Kindermusik International

9 Life Lessons Young Children Learn from Music Class

If you peek in the window of a Kindermusik classroom, it might look like we are just playing with bells, having fun with friends, cuddling with mom, and dancing around the room. But the real truth is that we are using the power of music and the joy of movement to help children learn and benefit from valuable life lessons and skills that are setting them up for success in school, at home, and later in the workplace.

Nine Life Lessons I Learn from Music Class

Life lesson #1: When I have to wait my turn for an instrument, I learn how to work well with others and be a good friend.

Life lesson #2: When we get to share our ideas for how to move or play an instrument, I learn not only that my own ideas are important, but also that my classmates’ ideas are valuable too.

Life lesson #3: When it’s time to quietly listen and rock to music, I learn how to be still, focus, and relax. Life is stressful, even for kids!

Life lesson #4: When I’m in class with my special grown up, I learn the most from the very best teacher I will ever have. (That’s you, Mom, Dad, or Grandma!)

Life lesson #5: When it’s time to get up and move, I learn that I can be so creative in how I move – it’s helping me be much more self-confident.

Life lesson #6: When I have to stop on cue or go on to a new activity, I learn how to control my actions and responses. (My teacher calls this “inhibitory control.” My mom calls it a really great idea.)

Life lesson #7: When I have to play an instrument in different ways or use exploration to learn more about a musical prop, I learn how to be an effective problem-solver.

Life lesson #8: When I get to do things more than once, I learn that practice doesn’t make perfect, but it does make me better.

Life lesson #9: When I sing, listen, and move to music, I learn that I have many ways to communicate my ideas and feelings.

Want to help your child learn these same life lessons and skills? Come visit a class. Find your local Kindermusik educator at www.Kindermusik.com.
Contributed by Kindermusik educator Theresa Case, whose award-winning Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios is located in beautiful upstate South Carolina.

Favorite Minds on Music Blog Posts from 2014

At the beginning of January, we often reflect on the passing of another year. For parents, that might mean celebrating all of those “firsts” that happened last year like a baby’s first steps, a little one’s first time sleeping through the night, or maybe that first tooth (or first lost tooth!). In the life of a young child, so many firsts happen in one year! For early childhood teachers, it might mean celebrating how much your students have grown in confidence and abilities.

For us at Kindermusik, we also like to look back at all of the amazing new music research published in the last 12 months that helps answer the question, “Why Music?” After all, we recognize how music really does give children a good beginning that never ends. We invite you to travel with us down Abbey Road Memory Lane as we highlight 11 of our favorite blog posts from 2014, including new research about the power of music.

11 Blog Posts from 2014 about the Benefits of Music Education

Want to see these blog posts in action? Contact your local Kindermusik educator at www.Kindermusik.com and come visit a class.

Contributed by Lisa Camino Rowell. A freelance writer living in the Atlanta area.

Quotes from 2014 that captured the magic of Kindermusik

We love music and children. It’s why we do what we do. Sometimes we come across a quote or picture or video that perfectly captures why we love it so much. Some people call it an “A-Ha Moment.” Here are a few that caught our attention—and our hearts—last year.

Do you want your children to do something to make their hearts sing, too? Find a local Kindermusik educator at www.Kindermusik.com and make 2015 a year full of music, memories, and a good beginning that never ends.

New Research Alert: Playing instruments boosts kids’ brainpower!

There’s a lot of buzz about the significant findings of some exciting research from the University of Vermont College of Medicine which has identified a direct link between “…playing a musical instrument and brain development.”

How music and the brain are linked

Analyzing brain scans, identifying cortical indicators, and factoring in the entirety of a child’s familial and social environment were key to uncovering the astounding evidence of the direct effect that music and music playing had on the brain. Playing an instrument requires control, focus, and coordination, and utilizing these skills actually alters the motor areas of the brain. Not only that, but making music can also cause changes in the “behavior-regulating areas of the brain,” according to this study.

“Such statistics, when taken in the context of our present neuroimaging results,” the [research] authors write, “underscore the vital importance of finding new and innovative ways to make music training more widely available to youths, beginning in childhood.”

Beginning in childhood

This is precisely what excites Kindermusik educators the most – new and significant evidence that making music and playing instruments in early childhood is critical for brain development, and in particular, in developing executive function skills like focus, self-control, and emotional processing.

And why is executive function so important?

Author Amanda Morin summed it up this way, “Executive function is like the CEO of the brain.” When you improve a child’s executive function skills, you impact a child’s potential for success – on the playground, in the classroom, and in life.

What your child needs when it matters most

Music is the one activity that has been proven over and over to have a compelling and long-lasting impact on a child’s overall development, especially brain development. And before a child even knows what a violin is, there’s Kindermusik – a place where parents can intentionally and joyfully immerse their child in all of the rich benefits of music and music making, from newborn to age 7.Learn more about giving your young child all of the advantages of early music exposure and music making with Kindermusik at www.Kindermusik.com.

Contributed by Kindermusik educator Theresa Case, whose award-winning Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios is located in beautiful upstate South Carolina.

Sing in the New Year with Kids

The holidays look a little bit different when children enter the family and New Year’s Eve is no exception. So, while you probably won’t be watching the ball drop in Times Square, oohing and awing at the fireworks at the stroke of midnight, (or even staying awake that late…unless you count that midnight feeding), your young family can start new traditions. We put together a few of our favorite ways to ring sing in the New Year with young children.

4 Ways to Ring in the New Year with Kids

Make a musical time capsule with a 2015 playlist of your family’s current favorite music. Over the years, your family will love listening to past favorites and rediscovering the memories, too.
Pick a country ringing in the New Year about an hour before your child’s regular bedtime and celebrate the stroke of midnight with them. After all, it’s midnight somewhere in the world! This will help to keep your child’s bedtime at a “normal” time while also giving your family plenty of opportunities to celebrate 2015 through song and dance and, of course, the countdown to the New Year.
Sing “Goodbye” to 2014. Change the words to your favorite Kindermusik goodbye song or make up your own. These two Kindermusik cuties brought out instruments for their special goodbye song.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdpyDGi0Zh4[/youtube]

Put a Kindermusik twist on a New Year’s Eve staple. The song “Auld Lang Syne” is a nostalgic expression of friendship. So, why not celebrate the turning of the calendar with your favorite Kindermusik activities to remember your new and old friends from class? Some of our favorites include lap bounces like “Giddy Up Horsey,” instrument exploration, hayrides, ball play, and hammocking. Need some more ideas? How about 24 more?

Want to sing in the New Year with your family? Find a local educator at www.Kindermusik.com and visit a free class in 2015.

Contributed by Lisa Camino Rowell, a freelance writer in the Atlanta area.

New Research: Teaching Self-Control Leads to Academic Improvements

How our brains regulate and manage cognitive processes is referred to as executive function. As with most cognitive skills, executive function is a skill that grows and develops in children as they grow and develop.

According to this recent and fascinating article in Science Daily, the executive functions that are crucial for a child to develop include the ability to:

avoid distractions
focus attention
hold relevant information in working memory
regulate impulsive behavior

But what’s really exciting news for parents and educators is this: “Recent advances in neuroscience suggest that focusing on self-regulation – which includes executive functions and regulating one’s emotions – can enhance children’s engagement in learning and put them on an upward academic trajectory.”

So how can a parent give their child this cognitive advantage? One place to start with very young children newborn to age 7 years is in a Kindermusik class where we joyfully introduce and reinforce important executive function skills through stop and go activities, focused listening, ensemble play, gathering time, and circle dances – just to name a few.

For example…

Stop and Go Activities like “Walk and Stop” give a child practice in learning to stop and think by learning to stop his/her body in motion.

Focused Listening helps children do just that – focus on a certain sound, often when there are other distractions around them.

Ensemble Play allows children to be a part of a whole. They each play their own instrument as part of making beautiful musical together.

Sharing instruments during Gathering Time teaches children how to self-regulate by waiting for their turn for a favorite instrument and by handling the instrument gently.

Circle Dances are a beautiful way for children to interact with peers and adults and also have to remember what comes next in the dance.

“The ability to control impulses and regulate behaviors and emotions is a critical function to build into early childhood education, ensuring children’s success in both gaining knowledge and learning life skills.” – Dr. C. Cybele Raver of NYU Steinhardt

Experience firsthand how music can teach other important life skills, such as sharing and inhibitory control. Contact your local licensed Kindermusik educator at www.Kindermusik.com and come visit a class!

Make a Today Book with Kids

It’s easy to think about taking pictures or making scrapbooks about “important” days like holidays or birthdays. But even the ordinary days can transform into extra special memories with an easy homemade book that marks the momentous occasion of “savor-this-moment.”

Follow these easy instructions to make – and enjoy! – this simple together time craft.

And if the warm fuzzies and happy moments that you’ll have from making a memory book with your child aren’t enough, we thought we’d share another wonderful benefit of making a Today Book.

One important pre-literacy skill is called “Concepts of Print.” Simply put, it means that before children can learn to read, they need to understand what a book is and how it works—which way to hold it, which direction their written language goes (left-to-right, top-to-bottom, or right-to-left), and that print carries meaning. Making a book is a terrific way to develop this valuable pre-literacy skill that will put your child on the path to reading.

Oh, and we’re pretty sure you’ll love the cuddles and hugs that are sure to occur when you read and re-read your Today Book with your child!

Looking for more activities to do with your child? Come visit a Kindermusik class. Find your local licensed Kindermusik educator at www.Kindermusik.com.

Teach Your Child a Second Language for a Full-Brain Workout

Lots of things are good for the brain, especially music. But new research indicates that learning to speak more than one language is also exceptionally good for the brain.

At first it might seem that the brain has to work harder to learn and speak two languages. And in a way it does. But it’s actually this hard work that exercises and strengthens the brain so that performing other cognitive tasks becomes easier and more efficient. Think of it this way. When you go to the gym, it’s hard work. But along the way, your muscles get stronger and soon even everyday tasks, including lifting and moving, actually get easier.

The other very interesting thing that happens for bilingual speakers is that because the brain has to control and filter both languages, it becomes very good at two things: inhibitory control and focus.

Lead research author and Northwestern University professor Viorica Marian puts it this way: “Using another language provides the brain built-in exercise. You don’t have to go out of your way to do a puzzle because the brain is already constantly juggling two languages.”

This kind of constant brain exercise not only has benefits for now, but it also appears to offer some “protective advantage against Alzheimer’s and dementia,” said Marian.

We all know that exercise is good for us. Now we are beginning to get a glimpse of just how beneficial exercising the brain can be too. And the younger we teach children to exercise their brains, whether through music and movement or through learning a second language, the better!

Learn more about using music to teach young children a second language at www.Kindermusik.com/schools.

Rhythmic Dictation and Early Literacy Skills

Do you remember taking spelling tests as a child? Sitting at your desk, listening intently as your teacher said a word, and then trying to visualize what the word looked like while also attempting to write it on your paper or (gasp!) spell it out loud in front of the whole class? Ugh! For English speakers, that silent “e” caught many of us off guard. You probably didn’t realize it at the time but listening, identifying the word, and then writing the word down helped you become a better reader.

Although we don’t give spelling tests (or any tests, for that matter) in Kindermusik, we do give children’s ears lots of musical practice in listening to rhythms, identifying what they hear, repeating them, and using rhythm cards to “write” the patterns down. We call this process rhythmic dictation. So, while we “ta ta ti-ti ta,” clap, pick out the right rhythm card, or play an instrument along with a song, children gain practice in recognizing relationships between sounds and symbols, which supports children’s budding musicianship and early literacy skills.

Rhythmic Dictation Inside the Kindermusik Classroom

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPosMJF1mBQ[/youtube]

You can try this at home or in your classroom, too. Clap out a rhythm and let child(ren) repeat it. Make each clapping rhythm more difficult than the last. Take turns being the copycat.

To learn more about the benefits of music on early literacy development visit http://www.kindermusik.com/schools/benefits

Contributed by Lisa Camino Rowell, a freelance writer living in the Atlanta area.

6 Ways Kindermusik Prepares Children for Formal Music Lessons

Which came first: the egg shaker or the violin? Well, if you ask us, we’d say the egg shaker of course! It’s a staple instrument in all Kindermusik classes from newborn through age 7. From that first instrument, we begin to teach children skills that can prepare them for formal music lessons when they are ready.

6 Ways Kindermusik Prepares a Child for Formal Music Lessons

#1 – Kindermusik develops the ability to keep a steady beat. Steady beat is fundamental to music and absolutely essential for playing an instrument.

#2 – Kindermusik reinforces music patterning. Learning to recognize patterns in music is vital to playing an instrument with musicality and with understanding.

#3 – Kindermusik teaches musical notation. Without a foundational understanding of music symbols, there can be no music reading.

#4 – Kindermusik develops a musical vocabulary. A rich musical vocabulary begins with an experiential knowledge of the words that help us describe music and express ourselves musically.

#5 – Kindermusik provides ensemble experience. From playing egg shakers together in our Baby Class to playing the violin in an orchestra, making music together in a group is one of the greatest joys of music.

#6 – Kindermusik inspires a lifelong love of music. When you plant the seeds at such a young age, a love of music will bloom and grow throughout a lifetime. A deep love for music is one of the most important contributors to a child’s success in music lessons… and in life.

So when is a child ready for music lessons?

Most music teachers agree that between the ages of 7 and 10 years is the best age for children to start formal music lessons. By then, a child is usually able to read on his/her own, follow directions, sit still and focus for longer periods of time, and feel motivated to practice at home each day.

If you’re unsure about whether or not your child is ready for formal music lessons, long-time Kindermusik educator and Maestro Michelle Jacques recommends asking these questions:

Do you and your child understand the enormous amount of dedication needed to learn to play an instrument?
Are you ready to make the purchase or rental investment in an instrument to have in your home for practice?
Is your child ready to accept the rules, guidelines, and suggestions of the teacher?
Will your child be able to respond positively when the teacher asks him/her to play a certain way or hold his/her hand in a certain position?
Does your child have the fine motor control as well as the maturity and attention span necessary for daily home practice?
Can your concentrate daily for 15 to 30 minutes on a series of directed tasks?
Will your child thrive in a learning environment where it’s just she and the teacher, or does she learn best in a social, play-like setting?

Want to learn more about how Kindermusik prepares a young child for success in formal music lessons? Come visit a Kindermusik class! Find your local Kindermusik educator at www.Kindermusik.com and give your child the best gift ever – a love of music that starts with Kindermusik.