introduction in lesson one, we have focused much of our instrument time in class on the dulcimer. However, throughout Semester 3, we will continue to use the glockenspiel in each lesson, as it is the foundation of the Kindermusik for the Young Child class. Ideally, we would like each child to be comfortable playing both instruments - being able to play melodies on each instrument with the same amount of ease - but because of our history with the glockenspiel, it is useful in learning new notes, new songs, or re-confirming concepts previously taught.

Young Child "Semester 1" - Lesson 3

2008-02-15T23:55:00.000-08:00

Primary focus and concepts:

sounds from home
steady beat
beat/no beat
focused listening

Vocal Repertoire: "The songs and vocal activities presented here are chosen for their special appeal to the young child and their instructional value. Many of the songs and chants are from the rich folk heritage of world music. The curriculum intentionally includes many songs from North America but also includes songs indigenous to other world cultures. Several songs and chants were chosen or composed to specifically enhance a musical concept." Kindermusik for the Young Child: Semester One, Linda Swears.

This week: Ask your child about our song, "Johnny One Hammer". See if they can demonstrate how to use various parts of their body, cumulatively, while they sing or listen to the song.

Listen to various types of sounds and music this week and identify them as either 'beat' or 'no beat'. If this activity seems too simple for your child, have them create 'beat' and 'no beat' sounds on their own by using just their body or by adding various items from around the house.

Fingerpaint without the mess

2008-02-15T22:41:00.000-08:00

Click here to create a Jackson Pollock-inspired painting (o.k. parents, you may have to scoot over and let your children try this out too)!

Simply click the mouse to change paint colors.

Imagine That "Toys I Make" Lesson 3

2008-02-14T19:02:00.000-08:00

Pretend play: "The spontaneous play of young children is their highest achievement. In their play, children invent the world for themselves and create a place for themselves in it. They are recreating their pasts and imagining their futures, while grounding themselves in the reality and fantasy of their lives here and now. Re-creating children's play in her own words, the teacher show respect for its integrity, while building on it as one of the shared, recurrent experiences out of which the group's culture can grow." ~Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Curriculum and Development in Early Education, by Carol Gestwicki.

In a Kindermusik classroom, learning is something that happens through various forms of play . It is important that a child does not feel as though he is walking into a room to be taught. The Imagine That classroom works best when the atmosphere is spontaneous, where he feels free to both express and explore, where he feels respected and safe, and above all else, where he is inspired by what is around him!

Open-ended activities: Through open-ended activities, children are encouraged to come up with their own ideas and suggestions, making the activity personal and subsequently bringing the activity to life. A simple activity such as "The Walking Song" gives children the opportunity to decide how we travel to the Toy Shop. By changing the words of the song, as well as the movement of our bodies, they take on an active role in the classroom. Children offering suggestions will gain confidence through their ability to control the environment.

Integrated Curriculum. "An integrated curriculum... combines many subject areas into a cohesive unit of study that is meaningful to students. An integrated curriculum often relates learning to real life." (National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1996).

The Kindermusik technique for creating integrated curricula is a thematic approach, which "motivates students to investigate interesting ideas from multiple perspectives. The central theme becomes the catalyst for developing concepts, generalizations, skills, and attitudes" (American Association of School Administrators, 1992).

The Toy Shop theme is the springboard for every activity in the spring semester of Imagine That! As a parent, you have the opportunity to make your child's experience even more integrated, by providing activities and talking to your child about concepts they are learning about in class. Through our Toy Maker story, the children have explored concepts surrounding these toys; a jack-in-the-box, a ball, a toy drum, and a top. Find ways this week to integrate these toys into conversations, experiences, or playtime with your child.

Reminder: Have your child bring their homemade instrument to class next week!

Lookybook

2008-02-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

Lookybook allows you to browse the inside of books, before making a purchase. Genius!

Thanks swissmiss.

"Collaborate"

2008-02-14T08:18:00.000-08:00

Collaborate (kə-ˈla-bə-ˌrāt):
To work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor.

In this collaboration, musician Carol King provides the music and author Maurice Sendak (author of Where the Wild Things Are) provides the story, lyrics, and illustrations. The musical Really Rosie was the end result. The following song, "One Was Johnny", is one of eleven songs created from this collaboration.

This particular song is a great counting song because it not only counts forwards (addition), but backwards (subtraction) as well. Other songs include; "Alligators All Around", which is a fabulous alliterative alphabet song, "Pierre", which tells the story of a boy who would only say 'I don't care!' only to learn a very big lesson in the end, and "Chicken Soup With Rice" teaches children the months of the year in rhyming style! Just darling.

Our Time "Away We Go" Lesson 3

2008-02-12T15:34:00.001-08:00

Lesson Focus: Fast and Slow

Pretend Play: Imitation is the first stage of pretend play. As imitation evolves it becomes more imaginative. The complexity of pretend play can be seen when the child re-examines life experiences by adding or changing the happening. Benefits of pretend play include; vocabulary development, social skill development, differentiation between reality and fantasy, and emotional support.

Early Learning Environments: According to a New York Longitudinal Study, three major factors in early learning environments lend to competency in adulthood; rich sensory environments, freedom to explore with few restrictions and available parents that acted as consultants. ~Smart Moves, by Carla Hannaford

Movement with Props: Children ages 1½ to 3 learn primarily through movement. In order to learn they must manipulate objects and participate in body movement. Rhythms of Learning, Chris Brewer and Don G. Campbell

Away We Go! At Home:

The harmonica is associated with railroad life and culture in American history. You can enjoy listening for the railroad sounds of harmonica on the Home CD in I’ve been working on the Railroad and Riding the Rails.
By following the instructions in your Home Activity Book, you can play a railroad song for your child on your Kindermusik harmonica. Look on pages 16-17.
Make the train activities come to life by visiting a real train. Listen for the whistle, the sounds of the train as it begins to move, and the steam when the train comes to a stop. Your child will love connecting the sounds and images they have experienced in class with a life-size train in front of their eyes!

"The devotion of a parent to a child – the combination of protecting them and pushing them out of the nest – is the epitome of leadership."
~Alan Loy McGinnis

Multi-Sensory Learning

2008-02-09T21:45:00.002-08:00

"If you tell me, I may forget.
If you show me, I may remember.
If you involve me, I will understand."
~Chinese Proverb

Much of what goes on in a Kindermusik classroom is easily explained by this one statement. Children need to see, hear, touch, move, smell, taste, explore, feel, and manipulate in order to truly understand their environment. Multi-sensory learning produces concrete learning - the more multi-sensory the experience, the more likely the child is to retain and understand the information they are receiving.

As a parent, you may find a time where it is helpful for your child to understand the concept, 'quiet'. Children do not innately know this term, nor do they innately know how to produce its meaning (many parents can attest to the fact that most young children know 'loud' very well!). If a child is taught the concept of 'quiet' through a variety of senses, he will not only better understand the word, but he will be more capable and confident in producing the action of the word.

Multi-sensory teaching of 'quiet':

allow a child to hear contrasting sounds (alternating loud/quiet)
allow a child to watch as a loud/quiet sound is made (alternating)
allow a child to feel the loud/quiet sounds (vibrations)
allow a child to create the loud/quiet sounds (alternating loud/quiet)

Young Child "Semester 3" - Lesson 2/32

2008-02-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

Listening: As with all Kindermusik curricula, Semester 3 of Kindermusik for the Young Child includes a wide variety of listening experiences for children. Responses to listening experiences may be verbal or expressed through music.

Much of the listening repertoire in Semester 3 focuses on three diverse musical genre from North American: the music of Appalachia, Afican-American music, and Native American music. Western art music, which may be unfamiliar to many children, is represented in several selections from the Nutcracker Suite as well as the music of Alan Hovhaness (And God Created Great Whales) and Benjamin Britten (Sea Interludes). Kindermusik for the Young Child Teacher's Guide - Semester 3, Linda Swears.

Fret: one of a series of ridges fixed across the fingerboard of a stringed musical instrument (as a guitar or dulcimer)

This week, the children were given a pic and noter for their dulcimers. We practiced strumming with the pic away from our bodies on the open strings (without using the noter). We then practiced using the noter to hold down the string closest to our bodies (leaving the other string open, to create a chord). When the noter is properly placed next to a fret, the string will change from its original c' (each fret creates a new note!). The f' fret features a blue dot, the g' fret features a green dot, the a' fret features a small white dot, the c" fret features a large white dot, and the d" fret features a yellow dot.

After a short period of exploration, the children were all able to play the melody "Go To Sleepy" on their dulcimers (using f-g-a-c). They were visibly excited with their immediate success!

Additional frets are located on the dulcimer fret board. These do not feature dots, as they are notes we have not yet covered in Kindermusik class. Your child is welcome to explore these notes, but they will not find them in any of their Kindermusik melodies just yet.

Young Child "Semester 1" - Lesson 2

2008-02-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

Primary focus and concepts:

sounds from home
quiet/loud
sound/no sound
steady beat

Singing and Vocal Development: "Many children become accurate singers between the ages of four-and-a-half and seven years. Physical maturation and the development of tonal memory play important roles in the child's ability to sing accurately, and many children will become accurate singers during their time in the Young Child program.

Even through children learn songs much more readily at this age, they love the repetition of favorite songs and need to sing them over and over again. Repetition of familiar songs and pattern is fundamental to the development of good musical memory.

The activity, "My Voice" is presented in the Young Child curriculum because of its value in helping children of almost any age feel and name four basic types of vocal production (whispering, talking, calling, singing)." Kindermusik for the Young Child - Semester 1, Linda Swears.

This week: ask your child to demonstrate these four basic vocal types. In class the activity is done in a call/response form (teacher: "This is my whispering voice", child responds: "This is my whispering voice", etc).

Music Is Everywhere!: As a follow-up to last week's activity (places we hear music), we will be creating a "Sounds From Home Concerto" in class this week, using items children bring from home. This activity teaches children that music can be created with almost anything (it doesn't have to be considered an 'instrument' to be included in this concerto!). Music really is everywhere! As an extended activity this week, look for the previously posted blog titled, "Vegetable Orchestra", featuring a group of musicians that create instruments from common vegetables. Fun!

"Acapella"

2008-02-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

Making sense of musical terms.

Acapella (ä' kə-pĕl'ə):
Singing performed without instruments.

For the Young Child student: Define the word for your child, watch the video clip of the Flight of the Bumblebee performed by an orchestra (first video), then watch the video clip of the Flight of the Bumblebee acapella-style (second video). Allow your child the opportunity to verbalize what he/she observes.

For the Imagine That and Our Time student: Listen to a section of the first video, followed by a section of the second video (their attention span will most likely not be large enough to watch the entire video). Talk about the differences between the two videos (offer suggestions if the child is unable to verbalize what he/she hears).

Flight of the Bumblebee (orchestra)

Flight of the Bumblebee (acapella)

The acapella version of "Flight of the Bumblebee" is especially unique because there are no lyrics to this song. Voices are used to create the sounds of various orchestral instruments.

Extended activity: Click here to view Five Live perform an acapella version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". The kids may enjoy hearing the singers create animal and percussion sounds with their voices.

Imagine That "Toys I Make" Lesson 2

2008-02-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

Print in the environment: "Children need to understand that print is meaningful in their daily lives and has many functions. For example, your children can learn that print gives us information - such as directions to a friend's house, how to bake a cake, etc. They can learn that print helps us solve problems, like written instructions for assembling a toy." Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success, M. Susan Burns.

This week, the children were exposed to the concept of print during our "Toy Shop" activity. As we sang the "Toy Shop" song, the children were encouraged to come up with ideas of various toys they might find in a toy shop. As the children volunteered ideas, the words were written down on paper. The paper will be used in a later lesson, to teach the children that words can be written down on paper and read back to them at a later time (a pre-reading concept).

Follow-the-leader: This game contains many components that benefit the development of preschool-aged children. The children are encouraged to; observe and respond to a steady beat instrument motion, understand nonverbal communication of gestures and motions, sustain attention by staying with a motion for a length of time, and understand and follow guidelines of the activity. This week, the children were encouraged to play one-bell jingles while following the movement of the teacher. This activity will later be expanded to allow each child the opportunity to be the 'leader', promoting positive self-esteem and confidence.

Active Listening: The range of listening skills in young children may be quite wide - marginal listeners hear all sounds with equal aural value, attentive listeners can give some priority to a single sound source, and analytical listeners focus on a single sound source and can describe characteristics of that sound source. Creative Drama and Music Method: Introductory Activities for Children, Janet E. Rubin and Margaret Merrion.

Hearing and listening are two very different skills. Hearing is an innate skill, whereas listening is a learned skill. When asked how we listen, children will often respond, "we listen with our ears". Active listening activities teach children that listening involves more than just our ears. Listening takes attention, reduction of outside sounds (such as talking), and minimal body movement. They begin to learn that we not only hear with our ears, but also with our mouths and our bodies.

This week: As we listened to the different drum sounds in class this week, your children had the opportunity to expand their musical understanding and listening skills. I encourage you all to make the effort to listen with intention this week. Listen to your Home CDs, listen to the radio, listen to live instruments if possible, and when you listen, offer information to your children about what they are hearing. Invite them, as well, to make observations about the sounds they hear."

Our Time "Away We Go" Lesson 2

2008-02-05T17:45:00.000-08:00

Lesson Focus: Fast and Slow

Tempo: Tempo is central to transportation as well as to music and is the speed of the beat. Children learn best about tempo by experiencing the contrast of opposites such as slow and fast.

Scaffolding: Scaffolding is an interactive learning process between adult and child. The adult observes the child's play ideas, then gently guides and supports the child's learning by building on what the child already is able to do. Ideally, the adult will begin by meeting the child where she is - by copying her play idea, for example. Then the adult makes a slight variation on the activity, providing appropriate challenges to lead the child to new levels of learning.

Patterns and Memory: Short-term memory has the ability to hold about seven bits of information. But when patterns and related groupings of information are bound together as a unit, the volume of material stored increases. Patterns then become an important avenue for recall and memory. Rhythms of Learning, Chris Brewer and Don G. Campbell

Vestibular System: The vestibular system controls the sense of movement and balance. It integrates the sensory inputs which give us information about gravity and motion, our body's muscular movements, and position in space. Movements that move the head off center and stimulate the vestibular system include rolling, tipping, swinging, swaying, turning, and twisting.

Internal Control: "Control of the body is the first kind of control children have over themselves and is the first step toward the development of the internal control or self-discipline. Activities that encourage the child to focus, listen, then react through movement or non-movement develop a strong sense of internal control." Dance for Young Children, Sue Stinson

Away We Go! At Home

The train and tunnel cut-out on pages 7-8 of the Home Activity Book is a great way to explore the concept of size with tunnels. A big tunnel can be made with your body and a small tunnel with the cut-out pattern.
Read Shiny Dinah together.
Tunnel Time, p. 6.

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make."
~Marian Wright Edelman
Founder and President of the American Children's Defense Fund (CDF)

Tune In

2008-01-31T20:53:00.000-08:00

One of the most important things your child will learn in the first year of life is how to soothe herself, relax, and fall asleep. Below, you'll find more ways to rock a-bye, baby. And for the bigger kids, the grumpies get a little more complicated. So you'll also find a few proven solutions for soothing the terrible twos, the slap-happy preschooler, and helping your school kid jumpstart his morning routine:

For Babies (0 to 18 months)
For Toddlers (18 months to 3)
For Preschoolers (3 to 5)
For Big Kids (5 and up)

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

2008-01-31T18:03:00.000-08:00

Everyone wants it - adults, teenagers, even young children (they just often lack the vocabulary to express it)!

Respecting your child is an important part of the Kindermusik classroom. Respect has the ability to create a positive, encouraging classroom that promotes learning through interaction, while building self-esteem. On the other hand, a lack of respect can quickly create a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere (for the child and adult, as well as others in the classroom).

As adults, we often place expectations on our children that do not leave room for individuality. In a Kindermusik classroom, for instance, certain activities are designed to encourage a child to follow directions (following directions is an important skill that children will need when they begin attending school). What we often tend to forget is that following directions is a learned skill. Children do not innately know how to follow directions. The easiest way for them to learn this, is through role modeling.

In a Kindermusik classroom, role modeling is everywhere - the teacher, adults, and children are all role models at one time or another. What a perfect atmosphere for learning! Use this environment to your advantage. Don't expect your child to always be the role model. In fact, your child will learn more if he looks to other people for new ideas and suggestions.

Children learn most when they are comfortable. Children require more time than adults to become comfortable in a new environment - be patient! Respecting your child will help him to be comfortable in his environment.

If your child is not actively participating in an activity (sometimes this just means they are processing the environment), an easy thing for the adult to do is respect their decision and role model the activity themselves. If that doesn't get the child's attention, another respectful way to engage the child is to talk about what the other children and adults are doing in class ("Look! Do you see how Molly is tapping her bells together!"). Bringing attention to what other children are doing in the class is a simple way to engage a child who chooses not to participate.

If a child goes as far as to remove themselves from the singing circle, this is often their way of saying "I want to make a decision!" Instead of forcing them back into the circle, try sitting next to them and saying, "It looks like you don't want to be in the circle right now" (validation) and then observe his reaction. If he is still shows no interest in being in the circle, try the above suggestions and talk about what other people are doing (you might come up with something that will catch his interest). If he does still not want to join, respect his decision. You can then choose to re-enter the circle yourself (a child will often feel as though they are "missing out on something" when they stay outside the circle for too long), or you can sit with your child until he is ready to enter participate. Try to read your child's cues. Either way, showing your child respect is a powerful tool that will promote self-esteem and encourage him to make decisions. The best learning environment is when he chooses to participate on his own!

Remember: active learning is best, but children also learn by watching. Let go of your expectation that your child will actively participate in every activity! The respect you demonstrate will encourage positive behavior and create a much nicer atmosphere for everyone.

Note: Respecting your child does not mean "giving in". If a child is hurting another child, crying, or being otherwise disruptive to the class, escorting them out of the room and reminding them of a few simple class rules is best. Let them know you will return when they are ready. More often than not, children will chose to enter the class with full cooperation. Again, a child does not come into a Kindermusik classroom knowing classroom etiquette. He needs the parent to respectfully and consistently set those boundaries.

As a parent, you have more control over the classroom environment than your child does. If a child is frustrated and you match their frustration with your own (much stronger!) frustration, than you have just doubled the frustration level in the classroom. Instead, calmly validate what you are observing in their behavior, role model what you would like the child to do, comment on what others are doing in class, and reinforce class rules.

Using these techniques creates a win-win situation for everyone!

Save "NO" for emergencies!

2008-01-30T22:37:00.000-08:00

No child likes to be told "no", especially when they are too young to understand the logic behind the demand, and even then it can become a battle of wits between a parent and a strong-willed child. An easier way to deal with a situation is to find a way to say no without actually saying "no". It sounds silly, I know, but I think you would be surprised at how well it works!

Some suggestions for saying no without saying "No!"...

Get the child’s attention before communicating, touch them on the shoulder or hand...
Say the child’s name.
Use a gesture, move so you get into her visual field.
Show him an object or other visual cue to get him to look at you.
Help them know what TO do.
Using your singing voice calms you and the child.
Instead of saying “Don’t wipe your nose on your sleeve", hand him a tissue.
Use a gesture. Gestures can guide her to appropriate behavior.
Instead of “Don’t drop your coat on the floor”, point to the coat rack.
Model what you want.
Offer “Let’s do it together”. That can encourage children to do things with more enthusiasm.
Call attention to the “problem”. Say “Oh, oh” “Oops!” “Look!” Then point to what needs to be done.
Look right at his face and clearly state what you want the student to do.
When in doubt...Tell the child what TO do, instead of what NOT to do.

A big Thank You to Lori B. for originally posting these suggestions!

Vegetable orchestra

2008-01-30T20:43:00.000-08:00

Did you say not to play with your food...
or not to play your food?

Kindermusik: not just about musical development

2008-01-28T22:58:00.000-08:00

Someone who first learns about Kindermusik might assume that it was designed solely to enhance and encourage musical development. They would be vastly mistaken.

The developmental benefits that are integrated into each Kindermusik class are numerous. Here are two studies that demonstrate the cognitive and physical developmental benefits of the Kindermusik classroom.

(Click on the picture and it will link you directly to the article)

The way I see it

2008-01-28T07:03:00.000-08:00

The Way I See It #273
(Quotes printed on Starbucks coffee cups)

"All children need a laptop. Not a computer, but a human laptop. Moms, dads, grannies and grandpas, aunts, uncles - someone to hold them, read to them, teach them. Loved ones who will embrace them and pass on the experience, rituals, and knowledge of a hundred previous generations. Loved ones who will pass to the next generation their expectations of them, their hopes, and their dreams."

--General Colin L. Powell - founder of America's Promise - The Alliance for Youth

A new semester, a new way to communicate...

2008-01-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

I was recently exposed to this concept of 'blogging' (I know - I'm a bit behind the times!), and while I was spending time deciding on whether or not to step into this cyber arena, it became clear to me that this could be a fantastic way for me to communicate with Kindermusik families throughout the week!

There is so much that goes on during the 45-60 minutes that I meet with families each week, and I rarely ever feel as if I have expressed all that I want to, in the short amount of time we have together. For those of you who have experienced a Kindermusik classroom, you know how sensitive the environment is (particularly in the younger classes). If I attempt to communicate with the caregivers on an adult level for too long, the children will quickly find ways to get my attention or take it upon themselves to teach the class. :) They want to interact and engage - which is exactly what they are supposed to do! But an important part of Kindermusik involves me communicating with the families of those children and explaining the benefits of the Kindermusik classroom.

There is a wealth of information that I feel is important to pass on - some directly related to Kindermusik and some indirectly - that could greatly benefit each child's development. I am hoping that this blog will not only provide a tool for me to share information and ideas with my Kindermusik families, but that you would find the tools beneficial in the development of your child, both in and out of the Kindermusik classroom. Periodically, I may also use this blog to communicate more technical information (such as schedule changes, special events, or registration information). I would also love to eventually post snapshots of my Kindermusik classes (with parent's permission, of course)!

As I kick off my 5th spring semester teaching Kindermusik (classes start tomorrow!), I thought it would be a perfect time to initiate this blog.

Let the flood gates of communication open ...