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5 Ways to Get the Most from Kindermusik

Thinking about enrolling in Kindermusik class with your child? Well, if you’ve never experienced a class before, you probably have a few questions. It’s okay. You’ve come to the right place! In class, you may already know to expect lots of music, movement, instrument play, cuddles, and giggles that all support your child’s development and your key role in the process. So, we thought we’d share some tried-and-true tips to make the most of your Kindermusik experience and this precious time with your little one.

5 Ways to Get the Most from Kindermusik

  1. Arrive 5-10 minutes early. Most children need a few minutes to transition into something new. Those extra few minutes give your child the opportunity to take off shoes, find a spot to sit, interact with the other children, or even to explore the room. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to connect with other parents in class. You will both find the Kindermusik community a loving and encouraging group!
  2. Dress comfortably. We sit on the floor. We dance around the room with scarves. We lift scarf playchildren in the air, swing them in a blanket, or even roll around on the floor. Your child will love every minute of it—and so will you—but admittedly at times it might feel like a workout.
  3. Follow your child’s lead. We ask for children’s ideas throughout the class. In fact, we start each class singing or waving or running or even blinking hello. It all depends on the ideas each child shares. Go along with the ones your child provides or the way your child chooses to respond to the music or play the egg shakers, etc. Your child’s response to class can range from sitting in your lap pretending to be asleep to running around the room the whole time. We’ve seen it all—and welcome it all!
  4. Actively participate.Your child learns from your words and actions. When your little one sees you authentically engaging in class or at home, your child will, too. So go ahead, sing and dance and be silly. Rediscover the joys of childhood with your little one as a tour guide. Your voice is your child’s favorite one to hear.
  5. Play Kindermusik outside of the classroom. Kindermusik isn’t just a weekly class. We intentionally include the music from class and other materials for families to use together throughout the week. Connecting the classroom learning to those “everyday” moments supports your role as your child’s first and best teacher and makes the learning stick. Take a peek at how one mom and daughter “play” Kindermusik at home.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsKuRTncmgQ&list=PLLSMo0LCnI5C1ORlIspEIYZ9GM7gkZ78Q[/youtube]

 

Kindermusik_GiveYourChildTheGiftOfMusic_EnrollTodayPut these tips into action. Find your local Educator at www.Kindermusik.com and visit a free class!

Contributed by Lisa Camino Rowell, a freelance writer living in the Atlanta area.

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4 Things You May Not Know About Kindermusik

Kindermusik is for parents tooKindermusik isn’t just for kids – it’s for parents too!
You’ll love the support and friendship you find amongst the other adults in the class.  The class activities are just as much fun for you as they are for your child – and no one cares how well you sing or dance.  It’s all about the kids!  Plus you’ll take home what you learn so that along with your Home Materials, you’ll have the tools and resources at your fingertips to extend the fun, music, and learning at home.
Kindermusik classes will become the highlight of your week.
Kindermusik isn’t just one more thing for your busy schedule, it’s the one thing that allows you time to slow down and savor those precious, fleeting years from newborn to age 7 years. Kindermusik classes give you uninterrupted quality time with your child and unique insights into your child’s development.  And there’s nothing more rewarding than knowing that you (and Kindermusik!) just put that big smile on your child’s face and a happy song in his/her heart.
Kindermusik helps you influence your child’s early learning.
With Kindermusik, your young child has his/her first learning experiences in a group where the gentle, nurturing structure of the class is shaped not only by your caring, licensed educator, but more importantly, by your support and involvement in class.  It’s in the early years that brain activity is at its peak, and where the window of learning is open widest.  With carefully developed curricula enhanced by your Home Materials, Kindermusik helps you give your child an early learning advantage.  After all, you are your child’s first and best teacher!
A Kindermusik enrollment pays huge dividends.
It’s impossible to put a price tag on the long-term benefits of investing in Kindermusik for your child.  Kindermusik is truly the good beginning that never ends, nurturing your child’s total development, creating memories of the happiest moments, and fostering a lifelong love of music.  The bonding and together time contributes to healthy social-emotional development.  And the research continues to confirm a strong connection between music and academic achievement.  Even more studies are finding that the beneficial effects of early childhood music experiences extend even into the elderly years.
Kindermusik is where music and learning play
Want to learn more about Kindermusik?  Get started today with a free preview class on us.

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From a cowboy community to the Kindermusik community

Music can both bring an existing community together and create a new community. Director, Musician, and Kindermusik Educator Amy Munsell understands the power of Amy Munsell 2music to make connections between people of all ages and all backgrounds.
When she opened her studio in Casper, Wyoming, late last year, many people in her area questioned the need for music classes for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and families. Now after growing from 20 families to over 200 (and still growing!), people no longer question it. Well, local pediatricians do. They contact her to find out what she teaches in Kindermusik class, because they can tell the developmental difference during well-child checkups!
“My studio, VIBES, is about putting good and positive vibes out into our community, allowing students to excel in music and the arts, and to expose students and families to new opportunities in the world,” explains Amy.
With a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education, a seasoned saxophone performer, and more than 10 years of music teaching experience, Amy researched various early childhood music programs before deciding to teach Kindermusik. “With my background, I looked for specific things in a curricula. I love how Kindermusik supports the educator as the guide and the parent a the most important teacher in a child’s life. Also, Kindermusik starts with newborns through 7, such as critical time in early childhood development,” Amy explains. “Plus, I immediately loved the sense of community Kindermusik portrays—from the training to the curriculum development to the classroom.”

Building community in the everyday moments with music

Amy Munsell 3Of course, music makes those big life occasions all the more memorable. What is a wedding without music to walk down the aisle or a graduation without a little “Pomp and Circumstance”? But, music also celebrates those everyday (and just as important!) moments.
“I was working so hard as a performer to share one big moment with an audience, but in teaching Kindermusik, I get to share so many little moments every day in the classroom,” confesses Amy. “And with babies and toddlers—especially—this is such an important time in their lives. Every moment is important.”
Each week in Kindermusik, Amy gets really silly in class.  “We have a little party every time,” explains Amy. “The parents, children, and I get to have so much fun through music and we secretly teach kids all at the same time. The magic of what I get to do and the moments that we share together is magical!” concludes Amy.

From the cowboy community to the Kindermusik community

Amy Munsell 3Casper, Wyoming, may be known as “cowboy country” but thanks to Amy Munsell—with the support of her husband, Lukas—it’s also now Kindermusik country. We know that the sense of community she and her Kindermusik families create is making a profound difference in the lives of children in Casper.

Are you interested in joining the Kindermusik community as a licensed Kindermusik educator or by enrolling your family in a class? Learn more!

Contributed by Lisa Camino Rowell, a freelance writer and believer in the power of Kindermusik to create community.

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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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Using Kindermusik@Home to Make Parenting a Little Bit Easier

One of the fabulous benefits of your enrollment in Kindermusik is Kindermusik@Home – a whole new way to access and enjoy your Home Materials throughout the week.  But how can Kindermusik@Home make parenting a little bit easier?  Well, you might turn to Kindermusik@Home when you…

  • need a lullaby to calm your baby to sleep
  • are looking for a special way to connect with your child and sneak in a few giggles or cuddles
  • are desperate for a diversion in the long line at the grocery store or the waiting room at the doctor’s office
  • can’t remember the words to your child’s favorite song from class
  • can’t get out on a rainy day and an educational activity for kids like a video field trip or kid-friendly recipe might be just the thing
  • want to help your child get even more out of his or her weekly Kindermusik class
  • have a few minutes to really engage with your child and need some inspiration to make that time meaningful and fun
  • have a child begging you to read his favorite story from Kindermusik class and you’re not anywhere near the bookshelf at home (Gotta love these mobile apps for kids!)
  • want to play a developmentally appropriate, kid-friendly game together
  • are ready to download all of the great music from your Kindermusik class
  • need expert advice and a window of insight into the precious miracle that is your child
  • are looking for an easy way to begin expanding your child’s awareness and understanding of the world around her
  • need some great music and activity ideas to soothe or clam, play together, chase away the blues, or share some giggles
  • need all of this with you wherever you are – at home or on the go

Kindermusik@Home… It’s all in there!

Kindermusik@HomeAnd here’s your sneak peek:
Take a TOUR on your PC, your Mac, or your Tablet or Mobile Device
Try a FREE Kindermusik@Home Activity, “Stroll around Town“
Written 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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My Kindermusik Day

Kindermusik educator Theresa Case in Baby Music Class

Kindermusik educator Theresa Case in Baby Music Class
Yesterday was one of my Kindermusik days — my day to teach, to be in the classroom with 10 delightful toddlers and their special adults. Besides being an invigorating ton of fun, every one of my Kindermusik days reminds me of why I’m so lucky to do what I do!
As a program owner, I am privileged to work alongside the other wonderful Kindermusik educators on my staff. I spend time in the office, administrating and overseeing the business that enables me to reach so many more families with the power of Kindermusik. The time I spend teaching inspires and motivates me when it’s time to put on the other hats I wear as a Kindermusik program owner and director of Piano Central Studios.

Smiles, Love, Learning, Joy & Music

My own boys have long since graduated from Kindermusik into taking music lessons, but I still remember the joy of experiencing Kindermusik as a parent, now precious memories of spending time together and watching their love for music blossom. Thankfully, I still get to be in the Kindermusik classroom as a licensed Kindermusik educator, witnessing firsthand how the magic of Kindermusik brings out the smiles, the love, the learning, the joy, and the music in the parents and children in my classes.
What a precious gift my Kindermusik days are to me!
– Shared by Theresa Case, director of Piano Central Studios in Greenville, SC

 
Learn more about becoming a licensed Kindermusik educator or program owner like Theresa.

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Exercising the Brain

brain

“Evidence suggests that long-term musical involvement reaps cognitive rewards–in language skills, reasoning and creativity–and boosts social adjustment.

Music exercises the brain. Playing an instrument, for instance, involves vision, hearing, touch, motor planning, emotion, symbol interpretation–all of which activate different brain systems.”

According to Norman M. Weinberger, Ph.D., professor of neurobiology and behavior at the University of California at Irvine, musical experiences help to shape the brain, and “[depriving] children of [music’s] intellectual, personal and social benefits . . . by failing to foster musicality, our society is wasting its potential.”

It’s an oldie goldie, but you can read the rest of the original interview from September 2000.

Want to get your child more involved in music?
Find a Kindermusik Class today!

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FOL Fridays: Go Ahead and Laugh

Laugh… for your health! Laughter helps strengthen the immune system, lower blood pressure, and reduce stress levels. In addition, humor helps young children handle problems or crisis situations, enhances social skills, and helps them create social bonds and healthy emotional attachments – so laugh away!

Tips for parents: Take a few minutes for some funny faces, silly songs, knock-knock jokes, or just acting silly. Laughing together not only has significant health benefits, it can also diffuse a tense situation and create some special bonds. Who knew a little giggle could go such a long way?!

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

Kindermusik classes are filled with laughter and learning…

Try a Free Class Near You!

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Kindermusik and Your Child: Social-Emotional Development

  • Making friends.
  • Sharing.
  • Learning how to express frustration appropriately.
  • Figuring out conflicts peacefully.
  • Helping someone who has been hurt.
  • Waiting patiently.
  • Following rules.
  • Enjoying the company of others.
  • Internal motivation to succeed.

All of these qualities (and more!) describe what we all wish to see as parents is the healthy social development of our children. Like any skill, young children develop these abilities in small steps over time, and they learn them from you, their first social connection and teacher. On the whole, young children who spend time singing, playing, and moving with other children are better prepared to be confident and self-aware, build positive relationships with peers, and get the best out of the learning environments and opportunities that life will bring them…just one of the many reasons that Kindermusik is so much more than music!

The Kindermusik classroom is the perfect place for your child to practice and develop social skills. Our activities help children learn to work with, understand, and enjoy others, while teaching parents to model activities that include social interaction and the joy of learning. At every level from Birth – 7, Kindermusik curricula are written to support the development of your child’s social & emotional skills with age-appropriate, challenging activities.

In fact, studies show that music and movement experiences in a group setting impact all seven areas of social-emotional development* identified by researchers.  Those seven areas are:

  • Confidence
  • Curiosity
  • Intentionality
  • Self-control
  • Relatedness
  • Capacity to communicate
  • Cooperativeness

*Click to read more FABULOUS Research on the 7 Social Competencies and Kindermusik by Heidi Bennett.

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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Kindermusik and Your Child: The Connection between Language and Singing Development

Kindermusik & Kids Singing Ability

“Singing ability is related to the ability to control speech fluctuations, and speech activities appear to help develop tuneful singing skills.”  (McDonald, Dorothy and Gene M. Simons.)

Kindermusik & Kids Singing AbilityThe ability to sing and the ability to converse with expressive speech are closely related. Kindermusik classes will nurture your child’s speaking and singing voice by playing with rhythmic speech (poems and rhymes) as well as introducing and modeling simple tonal melodies with a limited range, and when you continue your play with both words and timbre sounds in your home during the week, these skills will be strengthened in your child and retained!

Many toddlers will first attempt to say a word, phrase, rhythms pattern or vocal inflections while alone or at play. These imitations are called “approximation of singing” It is by “playing with sounds” that the children master the muscular feel of producing a singing sound and come to realize that they can produce these kinds of sounds which are different from speech. We model and encourage children to explore the upper or head voice and to employ their voice for singing tasks as much as possible.  Playing with vocal glissandos, singing tasks like “Toys Away”, and pitching songs in the best range for young children helps your child learn to become a successful singer.

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