At Kindermusik, we’ve said it for years…
Movement and learning go hand in hand.
That’s why we found it fascinating that a recent study done in Australian schools identified a direct correlation between young children who engaged in a movement program as they were also being taught to read. The findings were astounding. The combination of consistent movement and exercise while being taught to read resulted in the students becoming better learners. Reading, writing, and fine motor skills improved, and the students were much more focused. In fact the program was such a huge success that it was implemented in all K5 and 1st grades at Applecross Primary School.
If you want your child to be a better reader, you don’t have to be one of the lucky students who attends Applecross Primary School in Melville, Australia. You can simply find your local Kindermusik educator and enroll in a Kindermusik class!
“Thinking and learning are anchored by movement.”*
Here are a few of the ways we move in Kindermusik that help our Kindermusik kids be ready – ready for school, ready to read, ready for music lessons, and ready to succeed in life!
- Expressive movement: Whether it’s dancing in Daddy’s arms as a baby or learning the steps of a minuet as a big kid, dancing is an important part of self-expression and developing creativity.
- Synchronized movement: Bouncing, clapping, stomping, or playing an instrument to a steady beat – first with and then later without Mom’s help.
- Fingerplays, songs, and chants: Moving little fingers, hands, and arms is a big part of how we learn through labeling and how fine motor skills – essential for holding a pencil, cutting with scissors, and playing the first notes on a piano – begin to develop.
- Group dances and circle songs: Simple choreography or moving together as a group provides vital social interactions that also facilitate a sense of community and belonging.
- Spatial exploration: Exploring the “where” and “how” of movement as it relates to one’s sense of self and relationship to personal and general space is a how the all-important skill of spatial awareness is developed.
This is the time of year when many Kindermusik educators are bidding a fond farewell to their Kindermusik graduates – a bittersweet time for sure! But they are sent way with so much pride, not just because of their accomplishments, but because of how Kindermusik has prepared them to succeed.
Poised for success in music, in school, and in life.
