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4 Benefits of Music for Big Kids

Mom sings to and sways her baby during one of Kindermusik's baby music classes.

Growing up, but not all grown up yet – thankfully! The early years of childhood pass so quickly, and before you know it, your child has officially earned “big kid” status. The turbulence of the toddler years and the exuberance of the preschool years are past, and your big kid can mostly be described as composed, calm, cheerful, and capable. Big kids are eager, curious learners, and they love to share their ideas.
For a big kid, self-esteem, feeling capable, and doing things the “right way” all go hand-in-hand. They thrive on structure and affirmation, but they still need time to play and have fun. Big kids love being part of a group, and they crave friendship and acceptance from their peers, preferring to play and interact with others than to be by themselves. And while their thinking can be black-and-white, cognitively, they have made huge leaps in their ability to problem-solve and think more abstractly. Big kids tend to ask alot of “why” and “how” questions because they love to know a lot of facts. They love simple games, and having lots of time for creative play is very important. Movements are much more poised and controlled, and big kids loving showing off their new-found physical skills.
It is truly the age of opportunity for these learners-in-waiting. But it also a time not to be rushed through or passed over. The big kids years are a special time to settle in and enjoy the last phase of early childhood and to provide your child with experiences and opportunities that will set him up for success in school, in music, and in life.
That’s where Kindermusik comes in, providing a weekly class that satisfies the need to be part of a group, to learn new things, to play games, and to express oneself through music and movement. And in the middle of all of the fun and music-making, a very strong foundation is being laid for a successful transition to music lessons a little later on.
Here are four invaluable benefits of music for big kids:
1. Music exposes big kids to big, new ideas.
At this age, these eager learners are ready to be introduced to rhythms and rhythm patterns, music symbols, keyboards and dulcimers, and writing and composing their own music through hands-on and developmentally appropriate experiences. They can follow the story line of a work like “Peter and the Wolf” and identify the various motifs and instruments that are the hallmark of this beloved musical tale.
2. Music teaches big kids to be good listeners.
Focused listening and discriminatory listening are a big part of music. Listening for certain things in music or to certain music sounds as well as being able to distinguish between musical sounds and instruments develop listening skills. And while being a good listener is a musical skill, it’s also an extremely valuable life skill.
3. Music helps make the cognitive connections needed for nearly every kind of intelligence.
We all want our kids to be smart and to be successful, and music is the one common contributing factor in almost all of the nine types of intelligence. According to articles like this one and this one, it’s early experiences with music that best spark the brain connections and neural networks that actually shape the brain and impact how it will function later in life.
4. Music is one thing that stays in a child’s heart for forever.
There are lots of choices for early childhood – dance, sports, gymnastics, and more! But music is the one love, the one ability, that a child has the potential to carry with them all the way through their entire lives. Developing in your child a love and appreciation for music at an early age is a life-long gift you can give, and it’s something that will also carry with it special memories of the loved ones who made that gift possible.
For parents…
You want to give your child every advantage, and there’s truly no greater advantage you can give than music, especially in a program like Kindermusik. It’s the right activity at the right time, when your child is poised and ready to soak it all in and be enable to apply that knowledge to music lessons and musical experiences in the future. Kindermusik truly is the perfect foundation for lifelong learning.
And yet as profoundly as Kindermusik affects your child’s musical development, the musical learning is fun, pressure-free, and exactly what your child needs at a time when they can benefit from it the most.
“Music develops the appetite for learning and creates habits of self-discipline and personal tenacity which carry over into every facet of school. Young musicians are skilled at concentration, alertness, memory, and self-control. These attributes are basic for success in higher education, but more importantly, in succeeding at life.”
—The Joy of Inspired Teaching, by Tim Lautzenheiser, p. 55

Expose your child to the benefits of Kindermusik, the world’s leader in early childhood music and movement curricula. Try a Kindermusik class today!

4 Benefits of Music for Preschoolers

Imaginative. Adventurous. Exuberant. Brash. Social. Silly. Musical. Preschoolers are the living definition of all of these words… and more! It’s what we love most about this delightful age. Their energy, curiosity, and delight in living life out loud are fostered by an increasing sense of independence and self-confidence. They are developing their individuality and want to be noticed and acknowledged. Preschoolers are social butterflies, and their social skills are blossoming, as are their growing abilities to cooperate, problem-solve, share, and make friends.
Play is the preschooler’s work. In fact, there is no better way for these eager and curious thinkers to learn, grow, and develop than through play – play alone and play with others – including mom and dad! The expansiveness of the preschooler’s personality overflows into his vocabulary and self-expression. Preschoolers love playing with words, and they like to talk. A lot. And if you’ve heard it once, you’ve answered it a thousand times – this is the age of “why.” It’s how they learn and interact. Their movements become more expansive too, and the need to move is because of their boundless amounts of energy. (And you thought you were tired chasing them as toddlers!)
But perhaps the best way to sum up the preschooler season of childhood is with the word “readiness.” Preschoolers are on the verge of so much potential. They are ready – ready to try new things, take turns, be challenged, and work cooperatively with others. Simply put, they’re ready to get ready!
With music as the vehicle, Kindermusik helps your child be ready. Ready to face life head on, ready for school, ready for new adventures, and ready for that next step in music. Movement, imagination, play, creativity, exploration, interacting, and ensemble all set the stage for making sure your child has every advantage in a very critical season of childhood – that wonderful transition from baby to big kid that we call “preschooler”!
Here are four of the most powerful benefits of music for preschoolers:
1. Music encourages children to move.
Movement and music are as closely connected as movement and learning. At a time when there are increasing concerns about how long these young children are being required to sit still, being able to move to music is a gift. Here’s how a Washington Post reporter summed it up in her recent article, “In order for children to learn, they need to be able to pay attention. In order to pay attention, we need to let them move.”
2. Music fosters a sense of community and belonging.
At the core of every human being is a desire to belong. When that need to belong is fulfilled, it contributes to healthy emotional development and well-being. Self-confidence grows as a child learns to function within a group. And there’s no happier group experience than making music together!
3. Music provides an outlet for self-expression.
With gifts, experiences, thoughts, and ideas that simply overflow, a music class offers a secure environment for each individual child to explore, learn, and contribute. The value is in the experience itself with play, discovery, singing, story telling, and new challenges as the tools that open the door for self-expression, meaningful learning, and a lifelong love for music.
4. Music readiness and academic readiness go hand-in-hand.
The same skills and experiences necessary for a child to be ready for music lessons when they are older are the same skills and experiences that enhance and even accelerate academic readiness and success. Listening, identifying patterns, problem-solving, creative thinking, and self-confidence are skills that music develops – skills that are also a measurable contributors to academic achievement.
For parents…
You want to give your child every advantage. And yet, you don’t want to let him or her grow up too fast. Childhood is meant to be savored and enjoyed, a time that you share experiences and create memories that stay in the heart for years to come.
Kindermusik helps you linger in those precious moments of childhood and make the most of the preschool season with your child. With a class structure that includes time apart and time together, Kindermusik is perfect for the preschool season of childhood. You’ll love watching your child blossom, and you’ll love the way your time together in class and your music-making at home brings you together in new and special ways.
And the icing on the cake is knowing that you’re giving your child a gift that truly lasts a lifetime – the gift of a musical foundation and love for music that uniquely prepares your child like no other single activity can.

Experience the benefits of Kindermusik for yourself. Contact a local Kindermusik educator and visit a free class today!

4 Benefits of Music for Toddlers

Toddlers are well, busy. They love to go, move, do, and say “No!” They also desperately crave predictability and routine. Parents are challenged by near polar opposite behavior – one minute all is well; the next, there’s a meltdown. A toddler will cling to mom as if he’ll never let go, and the next moment adamantly assert the independence of a teenager. At the same time, toddlers are becoming very social, interested in other people and moving from parallel play where they play alongside other children to cooperative play where they start to play with the other children.
If all of these changes weren’t enough, brain development is literally exploding. In fact, the only two times in a child’s life when there is such significant brain activity is when he/she is a toddler and a teenager. Vocabulary and communication skills are blossoming, as the toddler goes from about 10 words in his vocabulary to upwards of 300 or so words by age 3. Motor skills are also developing at a rapid rate – suddenly the child who was barely toddling along is now running, jumping, and galloping everywhere. Whew! No wonder moms and dads of toddlers are extra busy – and exhausted! – during this particular season of childhood.
With so much happening inside your toddler’s busy little mind and body, Kindermusik is one activity that beautifully supports and enhances this crucial season in your child’s life.
Though we could probably name a hundred, here are four benefits of music for toddlers:
1. A music class like Kindermusik provides an environment that is both stimulating and nurturing for toddlers.
With so much growth and development happening, toddlers need both the challenge of new things to learn and do as well as the comfort of loving adults and activities that nurture the soul.
2. Early experiences with music and movement give your toddler an early learning advantage.
The connection between music and academic achievement is undeniable, as highlighted in this recent article. There’s no better time to be enrolled in music classes than the toddler years when brain growth and development is at its peak, especially with the powerful combination that music and movement gives.
3. Music, specifically singing songs and speaking rhymes and chants, improves language development.
At a time when language development is most crucial, there’s nothing more beneficial to speech, syntax, and pre-literacy than singing simple songs and reciting chants. It will start with a few words here and there and then eventually grow into a small repertoire of favorite songs and rhymes that your toddler can sing or say all the way through.
4. Early childhood music classes put a song in a child’s heart to stay.
Toddlers love music, and giving them an early start with music plants the seeds that bloom into a lifelong love for and appreciation of music. Music is one gift you can give your toddler that will have a lifetime of meaning, memories, impact, and joy. No other activity has the potential to influence your child like music does.

For parents…

The entire Kindermusik experience, from class to home (and back again!), provides a vital support network for parents of busy toddlers. Not only does Kindermusik foster and strengthen the parent-child relationship, but Kindermusik classes are also a social outlet for parents as well, a place to share both the joys and challenges of parenting a toddler.
And since Kindermusik is all about helping make great parenting a little easier and even more musical, parents benefit tremendously from all of the helpful tips, ideas, and resources (including your Kindermusik Home Materials) that will help you navigate and enjoy the toddler years to their fullest.
Best of all, parents enjoy a unique kind of bonding and together time with your toddler that only music can give. With Kindermusik, you’ll be able to savor and linger in those precious, fleeting moments of toddlerhood with more cuddles, hugs, dances, lullabies, giggles, and sweet memories.

Experience the benefits of Kindermusik for yourself. Contact a local Kindermusik educator and visit a free class today!

4 Things You May Not Know About Kindermusik

Kindermusik 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.

Want to learn more about Kindermusik? Get started today with a free preview class on us.

15 Ways Kindermusik Prepares Your Child for School

One of the reasons we’re fond of saying that Kindermusik is so much more than just music is because Kindermusik benefits your child in so many more ways other than just musically. In fact, keeping your child enrolled in Kindermusik classes is one of the very best things you can do to help your child be prepared for – and succeed in! – school.

Here are 15 ways that Kindermusik’s early childhood music and movement curriculum prepares your child to be successful in school:

1. Kindermusik develops the whole child by supporting all areas of development – musical, language, emotional, physical, social, and cognitive development.
2. Kindermusik teaches your child to be a problem-solver.
3. Kindermusik encourages your child to think creatively.
4. Kindermusik gives your child practice in working cooperatively with his/her peers.
5. Kindermusik builds the spatial-temporal and reasoning skills required for math, science, and engineering.
6. Kindermusik develops the social and emotional skills that are essential factors in school readiness.
7. Kindermusik helps children gain the phonological processing, spoken language, and comprehension skills that are foundational to literacy.
8. Kindermusik teaches children the rhymes that help them become better readers. (according to reading expert Mem Fox)
9. Kindermusik activities help brain cells make the connections needed for nearly every kind of intelligence.
10. Kindermusik teaches children music through the best music curriculum on the planet, and science and research continue to support the huge and lasting benefits of early childhood music study.
11. Kindermusik gives children a pressure-free environment in which to practice and enhance their budding musical skills. (A new study shows that music practice can actually sharpen the brain.)
12. Kindermusik gives children the opportunity to form early and positive student-teacher relationships where they learn to listen and respect an adult other than their special adults at home.
13. Kindermusik is focused on process, not performance, thereby nurturing a child’s self-confidence and desire to try new things.
14. Kindermusik gradually increases your child’s independence as he/she gets older so that he can more successfully transition into the school environment.
15. Kindermusik classes inspire a lifelong love of not just music, but also a lifelong love of learning. Any child who loves to learn is sure to be successful in school!

We invite you to see for yourself how Kindermusik will prepare your child for school, starting with a FREE Preview class on us!

The Parent Test

“My child is so unique and special! I want to be the best parent that I can possibly be for my child.” As parents, isn’t this our heart’s desire?

We search to find just the right activities and experiences that will benefit our children and help them grow to their fullest potential, such as baby development classes or toddler music classes. We check reviews, ask friends, and spend countless hours to find and decide on just the right toys, foods, books, music, play, clothes, activities for toddlers, and the list goes on… Everything that touches the lives of our children must pass THE ultimate test – the PARENT TEST!

This unwritten Parent Test is full of many questions and concerns that automatically become an ingrained part of our thought process. Many times these questions are so automatic that they become almost instinctive. If you took the time to write it down, your Parent Test may look a little like this:

I want my child’s LANGUAGE skills to develop. Does this help my child develop a love for books and reading?
I know early learning is important for my child’s COGNITIVE development. Is this helping my child learn something new in an age-appropriate and enjoyable way?
Healthy EMOTIONAL development is key to growing into a confident and secure individual. Does this help strengthen the parent-child bond and help my child feel good about himself?
My child needs an opportunity to develop PHYSICALLY. How can I help my child actively explore skills like running, jumping, galloping, and skipping?
My child and I both need a SOCIAL outlet. Is there a place where we both can benefit from a positive group experience that also teaches my child social skills like sharing, playing cooperatively, and making friends?
I recognize the importance of MUSIC for my child’s total development. Does this teach and inspire my child to be more musical, to be prepared for music lessons in the future, and ultimately, to have instilled a lifelong love for and enjoyment of music?

For over 30 years, Kindermusik has passed the Parent Test with flying colors, time and time again. That’s because the powerful combination of the Kindermusik classroom experience and our Home Materials empower parents to instill a lifelong love of music and learning and capitalize on all of the rich benefits of music for children during that critical window of early learning.

It’s also because our research and experience has shown time and time again that music and movement are the best vehicles for helping a child reach his or her fullest potential in every developmental category – language, cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and music.

Simply stated, there is no better way to enhance your child’s early development and learning or to inspire their natural love of music than Kindermusik.

We invite you to experience the magic of Kindermusik for yourself. Try a free

class today!

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

The Lifelong Benefits of Music – New Research

Early Music Lessons Have Longtime Benefits

“Music is great, music is fantastic, music is social —

let them enjoy it for what it really is.” said Ms. Parbery-Clark, a doctoral candidate in the Auditory Neuroscience Lab at Northwestern University. Even the NYTimes is giving attention to the benefits of music for kids in their recent post; Early Music Lessons Have Longtime Benefits.

Photo Credit: NYTimes | Joyce Hesselberth

As mentioned in this NYTimes post…research studies continue to show the correlation between musical training in childhood and strengthened auditory skills and language-based learning.

Researchers at Northwestern University recorded the auditory brainstem responses of college students — that is to say, their electrical brain waves — in response to complex sounds.

The group of students who reported musical training in childhood had more robust responses — their brains were better able to pick out essential elements, like pitch, in the complex sounds when they were tested.

And this was true even if the lessons had ended years ago.

At Kindermusik, we know it’s important to incorporate music into children’s lives for many reasons, including early childhood development. We see developmental milestones happen every day with so many children. As new research and studies are conducted, we continue to learn the importance and understand the lifelong effects and benefits of music – and look forward to incorporating this into our curriculum and share this knowledge with our Kindermusik students, families, and educators around the world.

Tag: lifelong benefits of music

4 Benefits of Music for Big Kids

Expose your child to the benefits of Kindermusik, the world’s leader in early childhood music and movement curricula. Try a Kindermusik class today!

4 Benefits of Music for Preschoolers

Experience the benefits of Kindermusik for yourself. Contact a local Kindermusik educator and visit a free class today!

4 Benefits of Music for Toddlers

For parents…

Experience the benefits of Kindermusik for yourself. Contact a local Kindermusik educator and visit a free class today!

4 Things You May Not Know About Kindermusik

15 Ways Kindermusik Prepares Your Child for School

Here are 15 ways that Kindermusik’s early childhood music and movement curriculum prepares your child to be successful in school:

We invite you to see for yourself how Kindermusik will prepare your child for school, starting with a FREE Preview class on us!

The Parent Test

“My child is so unique and special! I want to be the best parent that I can possibly be for my child.” As parents, isn’t this our heart’s desire?

Simply stated, there is no better way to enhance your child’s early development and learning or to inspire their natural love of music than Kindermusik.

The Lifelong Benefits of Music – New Research

“Music is great, music is fantastic, music is social —

The group of students who reported musical training in childhood had more robust responses — their brains were better able to pick out essential elements, like pitch, in the complex sounds when they were tested.

Did you know Kindermusik is in over 70+ Countries?

Find a Class Near You!

Expose your child to the benefits of Kindermusik, the world’s leader in early childhood music and movement curricula. Try a Kindermusik class today!

Experience the benefits of Kindermusik for yourself. Contact a local Kindermusik educator and visit a free class today!

For parents…

Experience the benefits of Kindermusik for yourself. Contact a local Kindermusik educator and visit a free class today!

Kindermusik gives your child so much more than just music. Backed by more than 30 years of experience, Kindermusik is a carefully planned curriculum and a delightfully enjoyable experience that also offers the benefits of sports, gymnastics, dance, art, preschool… and then some!

Here are 15 ways that Kindermusik’s early childhood music and movement curriculum prepares your child to be successful in school:

We invite you to see for yourself how Kindermusik will prepare your child for school, starting with a FREE Preview class on us!

“My child is so unique and special! I want to be the best parent that I can possibly be for my child.” As parents, isn’t this our heart’s desire?

Simply stated, there is no better way to enhance your child’s early development and learning or to inspire their natural love of music than Kindermusik.

“Music is great, music is fantastic, music is social —

The group of students who reported musical training in childhood had more robust responses — their brains were better able to pick out essential elements, like pitch, in the complex sounds when they were tested.

Did you know Kindermusik is in over 70+ Countries?