Have you ever searched for a Kindermusik class and wondered what that circular “Top Program” icon really means? Each year, we award Kindermusik Top Program status to studios across the globe with the highest registrations and other factors that contribute to their offerings being the best early childhood music and movement programs around.
This year, the very TOP of the Top Programs is My Little Conservatory in San Jose, California. Owned by Accredited Kindermusik Educator, Amelia Vitarelli, My Little Conservatory’s recipe to an award-winning program is a mix of listening to families’ needs first, requiring the highest standards from teachers and team members, and ensuring that a heart for and belief in early childhood music education is at the center of every class.
Dads, like-a-dads, uncles, grandfathers…the male caregiver role is hugely important to early nurturing and positive whole-child development.
To amplify their presence and put it to the tune of fun, we created Superdad Soundwaves, on the free Kindermusik app. And we’ve got an activity you can pair with it below!
What the research says…
Studies show that fatherhood involvement in the early years makes a big difference.
Researchers from Imperial College London, King’s College London and Oxford University found that “babies whose fathers were more engaged and active when playing with them in their initial months performed better in cognitive tests at two years of age.”
And a study conducted by the University of Leeds showed that fathers who regularly and intentionally engaged their three-year-olds by reading, drawing, singing, and playing “helped their children do better at school by age five.”
Empowering dads with the tools they need to keep that engagement going is where musical play can really help. It’s a multisensory activity that’s portable, screen-free, and fun!
Try our Dad Album activity…
Stream “Love Somebody” from the Superdad Soundwaves album in the free Kindermusik app or play it below.
Follow the movement directions—dancing high/low, bouncing, clapping, etc.
Each time you hear “you, you, you,” give your child a big hug or point to them.
The benefits…
This activity is full of cognitive, social-emotional, and motor benefits, but we love that:
Matching movements to lyrics promotes understanding and language acquisition.
Synchronizing movements synchronizes your heartbeats and bodies, promoting connection.
Keep that family engagement going…
Intentional time is the best time. Make it part of your daily routines, and growth and connection will skyrocket.
The bond between caregiver and infant is one of the most critical factors in positive whole-child development, and the keyword is secure attachment.
Secure attachment doesn’t mean constant baby-wearing or helicopter parenting—it does mean a consistent series of positive and nurturing interactions between caregivers and infants that form the foundation for healthy social-emotional and cognitive growth.
So, how do you know if you’re making these connections happen? Singing can help.
Remember when music in schools campaigns really took off in the 90s? The quest to make music a standard part of the “3 Rs:” Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, still isn’t over.
Wait…only one of those starts with an R!
Aside from the letter discrepancy, the narrow focus of the 3Rs is outdated. So, how can we get all schools on board with a modernized view of early learning?
First, we need a new acronym. And here’s why music should get its own letter.
Increased literacy development is one of the major benefits of a consistent music program. And that can happen before elementary school!
In fact, an independent research firm found that preschoolers who experienced just 30 minutes a week of Kindermusik demonstrated 32% greater gains in language and literacy skills.
Change—especially for children in any capacity—is hard, but one thing always helps…music! Here are 3 quick tips on how music rituals can help alleviate transitions (like drop-off times) and enhance child and family engagement.
Here are some quick tips to help families get into a productive, positive daily groove.
Routines bring motivation, productivity, comfort, and even relaxation. Musicalpre-routines are the ultimate secret to jumpstarting and securing healthy morning and evening tasks. Here’s why…
Here are some quick tips to help families get into a productive, positive daily groove.
Routines bring motivation, productivity, comfort, and even relaxation. Musicalpre-routines are the ultimate secret to jumpstarting and securing healthy morning and evening tasks. Here’s why…
Here are some quick tips to help families get into a productive, positive daily groove.
Routines bring motivation, productivity, comfort, and even relaxation. Musicalpre-routines are the ultimate secret to jumpstarting and securing healthy morning and evening tasks. Here’s why…
He’s so whiny. She’s a hitter. He cries non-stop. She can’t stop talking…if this sounds like your child(ren), they’re not wild—they need help learning how to self-regulate.
When grownups are overstimulated or don’t get their way, we (usually) use tools like taking a deep breath or a walk to make sure we don’t lose it. When we self-regulate, we balance our nervous systems. That helps us access our prefrontal cortex, where logic lives.
When it comes to self-regulation in children, they’ve got two things working against them:
1) They aren’t born with the tools to regulate their nervous systems, and
2) Their prefrontal cortex isn’t fully formed, so they need extra help to reach and dissect that logic.
As the first big snowstorm of the season rolled into Washington, D.C., so did well over 10,000 people, who came to learn, collaborate, and network at the largest early childhood education conference in the world. Educators, advocates, and other members of the early childhood service community filled the Walter E. Washington Convention Center from November 13-17, 2018, for NAEYC’s2018 Annual Conference.
