Kindermusik is so much more than music.
Learning to LOVE books is also a key factor in their desire, and therefore their ability to read. This is developed over time, through thorough explorations of books that capture their interest and engage their minds and bodies ! In Kindermusik, we may read the same book each class for 3 – 5 weeks, expanding on new ways to discuss the illustrations, or use our bodies to explore the ideas in the book.
Each unit of Kindermusik, from infants to preschool ages, include special books we read in class, and each family gets their own copy to continue reading, and moving, at home. Yes, movement is integrated into our reading times to help books come alive with our children.
One of the all time favorite Our Time books is in the Away We Go unit, and features “Shiny Dinah”, a delightful book about a train. We become friends with Dinah, and share her song at the end of every page with four fun hand movements to accompany the fun train sounds. We share her fast moments, we share her slow moments, and we share the moments when she is hidden from view in a tunnel. Ask any family in this class, and you will realize how important Shiny Dinah has become to their child… all through pictures and words on paper, bound together in a book. They will want more books, and will be delighted to meet more friends through words.
.
.
In the book in the picture above, these Imagine That! students join the children in the book in a game of hide and seek in nature, exploring the animal “houses” that may be found up in a tree. They LOVE knowing the answer before we turn the page. And they LOVE when we take the parts of the children and animals from the book, and act out the story using props. And they LOVE walking through the park with their parents another day, looking for “houses” in the trees, and thinking about who may be living in them.
.
If you haven’t tried Kindermusik, or if your child has grown into a different age group, PLEASE contact us to set up a free preview class today. Most likely, we’ll read a book as one of our activities – sometimes even in the Village class for Babies.
.
According to experts, learning to read depends on acquiring a variety of skills including phonological processing, oral language, and comprehension. The early musical experiences your child gets in Kindermusik can have a significant impact in all these areas.
.
We truly believe “A good beginning never ends.”