http://kindermusikwithsandy.kindermusik.net/Classes.html
Unit Descriptions (ages birth-18 mo)
Hickory, Dickory, Tickle, and Bounce
Research shows the more you expose your baby to nursery rhymes and songs, the stronger those emerging language-learning skills will be. That's why these Mother Goose-like stories and rhymes are the main theme of this class. Plus, you'll develop research-proven communication strategies with your child through listening activities, speaking "parentese," and sign language.
Home Materials: CD of beautifully arranged nursery rhyme and songs from class, a rhyming picture board book—Hickory, Dickory, Tickle, and Bounce, a set of Art Banners, and an instrument for music-making at home.
The Rhythm of My Day
This class will help you bring more rhythm and routine to your baby's day, as well as help develop lasting learning skills. We'll show you how and tell you why music can help your little one soothe into the day’s schedule and help build a strong body and mind network for learning. You can bring home those same stress-free play and relaxation techniques from class, and incorporate them into your daily routines.
Home Materials:CD of beautifully arranged songs from class, The Rhythm of My Day—a colorful picture board book with class themes, a set of Art Banners, and an instrument for music-making at home.
Unit Descriptions (ages 18 mo-3yrs)
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Fiddle-dee-dee |
Unit Descriptions (ages 3 ½-5 yrs) 3 Units will be covered in 13 weeks
Rhythms of the Land
In class we’ll explore the rhythms and sounds of Native American music. As we investigate, compare, and contrast a wide variety of drums and the materials they’re made from, your preschooler develops the investigative vocabulary needed in the sciences. When you repeat rhythm patterns at home and share the activities in your Home Kit, your child gets an early start in math, too.
Home Kit: Jingle Stick instrument, Home CD, and magazine-style Family Guide (includes the class story Pedal Pump, Pedal Pump)
Under the Rainbow
Keep your eyes open for a rain this month. In class we’ll explore the concept of high and low sounds with Irish music, tricky leprechauns, and the colors of the rainbow. We’ll also match sounds with pictures, and match pictures with the written words to build lasting literacy skills. With more activities sprinkled throughout the story in your Home Kit, you and your preschooler can practice together the skills needed now and later in school.
Home Kit: Home CD, and magazine-style Family Guide (includes class story Under the Rainbow)
Sounds Abound
This month, we’ll explore all the sounds we can make with our mouths, bodies, hands, plus everyday objects we can find around the house. Your preschooler develops an early understanding of how one material can be used to make something else. Activities in your Home Kit help you bring these big ideas home when you take part in the listening, turn-taking, and sound-effect making activities.
Home Kit: Home CD and magazine-style Family Guide (includes the class story If I Had a Big Blue Boat)
8 Weeks of
begins February 12-April 9
Ideal for families with children in different Kindermusik age groups, but any family with one or more children from birth to age 6 will enjoy Family Time.
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.
Home Materials: Two books—Drum Circle and Animals on Parade, two Home CDs, Family Guide, Rex the lion hand puppet and finger puppet, an instrument-matching board game and two fingerdrums.
I volunteer for the young two year old Sunday School class at my church and this past Sunday was my week to serve. The classes for young children have hired care takers and they looked really tired as I came into my class which this past Sunday was combined with the other two year old class. Some of the children were very fussy while the others were quite active, as most toddlers tend to be. So, a little snack was served, followed by 15 minutes of play time in the designated playroom. The fussy children were still very fussy and the active toddlers were now on overload. Shortly after the minute Bible story, the lights were dimed and quiet Christmas music began playing. I held a little girl in my lap, already knowing she had had a difficult night and morning. She just wanted to cradle in my arms. I began rocking back and forth humming the songs as they quietly played. Her little head grew so heavy as her eyes fell fast asleep. I wasn't her mommy, but she found enough peace and comfort in the midst of her little world to calm into a sleep.
Every Kindermusik class includes a quiet time and a time for rocking while listening and singing to a lullaby. The benefits include:
Bonding ...
The most obvious benefit emotionally is that you and your child have an opportunity to focus on one another on an intimate level. While singing you are given the chance to express your love to your child in a peaceful context.
Cognitive Development ...
There has been a fair amount of interest recently in the fact that children are, from birth, 'wired for sound' - or, more specifically wired for music. There are specific neural connections which are made when a child listens to music of any kind, instrumental or vocal. These connections are, apparently, not made in any other way and can only be made in the early years. Once made, some researchers believe this neural 'wiring' may be used to support some other sense, such as visual or verbal. The more connections that are made, the more capacity in the brain is opened up for use. The conclusion has been drawn that the earlier music is introduced, the greater the potential for learning.
Speech and Language ...
Lullabies feature repetition, rhyme, assonance and alliteration. Repeating the same patterns again, by singing the same lullabies on other occasions, reinforces the sound recognition. Speaking to children is, of course, of tremendous value in speech and language development, but the value of singing is often overlooked. Lullabies, like nursery rhymes, provide children with the chance to hear sounds in predictable patterns, to recognize and understand those patterns in a way that speech alone does not. Further down the line these familiar patterns can be used by the children to practise their sounds without even realizing they are doing so.
Motor Development ...
When you sing a lullaby, to an infant especially, it is often when there is some sort of movement involved. We often think of rocking the child in our arms or with their heads on our chest. All actions while singing give the child the sensation of movement directly related to the rhythm of the song. Stroking or patting the child can have the same effect. This connection between hearing and feeling is thought by some researchers to lead on to age appropriate physical co-ordination, such as the ability to learn to dance.
“Ding dong! Knock, knock!” “Listening” in Kindermusik class comes in many forms. We listen to each other, we listen to music as we rock and dance, and we listen and talk about specific identified sounds.
“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” is an important part of the Kindermusik curricula because it offers children the opportunity to learn to listen with intention.
This week is a good time to reintroduce the stir xylophone to your child. Try the ideas of ways to play listed on page 20 of your Home Activity Book. Then try some of the listening ideas on page 21. Now that you and your child have experienced several weeks of Kindermusik listening, do you notice a difference in your child’s interest in listening?
Rub those ears...
I love the "sound" of silence, but I will admit there have been times in my parenting days, that the quietness of my home brought an uneasiness within me. There were the times as a new mom that I had to draw close to my sleeping little one to feel the warm breath from the tiny nose and watch the chest as it moved rhythmically up and down. There were plenty of times that silence meant a toddler was up to something, and my expectations of finding a toddler in the middle of a mess were sometimes, but thankfully, not always right.
Silence plays a role in making music. Silence makes us wait, makes us listen, and gives us time to wonder what's next. After the silence, our expectations are either confirmed or contradicted. In the first three lessons of Dream Pillow the contrast between sound and silence is highlighted. Watch and observe your little one during these moments and see how they listen with intention and sensitivity.
The concepts of Long and Short in relation to both sound and movement is the focus for lessons 6-10. In class the children experience these concepts through movement by taking long and short steps in "The Grocery Store," tapping and rolling shaker eggs in "Shake Your Eggs," and exploring moving around the room while listening to to "Bread and Coffee". Kindermusik is rich in activities that integrate moving, listening,singing and feeling. This integration optimizes potential learning. If you want to read more about how literacy and movement go hand in hand click here: Linking Literacy and Movement
"Ziggy Zag Zoom" In class we made a pull-toy using a bell instruments and scarf. The use of pull toys is a fun way to encourage your baby and toddler to learn eye-hand coordination. Motor skills such as reaching and walking are enhanced through the interaction with pull toys. There is a wide range of pull toys from small and inexpensive to elaborate and pricey. Remember, babies find fun in just about everything. Boxes, tubes, containers, cups, spoons, wrapping paper – you name it. It doesn’t have to be an ‘official toy’ to provide entertainment - the whole world is one big playground. Open up your plastics cupboard and raid the recycling, you’ll be surprised with just what you come up with. Here are a few ideas on making homemade baby and toddler toys..Homemade Baby Toys
