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Kindermusik and Your Child: Multisensory Equals More Memory and More Skills!

Multisensory Learning Activities with Kindermusik

Your child needs more than exposure to music. Your child needs participation in music! He/she thrives on emotionally engaging music activities which integrate sight, sound, touch, and movement. Through these joyful music experiences your child is learning to love music for all of her life, plus a whole lot more!

Multisensory Activities

Activities that incorporate learning through several senses are known as multisensory activities. In the Kindermusik classroom, every activity is a multisensory activity because we know that:

  • Children learn through their senses. Each sense activates specific neurons in the brain; therefore, multi-sensory activities generally provide more lasting learning opportunities than single-sensory activities.
  • Each child is unique and brings to class his or her own learning style which determines how he or she understands and organizes information. Read here for more information about three main learning styles and a description of how children with these learning styles may behave in the classroom:

Our best advice? Think of your child as a string. If you push it, it bunches up. If you guide it along, it moves beautifully. So joyfully accept your child as he is, and work with him to make the most of his abilities as they relate to his learning style. We think it is worth restating the following quote this week in the context of our multi-sensory focus.

"Short-term memory has the ability to hold about seven bits of information. But when patterns and related groupings of information are bound together as a unit (as in our multisensory play) the volume of material stored increases. "

– Rhythms of Learning by Chris Brewer and Don G. Campbell

Multisensory Learning

At Kindermusik, we support the wonder and uniqueness of each child, and we’re really proud of the way that the Kindermusik curricula embrace all learning styles by providing multisensory activities to appeal to as many of your child’s senses as possible. But we also recognize that it us up to the teacher and the parent to identify – and celebrate – the wonderful variety of learning styles that are in each class!

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

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FOL Fridays: Ring Around the Rosie

Circle Dances

Circle dances come from the wonderful tradition of communities dancing together, a tradition which is timeless in origin and yet relevant today in its capacity to foster togetherness. Dancing in a circle actually benefits the mind, body, and spirit.

“It is a very accessible form of dance for people of all ages and abilities, with the emphasis on participation, not performance” (Michaelsen).

Tips for parents:

Remember the fun of making a circle and singing “Ring Around the Rosie” when you were a child? That fun lives on nearly every week in a Kindermusik class where we do all

kinds of circle and group dances together.

But you don’t have to be in class to enjoy a circle dance – even just two people can make their own circle and dance to their own song or a favorite recording. You’ll still experience the same wonderful benefits whether it’s two or a whole class dancing in a circle together.

– 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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Happy Teacher Appreciation Week

We Love Kindermusik Teachers

We are very thankful for all the wonderful Kindermusik educators in our communities, helping to change the world through music!We Love Kindermusik Teachers

Help your child understand the importance of gratitude, by suggesting they thank their teacher for a favorite memory from their Kindermusik classes this year. This same concept can be used for any teacher, but we are especially grateful for our Kindermusik teachers and want to pass the message along.

Spark the Conversation

Here are a few questions to ask your kids…helping them think about what they appreciate from their Kindermusik teachers. Encourage them to share these great experiences with their teachers:

  1. What was your favorite song at Kindermusik this year?
  2. Did you have a favorite book from Kindermusik class?
  3. What instrument did you like learning with your teacher?

The idea is to help our children understand teachers are very important in their lives, whether it’s their Kindermusik teacher, their school teacher, or even you…being a teacher to your children every day. Reflecting on gratitude is an important part of development for children (and adults) so remember to take a minute and think about what you’re grateful for – and express that with those who make a difference in your life.

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Kindermusik at the Mom 2.0 Summit!

Kindermusik @ the Mom 2.0 Summit

Any Kindermusik moms heading to the Mom 2.0 Summit in Key Biscayne, FL?

Kindermusik @ the Mom 2.0 Summit

We are on our way – and excited to network with other moms during many of the great events over the weekend!

Today is the official first day of the conference and so much to look forward to!

1. Networking with other Moms and Marketers

Tonight before the Welcome Party, from 6:00 – 7:00 PM, Kindermusik is hosting a little get together at Rumbar – at the hotel. We look forward to meeting some of the amazing working mothers that make this whole thing spin.

After all, that’s what this conference is about – initiating conversations between moms and marketers – and utilizing this feedback to make us better.

2. Many Great Speakers

Friday and Saturday are filled with top-notch speakers such as:

  • Stacey Ferguson, discussing the Keys to Aligning Your Passions Into One Business Strategy. (At Kindermusik, we bring our passion to work every day – so this will be an exciting session for us!)
  • Missy Maher talking about marketing to the modern family (very relevant as you can imagine).
  • Sam Bee is even going to be on the keynote panel on Saturday! Many of you may recognize Sam from her funny reports on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

3. Measuring Social Media

As an online marketer for about 10 years now, this is a hot topic for me and one I’m personally very interested in. Knowing how the Kindermusik family utilizes social media, we know this is an important aspect of marketing moving forward. We are looking forward to learning new

trends in social media measurement.

4. Key Biscayne | The Ritz-Carlton | the Versace Mansion

Ok, so all of these are going to be awesome and hopefully the weather is too!

We look forward to connecting with other moms at the summit. If you’re not able to attend, stay tuned! I’m sure we’ll have lots to share after this great weekend.

— Shellie Foriska

Manager, Online Marketing

Kindermusik International

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FOL Fridays: The Language of Music

Children instinctively understand the language of music. Music draws children in, inviting them to match its pitches, incorporate its lyrics, move to its beat, and explore its harmonic and emotional dimensions. Music’s physical vibrations, organized patterns, engaging rhythms, and subtle variations interact with the mind and body. Even as music delights, it helps mold children’s mental, emotional, social, and physical development (adapted from Campbell, 2000).

Ideas for parents: You may not have any musical background, but you can be a musical parent by the kind of environment, experiences, and encouragement you give to your child to foster and support a love of music. Playing music in the home and car and taking your child to Kindermusik classes and later, to music lessons, are important aspects of musical parenting. The best gift you can give your child is to instill a love of music in the early years and then support your child as she pursues and develops that interest throughout the rest of her life.

– 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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The Recipe for Learning Success

Recipe for Learning Success

The below post comes to us courtesy from Miss Analissa via the Studio3Music blog. Studio 3 Music is a Maestro Kindermusik educator, meaning in the top 1%, and serves the greater Seattle area with locations in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond and more!

I started reading the Little House on the Prairie series to Natalie a couple of months ago. (She’s 6, and unlike my boys, totally enraptured by Laura’s story.) She was shocked to learn that on Sundays, Laura had to sit still and play quietly or read. Natalie tried it, and lasted about 7 minutes.

Recipe for Learning Success

We just got to the part in On the Banks of Plum Creek where Laura and Mary go to school for the first time. This time, Natalie was dumbfounded that Laura would have been slapped on the hands “many times” with a ruler if she had wiggled, swung her legs, or talked during school.

What a difference a 120 years makes! I’m so glad we live in a time where we know so much more about the brain, and how learning and moving go hand in hand.

Carla Hannaford (award winning author and eductor) writes, “Movement is essential to learning. Movement integrates and anchors new information into our neural networks. Every time we move in an organized…manner, full brain activation and integration occurs, and the door to learning opens.”

Combine movement, which fully activates the brain, and creates and strengthens neural networks, with music, which is the only activity that simultaneously stimulates every area of the brain, and you have a recipe for successful learning. Continue reading “The Recipe for Learning Success”

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FOL Fridays: The Movement-Learning Connection

Music and Movement Classes for Toddlers

Music and Movement Classes for ToddlersChildren learn best with their bodies. By providing a venue for movement, either in Kindermusik class or at home, children have a chance to “try out” a variety of creative, self-expressive movements. Being sensory learners, children should be encouraged to move, use their imaginations, and engage their large and small muscle groups, all in a safe place where they are mentally and emotionally connected. Physical, mental, and emotional developmental qualities of young children are so interwined and interrelated that when one area is affected, the other two areas are equally affected (adapted from Geigert, 2006).

Ideas for parents: Find ways to give your child the freedom and opportunity to move. Children who are not yet walking still enjoy moving with, and being moved by, an adult. Once your child learns to walk, encourage him to run and play outdoors, both in free play time and as age-appropriate, with more structured or organized activities. Simply dancing and moving to music is one of the best ways to help children learn through moving, whether that’s at home with the iPod or radio or in the studio at a Kindermusik class.

– 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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FOL Fridays: The Singing-Speaking Connection

“Singing ability is related to the ability to control speech fluctuations, and speech activities appear to help develop tuneful singing skills. The ability to sing and the ability to converse with expressive speech are closely related. Playing with rhythm speech (chants, poems, rhymes, etc.) as well as simple tonal melodies helps the child develop both singing and speech skills.” (adapted from McDonald and Simons, 1988)

Tips for parents: So what is the best resource for learning (or remembering!) those all-important songs and chants that help your child become a better speaker and a better singer? You’ll learn a ton of great music and activities in your Kindermusik classes, but you can also borrow from Mother Goose, pull from your childhood memories, or make up your own songs and chants. Piggyback songs, where you adapt a song by substituting your own words, are also lots of fun.

– 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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Sing & Sway the Summer Away!

Looking for a summer adventure?

Look no further! It’s time to swing, sway, dance & play the summer away with Kindermusik. Your local Kindermusik studio offers a variety of Kindermusik summer camps & adventures – from baby music classes to drop off music camps for older kids. With fun, summery themes you can sink your feet into, discover why so many families with young children love Kindermusik, especially during the summer time! In our short summer camp classes, we’ll give you a summer’s worth of music, stories, and activities created to inspire a lifetime of learning and love for music.

You can find a Kindermusik studio near you on www.kindermusik.com.