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How our brains regulate and manage cognitive processes is referred to as executive function.  As with most cognitive skills, executive function is a skill that grows and develops in children as they grow and develop.

According to this recent and fascinating article in Science Daily, the executive functions that are crucial for a child to develop include the ability to:

• avoid distractions
• focus attention
• hold relevant information in working memory
• regulate impulsive behavior

But what’s really exciting news for parents and educators is this: “Recent advances in neuroscience suggest that focusing on self-regulation – which includes executive functions and regulating one’s emotions – can enhance children’s engagement in learning and put them on an upward academic trajectory.” 

So how can a parent give their child this cognitive advantage?  One place to start with very young children newborn to age 7 years is in a Kindermusik class where we joyfully introduce and reinforce important executive function skills through stop and go activities, focused listening, ensemble play, gathering time, and circle dances – just to name a few.

For example…

Stop and Go Activities like “Walk and Stop” give a child practice in learning to stop and think by learning to stop his/her body in motion.

Focused Listening helps children do just that – focus on a certain sound, often when there are other distractions around them.

Ensemble Play allows children to be a part of a whole.  They each play their own instrument as part of making beautiful musical together.

Sharing instruments during Gathering Time teaches children how to self-regulate by waiting for their turn for a favorite instrument and by handling the instrument gently.

Circle Dances are a beautiful way for children to interact with peers and adults and also have to remember what comes next in the dance.

“The ability to control impulses and regulate behaviors and emotions is a critical function to build into early childhood education, ensuring children’s success in both gaining knowledge and learning life skills.”  – Dr. C. Cybele Raver of NYU Steinhardt

Experience firsthand how music can teach other important life skills, such as sharing and inhibitory control. Contact your local licensed Kindermusik educator at www.Kindermusik.com and come visit a class!

 

Lots of things are good for the brain, especially music.  But new research indicates that learning to speak more than one language is also exceptionally good for the brain.

At first it might seem that the brain has to work harder to learn and speak two languages.  And in a way it does.  But it’s actually this hard work that exercises and strengthens the brain so that performing other cognitive tasks becomes easier and more efficient.  Think of it this way.  When you go to the gym, it’s hard work.  But along the way, your muscles get stronger and soon even everyday tasks, including lifting and moving, actually get easier.

The other very interesting thing that happens for bilingual speakers is that because the brain has to control and filter both languages, it becomes very good at two things:  inhibitory control and focus.

Lead research author and Northwestern University professor Viorica Marian puts it this way: “Using another language provides the brain built-in exercise. You don’t have to go out of your way to do a puzzle because the brain is already constantly juggling two languages.”

This kind of constant brain exercise not only has benefits for now, but it also appears to offer some “protective advantage against Alzheimer’s and dementia,” said Marian.

We all know that exercise is good for us. Now we are beginning to get a glimpse of just how beneficial exercising the brain can be too.  And the younger we teach children to exercise their brains, whether through music and movement or through learning a second language, the better!

Learn more about using music to teach young children a second language at www.Kindermusik.com/schools.

 

Which came first: the egg shaker or the violin? Well, if you ask us, we’d say the egg shaker of course! It’s a staple instrument in all Kindermusik classes from newborn through age 7. From that first instrument, we begin to teach children skills that can prepare them for formal music lessons when they are ready.

6 Ways Kindermusik Prepares a Child for Formal Music Lessons

#1 – Kindermusik develops the ability to keep a steady beat.  Steady beat is fundamental to music and absolutely essential for playing an instrument.

#2 – Kindermusik reinforces music patterning.  Learning to recognize patterns in music is vital to playing an instrument with musicality and with understanding.

#3 – Kindermusik teaches musical notation.  Without a foundational understanding of music symbols, there can be no music reading.

#4 – Kindermusik develops a musical vocabulary.  A rich musical vocabulary begins with an experiential knowledge of the words that help us describe music and express ourselves musically.

#5 – Kindermusik provides ensemble experience.  From playing egg shakers together in our Baby Class to playing the violin in an orchestra, making music together in a group is one of the greatest joys of music.

#6 – Kindermusik inspires a lifelong love of music.  When you plant the seeds at such a young age, a love of music will bloom and grow throughout a lifetime.  A deep love for music is one of the most important contributors to a child’s success in music lessons… and in life.

So when is a child ready for music lessons? 

Most music teachers agree that between the ages of 7 and 10 years is the best age for children to start formal music lessons.  By then, a child is usually able to read on his/her own, follow directions, sit still and focus for longer periods of time, and feel motivated to practice at home each day.

If you’re unsure about whether or not your child is ready for formal music lessons, long-time Kindermusik educator and Maestro Michelle Jacques recommends asking these questions:

• Do you and your child understand the enormous amount of dedication needed to learn to play an instrument?
• Are you ready to make the purchase or rental investment in an instrument to have in your home for practice?
• Is your child ready to accept the rules, guidelines, and suggestions of the teacher?
• Will your child be able to respond positively when the teacher asks him/her to play a certain way or hold his/her hand in a certain position?
• Does your child have the fine motor control as well as the maturity and attention span necessary for daily home practice?
• Can your concentrate daily for 15 to 30 minutes on a series of directed tasks?
• Will your child thrive in a learning environment where it’s just she and the teacher, or does she learn best in a social, play-like setting?

Want to learn more about how Kindermusik prepares a young child for success in formal music lessons?  Come visit a Kindermusik class!  Find your local Kindermusik educator at www.Kindermusik.com and give your child the best gift ever – a love of music that starts with Kindermusik.

 

 

 

Deanna Hanson-Abromeit, assistant professor of music education and music therapy at the University of Kansas, is doing some significant work in learning how music helps premature infants not just survive, but thrive, according to this recent article from the Kansas Health Institute.
Dr. Joanne Loewy, director of the music therapy department of Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in New York, highlighted some of the astounding effects that music therapy had on premature infants, including the ability to “…render other heart rates, different sleep patterns, improve caloric intake and sucking behavior, and that parent-preferred lullabies could decrease stress.”
The study, and its results, are revelatory and insightful, not just for music therapists, but also for parents.  Using music in an interactive way has positive effects on brain development.  However, it’s not just any kind music that makes the difference.  What’s important is the kind of music and how it is used.
Here are a few tips from Hanson-Abromeit’s findings that are very helpful for parents of babies, especially the premature babies but also for full-term babies.

• Simple is best.  Singing a favorite lullaby or children’s song to your little one can be the best kind of therapy you can give.
• Live music is better than recorded music.  Premature babies in particular benefit the most from attentive, interactive musical experiences.
• Watch for baby’s cues, or non-verbal communication.  For example, breaking eye contact, squirming or arching the back, or wrinkling the forehead are some of the signs from baby that it may be time to try something different.
• It doesn’t always have to stay the same.  Changes to the music’s volume and tempo are ways of adapting and adjusting to baby’s cues.
• Musical experiences have the power to soothe.  For a small baby who is often overwhelmed with external stimuli, music can help the brain organize at staying calm.
• Intentional loving experiences with music help the bonding process.  There’s something very personal about a shared musical experience, especially one within the arms of loving parent-child connection.

At Kindermusik, and especially in our baby music classes, we use music with the same intentionality and purpose as suggested by the findings of Hanson-Abromeit’s study.  In fact, it’s one of the things that has caused many music therapists to also become licensed Kindermusik educators.  It’s a joy to celebrate that once again research confirms what we music educators and parents have known along – music is a powerful key to unlocking every part of who we are and what we have the potential to become.
Learn more about the difference Kindermusik can make in your life at www.Kindermusik.com

Contributed by Theresa Case whose award-winning Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios is celebrating 20 years of offering the best music and movement program around!