58 posts tagged “kindermusik”

                                                                                                          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... 

      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 

Dear Our Time Parent:

Most experts agree that the child’s emotional development is dependent upon the care received at an early age and that the parts of the brain responsible for emotional growth are very sensitive to parental feedback and handling.  Kindermusik offers a wonderful opportunity for you to be a vital part of your child’s maturation.  Singing, laughing, playing and dancing together all can be a part of your relationship.  

We will begin some new songs next week, but at home, continue to delight in singing together favorites from these past few weeks.  Sing Bells Are Ringing, laugh as you wiggle to Washing Machine, play “grocery store” as you chant The Grocery Store, and dance high and low while listening to Great Big House. 

To market,  to market to buy.... Take a few index cards, grocery store flyer, glue.  Cut out some of the food pictures from the flyer. Have your child help you glue the pictures on to the index cards. Have fun with the poem as your child picks out the pictures.  Your child will love this simple rhyming game.

All young children, even those with only minimal hearing, have a powerful, almost riveting affinity for music. Research has shown that the fetus responds to musical cues from the middle trimester onward and never stops attending to it afterward, and infants are the same. By toddlerhood, play with music is so complex and rich, it probably teaches more economically than any formal kind of instruction. The neurobiological processes underlying the appreciation of music-related play and interaction involve the brain pathways for:

• Memory
• Hearing
• Balance
• Motor control
• Hormonal secretion
• Cognition
• Emotion

Read More from Scholastic: Artist at Work