Minds On Music – The Kindermusik Blog
For three generations, Kindermusik has helped millions of children around the world build a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning.
Usually, family summer themes include vacation, festivals, summer camps, and more. This year is very different, with overtones of catch-up and preventing severe boredom in the midst of lingering closures. However, one thing hasn’t changed…the looming threat of “summer slide” which extends from babies to early elementary students. So, how do families combat learning loss while recovering from a pandemic?
Continue reading “6 Ways to Prevent Summer Slide”
To Our Kindermusik Community,
The birth of a child comes with such great promise, excitement, and joy. However, we know that the promise for every child is not equal. Inexcusable hardships begin at birth for some children, and for many, simply because of the color of their skin.
The events of the past week have unnerved and outraged our communities globally. And though the murder of George Floyd brought issues of Black social injustice and blatant racism to light, they have been an ongoing theme that can no longer be ignored. While inclusivity is at the center of what we do at Kindermusik—whether in a studio or through a school system, library, or outreach programs such as Head Start—it is not enough. Kindermusik will not be silent. We can do better and we will.
Like many companies, Kindermusik is reflecting internally on what we can do to show our solidarity and how we can make lasting change within our organization and communities. We pledge to do the following as a company:
As an early childhood company, we are especially focused on the healthy development of each and every child in an environment where they feel seen, heard, and treasured. For the best future of all children, we raise our voices to stand now and forever against racism. We will work hard to continue to promote positive connections and to sing loud and clear that Black Lives Matter.
Sincerely,
The Kindermusik Team
The world is slowly reopening, but there may be some long summer days at home ahead. Don’t worry…there’s a silver lining! You can boost development, lower stress, and have fun with these easy-to-create, beneficial musical moments.
Here are 7 simple ways to keep little ones busy, in a good way:
Continue reading “7 Simple Ways to Make Musical Moments at Home”
Music has been part of the human experience for millenia. This is not speculation, but fact supported by archaeological evidence. Artifacts such as a flute carved some 35,000 years ago, and ancient art, like Cyclades’ depictions of flute and harp players (2,700 BCE), suggest that that music has been around for as long as we have.
Parents who seek information about what is best to do for their child—parents like you!—are relieved when an idea can be described as definitively true. It’s even better when that idea involves something that is easy and fun for children and caregivers to do together.
Music is often thought of simply as entertainment, but its power as a conjurer of emotions is undeniable. You probably have that song that transports you right back to your first big breakup, or to a special moment from childhood. Certain music makes you want to get up and dance, while other tunes can make you weepy for no obvious reason. Music’s unique ability to influence our emotions makes it a powerful tool to manage feelings and behavior.
For children, especially, music can help instill calm, promote self-regulation and impart joy. This is great news for parents, who are so intimately familiar with how quickly and unpredictably kids can “lose it.” Finding effective strategies to calm and comfort can be a challenge, and music is a good one to have in your arsenal.
Believe it or not, Thanksgiving has already come and gone. (Wait, did you blink and miss Halloween? Us too.) And with barely time to breathe—much less digest all of that food!—Americans have shifted focus from stuffing their turkeys to stuffing their Christmas stockings.
Continue reading “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year…”
As the first big snowstorm of the season rolled into Washington, D.C., so did well over 10,000 people, who came to learn, collaborate, and network at the largest early childhood education conference in the world. Educators, advocates, and other members of the early childhood service community filled the Walter E. Washington Convention Center from November 13-17, 2018, for NAEYC’s 2018 Annual Conference.
Babies are exposed to sounds during pregnancy. At birth, their sense of hearing is completely developed and their brains are programmed to find patterns, making their first year the best time to start exposing babies to music. Kindermusik’s curricula makes it fun and easy to teach music to babies and young children, and has the best educational activities for babies.
Steady beat is the foundation of all music (and language)! Babies first experience steady beat in the womb–listening to their mother’s heartbeat and feeling the rhythm of her steps. Kindermusik activities are carefully designed for a child to experience steady beat using multiple senses:
Continue reading “Baby’s Got the Beat! How to Add Rhythm to Your Daily Routine”
Needing something to make you feel good about the state of our society? Look no further than LeadingAge and its more than 6,000 members. This national organization is the largest association of nonprofit aging services organizations in the country. Its mission is to be “the trusted voice for aging” and its vision is “an America freed from ageism.” These values were on full display at the organization’s recent annual conference in Philadelphia, which took place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center from October 28-31, 2018.