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Music Makes Your Day

boy asleep with musicOne of Kindermusik’s core promises is to help make great parenting a little bit easier.  Without a doubt, music is one vital tool that parents can use not just for fun and bonding, but as way to make the daily routines go more smoothly with less tears and more joy.

Wake up with music

Singing your child’s favorite song can chase away the morning grumpies and coax that first smile of cooperation.  Try this free “Get up and Move” activity from Kindermusik @Home to get your morning off to a great start together.
Play some recorded music as you are getting your child ready for the day – quiet and soothing or happy and energetic – whatever your child responds best to.  With your Kindermusik music downloads and ever-expanding library, it’s easy to create playlists of favorite music to suit any mood.

Go places with music

Sing together in the car.  No one else will hear, and your child will love having the chance to make music together with you.
Utilize Kindermusik’s radio app or stream your class music so that you can have fun music with you wherever you go.

Take naps with music

There’s nothing more soothing than a playlist or CD of gentle lullaby sleepy-time music.  Or even just cuddling and singing a sweet quiet song before tucking your child in for a nap will make naptime that much easier.  Making music a part of the naptime routine will send your child off into the land of nod quicker than almost anything else.

Transition with music

Many children have difficulty transitioning from one thing to the next – they want to keep playing when it’s time to leave to pick up big sister from school.  Or they’re not quite ready to sit in the high chair for lunch.  You name it – there’s probably a way to turn that difficulty into something fun.  It’s easy to “piggyback” a song, replacing the words with words you make up.
Or how about that time in the day when everyone is hungry and supper isn’t ready yet?  Turn on a favorite recording and make an impromptu band using wooden spoons and plastic bowls (keeping safety and age-appropriateness in mind, of course!).

Splish splash with music

Yes, even tub time is more fun with some lively music playing in the background.  Your child may not be singing in the shower just yet, but the two of you can have lots of fun making bathtime a highlight of the day singing and listening to music in between all of the bubbles.

Music is one of the very best activities for kids at home and on the go!  And we promise, music can make the moments of your day easier and happier.

Need some musical inspiration and resources?  Try a Kindermusik class – free previews available!
– Written by Theresa Case who has an award-winning Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios in Greenville, SC

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FOL Fridays: Cultivating Empathy

Empathy between children and the world is a main developmental objective for preschool children. They don’t differentiate between themselves and others. Cultivating relationships with animals, both real and imagined, is one of the best ways to foster empathy during childhood. Children want to run like deer, slither along like snakes, be clever as a fox, and quick like a rabbit (adapted from Sobel, David. 1999)

Ideas for parents: Looking for activities for 3 year olds – or older or younger siblings? Try playing a simple game of Animal Charades with the whole family. You can have lots of fun moving and making sounds like some of your favorite animals, and in this fun way, help your child

develop a greater capacity for empathy. And of course, we can’t help but mention that group activities for kids that support parent involvement in early childhood education, such as Kindermusik, are one of the best ways for music and learning about empathy to go hand-in-hand.

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

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2 new brain studies look at music and learning in a group

ABC Music & Me early literacy curriculum

ABC Music & Me early literacy curriculumWhat do you get when you cross group activities for kids with music and learning? That’s just one of the questions a research team led by Dr. Nina Kraus seeks to answer in two new brain studies funded by the NAMM Foundation. Unlike past research that compares children taking private music lessons to those not enrolled, one unique aspect of Kraus’s latest music and learning research is that it focuses on children learning in a group as part of a school curriculum.

“The NAMM Foundation is honored to support Dr. Kraus in these studies, which we believe will push the boundaries of knowledge about the effects and impact of music learning,” said Mary Luehrsen, executive director of the NAMM Foundation in a press release. “Over time, these and other studies will continue to substantiate that music education is essential to learning for every child.”

The Music and Learning Brain Studies led by Dr. Kraus

  1. “The Harmony Project: Biological Benefits of Musical Training in At-Risk Children.” The initial phase of the research study found that children between the ages of 6 and 9 years old who took music lessons could better differentiate speech sounds, which directly relates to language and literacy skills. In the next phase, the team expects to find that children with musical training have an enhanced auditory cognitive function, which can also directly correlate to increased literacy skills.
  2. “The Impact of In-School Music Classes: Rhythm, Language and the Brain.” In collaboration with the Chicago Public Schools, Kraus and her team want to better understand how musical training impacts cognitive, linguistic, and perceptual skills and associated brain development.

And the answer is…

So back to the first question (with an added bonus!): What do you get when you cross group activities for kids with music and learning AND parent involvement in early childhood education? Well, Kindermusik, of course! From Kindermusik classes in more than 70 countries around the world to ABC Music & Me programs used as part of an elementary school, PreK, or Head Start curriculum, we use

music as the vehicle for learning. Plus, we include materials that connect the classroom learning with the everyday lives and routines of children to increase family involvement in education.

To find a Kindermusik educator in your area, visit the Class Locator.

To learn more about ABC Music & Me as part of a PreK, Head Start, or elementary school curriculum, email us at info@abcmusicandme.com.

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Kindermusik benefits parents too!

Village photo shoot 001 compressedWhat’s in a Kindermusik class… for parents??? Well, for starters, there’s music, singing, instruments, dancing, and together time with your child – the very kinds of music education activities your child will love too. The real secret is that you can enjoy letting out your inner child and everyone else will only be thinking what a wonderful and interactive parent you are!

But it really goes much deeper than that. Kindermusik educators are quite fond of explaining that Kindermusik classes are just as much for the parent as they are for the child during this critical window of early childhood development. While there are many benefits of Kindermusik enrollment for you and your child, one significant area is the social-emotional impact for the parents.

The social outlet

Kindermusik classes give you a vital social outlet, a place where you can make new friends and keep up with old friends too!

The support network

Kindermusik is a place where you can belong and be supported by other parents going through the same things with their children as you are with yours.

The emotional connections

Kindermusik classes are where emotional connections between you and your child are strengthened, and where what you learn and enjoy in class will spill over into even more bonding and memories together at home.

The window into your child

One of the unique features of Kindermusik is that you will glean tidbits and insights into that precious little

person that is your child. We use music as the vehicle to enhance every aspect of early childhood development, and to give you a peek into the wonders of the whys and hows of who your child is and what he is becoming.

The best choice

Knowing you have chosen one of the very best possible experiences for your child by enrolling her in Kindermusik makes you feel great – in class each week and at home all week long!

See for yourself why so many parents love Kindermusik – for their children and for themselves! Try a free class today.

– Written by Theresa Case who has an award-winning Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios in beautiful Upstate South Carolina

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FOL Fridays: Pairing Language with Movement

Pairing language with movement sets the stage for cognitive and kinesthetic learning.  The right hemisphere of the brain is our emotional side where much of our creativity is channeled.  The left hemisphere organizes logical skills, such as language.  When children are engaged in movements determined by the lyrics, the brain automatically cross-references both hemispheres, mapping creativity and logic (Fishbourne, G. 1998)
Tips for parents:  Family involvement in education can be as simple as turning on a favorite recording with lyrics or singing a favorite tune. Listen for a bit and then discuss the different ways you could move based on the words of the song.  As you dance together with your child, you can also label some of those movements, further strengthening the impact of the “moving to learn” experience. Plus, parent involvement in early childhood education through singing and dancing strengthens your role as your child’s first and best teacher.

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

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4 best practices for teaching young English Language Learners

Teaching Young English Language LearnersEarly language development begins long before children say recognizable words. Linguist Patricia Kuhl notes that a six-to-eight month old baby can discriminate any sound in any language. In early language development, children naturally learn phonetically by interacting with other people. In contrast, learning another language in later years, such as in high school or at university, often includes many hours of learning through grammar, syntax, and conjugating verbs. Je suis. Tu es. Il est.
As our world becomes increasingly global, more and more parents and education professionals see the benefits of beginning foreign language education at younger ages. In fact, the French Education Minister suggested in 2011 that children begin learning English in nursery school when they are three years old.
When we developed ABC English & Me, we merged our decades of early childhood music education experience with the latest research on teaching young children another language.

Research-based best practices for young English Language Learners

  1. The “Natural Approach.” In this teaching practice, the important underlying principle is an emphasis on language “acquisition” as opposed to language “processing.” The Natural Approach encourages children to speak and think in the second or foreign language. This takes precedence over analytical processing of formal language structure and syntax.
  2. Total Physical Response. A young learner responds to language learning through body movements, which helps comprehension and fluency.
  3. English language stories. When stories are read expressively to young English Language Learners, the association of foreign words nourishes both language development and listening skills in the new language. The foreign sounds of spoken and sung English, through repetition, become recognizable at first and subsequently comprehended.
  4. Early childhood music. Finger plays, traditional nursery rhymes and songs reinforce phonemic awareness and the systematic relationship of letters of the alphabet and the sounds connected to each letter. Plus, musical instruction and experience help the brain improve its ability to distinguish between rapidly changing sounds, referred to as auditory processing. This auditory processing is critical to developing phonemic awareness, a necessary aspect of foreign language acquisition. Children who hear English words, even without grasping their meaning, will develop an ear for the language, especially if it is heard musically.

ABC English & Me - Teaching English to Children through MusicRead more about the positive impact of music and movement on young children’s acquisition of English, the research behind it, and how our ESL curriculum puts it into practice.

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FOL Fridays: The Benefit of a Routine

happy child at music classRegular schedules provide a framework that orders a young child’s world. While predictability can be tedious for adults, children thrive on sameness and repetition. “Knowing what to expect from relationships and activities helps children become more confident,” says Dr. Peter Gorski, assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School (Asher).

Tips for parents: The days never seem

to go exactly as planned with young children, but it’s helpful for both of you to have a general schedule for the day. Naps and moods will improve tremendously, and you’re likely to have fewer outbursts to deal with. Of course, one predictable weekly activity that we highly recommend is… Kindermusik!

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

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How Music Classes Prepare Your Child for School

Early childhood education is important, and Kindermusik International believes that you – the parent – are your child’s first and best teacher.  But what to do with your child until he is 7 years old?  We’d like to recommend Kindermusik classes!

9 ways Music Classes prepare your child for school

teaching children in Kindermusik - mom and sonMusic classes in the early years that include parental involvement and focus on learning in a fun, developmentally appropriate way inspire a lifelong love for learning.
Practice with steady beat, enjoying movement activities, and playing instruments help develop coordination and motor skills necessary for cutting with scissors, holding a pencil, or kicking a ball, for example.
Music classes that are teaching children rhymes and then later, the basics of beginning to read music pave the way to literacy.
Music classes give your child a place to practice those all-important social skills, like cooperatively play, sharing, and following directions.
The best music classes will encourage your child to think creatively, developing critical thinking skills and the ability to problem-solve.
In an environment where process, not performance, is stressed, music classes build self-confidence and a willingness to try new things.
Music classes that gradually increase a child’s independence at the class help the child more successfully transition to the school classroom.
In these classes, children have the opportunity to bond and interact with their teacher, learning to listen and respond to someone other than the special adults who surround them at home.
Science and research have proven time and time again that music positively impacts a child in all areas of development – social/emotional, language, cognitive, physical, and language/literacy.

Kindermusik Classes - Enroll Now - For a Child's Brain, Body, Heart & SoulFrom music skills to life skills, it’s all there in Kindermusik, where music and learning play!  Find a class near you and try a free Kindermusik class on us today.

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