Kindermusik International leads the way in Digital Publishing for educators, families, and children

Kindermusik Digital Learning Platform for Kids
Kindermusik Digital Learning Platform for Kids
Homepage with Monthly Units

Yes, we’re tooting our own horns a bit because we don’t think a bumper sticker, like “My textbooks fit in my earbuds,” would ever really take off. So every once in a while, we need to celebrate in other ways.

Kindermusik International is leading the way in Digital Publishing. In the last 5 years we’ve been working to convert over 25 years worth of research and curricula, into one easily downloadable system. And the process is running more smoothly than ever before.

No more clunky, spiral bound notebooks. No more children walking home from school, weighed down by an increasingly heavy load of books. And no more paper waste. Kindermusik International’s online textbooks and interactive learning lessons are available on a variety of mobile devices.

Learn more about online Kindermusik Educator training. Click here to receive FREE information on becoming a Kindermusik Educator.

Lesson prep is as easy as updating as syncing your iPod. And Digital Teachers Guides are available online so you can download the lessons and print them out, or, bring your iPad right into the classroom.

And even if you’re not ready to go completely digital, we’ve got you covered, too. You can easily download the class music and activities and burn them to CDs.

Not convinced? Consider this.
Will iPads Replace Textbooks? Seeking Alpha, November 1, 2012
If test scores keep going up, they will. Educators can’t ignore a student’s preference for an interactive tablet over a used textbook, and it seems grades are improving, too. “Houghton Mifflin recently performed a pilot study using an iPad text for Algebra 1 courses, and found that 20 increase in the number of students who scored ‘Proficient’ or ‘Advanced’ in subject comprehension when using tablets rather than paper textbook counterparts.”

Kindermusik in the Military Community

For military families, consistent, accessible shared musical play classes are often missing, but they’re such a vital part of early whole-child development, bonding, and social-emotional health. Kindermusik is proud to have experienced educators supporting these families on and around military bases and communities world-wide.

And we’d like to expand that. 

Why is music important for military families?

Sometimes it’s hard to stay connected, find community, and build positive learning memories when the stress of deployment, frequent moves, and grief are prevalent.

Research shows that shared music making can play a significant role in instilling calm, strengthening parent/child bonding, supporting fine and gross motor development, and promoting overall social-emotional health (that includes grownups)! 

Pairing music with movement really takes multi-sensory learning to the next level.

Recently, scientists found synchronized dancing (including things like hopping to the beat or circle dances) supports critical developmental skills like cooperation, turn-taking, and empathy

And when it comes to school readiness, a study showed that preschoolers who received just 30 minutes a week of Kindermusik demonstrated 32% greater gains in language and literacy skills.

So, what if there were more early music education professionals who understood firsthand the challenges of military-connected families and could facilitate these positive experiences?

That’s where the Kindermusik Military Spouse Scholarship comes in…

The Kindermusik Military Spouse Scholarship

We know that many military spouses are passionate about early education, specifically music education, and would like to purse that professional path further.

The problem? A flexible training model. 

Kindermusik’s a cappella studio curricula educator courses are on-demand so you can complete high-level pedagogy and teacher training at your own pace. And it’s by age level (spanning from birth through developmental age 7), so that it’s easier to digest and add to depending on your professional goals.

Once you complete a course, you have the option to apply for Accreditation, a mastery level teaching module and exam which, upon passing, allows you to teach Kindermusik’s studio classes anywhere in the world, in person or online. 

We are proud to announce that the Kindermusik Scholarship Program has created the Kindermusik Military Spouse Scholarship to provide:

If you are interested in pursuing or enhancing a profession in early music education, or know someone who would be an amazing Kindermusik Educator, we encourage you to find out more and apply

Find the joy of music wherever you are.

There are Accredited Kindermusik Educators all around the globe offering music and movement classes in person and virtually. Search for one that works with your location or schedule! 

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Kindermusik “Teacher Feature” :: Bryann Burgess

A very BIG congratulations to Bryann Burgess of Columbia, SC who is officially a licensed Kindermusik Educator. And, quite the inspirational educator at that!

Watch this newscast feature of Bryann

Celebrating our Vietnamese Kindermusik Teachers!

On November 20th 2011, Vietnam will celebrate throughout the country at many of its kindergartens, schools, colleges and universities for National Teacher’s Day.
Education and self-betterment are very much valued in Vietnamese culture and those who teach are treated with utmost respect throughout the community. Students choose to show their teacher appreciation and respect in a variety of ways – many of which relate to the national culture, lifestyle and heritage.
We’d like to celebrate our Vietnamese Kindermusik educators today!

Kindermusik Success in Northern Ireland

The Ballymena Times, of Ballymena, Northern Ireland, recently featured the newest Kindermusik program, which just got off the ground this summer. Congratulations to Kindermusik educator, Alicia Murphy, for the success she’s seeing in this area!
Here is the article in its entirety:
DURING the summer holidays a new music and movement programme with classes for newborns up to seven-year-olds began in the Ballymena area.
Kindermusik is an award winning programme that has had global success.
Kindermusik may be new to Ballymena but after a series of summer and autumn term classes the signs are that it is going to be just as popular here as it has been elsewhere.
Kindermusik has been brought to Ballymena by local musician and private music teacher, Alicia Murphy. She says: “With two children of my own I was keen to find music and arts activities which would aid their development. I was surprised by the lack of such programmes in the area for young children”. Continue reading “Kindermusik Success in Northern Ireland”

October: A Big Month for India!

Kindermusik India

October is a big festival season in India: This is when Dussehra is celebrated. In the months of Ashwin and Kartik, Hindus observe a 10 day ceremony of fast, rituals, celebrations, & feasts to honor the mother Goddess and triumph of Lord Rama over Demon Ravana. Dussehra also symbolizes the triumph of warrior Goddess Durga over the Buffalo Demon, Mahishasura. Thus, it is a celebration of victory of good over evil. This celebration starts from Navratri and ends with the tenth day festival of “Dussehra”. Navratri and Dussehra is celebrated throughout the country at the same time, with varying rituals, but with great enthusiasm and energy as it marks the end of scorching summer and the start of winter season.
Kindermusik IndiaThis month, Kindermusik was also very active in India! Kusum Chawla, of Kindermusik India, conducted a Kindermusik training for the educators at Eurokids India. Eurokids is a franchise of preschools with close to 800 centers throughout India. We have partnered with Eurokids to bring Kindermusik to the children in India. Thanks to this partnership we are reaching 14,000 children in India with over 500 educators teaching Kindermusik! A special thank you to the educators at Eurokids and especially Kusum for your precious contribution!

Kindermusik International Teacher Feature: Maja Loncar, Croatia

The Republic of Croatia is a European country situated along the Adriatic Sea and its hinterland. It stretches from the slopes of the Alps and deep into the Pannonian Valley to the banks of the Danube and Drava rivers. Kindermusik in Croatia started two years ago with Kindermusik educator Maja Loncar who is a professional musician/percussionist.
Maja is working in music schools and at the Croatian National Opera House. To begin her Kindermusik journey, she first opened a small studio in a small town near Zagreb called Zapresić and then the next year she opened in three more locations. Now, she is currently working in six locations in the area. Three in Zagreb and three locations in small towns near Zagreb: Sesvete, Zapresić, & Sv. Kriz Začretje.
“We want every child in every city to have the possibility to have a head start and quality education”, says Maja. Kindermusik music lessons are held in private language schools, gym locations, in shopping centres and in areas for children.
Feedback from our Kindermusik Croatian families is excellent!

“Kindermusik lessons are nothing but pure pleasure, a whole new world for our family! After a hard day’s work and omnipresent problems in life, we never lack the will to make a stimulating musical environment! ” ~ Family Brusek from Sesvete, Croatia.

Meet a Kindermusik educator: Erika Ellis

Name:
Erika Ellis

Location:
Burbank, CA

Studio name and link:
Music and Friends Studio
www.musicandfriendsstudio.com

Number of years you’ve taught Kindermusik:
Less than one

Describe yourself in five words or less:
Caring, Fun-loving, Enthusiastic, Creative, Silly

Favorite Kindermusik song:
Wishy Washy Wee

Favorite Kindermusik activity, and why:
I love “Clever Cows” from Village Cock-a-doodle-MOO!, where we physically show a child what going up and down the musical scale FEELS like – early musical learning at its best! Babies love going way up in the air and hearing the sound of their caretaker singing high and low.

A proud moment in a Kindermusik classroom:
When I was playing some of our instrumental pieces for Gathering Time, the song I had once used for rocking came on. A little boy immediately lay down and pretended to sleep! A few of the other toddlers joined him and I knew they had been practicing relaxation at home!

Something your Kindermusik children or families have taught you (could be inspirational, humorous, practical, etc.):
Seeing parents and children in class has really reinforced the importance of special bonding time. There is something so magical about mothers and fathers singing lovingly to their babies or playing music enthusiastically with their toddlers. Kindermusik reminds me to treasure these moments with my own family.

Something funny a child has said or done in your classroom:
One walker in Village has a routine of coming to stand next to me when I am sharing information about the next activity. He puts his hand on my shoulder, like he’s supporting me while I sing and talk to the moms. It cracks me up every time!

The reason you teach:
I fell in love with the Kindermusik experience as a parent with my infant son. I was able to enrich our home life with what we learned in class. Since it was such a positive influence on our lives, I wanted to share it with others.

Why Steady Beat Matters + How to Assess It

A teacher engages her preschool class in mimicking drum taps to test steady beat competency.

You know that thing that makes you want to rock, sway, clap, or tap to the music? That’s steady beat—the ongoing, repetitive pulse that occurs in songs, chants, and rhymes. 

But it’s more than just an ideal skill for dance or instrument lessons—steady beat is a critical aspect of early childhood development that affects everything from walking, to reading, to dribbling a basketball.

Continue reading “Why Steady Beat Matters + How to Assess It”

Meet a Kindermusik educator: Aimee Carter

Name:
Aimee Carter

Location:
Brandon, Florida

Studio name and link:
Delightful Sounds
www.delightfulsounds.com

Number of years you’ve taught Kindermusik:
7

Describe yourself in five words or less:
Creative, fun, energetic, and silly

Favorite Kindermusik song:
The Morning Song, because I like coming up with crazy animal sounds for the unexpected, animal choices like manatees or hippos.

Favorite Kindermusik activity, and why:
Anything with bilibos. I love all the ways we can play with them!

A proud moment in a Kindermusik classroom:
I love getting to see all the first steps and first words along with the parents. I get pretty excited about seeing the children grow and learn.

Something your Kindermusik children or families have taught you (could be inspirational, humorous, practical, etc.):
The children have really helped me become even more creative. They can really get outside of the box sometimes, and I LOVE that!

Something funny a child has said or done in your classroom:
The preschoolers crack me up. I never know what they will say or do next. Last week, one of the children stopped me in the middle of a song to ask “if I ever had fire come out of my butt?” LOL I never could figure out what it had to do with the train song???

The reason you teach:
I am passionate about music and the development of children. Kindermusik allows me to combine both of these as I work side by side with such wonderful families each week!