Kindermusik Parenting Through Music: Part 3

Spotlight on Learning: Village

Lifting. Squatting. Twirling. Bending. Whew! Sometimes Kindermusik class feels more like a workout than, well, a workout. Okay, maybe not P90x, but still! While you are building muscles each week, your child is building early language skills.

When you lift her high "up, up in the sky" or "twirl around like a leaf" while singing the songs in class, you help your little one learn the word and understand the concept. Pre-readers rely almost exclusively on what they hear in order to acquire language. Your child's brain makes a connection based on what she experiences (being lifted high or twirling around) and hears ("up" or "twirl"). Later, she will discover those words correspond to marks on a page which eventually leads to letter recognition and reading. Just think how toned your arms will be then!

Everyday connection: Play that fun-key music. Listen and move to music that combines key vocabulary with a movement or activity. "Up, Up In The Sky" and "Like a Leaf or a Feather" are familiar choices. Visit play.kindermusik.com for more favorites, like "I Roll the Ball to You." Try mixing in your tunes, too. "Dancing Queen" anyone?

Kindermusik: Parenting through Music (Part 2)

Spotlight on Parenting: Village

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 a quiet time specifically designed to learn and practice relaxation techniques, such as rocking, listening to soothing music, or snuggling a favorite stuffed animal. Your child's world can be full of stimulating experiences. Teaching her how to relax after a period of activity gives her time to recoup and prepares her for what's next.

An added bonus: Children who know how to relax and self-soothe can be better sleepers. (Although, you might still wish for a visit from the Sleep Nanny at 2:34 am!)

Everyday connection:

Forget about a "play list."  Make a "relax list" in iTunes. When your child needs to wind down for naptime or bedtime, play songs like "Sleep, My Little Bird" and "Wild Geese Are Flying."  Eventually, she will begin responding to the musical cues and the relaxation techniques from class and ... well ... relax. You will, too! Let music make bedtime easier.

Kindermusik: Parenting Through Music (Part 1)

Spotlight on Learning: Village Class (ages newborn - 18 months)

By exploring with sound, babies and young toddlers practice their visual thinking skills or spatial-reasoning skills. Good visual thinking skills are essential for a child to later excel in math, science, and geography. We spend time in Kindermusik doing this together by playing different instruments and experimenting with lots of sounds, such as the different bird calls we "sing" together. In fact, children participating in Kindermusik tripled spatial-reasoning skills during a recent research project.

Everyday connection:
Be a Sound Explorer with your child. How many different sounds can a bath book, baby spoon, and Kindermusik Chime Ball make? Does a sippy cup with milk make the same sound as a sippy cup filled with cereal? What items on your changing table make sounds that can entertain your baby during a diaper change?