ABC English & Me Archives - Minds On Music

How music helps a teacher and children in Monaco live happily ever after

Once upon a time, an educator who loved music moved from Milan, Italy, to bring the joy of learning English through music to children in a land faraway. Around the same time, an enchanting place called Monte Carlo Munchkins Club opened its doors to welcome children during their most formative years. As in any great fairytale, the two were destined to meet.

On the way to happily ever after

And, so begins the magical journey of Kindermusik educator Alina Botezatu, who explains in her own words how teaching children is changing her life and theirs!
“I love Kindermusik and seeing how the little curious minds assimilate information like sponges. It took some time to win the children’s trust, but now, as soon as they see me, they hug me and are excited about joining the class. This is such a wonderful feeling for a teacher.
“I’ve only been living in Monte Carlo and teaching Kindermusik at the Munchkins Club for a few months but I can already see the children’s progress in so many ways, including:

They learn new English words faster.
They sing many of the songs with me.
They dance and move their bodies in a more balanced way.
They know the stories we read together.
They have better concentration and listening abilities.
They are happy to take turns sharing instruments and helping each other and me during the class.

“It is always a lot of fun to sing and dance together. I’d like to thank my mentor, Laura D’Abbondanza Berryman, for all her invaluable support and my cute friends—the puppets—that make the children laugh and have fun during the lessons!”
Of course, what fairytale is complete without a princess? Alina’s story includes Princess Charlene of Monaco, who visited the Munchkins Club to show her support for early childhood education.
We love happy endings. And, with Kindermusik, it is a good beginning with a happy ending that never ends!

Learn more about bringing Kindermusik’s ABC English & Me to your Language School, Nursery School, or Children’s Centre.

The Picture-Reading Connection

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but in ABC English & Me, Kindermusik International is using the research-proven technique of using a picture to help a child learn to read a word. In fact, a recent study by Chinese researchers again confirmed the impact of a visual-rich context on literacy.
Along with music, movement, and interactive @Home Materials, the ABC English & Me curriculum actually utilizes a variety of pictures and visuals to help reinforce the learning that happens in class and at home including:

illustrated rhymes
illustrated stories
posters
flashcards

You may not be enrolled in an ABC English & Me program, but you can help enhance your child’s literacy development in other simple ways. Here are a few ideas and resources to get you started…

Build your own library at home. From e-books to traditional books, you can buy books new, put them on a birthday or Christmas list for Grandma, or find gently used books at local bookstores or online at sites like Amazon.
Spend time reviewing this great list from The Children’s Book Review: 20 Sites to Improve Your Child’s Literacy
Point out the letters and words that surround us. Whether it’s a box of cereal, a menu at a restaurant, or a sign on a building, opportunities abound to highlight the connection between letters, sounds, and words in every day, casual conversation.
Label things around the house. Make some simple signs and label objects around the house. You can use sticky-tack so that the signs are temporary. Include a picture with the word for extra benefit.
Read aloud. There’s no better way to bond with your child, create memories for a lifetime, AND increase their love for books and interest in learning to read for themselves.

See for yourself how Kindermusik can benefit your child in so many ways… including literacy development! Try a free class today.

Changing our world…through music!

There was a fascinating article recently published in Forbes magazine about how one man is using music, and specifically a music school, to shape a new generation in Vietnam. The title of the article says it all, “Music Awakens Education in Vietnam.” Nguyen Hong Minh’s vision is to use music to broaden minds, expand opportunities, impact the current culture, and create future leaders – all with a goal of changing his society for the better. And he believes that he can accomplish his mission through one very powerful means… giving students an opportunity to study music and the performing arts at Erato Music & Performing Arts.
For over 30 years, Kindermusik International has also been committed to a similar mission – that of changing our world through music, one child at a time. KI’s newest initiative, ABC English & Me, demonstrates the power of music to help children learn, develop, and blossom. ABC English & Me is a unique and exciting mix of music and movement activities proven to help teach young English language learners while at play.
But like all Kindermusik classes, ABC English & Me is much more than just a weekly class experience. The fun, music, and learning extend throughout the week at home through interactive @Home Materials that help parents support, enjoy, and enlarge the learning process in the place where children often learn best – at home.

Here are a few simple ways you can change your own little corner of the world through music and make a powerful difference in your child’s life:

Expose your children to a wide variety of music.
Keep music playing at home and in the car whenever possible.
Talk about what you hear in the music, identifying specific instruments or discussing the qualities of the music (fast, slow, loud, soft, etc.).
Have age-appropriate musical instruments available for your child to explore and play.
Sing and dance together – Your child doesn’t care how good you are, just that you care enough to sing or dance with him!
Read books about music to your child. Here’s a list compiled by an elementary music teacher.
Take your children to music performances and concerts.
Watch good music and performing arts performances on TV, DVD, or webcast.
Inspire a love for music and take advantage of the benefits of music from a very early age – Kindermusik classes are a great place to start! (You can even try a class for free!)

Educators in Italy speak the language of music and learning

With educators in over 70 countries, you can imagine we speak a lot of languages when we get together! Thankfully, we do share one common language: music and learning. A group of VYL ELL teachers in Italy recently experienced this common language at a one-day training session hosted by Kindermusik.
Danny Berryman and Laura D’Abbondanza, Kindermusik project leaders and Teacher Trainers in Italy, brought together this group of VYL ELL teachers from Lingua Point in Reggio Emilia and The Victoria Company in Recanati and Jesi for a one-day training session using ABC English & Me, Kindermusik’s English Language Learning curriculum. Lingua Point and The Victoria Company are both authorized Cambridge ESOL examination centers, recognized by the Italian Ministry of Education and Members of the Italian Association of Language Schools (AISLI), founded in 1979 to promote excellent teaching standards.
And, even though we know “We Love Kindermusik” Week officially ended last week, we didn’t want to wait until next year to share with you why these VYL ELL teachers in Italy love Kindermusik! Here’s what some of them had to say about the experience.

Why VYL ELL teachers in Italy love Kindermusik…

“I’ve really enjoyed this ABC English & Me Training day. It was very informative and gave us many opportunities to try out this comprehensive and effective way of teaching. I was pleased to see that it is based on strong research and feel it is something that will surely help me develop, both professionally and personally. I am confident that this method of teaching will successfully bring a whole new way of language learning to this school that can only benefit our students.” ~ Kate Letts – Lingua Point
“During the workshop, we learned an innovative method for teaching English to children aged 2 to 7 years old. This method, Kindermusik, combines music and movement for language acquisition; and is loaded with lots of fun! We also had a great time by emerging ourselves in the method with the techniques learned in class during role-play sessions.” ~ Julia Stegmann – Lingua Point
“Danny Berryman and Laura D’Abbondanza, Kindermusik project leaders and Teacher Trainers here in Italy, gave Lingua Point the opportunity to get to know and experience an engaging and alternative teaching approach for our most precious clients: kids! The training combined didactics, marketing, and the sharing of ideas. The above, along with a nice lunch and many laughs, were the ingredients of a day that was full of ideas and energy. It is always nice to invest in projects that make you grow! From now on, English learning for our kids from 3 to 6 is going to be set to music.” ~ Enrichetta Antichi, school co-founder – Lingua Point
“This day gave me a new perspective when it comes to teaching English to young children. This method is dynamic, rich and most importantly, fun! It offers structure and more material than a teacher could desire while at the same time not limiting the teacher’s imagination in the education process. It is truly interesting and one to try out!” ~ Oana Alexandra Samolia –The Victoria Company
“This training was very useful. In reality, putting the method into practice is much simpler than it seems with the help of the Kindermusik site and digital teachers guides. I have no doubt that the children will find the lesson activities engaging and fun. On the other hand, the teachers can find all the support necessary on the website and through the music provided.” ~ Sara Verducci – The Victoria Company
“It was a beautiful experience that not only answered questions with words, but in a concrete and practical way also. This training has motivated me even greater and I am certain that both the teachers and children are going to be enthusiastic about this project. Parents will have a real chance to take part in the development of their children as they see the method and fall in in love with it just like myself. ~ Ilaria Mandolini – The Victoria Company

Learn more about bringing ABC English & Me to your school!

Kindermusik brings smiles to orphans in Kenya

Kindermusik International donated the instruments and Teacher Guides to help support this initiative in Kenya.

If a smile is worth a thousand words, then the smile on this girl’s face and the other children at her orphanage must certainly be worth an entire library of words. Thanks to a partnership between two organizations—Make A Difference and the British American Pre-school (BAPS) —young children at an orphanage in Kenya will be receiving the benefits of music by participating in ABC English & Me classes.

The project is lead by Debbie Chilver, director of BAPS, and her sister, Mariann Chilver, along with the

support of Debbie’s husband, Luca Paloschi, and the collaboration of many families and children.

“As our association works principally with very young children, the opportunity to introduce the Kindermusik program to them is very exciting and it will be a wonderful opportunity for our Kenyan students,” explains Debbie Chilver.

At BAPS in Milan, children participate in ABC English & Me and experience the powerful impact of musical learning on language and literacy development, social-emotional skills, and more. “I feel that music is one of the greatest vehicles for teaching. Music is a form of communication that is great for teaching English as a second language,” Chilver explained in a previous blog post.

Over 3,000 miles away, young children experience those same benefits of music. While the setting looks different and the backgrounds of the children are different, the smiles are the same.

Take a look at the images and do the impossible: Try not to smile, yourself, when you think about how the music from the Appalachians, played in a Kindermusik class in Kenya, led by the British Director of an Italian school brings music and learning to these children.

Taking the Language Learning All the Way Home

Kindermusik International is truly international, and one of the company’s latest initiatives has been to develop a music and movement curriculum called ABC English & Me that provides early language learning (ELL) for English as a foreign language.
As with all Kindermusik curricula, there is a strong emphasis on the classroom-to-home learning connection, now made more convenient, more accessible, and more powerful through the online learning activities available with the Kindermusik @Home Materials each family receives with their enrollment.
The delightful activity “Moo, Quack, Neigh!” (from the Moo, Quack, Neigh! unit) is a perfect example of how the language learning comes home, reinforcing the fun and learning from class and supporting parent involvement in early childhood education at home. “Moo, Quack, Neigh!” is just one of many activities for kids at home that makes learning a second language so much fun that the language learning comes easily and naturally.

Take a free peek at “Moo, Quack, Neigh!” for yourself and see if you don’t agree!

Learn more about the positive impact of music and movement activities on young children’s acquisition of English and how our ESL curriculum, ABC English & Me, puts it into practice.

Kindermusik Community Updates

For all our Kindermusik families…

We are now making it easier for all Kindermusik communities to come together and learn from each other by combining our blog communities! Kindermusik has multiple brands across the globe. For better collaboration, we will now communicate through 1 blog:

Minds on Music is the Official Blog of Kindermusik International.

We welcome our communities from:

ABC Music & Me – Kindermusik’s early childhood music curriculum. Staying current with research on early literacy and language development, we share these findings with our community and continue to incorporate into our curriculum. As many schools, childcare centers, head start programs, special needs programs, after-school programs, and others use ABC Music & Me, we continue to see positive results as we help children learn through music.

ABC English & Me – our ELL (English Language Learning) curriculum. We’ll continue to share exciting stories from around the world of children learning English through music. Our community of bilingual children and families continue to grow so we’ll keep sharing ELL resources, tips, research and inspiration!

Kindermusik Green – our approach to Sustainability. We believe in making a better future for our children, not only by empowering children to learn through music, but also through sustainable practices. We’ll share tips, stories, and action items we take as a company to promote a Green future; teaching kids, families, and educators how to incorporate sustainability into their lives.

Tag: ABC English & Me