4 Things You May Not Know About Kindermusik

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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. Read more

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5 Ways to Celebrate Spring with Music and Movement

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At Kindermusik, we’re all about great ideas and helpful tips that make parenting just a little bit easier and a whole lot more musical.  And now that Spring is just around the corner, we thought we’d share some music and movement ideas for celebrating spring… and creating some very happy memories!

1. Go for a listening walk. There are all kinds of sounds to be discovered outside, especially in the Spring time.  Listen for, imitate, and then talk about the sounds that are all around.

2.  Take advantage of springtime showers. Those brief, light spring showers do more than bring May flowers… they also leave perfectly sized puddles that are great for jumping, stomping, splashing, and giggling!

3.  Blow bubbles on the porch. There’s nothing more delightful than bubbles.  But bubbles aren’t just for fun, they also help little eyes learn to track and follow moving objects and little eyes and hands to improve eye-hand coordination.

4.  Do a happy dance in the house. Turn on your favorite music and float like a cloud, sway like a tree, fly like a bird, or wiggle like a worm.  (This would be a great follow up to your Listening Walk, and it’s a fun thing for the whole family to enjoy!)

5.  Work on some spring cleaning together. We think music makes everything better, and that includes spring cleaning.  Give your child a soft cloth or small duster and let them help.  Sing and dance the chores away!

And for more fun ways to celebrate Spring and all things new…

Blog post by mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com.

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2 Free Kindermusik@Home Units to Explore

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Curious what our Digital Home Materials are like? Each unit includes the following:

  • Free download of 15-20 new songs per month
  • An ebook, which is the same as the book in class (both interactive online and a printable download)
  • Age-appropriate and unit specific activities that enhance music experiences in class

The digital home materials are meant as a way to bring music into the home and to extend all of the wonderful benefits of Kindermusik into children’s daily lives. You, the parent, are the child’s first and best teacher! 

Here are two free units for you to check out: 

Family All Around Me. From the Sing & Play Class (ages 1-2)
How do you feel? From the Wiggle & Grow Class (ages 2-3)

Kindermusik’s Official Stance on Screentime

“Kindermusik International knows and respects that each family gets to decide what’s best for them when it comes to the issue of screen time or the use of technology and young children.  In creating our new digital tools and parenting resources, 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 educational materials to your family in hopes we can 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.”

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Kindermusik Improves Literacy by More Than 32%!!

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Check out Kindermusik in the News! Here is the press release from the Fall! Isn’t music simply amazing!!

Study Proves ABC Music & Me Program Boosts Literacy Development

GREENSBORO, NC – October 15, 2013 – SEG Measurement, an independent research firm, conducted a national study of nearly 300 preschool children, aged three years through five years, to test the ability of Kindermusik International’s curriculum ABC Music & Me to affect students’ literacy development.

During the study, students in both the treatment and control groups were tested with the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) Pre-K Assessment at both the beginning and end of the school year. Results indicated that students in the treatment group showed a 32% higher gain in PALS scores over the control group, indicating greater gains in student’s literacy as a result of the curriculum.

“Students using Kindermusik showed significantly greater improvement in literacy and language skills than students who did not use Kindermusik,” said Scott Elliot, president of SEG Measurement.

Read more

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The Kindermusik & Reading Rainbow Partnership!!

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Kindermusik International and Reading Rainbow, two of the most trusted brands in childhood education, are partnering to bring more ways for children and parents to learn together. Beginning in March, the Reading Rainbow app will include Music Mountain, featuring Kindermusik!

Reading Rainbow’s app hosted by LeVar Burton, guides children on a reading adventure to themed “islands,” each filled with hundreds of children’s books and video field trips. With the addition of “Music Mountain,” (named with the help of the Kindermusik community!) a limited selection of Kindermusik’s music-themed eBooks and videos will be featured alongside other newly produced and music-themed content from Reading Rainbow. Read more

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We Love Kindermusik Week!! (February 9-15, 2014)

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It was a simple concept, really, this idea for a WE LOVE KINDERMUSIK Week. It was born out of an increasing recognition of just how many of us – educators, children, and families – have been touched by being a part of something that’s more than just a curriculum or a weekly activity. The idea came to life as we reflected on just how much love there is for Kindermusik and how meaningful it would be to set aside a week to come together and purposefully delight in all that Kindermusik is and means to all of us.

With this one annual specially designated week, we will be able to publicly and corporately give voice to that light in a child’s eye, that song in her heart, that little person just waiting to blossom – to acknowledge all those precious, miraculous moments we as Kindermusik educators are privileged to nurture and celebrate with our Kindermusik families each and every week. Simply put, WE LOVE KINDERMUSIK WEEK is a small way we can raise up together to celebrate the wonder and magic that is uniquely Kindermusik. Read more

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4 Reasons Why Steady Beat Matters In Early Childhood Education

Thanks to the steady beat of our hearts, we are created to respond to a steady beat. It’s probably why we can’t help but tap our feet or nod our heads along to the beat of the music we hear.

The ability to consciously recognize and demonstrate steady beat, however, takes practice. In our early childhood music classes and early childhood curriculum, we help young children, including at-risk students, to develop steady beat by leading children to move their bodies to a beat, play instruments, clap their hands, or even walk, jump, and tiptoe to a steady beat.

Read more

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12 Reasons to Love Kindermusik@Home

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Here are a dozen reasons why families love Kindermusik@Home! Check them out:

12 Reasons Why Parents Love Kindermusik@Home

  • Easy access—available from any smart phone, tablet, laptop or computer so the learning can happen anywhere at anytime.
  • Go-to and trusted source for “play time” ideas for you and your child to do together, both online and offline.
  • Introduces children to technology in an age-appropriate and family-friendly way that encourages hands-on learning.
  • Adds new stories, games, and music! to your family’s expanding library that grows with your child and is specifically designed to reach those early childhood milestones, from birth to 7 years old.
  • Provides inspiration for “together time” through dance and movement activities, focused listening games, video field trips, find-it/count-it style activities, and more!
  • Connects your classroom learning with your family’s daily routines and rituals. Read more
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Foundations of Learning: Have a Ball

To a child with imagination and a parent who hasn’t forgotten the simple joys of childlike playfulness, every object has unlimited possibilities. Ball play enables children to investigate rolling, bouncing, passing, and tossing, exercising their imaginations as well as their gross-motor skills.
Tips for parents: You can enjoy ball play indoors or out with a Gertie® ball.Gerties are squishy, catch-able balls perfect for the child just learning ball skills. Add a little fun ball play music its easy to put together a favorite playlist from play.kindermusik.com just by searching on the word ball.
This post brought to you by Minds on Music (Kindermusik International’s Blog). Contributed by Theresa Case.
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