Uncategorized Archives - Page 25 of 69 - Minds On Music

4 ways after-school programs help students who may be at risk

For students who may be at risk, school can be a place to eat a warm meal, access and read books, and play safely outside with friends. When the bell rings at the end of the day, many underserved students leave the safety and structure of school for an environment less than ideal. However, quality after-school programs can provide many benefits for children, especially those students who may be most at risk.
The Afterschool Alliance reviewed dozens of studies on after school programs in the United States. The Summary of Formal Evaluations of  the Academic Impact of Afterschool Programs found four reoccurring themes that showed how an after-school curriculum impacts underserved students.

4 key ways quality after-school program curriculum impacts students who may be at risk

At-risk students who participate in after-school programs show improved school attendance and measurable increases in learning engagement during regular school hours.
At-risk students enrolled in an after-school curriculum improve test scores and grades, including in the areas of literacy and math.
The frequency and duration that students who may be at risk participate in after-school programs is directly correlated to the positive benefits of attendance.
Students at the greatest risk show the greatest gains from participating in an after school program curriculum.

After-school curriculum uses music to teach early language and literacy

Created by Kindermusik International, ABC Music & Me uses the proven cognitive benefits of music to boost the school readiness skills of young learners, including students who may be at risk. ABC Music & Me can be used as an after school curriculum to help all students experience gains in phonological and phonemic awareness, boost vocabulary acquisition, increase self-control abilities, and grow gross motor skills through whole body movement. In fact, participation in just 30 minutes a week delivers a 32 percent literacy gain!
Here’s what one Executive Director of an early learning center (and one of the first schools to use ABC Music & Me) said about how music, and ABC Music & Me, reaches at-risk children in her community.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhYRlQz5W2s[/youtube]

Learn more about using ABC Music & Me as an after school program curriculum for young learners, including students who may be at risk. Email us at info@abcmusicandme.com and request a demonstration to experience firsthand our customizable options for after-school programs.

Music and language share common brain pathways

(Source: http://www.womenshealthmag.com)

Athletes employ the benefits of music to boost overall performance. Science shows that specific types of music can really get the blood pumping and focus the mind on the task at hand—like 1-minute planks or running those last few miles. However, a new study also shows that music can get the blood pumping for language development, too.
Music and language development on the same path to learning
In two related studies, researchers from the University of Liverpool found that brief musical training can increase the blood flow in the left hemisphere of the brain—the same area of the brain responsible for language learning.
The initial study examined the brain activity patterns in musicians and non-musicians as they participated in musical activities and word generation tasks at the same time. The results showed that the musicians’ brains showed similar paths during the activities, but the non-musicians did not.
In the follow-up study, the researchers measured the brain activity patterns of non-musicians who participated in both a word generation task and music perception task. Then, the participants received 30 minutes of musical training and then completed the tasks again. After the musical training, significant similarities were found in the brain.
Amy Spray, who conducted the research, explained in a press release: “The areas of our brain that process music and language are thought to be shared. Previous research has suggested that musical training can lead to the increased use of the left hemisphere of the brain. This study looked into the modulatory effects that musical training could have on the use of different sides of the brain when performing music and language tasks. It was fascinating to see that the similarities in blood flow signatures can be brought about after just 30 minutes of simple musical training.”
Music and young ELL students

ABC English & Me - Teaching English to Children through Music

While the study above focused on adult participants, the results impact English language learners in the early childhood classroom, too. ABC English & Me, our English Language Learners curriculum, uses ESL activities for kids, words with picture cards, puppets, and English songs for kids to teach young children English. From the first song at the start of each class to the last shake or tap of an instrument, children quickly become engaged in actively learning English through fun, games, and, of course, music!
Plus, we provide materials for families to use together at home. These monthly interactive materials support the classroom learning, while giving parents the tools they need to continue the English language learning at home through music.

Learn more about bringing ABC English & Me and the power of music to your school!

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.

Professional development for teachers helps preschoolers, too

Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay, wrote: “If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.” Undoubtedly, she knew more about building a cosmetics business than early childhood education, but she understood the power of believing in your abilities. Now, early childhood research shows that when teachers believe in their abilities it impacts more than just them. Teachers who believe in their abilities also help preschoolers more with language and literacy skills than those who are less confident.

Confident preschool teachers boost preschoolers’ early literacy skills

As published in the journal of Teaching and Teacher Education, a research study followed 67 teachers and 328 of their students for 30 weeks. During the study, preschool teachers rated their own self-efficacy or belief in their ability to succeed in certain situations, such as keeping students on task for difficult assignments. Teachers and students were also observed interacting together in the classroom. Researchers rated the quality of emotional support as low, mid, or high. The team also evaluated the language and literacy abilities of children at the beginning and end of the 30 weeks. The researchers found that teachers who believed in their abilities as an educator positively impacted their students’ early literacy and language abilities.

2 ways teacher confidence impacts students’ abilities

1. Children whose teachers had high self-efficacy showed greater gains in print awareness
2. Children increased vocabulary knowledge skills when they had a classroom that offered emotional support in addition to having a teacher with high self-efficacy
One surprising finding indicated that preschool teachers with more experience had less confidence in their own abilities. “Fresh teachers who are straight out of training think that they can change the world. Then, when they get into the work place they realize how serious and difficult their jobs really are. This is why we think self-efficacy may decline among some preschool teachers through the years,” explained Laura Justice, co-author of the study, in a press release.

Professional development for teachers increases job satisfaction and abilities

One key way to both increase self-efficacy and job satisfaction is professional development for teachers. According to the most recent MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, only 39 percent of teachers say they are very satisfied with their jobs. Budget cuts, teacher and school support staff layoffs, job insecurity, and increased class sizes, probably contribute to the drop in teacher satisfaction rates. The survey did identify, however, three areas that significantly increase teachers’ job satisfaction.

3 ways to increase job satisfaction among teachers

Adequate opportunities for professional development
Time to collaborate with other teachers
Support from principal, other teachers, and parents to help engage and communicate with students’ parents effectively

Increase self-efficacy and job satisfaction of teachers AND literacy and language abilities of preschoolers

Training, collaboration, and connecting with parents are key components of Kindermusik. Our half-day trainings include a hands-on demonstration and provide early childhood educators with a clear understanding of the research behind the method and how it works on different skills and within different learning domains. However, we know the learning doesn’t stop after the training ends. Each unit includes an Activity Demonstration DVD that shows every activity being modeled in a real classroom setting.
Kindermusik even makes connecting with parents easier. Forget about creating and photocopying take-home sheets week after week. Each month every child receives take-home materials, including a Family Activity Guide and CD, which reinforce the classroom learning with reading, writing, and listening activities.

Learn more about bringing Kindermusik to your childcare center, preschool, or school! Email us at info@abcmusicandme.com.

4 Cool Music Facts

When young children are consistently engaged by music in an age-appropriate, socially accepting environment, they benefit at so many levels. Learning through music literally lights up every area of a child’s brain and teaches little ones to love learning. So, in our music education classes for babies, big kids, toddlers, preschoolers, and families when we recite a nursery rhyme, participate in a circle dance or movement activity, play a vocal game, and explore instruments, children develop skills in early literacy and language, spatial-temporal and reasoning skills, physical development, and creativity.

4 Cool Music Facts

1. Making music together connects brains.

Researchers in Germany conducted a study with trained guitarists in which they attached electrodes to their heads while they played a duet. During the study, they found that the brain waves coordinated between the two guitarists while they played the duet together. This also applies to choral groups, orchestras, small ensembles, and yes, even music education classes for kids.

2. Singing (and dancing) the Hokey Pokey helps children learn to read, walk around the room, and understand geometry.

When young children explore the directions up and down during a fingerplay or put their left hands in and take their left hands out, they gain a greater understanding of spatial awareness. Spatial awareness is the ability to be mindful of where you are in space and to see two or more objects in relation to each other and to yourself. This eventually helps young children to safely navigate around a room, tell the difference between letters and group them together on a page to recognize words, and understand geometry.

3. Music and movement experiences in a group teach children how to be a good friend.

Actively participating in a music class class for babies, toddlers, big kids or families, impacts all seven areas of social-emotional development, including confidence, curiosity, intentionality, self-control, relatedness, capacity to communicate, cooperativeness. All key skills needed to be a good friend.

4. Steady beat gives children the ability to walk effortlessly, speak expressively, and even regulate repeated motions such as riding a bicycle, brushing teeth, or dribbling a ball.

Through music, children experience and respond to steady beat during lap bounces, instrument play, and by dancing. While children move to the beat with their bodies instinctively, learning to control those movements, and to follow—or create—is an essential component of a child’s early development.

Need more? Join a Kindermusik class near you! We’ve been making music together with families all around the world for 40 years, and we’d love to sing, dance, and refine those critical skills with you.

Contributed by Lisa Camino Rowell, a freelance writer and former Kindermusik parent, who loves seeing the long-term impact of Kindermusik classes on her children.

Music and Movement Benefits: The Power of the Vestibular System

“The vestibular system controls the sense of movement and balance. From birth to about 15 months, the vestibular system is very active as the child gains a sense of gravity and knowledge of the physical environment through movement. Rocking, swaying, and movement which rotates the head stimulates the vestibular system, stimulating the brain for new learning.” – Smart Moves, by Carla Hannaford.

Activating learning through movement

The vestibular system is the “vestibule” or “entryway” for learning into the brain. By stimulating the vestibular system, we are helping your child’s brain get ready to learn. By intentionally stimulating the vestibular system during your baby’s early years, your child becomes even more aware of the physical environment through movement. Research shows that vestibular stimulation is not only tied to “alertness” but also to a child’s language development.

A parent’s insights can give a child an academic advantage

Understanding how children learn in the early years and what activates that learning is vital to understanding how children will learn and progress through school later on, according to developmental psychologist Dr. Katherine Towney. This is precisely the reason that Kindermusik educators are so fond of sharing the benefits and the reasons for what we do in class. We believe that parents are children’s first and best teacher, and the more you know and understand about your child, the better learner you can help him/her become.

Why we move, rock, dance, and sway in a Kindermusik class

Here’s a brief of overview of just how we activate the vestibular system – and a child’s learning – in our Kindermusik classes:
Babies: Using and labeling movements like twisting, swaying, turning, and rocking.
Toddlers: Helping the children learn to move confidently and creatively on their own – with mom, dad, grandma, or nanny near by, of course.
Preschoolers: Introducing a whole new vocabulary of movement and joyfully exploring all of those new words and ways to learn.
Big Kids: Keeping the movement in our feet and whole bodies inspires the children as they are also learning to read, write, and compose music.

The Surprising Movement-Literacy Connection

At Kindermusik, we’ve said it for years…

Movement and learning go hand in hand.

That’s why we found it fascinating that a recent study done in Australian schools identified a direct correlation between young children who engaged in a movement program as they were also being taught to read. The findings were astounding. The combination of consistent movement and exercise while being taught to read resulted in the students becoming better learners. Reading, writing, and fine motor skills improved, and the students were much more focused. In fact the program was such a huge success that it was implemented in all K5 and 1st grades at Applecross Primary School.
If you want your child to be a better reader, you don’t have to be one of the lucky students who attends Applecross Primary School in Melville, Australia. You can simply find your local Kindermusik educator and enroll in a Kindermusik class!

“Thinking and learning are anchored by movement.”*

Here are a few of the ways we move in Kindermusik that help our Kindermusik kids be ready – ready for school, ready to read, ready for music lessons, and ready to succeed in life!

Expressive movement: Whether it’s dancing in Daddy’s arms as a baby or learning the steps of a minuet as a big kid, dancing is an important part of self-expression and developing creativity.
Synchronized movement: Bouncing, clapping, stomping, or playing an instrument to a steady beat – first with and then later without Mom’s help.
Fingerplays, songs, and chants: Moving little fingers, hands, and arms is a big part of how we learn through labeling and how fine motor skills – essential for holding a pencil, cutting with scissors, and playing the first notes on a piano – begin to develop.
Group dances and circle songs: Simple choreography or moving together as a group provides vital social interactions that also facilitate a sense of community and belonging.
Spatial exploration: Exploring the “where” and “how” of movement as it relates to one’s sense of self and relationship to personal and general space is a how the all-important skill of spatial awareness is developed.

* Dr. Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head

Let’s call the whole thing early language development!

Are you familiar with the old George and Ira Gershwin song, “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off”? They wrote it for the 1937 film Shall We Dance, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Sing with us:

“You like potato and I like potahto

You like tomato and I like tomahto

Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto.

Let’s call the whole thing off.”

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ3fjQa5Hls[/youtube]
In the song, the two characters sing about their differences, primarily around the way they pronounce certain words. We love that song (and movie clip) even more after reading a new early language development study from the University of Toronto.

Toddlers and early language development

In the early language development study, researchers set out to investigate if and how children in the early stages of learning their first language come to understand words spoken in different regional variants of their native language. (“You like potato and I like potahto!”) For example, English spoken in England sounds different from English spoken in Australia or the United States, not to mention the multiple dialects found within regions of countries.
The team found that toddlers are remarkably good at comprehending speakers who talk with regional accents, even if the accent is new to the children. Although initially in the study, children as young as 15 months old could not comprehend unfamiliar accents, they quickly learned to understand after hearing the speaker for a short time.
“Fifteen-month-olds typically say relatively few words, yet they can learn to understand someone with a completely unfamiliar accent,” explained Elizabeth K. Johnson, associate professor with the University of Toronto’s Psychology department in a press release. “This shows that infants’ language comprehension abilities are surprisingly sophisticated.”

ELL students and early language development

While the University of Toronto study focused on a toddler’s first language, it highlighted the incredible language-learning abilities of very young children. Children under the age of 8 who learn a second language are more likely to speak like a native speaker and also show marked improvements in their first language. Our ESL curriculum, ABC English & Me, uses English songs for kids in an immersion environment filled with music and movement. In addition to the ESL curriculum in the classroom, ABC English & Me includes materials for families to use together at home to support a parent’s role as a child’s first teacher and further develop English language skills. Try this ESL activity for kids:

Find & Count: Where’s the Frog?

Young children love to search for hidden or missing items. Following the English language directions in the video, and then finding (and saying hello to!) the frogs, fish, and ducks, provides young ELL students much-needed feelings of mastery and success in English.

Learn more about bringing ABC English & Me and the power of music to your school!

Contributed by Lisa Camino Rowell who prefers tomatoes but will eat a tomahto or two on occasion.

Take it outside—the benefits of music that is!

Ah, summertime. Warmer temperatures, playing in sprinklers, catching fireflies, and walking barefoot in the grass—summer is the perfect season to “take it outside.” In the world of childcare curriculum development, it can also mean the season of the slide. No, not the slide found at the local playground or park, but the summer slide, which refers to what can happen to the early literacy and language, early math or other cognitive development skills of children who do not participate in learning activities over the summer.
Thankfully, the benefits of music engage children in learning throughout the year. Summertime can be the perfect season to grab a CD player and take the educational activities outside as part of a childcare summer curriculum. Our early childhood curriculum, ABC Music & Me, includes 3-package units to make it easy to engage children in early literacy and language development as part of a summer camp or as part of summer programming. Plus, Kindermusik includes @Home activities to connect what happens at school with the every day routines and rituals of a family’s life.

3 summer programming options to take the benefits of music outside

1. Wiggle & Grow celebrates the unique joys of young toddlers. Children will love the songs, stories, and games and early childhood educators will love helping them practice a wide variety of skills such as gross and fine motor, turn-taking, social skills, and active listening.
The summer-friendly 3-unit package includes themes: Up in the Sky, Marvelous Me, Time for Lunch
Sneak-peek at one of the activities from Kindermusik@Home that supports parent involvement in early childhood education:
From “Up in the Sky”: Sky Counting
Learning number words (e.g., one, two, three, four) is the first number sense skill. Research shows that number sense is a critical early predictor of future mathematics success. A sky full of clouds, airplanes, blimps, and more… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…families will love counting them all.
2. Laugh & Learn encourages preschoolers’ natural love of music, storytelling, and imaginative play with age-appropriate activities that introduce early music concepts and foster independence, social and emotional skills, language growth and self-control.
The 3-unit summer-friendly package includes themes: Home Sweet Home, Let’s Play, On the Go
Sneak-peek at one of the activities from Kindermusik@Home that supports parent involvement in early childhood education:
From “Home Sweet Home ” Home on the Hive
Measurement is one of the core areas of early math. In the activity, families will enjoy comparing relative size and position of the bees in the hive.
3. Move & Groove engages students in music and movement activities such as songs, rhymes, and dances that also promote creativity, social-emotional skills, physical coordination, confidence and more. Plus, language rich content boosts vocabulary while strengthening cognitive and literacy skills to help increase school readiness!
The 3-unit summer-friendly package includes: Sounds Abound, Jazz Kitchen, and Dance with Me
Sneak-peek at one of the activities from Kindermusik@Home that supports parent involvement in early childhood education:
From Sounds Abound: Can You Guess What Song?
In this game, children are asked to identify a familiar song by listening to the sounds presented through a voice humming. Sounds simple—but to be successful, children must process the sounds, connect them to the music and lyrics of songs they know, and then recall the name of the song. Processing skills are the primary skills being exercised here. Processing, or the ability to perceive information, is an important cognitive skill that starts developing rapidly during the preschool and early school years.

Want to learn more about taking the benefits of music outside at your preschool or childcare center as part of your summer programming? Email us at info@abcmusicandme.com.

Music is a parent’s secret super power

Parents of young children need special superpowers. Forget about leaping tall buildings in a single bound or even flying, parents really need the ability to turn invisible in order to check on a sleeping baby, the power to fully function on only 3 hours of interrupted sleep, and the capacity to do the laundry faster than a speeding bullet! Who knew someone so little could go through so many clothes!?
Music can’t help parents with those super powers (although we wish it could!), but the power of music can give parents other hero-worthy powers. After all, parents are heroes every day of the year—not just on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

4 ways music is a parent’s secret super power

Music gives families the power of laughter and silliness. Children literally bring more laughter into our lives by laughing 10x more each day than the average grown-up. Children can easily find a reason to laugh. Bubbles in the bathtub, funny sounding words, dogs wearing clothes, and, even just jumping off the front step can all cause a child to erupt into fits of giggles. In Kindermusik, we laugh, giggle and even, yes, guffaw a lot when we sing silly songs like “G ang-Goo” or “Sally the Camel,” play or listen to funny sounding instruments, and even share a few knock-knock jokes during story time. Children develop a sense of humor over time as they learn what is and isn’t funny—and when it is appropriate (or not) to laugh. In our music education classes, we support your child’s growing sense of humor and give your whole family more reasons to chuckle. Plus, all this giggling strengthens your immune system, lowers stress, and supports your child’s divergent thinking skills.
Music provides families the power to predict the future. OK, this one is for your little ones…but it certainly helps make a parent’s job easier! Young children’s brains seek predictable patterns to help regulate their internal clock and navigate daily transitions. Routines and rituals teach children that the world is a predictable (and safe) place. Listening to lullaby music at the end of the day, signals to children that bedtime is near. They can predict what comes next in the routine—warm bath, infant massage, special book, final bottle or nursing for the night, etc. Rituals and routines work closely together to provide continuity and connectedness—both vital to your child’s development. Adding musical cues helps make the transition to bedtime easier for everyone!
Music transmits the power of relaxation and sleep. Have you ever heard someone say, “You need to learn how to relax”? Well, they were right. Relaxing is a learned behavior that even the youngest child can begin developing. In Kindermusik, we include an unstructured quiet time with soothing music specifically designed to learn and practice relaxation. Your child’s world can be full of stimulating experiences. Teaching young children how to relax after a period of activity gives them time to recoup and prepare them for what’s next. An added bonus: Children who know how to relax and self-soothe can be better sleepers.
Music celebrates the power of love and affirmation for parents. In school, we learned that following the rules, completing assignments on time, and studying for tests usually equals passing grades. That lesson continues into the workplace where a yearly performance evaluation determines bonuses, raises, or even promotions. Unfortunately, the same evaluation system does not exist in the world of parenting. Eighteen years is a long time to wait for a passing grade! At Kindermusik, we don’t think you need to wait that long to receive affirmation. Breathe. Enjoy the moment with your child. You ARE your child’s best and favorite teacher. Every smile, every hug, every kiss is an A+. Each week in our music classes for babies, toddlers, big kids, and preschoolers, we intentionally include bonding activities, such as rocking and infant massage, to support the amazing connection you share together. It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers. (No parent ever does!) You do have all the love and that is better than any letter on a report card.

Looking to tap into music’s super powers for your family? Find a local Kindermusik educator and visit a class!

Contributed by Lisa Camino Rowell, who loves tapping into the secret (and not so secret) powers of music.