05 JanMusic & Learning: A Duet
I hope you will take the time to read through this. It is an excellent summary of the many attributes of music as they apply to children (and adults too). I would love to quote the source for this, but have lost that information.
There is something special about music that makes learning about the world around us easier.
Music provides:
- Repetition that reinforces learning.
- A rhythmic beat that helps coordination.
- Patterns that help in anticipating what comes next.
- Melodies that capture our attention and hearts in enjoyment.
- Words that are the building blocks of language and literacy.
Music supports many developing skills.
It can:
- Build relationships, communicate feelings, and provide comfort.
- Help older toddlers share, make friends, and feel comfortable in a group setting.
- Foster language development through stories, rhyming, and rhythm.
- Develop individuality by allowing children to discover their own sounds and unique styles of music.
- Launch creativity by allowing children to fill in missing words, discover new sounds, or make up songs.
- Develop fine and large muscles through finger plays, dancing, or playing instruments.
- Build coordination by letting children follow a beat and sue their minds, voices, and bodies together.
11 NovECMMA: Why Music and Movement are Brain Food for Every Child
The Early Childhood Music and Movement Association had an excellent article in their Fall 2010 journal, Perspectives. In that edition, they had an article called Different Learners: Why Music and Movement are Brain Food for Every Child.
You have to be an ECMMA member to read the whole article, but I wanted to share an excellent piece from that article:
This information [referring to research on the age-old debate of nature vs. nurture] affirms the absolute necessity of crafting early childhood environments that include appropriate, stimulating, and skilled exposure to music and movement activities. Whether or not a child comes into the world with a genetic propensity for outstanding musical ability, developmentally appropriate experiences with music and movement can both ground and expand mental development.
The article goes on to discuss the impact that our current society has on our developing children, and how music and movement activities can help overcome some of the negative impact.
Kindermusik classes offer music and movement…and more!
You can visit the ECMMA website by clicking here.
08 NovMiller-McCune: singing together can inspire cooperation
How do you get a group of 4-year-olds to cooperate?
New research suggests the answer may be as simple as a singing lesson!
In a 2010 article on the Miller-McCune website, writer Tom Jacobs says, “Singing together appears to inspire spontaneous cooperative and helpful behavior among 4-year-olds. That’s the conclusion of new research that provides support for an intriguing theory regarding the evolutionary origins of music.”
To read more, click here!
01 NovBaby Center: early music programs benefit children
BabyCenter panelist and pediatrician, David S. Geller, M.D. suggests, “enrolling your toddler in Kindermusik if they’re not yet ready for formal music lessons.”
He says, Kindermusik “focuses on fostering a love of music, rhythm, and self-expression.”
“By exploring how different instruments sound, and how music makes her feel, your child may learn to appreciate music much more than if she were practicing scales.”
Click here to read the whole article on BabyCenter’s website.
13 OctParenting Magazine: the importance of pretend play
The April 2001 issue of Parenting Magazine featured an article on the power of make-believe and nurturing a child’s imagination, coincidentally entitled, “Imagine That!”
The information presented in this article is right on target with the Kindermusik curriculum for 3s and 4s, Kindermusik Imagine That!
Read the whole article to find out more about the importance of pretend play.
