Everybody's Grandpa

John's grandparents have been attending Kindermusik classes with us since John was a baby. I used to think John's grandma, Carolee, loved class more than any other human being, including all of the kids. Carolee is a former preschool teacher, and when John was a baby, she would spend the whole time laughing heartily at his antics and the antics of the other children around him. I knew from the moment I met her that Carolee was some sort of Kindermusik angel sent to watch over us and make sure we squeezed every bit of joy we could get out of each and every class.

It wasn't until about four or five semesters in, though, that I realized that John's grandpa might actually be having a better time in class than either John or Carolee. John's grandpa loves to sing. John's grandpa can sing almost as high as I can, and he does, at every opportunity. Today in class, John's grandpa tried to sing along with a piggyback song that I was making up as I went along to the tune of Queen's "We Will Rock You". After that, he was rolling around on the ground with two little boys. Obviously, one was not John; let's call him Jack. John's aunt (yes, John comes with a full entourage) whispered, "Dad! Stop tickling that little boy! That's not John!" Jack's mother pulled me aside and laughed. "She's new," she said. "She doesn't realize that he always plays with Jack. Jack loves him!"

Indeed, when John's Grandpa comes to class, he is everybody's grandpa. He comes to class with the spirit of a very outgoing little kid. He rolls around on the floor, makes up harmonies to songs he's never heard before, and gets everyone riled up with his fun-loving personality. I joke that he's the one in the family who's my student. To tell the truth, though, he and Carolee and Jack's mom and all the other fantastic parents in that class are the best possible "Kindermusik Grownups" -- they come for the fun, stay in the moment, sing like they're the stars of the show, and aren't afraid to marvel in -- and even emulate -- the wonder that is the two-year-old child. 

"Miss" Lindsay is the Director of Kindermusik with Miss Lindsay & Friends. For more information on our holistic approach to teaching music to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, please visit www.eastbaykindermusik.com.

How to Comfort A Crying Child in Four Steps

One of the saddest things in the world is a child crying inconsolably for no apparent reason.

In class this week, a beautiful little girl started laughing hysterically during one of our class activities. Then, perhaps overwhelmed by the strength of her own emotion, she started crying as if brokenhearted. Tears poured from her blue eyes, her face turned red, and her breath heaved as she clung to the assistant teacher at her side.

The assistant teacher tried to soothe her, saying, "Why are you crying? What's wrong? What's the matter?" However, children often don't know what they're feeling, much less why they're feeling it. Our job is to help them identify the feeling and to help them make sense of the emotional maelstrom that threatens to pull them into its undertow.

"I don't think she knows why she's crying," I ventured. "You don't know why you're crying, do you?" I asked the child. She shook her head no. "It's okay. Sometimes I get really sad, too, and I don't know why, but it's good to feel all the feelings. Do you miss Miss Paulette?" She kept crying but nodded. Miss Paulette was the head teacher who usually attended class with us. "It's okay to be sad when we miss someone. It's okay to cry." The little girl seemed slightly reassured but kept sobbing.

At this point, the rest of the class was transfixed on the little girl, and since I'm a teacher, a red flag went off in my mind for two reasons. First, no one likes to be stared at when they're crying. Second, when it comes to children, crying can be contagious. Fortunately, music is one of the best ways to redirect a room full of children and calm turbulent feelings. We switched from the goofy, quick-paced activity to a sweet, moderately slow song about an owl. The song is written in a minor key, a musical flavor tinged with sadness, and features an owl hooting three times at the end of each line. As a class, we wondered if perhaps the owl was feeling sad. 

As we sang the song, the little girl's breathing started to slow. The attention was off her, and her feelings were being validated by the sad little owl who, with his slow song in a minor key, seemed to feel the same way she was feeling. By the end of the class, she was what psychologists call "emotionally regulated." Her feelings were no longer overwhelming her; she was comforted.

The next time your child is crying inconsolably, try these four steps:

1. Tell him he is safe and loved. These are the two things every child always needs to know, especially when they're upset.

2. Help the child name his feeling. Is he sad? Angry? Scared?

3. Validate the child's feeling. Help him understand why he might be feeling his feeling, and reassure him that it's okay to feel that way. 

4. Use music to help your child move through the feeling. Play or sing a slow song or lullaby, preferably in a minor key. For example, Sulla Lulla is a beautiful song that you may already have as part of your Kindermusik collection. If not, you can find it online at http://play.kindermusik.com.

May you be happy

May you be safe

May you be healthy

May you be at peace

Musically,

"Miss" Lindsay

Miss Lindsay is the Director of Kindermusik with Miss Lindsay & Friends. For more information on our holistic approach to teaching music to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, please visit www.eastbaykindermusik.com.

REvolution, Kindermusik-style!!

Those of you enrolled in our toddler and preschool classes know what I mean. We've rocked your world a little bit and maybe even your boat too. Wiggle & Grow, Laugh & Learn and Move & Groove families (those are the curriculum names of NEW Kindermusik classes) are joining the revolution of the evolution of our awesome new Digital Home Materials.

my.kindermusik.com

So what does that mean and how does it affect you? It means that Kindermusik International has done it again. They've made the magic, learning, and music they're known for new once more...and this time it's easier, more convenient, and more applicable than ever before. Through rigorous research, planning, thought, love, and care, Kindermusik International has created a digital delivery system that will bring music, literature, home activities, videos, and up-to-date research on child development into your hands anytime and anywhere. These materials are accessible on your home computer, tablet, or smartphone. (Um, yep. You heard that right. Standing in the grocery line, anyone? Waiting at the doctor's office?) They bring you everything you love about Kindermusik in an eco-friendly digital format that will never get lost, left behind, chewed up, used up, or need to be trucked there to here wasting-fossil-fuels-up.
 
It's an exciting time to be part of the Kindermusik family. We hope you love Kindermusik @Home as much we do!


.............

Digital Home Materials FAQ

 

 

Have some questions? We want to answer them! If you don't find what you're looking for below, give us a ring at (925) 866-8055 or email us at misslindsay76@gmail.com.

How do I find or access my materials?
From your desktop, tablet, or smartphone, visit my.kindermusik.com (notice there's no www). Enter your email address and log in as a new user to set your password. If you already have registered with play.kindermusik.com, you can use the same email address and password in both places. Once you've set up your account, you'll be directed to your home page where you'll find your child's unit of materials waiting for you. (Wiggle & Grow: "Time for Lunch" or Laugh & Learn: "Out and About"). Just click the unit icon to start exploring!

Every four weeks a new unit will automatically be delivered to your account. The units you already own will remain in your account forever growing your library of music, activities, and books!


I'm having trouble accessing my materials. What do I do?
If you experience any difficulty logging in or accessing your current unit, please contact us immediately. We are working directly with our friends at Kindermusik International to make sure you have a hassle-free experience. We appreciate knowing about any trouble you encounter as soon as possible so we can troubleshoot and uncover the solution quickly. 


How do I get the music for the class?
The music for your child's class is available in the orange-colored Download Center on the unit homepage for your child's curriculum. Simply click to download the music to your computer and then burn a CD, import to iTunes, or save and listen in whichever way your prefer to organize your music!


Our family has rules about screen time. How can we use these materials?
Kindermusik International knows and respects that each family gets to decide what's best for them when it comes to this issue. In creating this digital resource, Kindermusik has read about and researched this topic thoroughly. We have aligned our stance with that of the highly respected NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning, recognizing that children can benefit from a responsible and age-appropriate use of technology in combination with hands-on experiences and in partnership with an actively involved caregiver. We are proud to bring these high-quality materials to your family which truly embody the very best of both worlds- a responsible introduction to technology AND lots of hands-on, movement-rich, in-your-lap, down-on-the-floor learning.

These materials are designed for you and your child to use cooperatively, engaging with one another as you read, watch, discuss, and discover. Most of the videos are less than 2 minutes in length. The book can be used as an e-book or can be printed from the Download Center and enjoyed traditionally. Activities can be printed from the Download Center and enjoyed over and over again. Parents can read, watch, and learn about the latest research in early childhood education and their child's development. They are truly a rich and exciting tool that's now available to you anytime and anywhere!

Why is my monthly payment different from last Spring?
One of the benefits of going digital is that we're now able to offer families enrolled in Wiggle & Grow and Laugh & Learn an overall COST SAVINGS on Kindermusik. Even though you'll now be receiving MORE music, MORE literature, and MORE activity ideas, the digital delivery allows us to save on expensive shipping and handling costs. That translates to a significant savings for you and a greener more eco-friendly practice for the globe. Plus, there are no more up-front materials charges. Just one low monthly payment that bundles your tuition and Digital Home Materials into one.


But my child is enrolled in Village, Imagine That, or Young Child. When do I get Digital Home Materials?
  Digital Home Materials are currently not available for these classes. I know. We're sorry, but our fingers and toes are crossed that they're coming very, very soon! And you can bet that as soon as they're available, we'll be delivering them directly to you! In the meantime, you get to continue enjoying Kindermusik's award-winning physical Home Materials.

7 tips for family music time

A wonderful blog post from Mommy Educator Blogger "Sew Liberated" begins...

This morning, I stopped to ponder the road I’ve traveled to get where I am now – which led me to consider a few of those roads that I didn’t choose. The one that stood out to me was that decision, nine years ago, to pursue graduate studies in Montessori education rather than music therapy - a decision that led to living and teaching in rural Mexico for three years, which ultimately led to an interest in Latin American history on Patrick’s part, which landed us here in the land of Duke, et cetera, et cetera.

Read the rest here!

Kindermusik Director of Education Featured in USA Today’s “Guide to Kids’ Health”

Carol Penney, Kindermusik's Director of Education

Carol Penney, Kindermusik International‘s Director of Education and Kindermusik educator for 30 years is featured this week in the USA Today “Guide to Kids’ Health” Summer 2012 issue in the article, “Music & Learning in Perfect Harmony” by Mara Gorman.

Download the full article here.

The article talks about why we should teach our children to love music and why playing music now means a higher GPA later. This is something we at Kindermusik have been known for 30+ years, prior to the first evidence supporting the benefits of music on cognitive development in young children, released only six years ago in 2006. This issue is near and dear to our hearts, being that our mission is to bring learning through music to children across the world, and is especially important as schools continue to cut back on arts & music program, leaving a hole in education that parents must fill. We wanted to share a recap of the article, along with some of our favorite quotes and features to bring attention to why music is one of the best learning methods for child development.
The article begins with a question:

“What if someone told you that from the moment your child was born, you could do something to improve her self-esteem, confidence, social skills, eye-hand coordination, and eventually her grade point average? Of course, you would sign up, maybe even if it meant extensive training or expense.”

As a parent, we all want to do what’s best for our children. As we at Kindermusik have known and the theme echoed throughout the piece: early and meaningful exposure to music in a family’s life is one of the best gifts we can give our children! As we discuss on this music education blog, early music exposure for children has infinite benefits. Kindermusik classes primarily focus on early childhood development – for children age newborn to seven. As research has shown, the earlier we begin to share music with children, the better:

“Children are never too young to start experiencing music. In fact, the most fertile time for music learning is between birth and 5 years old.”

This guide also points out that being musically inclined is not a requirement to be able to incorporate music into your child’s life. As parents, we can bang on pots & pans to a steady beat, play our favorite lullabies at bedtime or radio station for a dance party, have a good ol’ fashioned family jam session with homemade instruments, or try a Kindermusik class together! All of these things will set your child on the right path to early learning. The article suggests finding music classes in your area through programs like Kindermusik, citing the benefits of music. In class, we use instrument play, repetition, special songs for every day chores, soothing rituals, audiation, sign language, books, and more foundations of learning through music to give children the tools they need to develop cognitive, physical, and social skills.

“Music makes a great teaching tool. “Everyone knows their ABC’s because of the melody,” says Carol Penney, director of education for Kindermusik, a music education program. ”Traditional children’s songs are perfect learning devices for turning sounds into words and words into creative thoughts.”’

Here are some additional fun “Did you know?” moments from the article:

• Children who engage in musical activities from infancy end up with stronger literacy, language, and math skills. They also typically have higher SAT scores and are more likely to graduate from college.
• Studies show that early and consistent exposure to music improves children’s academic performance. The explanation lies in music’s ability to affect brain
  development.
• “Music education actually rewires the brain in the same area where you develop math, language, and spatial reasoning skills.” ~ Jill Todd, president, Music Intelligence Project
• Kindermusik classes use percussion instruments like the Japanese den-den drum, seen here, to encourage rhythm and movement.
• The top instruments for young children are: 1) Voice. 2) Percussion and 3) Keyboard. Many kids start lessons at 7 or 8, so look into a music education program if you think your child is ready for daily practice.

*All quotes in this post from Mara Gorman’s article in the USA Today Guide to Kid’s Health, Summer 2012 issue.
Order the USA Today Guide to Kid’s Health here!

Reposted from Minds on Music, by Jamie Sterling.

Again! Again!

Have you ever wondered why a child will ask you to read the same book over and over or perhaps never tires of rolling the ball back and forth? A newly published study may shed some light on this learning technique of young children. Nicknamed the “Goldilocks effect”, the study examines the attention span of infants in relation to the complexity of the world around them. The results showed that infants focus only on situations that are neither too difficult nor too easy. (That's exactly what we've always said in Kindermusik, and why we teach parents how to scaffold for their children. We'll be covering this concept in our Creatures at the Ocean classes this month.)

“The study suggests that babies are not only attracted by what is happening, but they are able to predict what happens next based on what they have already observed,” says Kidd, lead author on the report. “They are not passive sponges. They are active information seekers looking for the best information they can find.” Children who are engaged in a sensory rich learning experience are best equipped to receive and retain new information. The repetition of a fun activity likely yields new information each time for your child and provides an opportunity for them to test their predictions based on their latest observations.   "Parents don’t need to buy fancy toys to help their children learn. They make the best use of their environment. They are going to look around for what fits their attention level. Kids learn best from social interaction," reminds Kidd.

I hope your family can enjoy some fun, social interaction in a Kindermusik class this summer! Click here to schedule your free preview class.

This article from Kindermusik International's blog, Minds on Music, was originally posted by Miss Aimee of Delightful Sounds, a Kindermusik Studio in Florida. Miss Aimee has been named a Maestro in Outreach by Kindermusik International, recognizing her considerable efforts each year to reach underserved populations of children in her community.

My Little Singer, or, "If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On!"

When my wife was pregnant with our first child, we had one of those baby journals where we noted everything from Braxton Hicks contractions to strange cravings at impossible hours. One of the
things I remember we had to fill in was what we wanted our child to be when she grew up. I wrote “folk singer” imagining a poetic soul like Joni Mitchell’s, but with not much of a voice, like Bob Dylan.

You see, neither my wife nor I sing. I’m not sure whether it’s because we can’t sing, or whether we can sing but our standards are too high, but we sure choose not to sing, and I must say we don’t
enjoy the sound of each other’s singing voice much. They say that a child loves its parents’ singing voice no matter how bad, and both of us having sung our child to sleep many a night, we can confirm that happily, this is indeed true. But as we predicted, our daughter seemed to take after us in the vocal aesthetics department.

She would sing loudly and boisterously all over the house, always off-key, always off-beat. But she loved to sing, and we praised her unequivocally. And quietly, we worried. She was even worse than us! we thought. At least we could keep a beat and sing in tune! She must be tone deaf, we thought. We even considered some kind of musical therapy.

Then as fate would have it, I became involved in a project composing children’s songs. These songs would be sung from the point of view of characters from Shakespeare, but simply and innocently. You know, Cordelia would sing about how hard it was to express in words how much she loved her father. Hamlet would sing about this man named Yorick who used to play with him when he was a child, and how he missed this man. It was a lovely idea, and we were getting a lot of interest.

So I had to put together a presentation. I hired musicians, technicians, engineers, booked a recording studio, called on professional singers, all to record a couple of samples for this presentation for publishers, app developers, and even investors.

And my daughter, who had always been a part of the songwriting process (I field ideas to her on the walk to and from school every day) suddenly piped up and said that she wanted to sing one of the songs. Cue sideways glances.

Oh well, we thought, just a few extra minutes of studio time so that we could indulge her, and let her stand inside the glass-walled booth with headphones on, and emulate some of the singers she idolized. So we let her try.

And that’s when something happened. She heard herself for the first time. She compared herself to professional singers, suddenly. In a split second she had developed a self-critical faculty. And she began to self-correct. By the end of the first take, she was singing the song beautifully.

Then she paged us. “Can I go again? I messed up at the beginning.”

She had become a professional!

We included her recording as part of the presentation, and it had the same effect each time. Everyone who heard it said that yes, the songs were great, and the singers were marvellous, but we should consider having our daughter sing all the songs.

And the rest is history. (You can see the video here.)

Our daughter turned five yesterday. When we asked what she wanted for her birthday, she said she wanted a guitar. And yesterday, she was so happy to finally have one. And I was happy too. Maybe my dream of her becoming a folk singer would come true after all.


DAESHIN KIM is the father of SHERMAN KIM, and together they are creating and recording songs for children sung by characters from Shakespeare. You can find out more about their project, support them, and pre-order their work here.
Their crowdfunding campaign ends on June 21, after which they will have to turn to Plan B (none of the transactions will be processed and they will receive nothing if they do not reach their goal by the end of the campaign period).