Child’s Play

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Kindermusik International

 

We call it play, the work children do all the day long. From rolling a ball to tasting it, from building with blocks to knocking them down, a child’s job is to play.

Play is a child’s work

Children learn and grow through play. Toys that mimic everyday objects, like kitchen appliances and gardening tools help a child to act out what he sees the grown-ups doing. Toys that specifically encourage creativity, like blocks, scarves, and Legos equip children as they use their ever-amazing minds to construct and pretend.  Other simple things that inspire open-ended play include cardboard boxes, dress-up clothes, and Lincoln logs.  Read here for more open-ended play ideas.

The most important play-thing

As parents, we want our children to have the best toys to help with their development. After all, creating a stimulating home environment is the least we can do. But the most important play-thing that your child can have does not come in a box or from a store. Children need loving parents and caregivers to not only provide them with quality tools for their work, but they need adults to stop, sit, and become co-workers at play. It’s easy to delight a child with a new toy and walk away. But a child needs personal interaction with the adults in her life as she learns and grows.
It’s hard to take a break from what we view as important: work-related issues, financial problems, the upkeep of a home. But investing daily in the lives of our children by sitting down with them, allowing them the freedom to choose what to play, following them and labeling their actions, resisting the urge to organize and perfect their play, is the most important work that you can do as a parent.

Inspiring play through music and movement

In our Kindermusik classes you’ll find lots of inspiration for play, both musical and non-musical.  Though our classes are music-based, we’ll give you lots of tips and ideas for playing with your child in class and at home – tips and ideas that come from an understanding of the concept of scaffolding, from learning more about your child’s developmental stage, and from the child-centered way that we approach our classes.  There’s nothing like a Kindermusik class to give you a reason for playing with your child – once a week in class and throughout the week at home.
The simple act of investing time in play with your child is one of the very best investments you can make.  Take a few minutes to play today!


Edited and revised by Theresa Case, whose Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios in Greenville, SC, is proudly among the top 1% of Kindermusik programs worldwide.

4 Surprising Ways Your Child Benefits from a Variety of Music

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Kindermusik International

Kindermusik is dedicated to bringing you and your child a variety of music. See how this type of exposure to musical learning expands your child’s development of 4 essential, surprisingly, non-musical skills.

Greater language proficiency

Just as you read a variety of books to expand your child’s vocabulary, exposure to a wide variety of music and sounds expands your child’s “ear vocabulary.” High quality musical recordings and real instruments help your child “fine tune” her ear to recognize and imitate the sounds that make up words and language.

Spatial awareness

When a child listens to music, her mind perceives the sound in multi-dimensional ways. The sound is loud or soft, fast or slow, it moves up and down, or left to right. Eventually, she’ll use that “awareness of space” to work with her body when she walks through the living room and tries not to hit the coffee table. Much later, this same awareness is necessary skill for learning how to get around things, jump, run, and move in zig-zag ways.

Temporal reasoning

You hear this skill in action when a preschooler tells a story. He starts with his own experience and then moves to some imagined place with a princess or a superhero then goes back to something real again. Music does the same thing. It goes back and forth between established places (the chorus) and to new places that take you somewhere else (the verse). The ability to go back and forth from something established to something imagined comes from temporal reasoning, a skill used in music writing, storytelling, and problem solving.

Emotional intelligence

With exposure to a greater variety of musical styles—like jazz, folk, or classical, this increased exposure to music increases a child’s awareness and understanding of different moods and emotions.
So there you have it – at least four reasons why we make the claim that Kindermusik is so much more than just music.  But we’ll not only help your child become a better learner, we’ll also deliver a classroom experience that inspires a lifelong love for music and gives you tips, ideas, and tools like Kindermusik@Home, resources for parents and educational activities for kids with music downloads that make great parenting just a little bit easier.
Edited and revised by Theresa Case, whose Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios in Greenville, SC, is proudly among the top 1% of Kindermusik programs worldwide.

Kindermusik - Bring the Magic Home Across the Globe but especially to Goa!

Wow - things are really progressing here at Kindermusik with Caroline HQ!

I’m still in the UK at the moment busy packing, de-cluttering (well, kind of), finishing off my last few classes and at the same time starting to get people on board in Goa! Wow!

I’m delighted at the responses I’ve been getting and love your enthusiasm for me to get up and running – it just highlights the need for activities for kids (and their mums) in a social setting in Goa.

Make sure you keep telling all your friends about the classes – after all, the more the merrier!

Want to know a bit more about Kindermusik and the revolutionary digital home materials?  We have a special YouTube message just for you...

I will be arriving in Goa in time for Independence Day and hope to be ready to get classes started soon after.

I have already been working on classes in Majorda and am ready to announce we will be running Laugh & Learn classes for 2-4 yr olds, and Move & Groove classes for 4-6 yr olds at Lil Thinkers Nursery, opp Mussoni football ground, Sanglemvaddo, Majorda 403713. We are working on providing transport, if needed. These classes will be in the afternoons and are open to all children in the area (not just students of Lil Thinkers).  

There will also be a class for babies and/or toddlers during the morning at my home in Nuvem. 

More details on all of these classes are to follow but all Kindermusik classes in all locations take on the same format:

• A weekly 45 mins Music & Movement class, proven to develop early maths & literacy skills
• Revolutionary Kindermusik@Home digital home materials to keep forever
• A new theme every 4 weeks
• Instrument exploration and ensemble skills
• Vocal play
• Exploration Time
• Story time and early literacy benefits
• Movement Activities
• Together Time
• Expert advice
• Learning Continues at Home 

I hope to be able to announce classes in other locations soon.

I can't wait to meet you all!

My First Baby Music Class with Kindermusik

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Jamie Sterling

Original Draft: Jan 25, 2012
My eldest son, started Kindermusik when he was 5. He is in the Young Child music classes, which builds the foundations of musical theory & performance. He’s learning high and low, rests and beats (steady beats, of course), and is embarking on learning how to read music and play the glockenspiel (what many of us would call a xylophone). It’s a curriculum that’s easy to understand, especially being a musician myself, because it simply teaches the foundations of music through fun, interesting exercises, and at-home learning extensions.
When I had my second son, I thought it would be amazing to attend Kindermusik classes with him for the entire 7 year curriculum, knowing what I know about the benefits music & movement classes have on early childhood development. As a violist and vocalist married to a professional bass player who majored in music education, we believe in and understand the benefits of early exposure to music. This makes music very important to our family. Unlike many early childhood activities, Kindermusik has true lasting extensions that contribute to your child’s brain, body, heart & soul. The curricula is research-based and developed with key foundations of learning that improve cognitive, emotional, social, & physical development, which basically gets your child ready for school and life. So, of course, I decided to enroll my baby in January 2012.
We went to our first “Cock-A-Doodle-Moo” class this Monday and I was not 100% sure what to expect. I had a lot of unanswered questions… How will my 7 month old react to a room full of strange people? Would he cry the whole time because he’s teething really badly right now? Will he be screaming when all the other kids are quiet and quiet when the rest are engaged? Would all the other Moms already know each other from last semester? Would I or my son be judged by the other Moms? I had already watched this Kindermusik video, which did help alleviate some of my concerns (but I was still a little apprehensive)

Here’s what I learned in my first Kindermusik baby music class:

• You will need “sole!” Shoes have to come off and there’s a lot of floor-based sitting & activities. A lot of the parents had really cute socks on, knowing this. Comfortable clothes that cover your derriere, when sitting, are also a must!
• A good voice is nice to have, but not necessary! Our class is focused on the farm and includes familiar children’s music, folk songs, & nursery rhymes. Everyone who wanted to sang could, but there was no pressure; the educator carried the singing. There were about 8 kids in the class, mostly Moms, but and 2 Dads (both musicians, with the best voices in the class, by far)!
• All ages were welcome! All the babies were aged around 6 months to 18 months, although the class is open to newborn+. The activities seemed to be enjoyed by all ages.
• What a work out! One unadvertised bonus of Kindermusik is that it is a good way to lose some baby weight! I moved, grooved, marched (forward and backward), rocked, swooped, laughed, sang, and danced with my near 20 lb. baby in my arms. Phew!
• Baby bonding at its best! The class is a great opportunity to bond with your baby. We spent some quiet lullaby time with lights off, looking at the twinkly lights on the ceiling. We also spent some time doing baby massage, which I know is really beneficial to the parent-child bond.
• Parents can be parents. Like everywhere else where you have parents gathering, people do compare their babies to yours and their development too.  Many love talking about their experiences as a parent and this is a perfect “Mommy and Me” class environment for it. (Again, Dads were welcome and there too!) In my case, I was proud to hear others say, “Wow! He’s 7 months old and THAT mobile?” *Blush* But, considering my two children developed VERY differently, I could see myself questioning my child and his abilities – comparing him versus the others. A good Kindermusik educator should ensure to set expectations to all parents in the room, celebrating the individuality of every child in the class. And, being in a social environment with other children is such a good motivator for little ones. Kindermusik has had a lot of success with special needs children in the classroom because they have a chance to interact with other children through enjoyable learning activities.
• Kids do the darnedest things. For the first class, your baby or child will be a little out of his element. My little one kind of sat there and looked around. Although he is very mobile and is usually off like a rocket shot, he DID cling to me and seem a little surprised about everything around him. He clung to me a lot of the time and we had to do some modified movements; for example, he was NOT all about laying still for the massage. But, we cuddled and had a moment anyway! He LOVED when we would walk around/march and sing. The grin on his face during those activities was enough to make the class worth it times a thousand.
• Kids are seriously cute! If you like kids, Kindermusik music classes seriously equal cuteness overload. Babies are free to break free in these classes, explore, meet other little ones, and just have fun. Educators guide the classroom through activities, but in a flexible way that makes the little ‘extras’ that the kids do just a part of the fun! I haven’t laughed so hard as I did when a little 10 month old girl walked up to another baby boy and spent an entire activity hugging and making faces at him. It was just too much.
• There is a definite sense of community! There is a good chance a lot of the other families will know each other. People who go to Kindermusik classes tend to put all of their kids in classes, building a community amongst themselves over time. And, semesters build on each other. So, if you’re in the Monday at 11:30 class in the fall semester, you’re likely to continue with the same group for the spring semester. I (and one other latecomer) were the sole ‘new families’ in our class. This meant that introductions meant “everyone introduce themselves to Jamie!” I had a friend in the class, which made it extra fun and everyone was very open and friendly.
• I GOT OUT OF THE HOUSE AND TALKED TO ADULTS FOR A SECOND (even if it was between songs!) It was really nice for me to meet other Moms of children the same age, since I am one of the first in my group of girlfriends to have had children.
• I learned all kinds of fun things! Our Kindermusik classes are chock full of what are called “Foundations of Learning” (or FOLs) that explain why you do each activity and how it helps your little one develop his brain or body.  Kindermusik prides itself on providing applicable parenting resources and at-home learning tools with each of its classes and sends you home with all kinds of fun educational tools for you and your little one!

So, that’s what I learned in my first Kindermusik baby music class.  If you’re interested in trying out a Kindermusik class, you can find one near you and sign up for a free preview class. I, personally, can’t wait until next Monday!

Update: 1 Year Later

Well, it was an interesting first year of Kindermusik class. As my little one passed his 1 year birthday, he became interested in simply running and colliding with every child in Kindermusik. Since there were newborn babies in that class who looked as if they could be fragile, I made the decision to move him into another class more suitable to his developmental needs – and was thrilled that his Kindermusik teacher and studio owner was able to work with us to find a better class match. We moved up to a Family-based class, where he fit in much better (and couldn’t accidentally kill any babies) – and was also sometimes on the receiving end of a collision. Huge progress!
The year in music was the best ever! Both of my little ones are so musical, it’s incredible. My 18 month old bangs on drums and literally sings day and night. His favorite toys and activities play music. Anytime music comes on anywhere, he dances! He has been using sign language, much learned in Kindermusik class, to communicate. And, is highly interested in books and other learning games related to music class.  As a family, we really enjoyed the digital Kindermusik @Home learning materials provided through those classes too and have still been dancing to the songs and reading the eBooks almost every day. And, now, every time it’s time for music class, my 18 month old races off, grabs his sneakers, and sits at the door, waiting for us. I’m so excited he will get a full 7 years of benefit from this program!
Here he is, in his musical element:

One Year Later, a Typical Kindermusik Kid!

The author attends Kathy’s Music with her two sons in Pittsburgh, PA. Her 6 year old has been known to say some very cute things about music class, including: “I love Miss Kathy. She’s the best teacher ever. Can you tell her that?” and “Music class is the best part of being a kid.”