Kindermusik International

New mommies’ brains grow bigger

The following post was shared by Kindermusik educator Analiisa Reichlin.

I always said that I lost brain cells with each child I delivered. It’s been my excuse over the last 12 years for all the information and appointments and tasks that seem to fall out of my head. However, some recent research I read seems to contradict that idea.

A recent Science Daily article says this, “Motherhood may actually cause the brain to grow, not turn it into mush, as some have claimed. Exploratory research published by the American Psychological Association found that the brains of new mothers bulked up in areas linked to motivation and behavior, and that mothers who gushed the most about their babies showed the greatest growth in key parts of the mid-brain.”

The authors of the study proposed the idea that all the hormonal changes after birth allow mother’s brains to reshape in response to their baby, and the instinct and drive mothers have to take care of their infant is the result of brain growth.

The researchers performed brain scans on women several weeks after birth, and again at 3 to 4 months post partum. They found that the mothers who most enthusiastically described their infants as wonderful, perfect, precious, beautiful, etc., were significantly more likely to have growth in the gray matter of their brains linked to maternal motivation, rewards and the regulation of emotions.

What made the authors believe that this brain growth was linked to motherhood was the fact that in adults, gray matter volume doesn’t normally transform over a few months without significant learning, brain injury or illness, or major environmental change.

So the questions arose. Does the constant touching, holding, cuddling, between a mother and baby cause her brain to “orchestrate a new and increased repertoire of complex interactive behaviors” with her baby?

Does growth in the brain’s “motivation” area lead to more nurturing by the new mommy, which in turn helps her baby thrive? Does behavior change the brain, or brain change behavior?

Finally, is it possible that post-partum depression reduce the same areas in the brain that grew in the non-depressed moms? Is there something in these findings that could help them?

More research is definitely needed. But these results are interesting, to say the least. So in the meantime, go ahead enthusiastically gush about your baby to everyone!

Special thanks to Studio 3 Music for allowing us to share this great post from the Studio 3 Music blog. Studio 3 Music in Seattle, Washington, the world’s largest Kindermusik program.

Want a $1000 grant to help children? Here’s your chance!

Ever had a great idea for a project that would make children’s lives better but you didn’t have the financial support to make it happen? An idea like:

– Collect new children’s books for children in foster care
– Add universally accessible playground equipment at your local elementary school
– Create a database of service providers who work with children with special needs in your area
– Offer a “Craft Camp” for preschoolers with a military parent who is currently deployed

Well, the Kindermusik Good Beginnings Grant Program is just for you! Anyone can apply for a Good Beginnings Grant. (Note: you must be 18 or older and live in the U.S. or Canada.)

At Kindermusik, we always say “a good beginning never ends.” Our worldwide network of Kindermusik educators will tell you that nothing compares to getting a child off to a good start. We’ve been doing it for 30 years, but now it’s YOUR turn! We are looking for parents, teachers, individuals, organizations, schools, or small businesses with a passion for making a child’s life better.

Our Good Beginnings Grants are your chance to put $1,000 toward a project that will make a difference in the lives of children. The project can be education, playful, musical, or whatever!

From now until December 16 we will be accepting applications. Then, starting in early January the public will vote on their favorite ideas! Get your friends and family to vote (and keep voting each day) to better your chances of winning. The top five vote getters will have their projects funded.

Ready to complete your application? Or want to learn more? Head to:

www.kindermusik.com/grants

Have questions? Post them below in the comments area. Good luck!

5 Aesthetic Awareness Activities for Kids

A young girl picks up leaves on a nature walk to build aesthetic awareness.

Aesthetic awareness, or the ability to observe, process, react to, and value nature and artistic expression, plays an important role in early development.

Our reactions to unusual sounds and sights can occur naturally, but grownups nurturing the listening skills, self-control (think: standing still to watch a hummingbird), and conversation it takes to really appreciate the beauty around us is critical for children.

Here are a few easy tips you can try…

Continue reading “5 Aesthetic Awareness Activities for Kids”

Musical variety is the spice of life

You’ve probably heard the old proverb: “Variety is the spice of life.” When it comes to music, musical variety is definitely the spice of life! When you expose your children to music from around the world, you expose them to different cultures, countries, ideas, and experiences, along with these developmental benefits:

Greater language proficiency
Just as you read a variety of books to expand your child’s vocabulary, exposure to a wide variety of music and sounds expands your child’s “ear vocabulary.” High quality musical recordings and real instruments help your child “fine tune” her ear to recognize and imitate the sounds that make up words and language.

Spatial awareness
When a child listens to music, her mind perceives the sound in multi-dimensional ways. The sound is loud or soft, fast or slow, it moves up and down, or left to right. Eventually, she’ll use that “awareness of space” to work with her body when she walks through the living room and tries not to hit the coffee table. Much later, this same awareness is necessary skill for learning how to get around things, jump, run, and move in zig-zag ways.

Temporal reasoning
You see this skill in action when a preschooler tells a story. He starts with his own experience and then moves to some imagined place with a princess or a superhero then goes back to something real again. Music does the same thing. It goes back and forth between established places (the chorus) and to new places that take you somewhere else (the verse). The ability to go back and forth from something established to something imagined comes from temporal reasoning, a skill used in music writing, storytelling, and problem solving.

Emotional intelligence
With exposure to a greater variety of musical styles-like jazz, folk, or classical, this increased exposure to music increases a child’s awareness, and understanding of different moods and emotions.

Cognitive skills
Research shows that music contributes to the development of a child’s ability to reason, his sense of patterning, and his memory skills.

Musical appetite
In the early years between newborn and age 7, your child is developing his musical taste buds as he learns to appreciate the finer things and to enjoy new musical tastes and textures. The wider the array of musical styles, the richer his “appetite” will be.

Try this at home… Your child is naturally musical. Hearing you sing and listening to recordings are like food for her musical appetite. Sing with child at least three times a day. Consider these song sessions musical breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (By the way, “lunch” can be interpreted loosely. Just plan the routine of singing together at a time that works for your schedule – when your child wakes up, in the car, doing dishes, at naptime, fixing supper, etc.!) Once you start, you will find that there is a song for everything. If you can’t remember what that song is, make one up!

Posted by Theresa Case whose Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios is proudly among the top 1% of Kindermusik programs worldwide.

Science in the shower

This post was generously shared from the Studio3Music blog.

I am a teacher by profession, and a home schooling mom by trade. (Or is it the other way around?) In any case, I spend most of my waking hours teaching somebody something. If you are a parent, your “other job” is being a teacher, too.

Your child’s job? (I’m talking about children newborn to 7 specifically, here.) Your child’s job is to play. Play IS work for a child’s brain. The brain is designed for the first seven years of life to simply organize things. And organizing play is how the brain does just that. I don’t mean organized play. Organized play is something that adults do to children. Telling them how and what to play.

So why are their rooms so messy? Well, it’s not THAT kind of organization either. The brain’s job is to organize all the sensory input it is receiving. Done well, and your child will be a happy and eager learner when they enter elementary school.

Way back in 1949, N.A. Alessandrini defined play as, “A child’s way of learning and an outlet for his innate need of activity. It is his business or career. In it he engages himself with the same attitude and energy that we engage ourselves in our regular work. For each child it is a serious undertaking not to be confused with diversion or idle use of time. Play is not folly. It is purposeful activity.”

This is still true today. The “occupation” of play for a child serves as a foundation for the development of future occupations (the kind they earn money for!) when your child grows up.

Now for your job… As teachers of our children, what can we do that allows them to organize their play? By providing them with open ended toys like blocks, cars, dress-up clothes, art supplies, dolls (for boys, too!) legos, a sand box or water table, kid-friendly pans, utensils and pretend food.

Do sit down and play alongside your child. As well, give them room to play as they wish. Remember, there really is no wrong way to play with a toy. (I don’t consider breaking toys or eating sand playing.) Your child will play with the toys the way the brain needs to in order to organize itself.

Case in point. Science in the shower. We have an accumulation of foamie shapes left over from various craft projects. Big and little animals, cars, etc. A couple of months ago, I took a big handful of them and gave them to my 4 year old Natalie in the shower. The only thing I had to do was demonstrate that they “stuck” to the wall when wet. And then I stepped back and observed her.

It’s been months now, and they are still in the shower. She doesn’t want to take a bath because she wants to still play with those foamie pieces. What have I observed? Natalie organized her own play. Literally – Everytime I go to take a shower, all those animals will be arranged in a different pattern. Sometimes by color, by habitat, by size. That’s science in the shower.

And then I get to see the outward manifestation of the internal organization that is going on. Because sometimes, Natalie takes two of the animals, and one is “bad”, and one is “good”, or one won’t let the other play with it, so she practices making friends, and works through social situations that are typical at this age.

You see, her brain knows what it needs. Your child’s does, too. We just have to provide the “tools” and the space to allow that to happen.

Special thanks to Studio 3 Music for allowing us to share this great post from the Studio 3 Music blog. Studio 3 Music in Seattle, Washington, the world’s largest Kindermusik program.

Sometimes ACTIONS are louder than WORDS

Have you ever sat in a movie theater, and several people in the row behind you are all talking? I bet you found it difficult to concentrate on the movie.

What does this have to do with your child in a Kindermusik class? Just imagine this scenario: your Kindermusik teacher brings out a basket of rhythm sticks and sings “two for you and two for your grownup”. Most of the grownups in the room start encouraging their child to go get the sticks. They encourage them with their voices and now we hear 10 adults telling their child to go get sticks. At this point, some of the children will start to “tune you out”. I like to call this “selective hearing loss”. (I have teens at home and I am very familiar with this temporary, albeit sometimes annoying ailment.)

Although we highly encourage you to talk to your child throughout the day and label movements, sounds, and objects to help with language acquisition, there are times when we have to allow them to figure out what to do without being told. Allow them to problem solve.

I want to share with you an experiment we did in a few of my classes. I asked the adults not to give directions to their child during this class – just sing when it was appropriate in the lesson. The toughest part was the “no talking”. But they all agreed and were curious to witness their child in this somewhat altered environment. I encouraged them to guide their little one by being a model and using non-verbal cues.

Here is what some of the adults said at the end of class:
* They showed more patience
* They were more “in the moment” with their children
* Their children were more attentive and focused
* Their children felt freer to create, explore, and express themselves

Try a version of this experiment at home. Take time to explore with your child without giving them opinions or directions. Be a model for them through your actions and not your words. It’s not easy, but it may allow you to be “in the moment” with your child in a way you have not been before.

Special thanks to Kindermusik educator Cathy Huser for sharing this insightful post from her blog. Cathy’s program, Kindermusik of Cleveland, has been a top ten Kindermusik Maestro program for 10 years running.

Ready? Set. Read!

Every parent knows how much children enjoy being read to: the excitement of new books and the comfort of those read over and over. Then there’s also all the great benefits they’re getting.

Reading to a child aids in language development. As a child hears language spoken to him, he internalizes the sounds, later using them in his own speech. Reading can open up new worlds and expand the mind. It can extend vocabulary and the understanding of things beyond everyday experience. Giving your child the opportunity to become familiar and comfortable with books is an important part of fostering a love of reading.

Reading together:

-Fosters reading enjoyment.
-Provides predictability through repetition.
-Introduces new vocabulary.
-Expands understanding of story structures.
-Promotes critical thinking.
-Encourages language play and creative expression.
-Provides cognitive stimulation.
-Builds early interest in literacy.

“Literacy is listening, learning, and quality of life. It is reading, writing, thinking, scribbling, drawing, and being motivated to find meaning. It is interpreting, inventing, associating, communicating, responding, sharing, and being able to set visions into action.” —The Storybook Journey, by S. McCord, p. 125.

There is a strong relationship between reading and music. Reading to children closely approximates the experience of singing or conversation. It provides another way to communicate through rhythm, reciprocity, tone, and language that is, after all, very much like music. That’s why pre-literacy development and exposure to books is an integral piece of each Kindermusik class. Books stir the same responses in young children that music does. Some books are exciting and encourage movement. Some inspire children to be thoughtful. And some books soothe a child to sleep just like a lullaby.

Reading can help toddlers understand and process emotions and can teach healthy social behaviors. For children whose emotions are powerful but whose expressive language is still limited, books provide avenues for understanding the emotions they experience. Through hearing stories, toddlers and preschoolers can make sense of their own feelings.

Story Time:

-Exposes children to new words and new ways to communicate.
-Motivates children to think about things in different ways and even see things from another’s perspective.
-Provides opportunity for children to interact with each other.
-Can present positive social models and examples.
-When shared in the lap of a loving grownup can provide calm, relaxation, and promote bonding.

Reading together at home is so important. Kindermusik includes literature as another medium for communication between parents and children. During Story Time in our toddler and preschool classes (and even sometimes in the baby classes), watch as your teacher engages the children. Gather ideas to use to bring books alive for your child at home. Support and nurture literacy development during read-aloud experiences by building on your child’s comments about the text, posing challenging questions, suggesting alternative interpretations, encouraging personal reactions, drawing attention to letters, words, and illustrations, and engaging in discussions about the text.

At Home:

-Set aside a specific time to read with your child each day. This ritual will not only be soothing to your child but also to you.
-Visit your public library. Ask the children’s librarian what books she recommends for your child’s age, or look at some of the suggestions on our blog or in your Home Activity Guide.
-Look at your Kindermusik books with your child while listening to the read-aloud that is often included on the Home CD.
-Make reading interactive. Ask your child questions about the story and the pictures.

“The most important thing you can do to make your child a reader is to read aloud stories and poems—the more the better!” —Read to Me: Raising Kids Who Love to Read, by Bernice E. Cullinan.

Special thanks to Kindermusik educator Joy Granade for sharing this post from her blog, Kindermusik with Joy. Information about Joy’s Kindermusik program in Kansas City, MO, can be found at her blog.

What do you hear?

Pitter, patter, pitter, patter… I can HEAR the rain.

Musically speaking, rain sounds are short sounds. The musical term “staccato” refers to sounds that are separated and often short. It’s the perfect word to use when playing with – and describing – rain sounds. But did you know that being able to identify a sound as “short” (staccato) or “long” (legato) actually involves some pretty high-level thinking and listening skills?

Active listening differs from simple hearing in that we must choose it as an intentional act. Analytical listening, like the kind we will do in Kindermusik class when we explore different shaker sounds and mimic and identify a variety of rain sounds, takes the development of our music listening skills to a whole new level.

Analytical listening is an absolutely vital skill, for music class and for life because it requires children to:
– Evaluate what is heard and comprehended
– Contemplate and reflect
– Weigh new information against what is already known
– Discuss by sharing thoughts, opinions, and viewpoints

As Kindermusik teachers, it is an awesome privilege for us to be able to help shape a child’s disposition and aptitude for learning music – practicing the skills that lead to competency and enjoyment and encouraging the attitude that music is fun. Music truly is a powerful tool for representing ideas and expressing individuality, especially when a child develops the ability to listen analytically.

In the Kindermusik classroom where so many of the senses are often engaged simultaneously and where imagination can soar, musical learning truly has the potential to be the strongest and most powerful.

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

Let’s jump for joy!

This article was originally written by Kindermusik educator Helen Peterson. Helen’s Kindermusik of the Valley program, located in and around the twin cities, MN, is one of the top programs in the world.

In a relatively recent study, 4 to 6 year old children in music and movement programs were tested to see how they compared to children enrolled in a traditional physical education program. The results were interesting, to say the least. The children getting music and movement instruction showed more growth in motor skills than those in a standard physical education program. Here’s a quote from Early Childhood Research Quarterly (Vol. 19, Issue #4, 2004):

“In a study 50 children were enrolled in a music and movement program, and 42 children were enrolled in a traditional physical education program. After 8 weeks, the children in the music AND movement group had improved significantly in both jumping and dynamic balance skills when compared to their peers in the traditional program.”

As a Kindermusik educator, I have had many parents ask me how Kindermusik compares to Gymboree or Little Gym, now I can honestly say (as I suspected): movement + music (Kindermusik) really is the best choice.

Meet a Kindermusik educator: Pam Carmagnola

Name:
Pam Carmagnola

Location:
Crozet, VA (outside of Charlottesville, in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains)

Studio name and link:
Kindermusik with Pam
www.kmusikwithpam.kindermusik.net

Number of years you’ve taught Kindermusik:
Eight

Describe yourself in five words or less:
Dedicated, child-centered, professional, enthusiastic

Favorite Kindermusik song:
“Giraffe and Zebra Move-Along,” from Zoo Train

Favorite Kindermusik activity, and why:
My current favorite activity is the circle dance from Zoo Train, to “Drover’s Dream.” It’s got a great beat and is very adaptable to different movements. Everyone loves to hear the unique sound of the didgeridoo!

A proud moment in a Kindermusik classroom:
After several years of classes, including Village and Our Time, a sweet preschooler now enrolled in ABC Music & Me is demonstrating his solid understanding of the concepts he has learned in Kindermusik. Steady beat, pitch, tempo – you name it! His good beginning truly will never end!

Something your Kindermusik children or families have taught you (could be inspirational, humorous, practical, etc.):
“Shiny stickers are special!” “Hand sanitizer is cold!” “An opened/flattened castanet makes a great pretend phone!” And finally, “Kindermusik is a place where I am accepted and loved for who I am, just the way I am right now!”

Something funny a child has said or done in your classroom:
One of my favorite, most memorable moments occurred during vocal play when we were making doorbell ringing sounds. “Ding, dong” said Abigail’s mom. “Pizza’s here!” said two-year old Abigail!

The reason you teach:
I teach Kindermusik for many reasons. The one closest to my heart is creating those special moments when parent and child really connect in class. These days, precious time to focus solely on our children is rare. It is a blessing to provide these opportunities for families in my community.