Preschoolers - Responding to Music Through Movement

Parenting Tip:  Play 'freeze dance' with your preschooler!

 

Why?

For young children, the rhythms of music are felt through the body.  This physical experience with the rhythms and patterns of music can help children begin to internalize the rhythms and patterns of language, as well.  This internalization helps with language acquisition and comprehension, as well as reading fluidity. 

Becoming a good listener will help your child: Learn more quickly and effectively for later academic success, heed danger signals, get along better with you and other adults, and make better friends

 

How?

Turn on some music, and dance!  Pause the music, at random times, and have everyone 'freeze like a statue!' until the music begins again.

 Move to Sally Go Round the Sun! 

Learn how to make Weather Sounds!  Can you create movements to match each sound you imitate? 

Get a scarf, washcloth, paper towel, or tissue, and move like a leaf, as you listen to 'Leaves in the Wind,' from the Kindermusik 'Outside My Window' CD.

 

Want to Learn More?

On our blog - learn more about the benefits of music & movement!

Kindermusik 7-year Continuum:

As babies, Kindermusik kids are moved by their adults to a variety of music and sound.  In toddler classes, they begin to move themselves, as the copy their adult's movements to different sounds & music.  In preschool classes, children use that experience, and their own sense of hearing to decide when to move and when to stop, when to make big or small moves, and when to move fast or slow.  In big kid classes, children use that same experience and sense of hearing to know whether or not they are playing the correct note, and whether they are playing, as one, with their musical ensemble of classmates.

 

Ensemble Development for Preschoolers

Parenting Tip:  Create a carnival parade with your preschooler!

 

Why?

Ensemble development means:  to develop the ability to play with a group of people.  When your child learns to play in a group, she begins by being aware of not only her own playing, but the playing of the whole group.  He subsumes his own playing to the goals and requirements of the entire group (an important, executive function skill).  But that's only the beginning.  Playing in an ensemble requires your child to:  listen to herself and others,  play a steady beat, coordinate movements to stop & start on cue,  follow a director (this week, we took turns being the 'director,' during our Hello song/shaker playalong!), and coordinate his own playing  to what is required by the music or directions. 

In Kindermusik, practicing these skills can feel like play to your child.  Yet, they're developing sills that will help them play on a sports team, perform in a play or musical, or play in an orchestra or band.  They are also strengthening the executive function skills that are essential for academic and professional success.  Skills such as working in teams, communication, self-esteem, creative thinking, calmer attitudes, imagination, discipline, study skills and invention are learned and improved through the study of music.

 

How?

play the Carnival Find & Count!  Once your child has found the instruments in the picture, get out some instruments from home (like your instruments from Kindermusik), and play along to your favorite song - as a family ensemble! 

Open the Let's Pretend Treasure Chest, and have a day at the carnival!  After pretending to be clowns, can you discover new sound effects to add to the Funny Fellow rhyme?  Do you have drums (or drum-like containers) at home?  Why not add a pretend marching band parade, before the carnival closes for the day? 

 

Want to Learn More?

On our blog - read 4 Significant Benefits of Music Education. 

Kindermusik 7-Year Continuum:

In Kindermusik baby classes, babies discover how to make sound with their voices, and with instruments, as adults demonstrate how to play & sing in an ensemble.  For toddlers, children have opportunities for practicing group instrument play, during singing games and instrument 'steady beat' playalongs.  For preschoolers, Kindermusik provides a framework for finding their place in the musical group (Who will lead?  Is it my turn?  Are we playing at the same time?  Should my instruments be in rest position?).  In Young Child classes, big kids get to experience authentic ensemble play, as we read notes and play full songs on glockenspiels, recorders, and dulcimers together.

 

Music, Toddlers, and Smooth vs. Bumpy

Parenting Tip:  Play with legato and staccato sounds!

Why?

'Staccato' and 'legato' are musical terms that define a particular articulation of playing or singing music.  Legato is smooth & connected.  Staccato is detached & short.  In Kindermusik class, we offer children a multi-sensory experience to help them understand the concepts of staccato and legato.  Children are hearing the difference between staccato and legato, by playing instruments, feeling the difference by moving in short & long ways,  and seeing the difference by watching others play & move.  A multi-sensory environment, like this one, makes for deep engagement and robust learning, for your child.

 

How?

Lead Through that Sugar and Tea!  Watch the video for movement ideas, then start the song & dance, together.  Can you find 'short' movements to add?  How about 'long' movements? 

Find a scarf, kleenex, or washcloth, and do the Five Little Peas rhyme.  Remember how we tossed our scarves into the air on the 'POP' part?  For fun, have your voice follow the scarf, as it floats downward, on a long 'ooooh' vowel.  

Make your own shaker/scraper, and explore ways to make long & short sounds, with your child.

 

Want to Learn More?

On our blog - Learn Six Ways Kindermusik prepares your child for formal music lessons.  A rich musical vocabulary begins with an experiential knowledge of the words that help us describe music and express ourselves musically - including staccato & legato! 

Kindermusik 7-year Continuum:

In Kindermusik baby classes, we notice and move babies to long & short sounds.  For Kindermusik toddlers, children imitate adults as we move to contrasting 'smooth' and 'bumpy' music.  We use the terms 'legato' (long/smooth) and 'staccato' (short/bumpy) sparingly now, in preparation for the move to Kindermusik preschool classes.  In preschool, children learn those musical terms (along with many others), and decide which movements & instruments best represent those different sounds.  As big kids in Young Child classes, younger elementary students put their knowledge of 'staccato' & 'legato' into practice, as they play instruments and read notes on the staff.

 

Kindermusik 'Scaffolding' and Babies

Parenting Tip:  'Observe, Copy, and Vary" musical play with baby!

Why?

This concept allows your child to lead her own exploration of instruments and movement.  He develops independence, as he discovers all the different things that can be done with the shakers & scarves. As you label, describe, and copy your child's movements, your acknowledgement strengthens her learning, and encourages continued problem-solving.  Adding a little extra challenge along the same lines is a pedagogical technique called scaffolding.
The term scaffolding evokes the image of a temporary support structure in a construction site.  The process of scaffolding in an educational sense is much like the traditional definition of scaffolding as a temporary support system used until a task is complete and a building stands without support. That sounds a lot like our job as parents, doesn't it?  We provide a temporary support system for our children until they can stand on their own in the world.

 

How?

Look at the Touch, Smell, Taste activity!  Note your child's reaction to each food.  How can you scaffold this activity? 

Look at the Cookie Party e-book.  Use a shaker instrument (store-bought, or home-made) to add sound effects to the story.  Follow your child's lead, and observe, copy, then add a challenge, as you create fun sounds, together. 

Put on a fun dancing tune, from the 'Yum!' CD (like Bread & Coffee, or Mrs. Murphy's Chowder).  Watch to see how your child moves to the music.  Label those actions, and copy them (to your child's delight!), then invite him to change the movement, a bit, to add a challenge.

 

Want to Learn More?

Read more about scaffolding - on our blog!

 

Kindermusik 7-year Continuum:

Scaffolding in Kindermusik baby classes means noticing how baby is interacting with an instrument or prop, and letting baby know you've noticed!  Will baby change her play when she notices Mommy has changed hers?  For toddlers, scaffolding means continuing this cycle of 'observe, copy, and vary' as your child becomes more experimental during instrument & prop play.  In Kindermusik preschool classes, scaffolding takes the form of providing a safe, supportive framework within which children can create their own music, movements, and pretend play.  For big kids, in Young Child classes, we scaffold by providing children with proper technique and note-reading skills, so that they can enjoy playing and creating their own favorite sounds.

 

Babies & Music: The Long & the Short of it

Parenting Tip:  Play with long & short sounds!

 

Why?

Musically, experiencing long & short sounds, movements, and visuals, fosters your child's developing sense of rhythm & articulation.
In Kindermusik, babies experience musical articulation while adults move them along to the music matching the articulation (like long & short).  As toddlers, we will include the language of articulation as we model and label smooth and bumpy.  Preschoolers will follow the contrasting articulation independently, following the musical cues alone.  At the elementary level in Young Child, they will learn some musical terms, and begin to experiment with sounds on various instruments.

Early literacy development involves the growth of key skills such as phonological awareness, auditory discrimination, active listening, and print awareness. Music naturally builds those skills (and more!) in children and makes them hungry for learning and reading!    

 

How?

Play the Toast game!  Do you hear long or short sounds, as the instruments play?  What fun way can you find to help your child enjoy the final, short, POP of the toast? 

What goes well with toast?  How about some TEA?!?  Have fun with this fingerplay - modified for babies!  How can you incorporate long & short sounds, and movements, into the game? 

Turn on the oven timer sound, from the Yum CD (or make the sounds, yourself, in a fun voice play game!), and make your feet 'tick, tick, tick' around the room.  Don't forget to move baby upward when the timer goes 'Ding!'

 

Want to learn more?

On our blog:  Read Four Ways Music Builds Early Literacy Skills

Kindermusik 7-year Continuum: 

As babies, adults are helping baby notice long & short sounds (voices, sirens, basketballs tapping on the ground, woodpeckers pecking).  As a toddler, children will begin to imitate those opposite sounds with her voice, and with instruments.  As a preschooler, children will learn music terms for those sounds (long = legato;  short = staccato).  As a big kid, in Young Child class, children will use their experience with long/short to make sense of quarter note rhythms, and eighth note rhythms (which are shorter in sound than quarter notes). 

 

Toddlers and Creativity with Music

Parenting Tip:  Use music to spark your toddler's imagination!

 

Why?

Making music is a VERY creative process with tempo, timbre, meter, instrumentation, and expression.  We start EARLY to develop creativity with music, because it will have a direct impact on your child's potential for success, later. Play is the most important activity of early childhood.  So even when it looks like a child is "just" playing, there's really some serious learning and developing happening as a result of the play. 

 

How?

Make some play food!  Enjoy seeing the different foods (real and imagined!) that your child comes up with.  How will she bring these new play foods into her imaginary world? 

Then, see if your child can remember which fruit was where, as he plays the Market Matchup game!

 

Want to Learn More?

On our blog, read about the stages of play, and see more about how music and movement activities support your child's creative thinking skills!

 

Kindermusik 7-year continuum:

In Kindermusik, babies are danced around the room by parents & adults, and are shown different ways to move, play, and sing.  As toddlers, children explore ways to move, play, and sing, by imitating the adults, and adding some of their own ideas.  In Kindermusik preschool classes, children take ownership of their learning by leading their own activities, within the framework of different musical & imaginary worlds being explored.  Big kids in Young Child classes use their creative experiences from early childhood to improvise, and compose their own music – and to add their own interpretation to existing songs ("should I play loud here, or quiet?").

 

Preschoolers and the Colors of Music!

Parenting Tip:  Play a 'sound identification game,' with your preschooler

 

Why?

Listening to different timbres, while playing various musical instruments, allows children to learn to attend to relevant sounds, and match those sounds to a specific instrument.  Preschoolers can then begin to code, sort, and categorize sounds, according to timbre.  Activities in which children identify, compare, and analyze sound qualities of instruments help children to develop auditory discrimination skills. As your child experiences the variety of sounds he/she can make with musical instruments and everyday objects, he or she is developing the listening vocabulary necessary for sound discrimination preceding language. 

 

How?

Make Barley Bear's Shoofly Pie!  If you tap on the empty pie tin, first, how will your child describe the timbre of that 'non-traditional instrument?'  What other sound-makers can you find at your house? 

Play the Clown Face game!  As your child identifies which part of the clown's face disappears, can they make the sound for that part?  Use the 'Funny Fellow' poem (on the Carnival of Music CD) to help your child remember the sounds we did, together, in class. 

Cue up the Midway at the Carnival track on the Carnival of Music CD.  What words will your child use to describe the multitude of sounds, at the carnival? 

 

Want to Learn More?

On our blog, read: The Color of Music

 

Kindermusik 7-year Continuum:

In our baby music classes, our focus is on exposing babies to a variety of timbres to build a base for his/her listening vocabulary to develop. In our toddler music classes, children are introduced to a variety of timbres related to animals, transportation, home, and everyday object sounds. In our preschoolers music classes, we explore the timbres of specific rhythm and orchestra instruments (i.e. such as resonator bars, slide whistles, clarinets, and trombones), teaching children to identify these timbres as well as discriminate the timbres of voices (male, female, child, etc). As children progress to our music classes for big kids, we introduce all the families in the orchestra.   Along the way, children will learn the distinctive sound of over twenty orchestra and keyboard instruments.  Plus they'll learn about and listen to instruments from all around the world.