Kindermusik With Notable Kids

We've Moved!

2011-11-07T16:07:00.002-08:00

You've found the old "us". Please follow us to our newer blog. See you there!

Are you on it?

2008-11-23T09:48:00.002-08:00

Cell phone numbers go public this month. Are you on the National Do Not Call list yet?

All cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sale calls.

YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS
To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone:
1 866-580-3625 or 888-382-1222.

It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time.
It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone
Number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.
Or you can do it online at www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca
HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS.. It takes about 20 seconds

In memory of Finn

2008-10-11T23:01:00.002-07:00

Finn is a little boy who loved music. And anything "Cars"-related. And he has the most amazing family. I know this whole-heartedly, even though I've only had the briefest of encounters. You see, they've been busy. Consumed with capturing life's best moments, and blazing through a lifetime of smiles and memories in a very, very short time.

Finn had cancer. Everywhere. And despite the best efforts of international teams of professionals and friends and family, Finn passed away on Thursday night.

Throughout Finn's life with cancer, Finn's dad did a truly remarkable thing for each of his children: he documented special snippets of joy that each of them shared with their brother. They made a conscious effort to live for smiles, and measure their success as a family by the quality and quantity of those smiles.

Because it was Finn's wish to be remembered, I share with you the last journal entry I received:

Last night at approximately 11:00 p.m., I died. A strange thing death, but it was time. My body was so tired, and so heavy. Tired enough to sleep the sleep of sleeps. Heavy enough that I craved lightness more than anything else.

I thought about going earlier, around 7:00 p.m. but I heard daddy say that Sarah and Baird weren't there, and I decided to wait.
Then Sarah and Baird got back, but there were lots of people in our room, and I decided it wasn't time. So I waited. Then it was Backyardigans time, just me, Baird, Sarah, mommy and daddy. When it was just us, I knew it was o.k.

Daddy and mommy had explained to me about the next journey, and like I said, I was tired. I went peacefully and quickly with my Backyardigans there with me. My Baird. My brother. My Sarah. My sister. My mom. My dad.

Before the end all I could do was sleep. While Baird, Sarah, mommy and daddy got to say goodbye to me, I didn't really get to
say goodbye to them. This is my chance.

Dearest Baird. Thank you for being my best friend and twin brother. I cannot imagine how I could have lived my journey without your constant support and laughter. You helped make the abnormal normal. I will miss our laughs over nothing and doing nothing over laughs. You have helped me so much and I am so sad I had to leave before I could give you
more back. This cancer thing is so stupid and so weird, but nothing you did made it happen and everything you did helped me stay happy. Carry me with you always. I will be in your crooked smile and in your drum sticks. I will be in your speed and on your laughter. And always upon always I will be your twin. And you will be mine.

Dearest Sarah. You are the most incredible, biggest hearted sister a brother could ever have. Thank you for sitting with me and stroking your face with my hand. Your courage was an inspiration to me always. At the end, you were the most courageous of all. Despite knowing what was happening to my body, and despite your fear of the intense sadness that
knowledge imparted, you held me close. You touched me and told me you loved me. That was so important to me and helped me so much. Thank you also for your silliness and your heart warming ability to help me find my smiles. I know that you will carry me with you always. I will be there in your silliness and in your feral dancing. I will be in your hugs and in your courage. And always upon always I will be your sweet sweet Finny (with the bo bo binny).

Dearest mom. I am so sorry for your sadness. You carried me, and loved me, and held me. I have no salve for your sadness, no answer for the pain. I do have a request. Laugh for me. Dance for me. Love my brother. Love my sister. Love my dad.

Dearest dad. Thank you for your words. For telling my story. For finding a way to comfort me in the scariest times. For finding the words that let me go.

To everyone else. Bounce. Run. Jump. Dance. Sing. Love. Smile. Remember me.

Follow me to Kindermusik

2008-09-09T23:48:00.001-07:00

We love to share what Kindermusik is all about! If you've never done a class before, give us a call to set up a preview class. Come and check it out. If you enjoy the class, you are welcome to join at a prorated rate (provided there is room in the class!).

Check it out today!
604-773-4317

Fall Session is About to Start!

2008-09-07T17:33:00.003-07:00

Classes start on September 8th. If you've missed the start date, don't panic. As long as there is room in the class, you can join at a prorated rate. And don't forget that the babies will have a whole new curriculum 7 weeks from now. If you missed the boat this time, be sure to sign up early for the next round!

All Things Seussical

2008-03-16T09:03:00.004-07:00

We missed out on Seussical The Musical, but I look forward to taking Jacob to see Horton Hears A Who. We love Seuss books, and a movie with a little story and a lot of music is always a favourite of ours. I've heard this is the case, but haven't seen it yet, so don't take my word for it just yet!

I always like taking the kids out on a "date", one on one. It gives them some special time with just mom or dad, and it's always the time that we get those amazing insights into what's going on in their little heads...

Some assembly required...

2008-03-06T13:15:00.003-08:00

If you had trouble with the Away We Go train box, you definitely won't want to tackle this one:

Classes Cancelled Today

2008-01-29T07:26:00.000-08:00

Snowflakes are falling, falling very gently...

Well, not so much. They're coming down in buckets, and it's supposed to go on for another few hours. Classes will be held next week, February 5th instead.

Enjoy the snow!

Flight of the Bumblee Bee

2008-01-08T23:07:00.001-08:00

If you've been hiding under a rock, as I have for the last several years, and haven't heard about The Clash of the Choirs, you'll want to see this. An amazing acapella version of a wonderful classic.

I can't think of this song without seeing beautiful little faces with big wide eyes and clenched fists as they wave the parachute with everything they've got to make the beachball bumblebees dance. An Our Time favourite!

Another First

2007-12-28T17:05:00.000-08:00

Angels, yes? Depends on the mood and how much one (ie: me) needs to get done. Can you see the glint in their eyes?

I decided I had better get a mailer out announcing our upcoming Winter Camps just in case anyone hadn't heard about them yet. I had managed to assemble all but 10 last night, but ran out of envelopes, and had run tragically short on stamps.

So today, in all my effort to be efficient, we headed up to Caulfield Village for a quickish stop before taking both animals to the vet (in Coquitlam - don't ask). The plan was to tuck into Pharmasave for stamps, duck over to Starbucks for "lunch" while I assembled the remaining 10 mailers and put stamps on the 160 envelopes that still required them. We could then pop back to the postal outlet to make sure the letters got out today.

However, I forgot how much a stamp could seem like a sticker, and how desperately 4 year olds like stickers. Especially when there are hundreds of them on really fun rolls that zing off a small circular table dotted with warm chocolate, latte, whole wheat croissant, and fruit. Apparently a 4 year old has no regard for the fact that some stamps are 51 cents EACH; they are every bit as valuable as the dollar store dolphin stickers that I allow him to adorn every body surface with.

We managed to get all but 2 of the stamps close to where they needed to be, and no hot beverages were spilled. Piper did create some lovely floor art with a significant portion of her lunch, but we got the mail in on time. The animals even got to the vet on time - in fact, we were a week early. Bless them for taking us anyway - I don't think I could have corralled the cat again.

Needless to say, if you receive an envelope that isn't quite flat, or has a stamp at a particularly strange angle that may or may not be in the top right corner, you will have received a mailer that was put together with love and a whole heap of patience!

BC Hydro Helps Children's Hospital

2007-12-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

Click here to view a cute little animation and have BC Hydro make a donation to BC Children's Hospital. Every time the holiday card is viewed, a donation is made.

Straight No Chaser - 12 Days

2007-12-10T16:39:00.001-08:00

Best of the season to you! Enjoy this fabulous men's choir as they muddle their way through the favourites!

Wow - where has the time gone???

2007-11-28T23:25:00.001-08:00

I've been a terrible blogger lately. Not that I've posted anything risque or offensive. I just haven't been posting. Between kids, business, computer crashes, and family medical mayhem, it just hasn't ranked high on the list of late. My apologies to anyone who actually checks in on a regular basis. (Guess you're not doing THAT anymore!)

If you're missing a good read, try Antique Mommy on for size. She's always good for a laugh. Really great writing style, and excellent commentary on raising a child and life in general.

Recycled Fun On a Rainy Day

2007-11-15T22:16:00.001-08:00

Loopy Lava: fill 1/2 water and food coloring, and 1/2 baby oil. It produces a lava lamp effect when tilted.

Snow Globes: fill half with water and half with corn syrup. Add glitter, beads, paper clips etc. The corn syrup makes the glitter fall slowly for dazzling effects.

Delightful Discoveries (not pictured): fill with rice and small objects like dice, small toys, etc. As you roll the bottle, different objects will come to the surface to be discovered.

Once filled, simply fill the bottle caps with hot glue and turn them on. Let set until dry and you have a great addition to you sensory set! Set these bottles in a sunny window for even more dazzling effects!

Job Posting

2007-11-08T19:40:00.000-08:00

POSITION:
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma
Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities!
Travel expenses not reimbursed.
Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The rest of your life.
Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, and completely embarrassed the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also inc lude floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:

None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:

None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:

Get this! You pay them!
Offering frequent raises and bonuses.
A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent.
When you die, you give them whatever is left.
The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play yo ur cards right.

** AND A FOOTNOTE: THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!!!

I won't make you do this - I promise!

2007-11-04T17:09:00.001-08:00

Our Village classes are doing the Charleston, among other dances, this session in Do-Si-Do. While we're not as flamboyant as this (yet), please consider that they are all holding babies while kickin' it up!

What are you going to be for Halloween?

2007-10-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Halloween is big in our house this year. Jacob is doing an entire month of Halloween as the program of enquiry, so you know we're really talking it up a lot these days!

I'm hoping everyone will come to classes in costume during the week of Halloween. Just remember to be ready to peel off layers or have a sip of water handy. The costumes meant for trick or treating outside can be a little hot inside, especially if you're "Down in the Meadow", doing the Charleston, or Zig Zagging around the room.

Here's the link for the homemade costume above. I'm thinking the dragon might be one that I could pull off for myself...

Frog Kiss

2007-10-16T08:21:00.001-07:00

Frog Kiss,
Frog Kiss,
Is such a special thing.
For when you give a frog a kiss,
The frog begins to sing!

Ribbit, Ribbit, Croak, Croak, Crou-akkk!

I saw the photo and thought of all your Our Timer's and ABC-ers! Jacob caught these frogs (several times over) at our cabin this summer.

Jessica's Wedding Pictures

2007-10-11T22:19:00.000-07:00

Jessica & Joe had a lovely wedding on the shore of Jessica's family's cabin in Invermere, BC. (For those who don't know, that's FAR BC, new time zone BC.) It had been kind of lousy weather all week, but as Jessica's car pulled up, the heavens beamed and we had glorious sunshine for the ceremony.
Jessica was gorgeous!
Jessica & Joe's good friend, Bree, presided over the ceremony. I had no idea you could do that, but as long as the legal components are there, a Justice of the Peace can sign the paperwork. It's so much more personal that way!

The reception was a ROCKIN' good time! They had a keyboard, drum kit, and mikes set up on stage, and Jessica and various family and friends periodically got up to jam. They were good! My husband, Warren, who had not heard Jessica sing "real" music (ie: NOT Kindermusik) before was baffled that they weren't on the bar circuit singing professionally. Jessica wrote a song for Joe - I can't believe she made it through the song! I wish I had a video clip of it to post!! I've asked for someone to email it to me, so keep your eyes open...
That's Joe on the left on guitar. You can't miss the bride on lead vocals. And that's Paula, Jessica's sister (& bridesmaid) singing backup on the right.

Too cool. Thanks, Jessica, for inviting us to be part of your day!

This tickled my funny bone...

2007-10-10T23:34:00.000-07:00

savvytot.com

These Ain't Your Momma's Cloth Diapers!

2007-10-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

Come and learn how you can change the world – one diaper at a time!

Karen is a Kindermusik Mom and has started New and Green Baby Co., providing families with the latest and greatest in cloth diapers. I did cloth diapers 4 years ago, and wasn't sure that I would do it again. With the new options available, I've gone back to cloth once again. You wouldn't believe how easy they are now!

Karen is offering a series called Cloth Diapering 101 in November, and we will be hosting one at The Studio.

You will learn about:
· the environmental, health and financial benefits of cloth diapering
· what you need to start up and at different stages
· common concerns including going out and about with cloth diapers and night time solutions
You will also have the opportunity to see and feel the most popular diapers available, including hemp and bamboo diapers.

Workshops:

Friday November 2nd 2:30-3:30pm at Pomegranate Community Midwives in East Vancouver

Thursday November 15th 7-8pm at the Roundhouse in Yaletown (pending strike resolution)

Monday November 19th 6:45-7:45pm at Notable Kids Kindermusik Studio in West Vancouver

Friday December 7th 2:30-3:30pm at Pomegranate Community Midwives in East Vancouver

Contact Karen to sign up for a seminar today!

Kindermusik With Notable Kids - Our Time Breakfast TV

2007-10-08T21:56:00.001-07:00

Here are the toddlers!

Kindermusik With Notable Kids - Village Breakfast TV

2007-10-08T21:55:00.001-07:00

Finally! Our Breakfast TV debut ready for viewing. Stick through the first few seconds on the horses...

Developmental Notes: See What I Saw Week 4

2007-10-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

Literacy & Dramatic Play enable children to:
- understand specific vocabulary terms
- express their feelings
- demonstrate their understanding through role-playing
- utilize their memory of actions and story sequences
- develop cooperative social skills, problem solving, and ability to coordinate actions with other children

Exploring Wood Instruments: The 3-5 year-old child has a disposition of curiosity and will conduct thorough investigations when given the chance. Exploring wood instruments provides an opportunity for children to learn and discover by finding new information, making comparisons, categorizing, conducting sound experiments, and talking about their findings. This kind of learning strengthens thinking skills which can then be transferred to any other learning experience.

Literacy & Movement: Through moving up and down, back and forth, and climbing up and falling down, the child experiences a variety of ways in which one’s body moves through space and time. Through these movement experiences, the child’s understanding of spatial terms is expanded. This type of active and interactive learning through storytelling strengthens both literacy and movement.

Rondo Form: The predictable nature of the rondo form of the Grasshopper Park Instrumental Medley (ABACADA) makes it possible for the children to anticipate the order of the music and movement. Learning to predict is important in other areas such as: reading comprehension, problem solving, sequencing, memory, and recall.

Analytical Listening: Analytical Listening requires children to discriminate one sound from another, ie: trombone, clarinet, and slide whistle sounds. This leads to identifying personal preferences in recognizing the beauty of sound.

Developmental Notes: Wiggles & Giggles Week 4

2007-10-04T20:55:00.001-07:00

Lullaby: The life of a toddler involves the constant emotional struggle between dependence and independence. The turbulence of these years can be difficult for both the child and the adult. The lullaby contains lyrical expressive qualities that have the capability to calm some of these feelings. Fundamental to all cultures, singing lullabies to a child can provide security, warmth, and comfort.

Movement and Learning: Movement is the key to learning! Our brains fully develop through movement activities such as crawling, rolling, turning, walking, skipping, reaching, swinging and much more! The brain has a lan for development that involves specific and intensive motor activities to make full use of our complicated nervous system.

Ensemble Development: Many children ages 1 1/2 through 3 years have a well-developed sense of their own internal steady beat. Sneak a look around the corner at a child and watch him beat on the floor as he is playing or banging on pots and pans with a steady beat. Once this internal steady beat is secured, children are then ready for experiences in which they are invited to match the steady beat of an external sound source. Matching this external steady beat through movement is a fundamental ensemble skill.

Developmental Notes: Feathers Week 4

2007-10-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

Bonding with Baby: The human face is of great interest to babies, especially to infants. The eyes, eyebrows, and mouth fascinate them and keep their attention. Being in position to focus on the adult’s face helps baby feel calm and secure.

Lullaby Tradition: Lullabies traditionally have been handed down from generation to generation for the purpose of providing soothing moments between adult and baby while surrounding baby with musical sounds indigenous to his culture.

Manipulation of Objects: Children learn through play. Through manipulation of objects, they learn about the world around them. Each child will have his own “action schemes” or ways of manipulating objects. Observe for some of the following schemes: mouthing, shaking, throwing, dropping, hitting, slapping, reaching.

Moms of Multiples Sale Next Weekend

2007-10-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

North Shore Mothers of Multiples Autumn Kids’ Stuff Swap Sale

Saturday October 13, 2007
9:30 am to 12 noon

St. David’s United Church
West Vancouver
(Taylor Way at Highway #1)

A great chance to pick up some gently used toys, clothing and gear for the babies and children in your life.

Admission: Adults $1 with partial proceeds going to a local charity

For more info, visit northshoremoms.ca.

Music & Verbal Communication

2007-10-01T12:25:00.001-07:00

"Music training, with its pervasive effects on the nervous system’s ability to process sight and sound, may be more important for enhancing verbal communication skills than learning phonics, according to a new Northwestern University study."

Keep your eye on these...

2007-09-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

Pink Reader Ribbon Collection

Carla D'Angelo was in my first-ever Kindermusik class a little over 2 years ago and has just launched a new business. She has gotten these terrific Pink Reader Ribbon glasses listed in The Bay across Canada, as well as in other retail stores in the Pacific Northwest. $2 from each set of glasses goes to cancer research. Glasses retail for $35.

Way to go, Carla! Much success to you in your new venture.

Have a Shay Day...

2007-09-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: “When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?”

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. “I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.”

Then he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, “We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.”

Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the gam e? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, “Shay, run to first! Run to first!” Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, “Run to second, run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball … the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’s head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, “Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay”

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, “Run to third! Shay, run to third!”

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, “Shay, run home! Run home!” Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

“That day,” said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world.”

Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it’s least fortunate amongst them.

May your day be a Shay Day.

Our New Favourite Game

2007-09-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Jacob received Hullabaloo, a Cranium game for kids, for his birthday. It's AWESOME! You throw a bunch of shapes on the floor and punch the button. A funny little song comes on and tells you which shape to move to. Sometimes you stomp, sometimes you twirl, sometimes you crawl (is this sounding like your Our Time class yet?). There is a random winner after about 6 instructions. So fun! The kids can play by themselves, or with friends & family.

It's rated for ages 4 & up, but I know a few 3 year olds who would thoroughly enjoy it!

Developmental Notes: See What I Saw Week 2

2007-09-20T22:04:00.001-07:00

Steady Beat: Some 3-5 year-olds might exhibit the skill of adjusting their beat to match that of an external sound source. Most frequently this occurs with bilateral motions (both hands doing the same thing at the same time) or alternating bilateral motions (one hand alternates with the other in the motion). Which motion seems to be easiest for your child while keeping the beat?

Vocal Development: Interactive storytelling such as that used in the Grasshopper Park Story fosters vocal development by integrating a variety of vocal experiences, including speaking, singing, and playing with vocal sounds. The child experiences the wide expressive range of the voice by playing with extremes – high and low, fast and slow, loud and quiet, etc.. The child also explores exaggerated dramatic interpretation – everything from whispering to shouting.

Glissando: The music term “glissando” refers to a continuous or sliding movement from one pitch to another.

If you make a tape this week of glissando sounds, please bring it to class and we will listen to them together. If you have a portable instrument from home, please bring that along too, and we can listen to the glissando sounds made on it.

Developmental Notes: Wiggles & Giggles Week 2

2007-09-20T22:02:00.001-07:00

Rituals: Toddlers experience a sense of comforting self-control from being able to anticipate what will happen next. The adult provides daily rituals and routines which contribute to the stability of the child’s emotional development. In Our Time the Hello and Goodbye songs are important rituals for the opening and closing of class.

Scaffolding: Scaffolding is a process of interaction between the adult and child. During this process the adult gently guides and supports the child’s learning by building on what the child is able to do. This involves varying the level of the activity depending upon the child’s responses.

Eye-Hand Coordination: Playing instruments, such as sandblocks with a back and forth alternating movement, gives the child an opportunity to develop eye-hand coordination. The eye leads the hand movements, so that the internal knowledge becomes the basis for the movement. This connection of movement with sight is essential in writing, drawing, playing an instrument, learning a sport or dancing.

Developmental Notes: Feathers Week 2

2007-09-20T21:59:00.001-07:00

Movement Variety: Moving in a variety of ways gives baby a chance to “see the world” from many perspectives, thus strengthening neural pathways.

Variety of Sounds: Exposure to a variety of sounds and rhythms is critical to intellectual development. Varied exposure leads to language proficiency, spatial reasoning, and temporal reasoning. It also increases understanding of moods and emotions.

Repetition: One method of learning for young children is repetition. Repetition of experience provides stabilization of the brain’s neural pathways.

Enriched Environments: Environments enriched with music and movement allow brain cells and neuropathways to be strengthened and expanded. With more interconnections, the brain learns and remembers more effectively.

Steady Beat

2007-09-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

If you're in class, you'll hear Jessica & I talk about steady beat a lot. It's one of the first musical skills to develop. The ability to keep a steady beat is extremely important, of course, for future musical experiences, but it is also important in everyday life. Think of all we do that requires regularly paced repeated motion (a sense of steady beat!): walking, running, riding a bicycle, cutting with scissors, bouncing a ball, and more.

In Village we help them feel the beat.

In Our Time we help them play the beat.

In Imagine That! we help them vary the beat.

In Young Child we help them read and write the beat.

Happy Pooh Day, Jacob!

2007-09-15T17:36:00.001-07:00

It was a lovely day in the Hundred Acre Woods today (thank goodness!). Jacob turns 4 on Tuesday, so we had a few of his friends over for a Pooh Party. We flew kites and climbed honey trees, pinned the tail on Eeyore and ate vegetables from Rabbit's garden.

Where would Pooh be without his honeybees to make honey?

Developmental Notes: See What I Saw Week 1

2007-09-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

Rituals: Rituals provide predictable structures in the life of the preschool-aged child and contribute to the child’s emotional development.

Steady Beat: The most fundamental property of music is beat, the underlying repeating pulse. Playing an instrument to a steady beat helps develop a sense of time and the ability to organize and coordinate movements within time. Upper body bilateral motions (both hands doing the same thing at the same time) and alternating bilateral motions (hands taking turns doing the same thing) are easiest for keeping a steady beat.

Body Awareness: The development of body awareness in the preschool-aged child goes beyond labeling and moving specific body parts, to focusing and controlling the movement of one’s body. Our walk/run/stop activity with the hand drum is structured to take body awareness a step further by including aural signals. When a specific signal such as walking, running, jumping, or ready stop is played on the hand drum, it allows the child to focus on the signal, to understand the meaning of the signal and then to transfer the meaning to a self-controlled action.

Pretend Play: Imitation is the first stage of pretend play. As a child imitates activities that may be common life experiences, such as playing at a park, pretend play starts to emerge. Play becomes more complex as the child re-examines life experiences and adds to or changes the play experience.

Literacy Development & Play: “Both literacy development and play involve creating, planning, sequencing, shaping, communicating, predicting, synthesizing, participating, producing and evaluating. Both involve representations of the child’s feelings, thoughts, and actions and representations of actual and imaginary worlds. Expression of self is heightened; yet incorporation of others’ perspectives is also encouraged. Literacy development and play can promote understanding and acceptance of others and provide safe boundaries to examine who one is and who one wants to be.” Read, Play, and Learn!: Storybook Activities for Young Children, by Tonie W. Linder, Ed.D, p17.

Explore & Discover: Preschool-aged children are ready to research, find out more, explore and discover. Asking the children to broaden their understanding and experience of moving a ball somehow other than bouncing or throwing it opens up new play possibilities. Through repeated exploration experiences, the children develop the concept that every object has unlimited possibilities to be explored. They can then transfer this explorer attitude to other Kindermusik activities.

Follow the Leader: In follow-the-leader activities such as “Do As I’m Doing”, children are encouraged to:
• Observe and respond to a steady beat ball motion
• Understand nonverbal communication of gestures and motions
• Sustain attention by staying with a motion for a length of time
• Understand and follow guidelines of the activity.

Building Community: 3 & 4 year-olds are very aware of the people in their lives. Social behaviours are learned interactions that occur through their experiences with various people. Children come to Kindermusik in different stages of social development, which is as it should be. Ha, Ha, This-A-Way provides the opportunity for building community by including all the adults, children, and siblings and by allowing everyone to interact socially within a Kindermusik community.

Developmental Notes: Wiggles & Giggles Week 1

2007-09-12T11:30:00.001-07:00

Steady Beat: The most fundamental property of music is beat, an underlying, unchanging, repeating pulse. Feeling and moving to stead beat develops s sense of time and the ability to organize and coordinate movements within time.

The awareness of beat occurs while greeting everyone with a steady beat motion and singing Our Time Hello, swaying to a steady beat while listening to My Bonnie, pendulum rocking from side to side while singing Lukey’s Boat, playing the rhythm sticks to the recording of French Folk Tune, and rubbing hands back and forth while chanting Wishy Washy Wee!

Fine Motor Movement: During the first part of life, gross motor activities dominate the child’s repertoire of movement with the major objective being the mastery of walking. Now the child can focus on activities that encourage the development of fine muscles. Fine motor movements allow the child to increase skills that require finger and hand movements such as putting together a simple puzzle, painting with a paintbrush, turning a page of a book, or stringing beads.

Active Listening: Active listening is a process that goes beyond the physical act of hearing. It is an intellectual and emotional process that integrates a full range of inputs in a search for the meaning of and an understanding of a sender’s message. It involves listening between the lines to hear what is not said as well as what is said. Active listening involves interaction and participation in the cycles of communication.

Literacy: The participating in joint picture book reading helps young children to internalize some basic skills and concepts important for true literacy:
• Builds on familiarity and enjoyment
• Provides repetition and predictability
• Expands vocabulary and knowledge of story structures
• Promotes critical thinking and problem solving
• Fosters creative expression and language play.
These same skills required for good reading also build musical language literacy. Language and musical language skills are more fully developed when woven together.

Wiggles & Giggles At Home: Water play is both fun and cognitively challenging! On page 16-17 in the Home Activity Book, water play activities such as Washing Up! And Painting With Water encourage discovery of the physical properties of water. Through these activities, concepts such as full and empty, heavy and light, wet and dry, floating and sinking can be experienced and explored.

Children can better understand the meaning of a word when given the opportunity to experience the word through a variety of sensory activities. Words such as sea, whale, boat, swimming, float used in the song Above the Sea may be new concepts to some of the children. The following activities can enhance the child’s understanding:

• Show pictures of sea, fish, whales, and boats
• Encourage movements of swimming like a whale, swimming like a little fish, swimming like a child.
• Float a boat or plastic container on the water, then watch a heavy object sink.
• Smell fish and salty water.

Folk Song: Ring Around the Rosey has survived for hundreds of years. Although this song had its beginnings in tragedy, the days of The Great Plague in England, it has evolved into a standard childhood favourite with new meaning and purpose. Through child’s play, the pleasure and joy of this song has overcome its past. This is only one of the many examples of how the original concept and meaning of a folk song can be altered as it is passed on from one generation to another.

Developmental Notes: Feathers Week 1

2007-09-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Communication: Effective communication between adult and baby can be encouraged through touch, eye contact, vocalization, and listening – all are part of the greeting ritual.

Intentional Touch: Gentle rubbing facilitates the learning of relaxation and can help soothe baby, aid in digestion, and relieve colic.

Not all babies will be comfortable doing this activity in class with so much going on around them. Try it at home during a quiet moment. (Did you know that “Grassey Grass Grass” was written and performed by Woody Guthrie?!)

Exploration: Being allowed to explore and experiment within safe limits is of extreme importance to brain development. Those babies who are allowed to explore generally tend to become eager and flexible learners.

Language Development: Babies learn language and the art of conversation from interaction with the adults to your baby, be sure to leave some time for her to respond before continuing. If baby responds, imitate her speech. Imitation sets the foundation for learning language.

Reading: Reading to a child aids in language development. As a child hears language spoken to him, he internalizes the sounds which he will use later in his own speech. Younger babies will not understand what the words mean but will hear words, tones, and inflections which will eventually transfer to his own speech. Speaking in many tones and timbres stimulates an enormous amount of neural growth. Also, reading to a child can foster a lifelong love of reading.

Don't Miss Out on a Great Opportunity!

2007-09-06T23:04:00.000-07:00

Wondering about how Kindermusik is going to fit into your preschooler’s life this year?

Transitioning to preschool can be made easier by maintaining some school year routines that have brought joy to your child in the past. Re-enrolling in Kindermusik this fall will actually help your child adjust to their new preschool schedule. Knowing they can count on spending time with you and music will add a sense of comfort and security to the new school experience. With life getting busier, and your child’s activities more independent in nature, Kindermusik is one place the two of you can spend time focused on each other. Loving your child is what it’s all about!

This is not only reassuring to your child, but it should also give you some peace of mind as well as to the “rightness” of continuing on with Kindermusik beyond age 3. Two studies actually indicate that not only does early musical training increase intelligence, but also that the amount of parental involvement can greatly affect the amount of improvement.

A study at Sam Houston State University stated that “parental time spent with a child is a more important factor in predicting intelligence test success than such factors as single parent households, poverty, low parental education levels, and ethnic minority status.” Also, “the experimental group children who were active participants in the Kindermusik classes and whose parents helped them with the home musical activities showed significant gains on the areas of the Stanford-Binet subtests that measured abstract reasoning abilities.”

Classes are Tuesdays at 11:15 at the North Shore Unitarian Church. Come See What I Saw!

Total Momsense!

2007-09-05T00:25:00.001-07:00

I caught myself starting to sound like my mother when I was pregnant with my first child. Some days now I feel inhabited by her; I open my mouth and out pops the tried and true. Never did I think I'd say, "because I said so!" It would seem that a three year old's logic only stretches so far...apparently a little further than my sanity on a rough day.

Kindermusik International: A Message About Toy Safety

2007-08-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Recent news reports have highlighted the recall of some toys found to be
unsafe. These reports have understandably raised concerns from parents.
I want to be sure you know that Kindermusik shares this concern.

For years Kindermusik has gone to great lengths to assure the safety of
our products. That is why parents have come to trust the Kindermusik
brand. Kindermusik products are engineered to be educational,
entertaining and safe before they enter into production. Production
samples of each product are then rigorously tested by an independent
testing lab to ensure that our toys meet the highest safety standards.

All Kindermusik products have comfortably passed international safety
standards in mechanical and fire hazard tests. Our products have also
been tested for potentially hazardous materials and have easily met
safety standards for those materials.

Two of our core values at Kindermusik International are to Always Do
What is Best for the Child, and to Be Open, Honest, and Direct. At all
times, and especially at times like these, our core values guide our
actions.

As you have come to expect from Kindermusik, we have taken great care to
test that our products are safe, and we will continue safety testing
with vigilance. Please refer any further questions regarding the safety
of our toys to Kindermusik International 800-628-5687 or
info@kindermusik.com.

Sincerely,

Michael G. Dougherty

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Kindermusik International

Childrun Photo

2007-08-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

I finally found a photo of some of our Childrun racers! Thanks again for coming out!!

Tune In!

2007-08-20T15:04:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, August 22nd, 9:15am, Channel 13

Yours truly & 8 of our Kindermusik Kids will be on Breakfast Television. LIVE!

PS: Did I mention you should register now? Things might get crazy after this!

Guess what's just around the corner...

2007-08-14T18:04:00.001-07:00

FALL!
Have you registered yet? Classes are already filling, so be sure to register quickly! Fall Class Schedule

Notable Kids in the News

2007-08-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

Kindermusik brings movement, music to little ones

The Province

Monday, August 13, 2007

Name: Carolyn Hornell

Business: Kindermusik with Notable Kids, West Vancouver

Contact: 604-773-4317; www.notablekids.ca

Number of employees: Three

Years in business: Two

What do you do? We teach music and movement classes for children from newborn to seven years. We use some recorded music, singing and instruments and expose children and parents to the many benefits of music in their lives.

How did you get started? I was working as a political scientist and then I had a baby. I've always liked working for myself, so when I wanted to get back to work, I thought this business was an opportunity to do something that was child-friendly. I really enjoy working with kids, and grown-ups. It's a fun way to have a job where I can play, too. It doesn't really feel like working.

What is your biggest success? Our class sizes are increasing just through word-of-mouth and parents and kids are having a good time. We hold weekly classes in churches, but we also have some regular classes in seniors' residences to provide a multi-generational music experience. Parents say it's the best feel-good thing they do all week.

What is your biggest challenge? Dealing with the administrative stuff -- registration, marketing, paperwork. I'd love to hire someone to do it some day. The other challenge is keeping my toddler out of the instrument box I store at home.

Future plans? I am introducing my classes to pre-schools and daycares, but I'd really like to have a small commercial site, too. That's a couple of years down the road at this point.

Hardest learned lesson? Patience. It takes a while for a small business to grow.

Precious Pictures

2007-08-08T14:15:00.001-07:00

Lori Miles of Sweet Pea Photography came and took some beautiful shots of my daughter, Piper, a couple of weeks ago. Lori did my son's first photos, and I really wanted to get her to come back for my daughter. Even though Lori does mainly wedding & engagement shoots now, she very kindly agreed to come and take some photos for us. We're so glad she did - but now how to choose???

Lori has a wonderful eye and a lovely demeanour. I would highly recommend her as a family photographer. She has said that she is available for family portraits, so call her today!

What are you doing in the fall?

2007-08-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

Research proves that early integration of the arts into your child's daily routine improves his ability to think, reason, create, and express. Come treasure this time with your child while preparing them for success in school and life. You'll be glad you did!

The fall schedule is now up on our website. Registration has begun, so be sure to register today!

Dumbo or Die

2007-08-02T23:39:00.000-07:00

Jacob, Piper, Granna, & I had a marvelous time in Disneyland last weekend. Our itinerary focused on the wants & needs of our youngest travellers, and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves, even if Piper spent most of the weekend in the stroller. Jacob's favourite was the Winnie the Pooh ride, and Piper's favourite were the parades. We'll be back again, but not for another several years. Next time we'll take Daddy! The big rides were too scary this time...
Jacob's very favourite ride. We did the Winnie the Pooh ride 6 times!
A serendipitous find: Lightening McQueen & Mater!
Breakfast with Goofy and friends. Jacob finally knew who they were by the end of the trip.
Waiting in line. A common occurance in July. Average wait for the new Finding Nemo ride was over 3 hours! Even Dumbo was upwards of 30 minutes...
Both kids loved the carosel. Old favourites never die...
A stop for ice cream. Jacob is a sucker for classic chocolate. Wonder where he got that from?
Piper waved frantically at anything that came her way!
Ursula the Sea Witch was a little scary, but the parades were spectacular!

Who says only moms can come to Kindermusik?

2007-07-04T15:33:00.001-07:00

Granna looks pretty darned thrilled to be there!
We have faithful daddies & aunties too. Can't fit Kindermusik into your schedule? Ask a favourite friend or relative to come to class each week. It's a bonding experience that can't be beat!

A Snapshot of Kindermusik for the Young Child

2007-07-02T21:46:00.001-07:00

I am excited to be adding Young Child to the offerings at Kindermusik With Notable Kids this fall. It's a brilliant program for children 5-7!
I'm looking to offer it on Tuesday afternoons. If you know of a location a little more centrally located than my home studio where we could hold classes, please let me know!

WOW!

2007-06-26T23:43:00.001-07:00

Exciting news in the Kindermusik world. Maestros have been named, and we're one of them!

This year, 12 of over 5,000 international Kindermusik programs were awarded recognition for their outreach work in the community. Kindermusik With Notable Kids of the North Shore was honoured to receive one of these awards and the title, Maestro.

“The Kindermusik Maestro has a mission: helping children become better learners and helping parents understand how to help them reach their highest potential,” said Michael Dougherty, CEO at Kindermusik International.

Carolyn Hornell, Director of Kindermusik With Notable Kids, organized a team to run in this year's HSBC Childrun. With the support of Kindermusik families and the local community, Notable Kids raised $1,670 for childhood cancer research.

The program also runs babies' music and movement classes in seniors' residences, bridging the generations through song and play. Hollyburn House was the first to host Village With Seniors, and has run consecutive programs for two years. Amica and Cedarview Lodge have also had classes in their homes.

I feel blessed to have shared music with over 500 families on the North Shore (and recently Vancouver) in the last two years, and would like to thank the Kindermusik community for all of their support in making Notable Kids truly "notable" on an international scale!

Where Does the Time Go?

2007-06-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe Piper is 8 months already! She's a busy girl, with not a lot of regard for sleep. Apparently, it's overrated.

She's started crawling, so it's time to do some more serious baby-proofing again (perhaps we'll set up a gate at the top of the stairs...).

Jacob just had his last day of preschool today. Sigh. Thanks goodness for summer camps! Have you signed up yet?

PS: The fall schedule is up too!

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Burns

2007-06-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

I received this in an email from a friend of mine who is a nurse. Thought it was important to pass on, as I have certainly let Jacob clean the walls with a Magic Eraser before...

One of my five year old's favorite chores around the house is cleaning scuff marks off the walls, doors, and baseboards with either an Easy Eraser pad, or the real deal, a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I purchased a package of Magic Erasers ages ago when they first came out. I remember reading the box, wondering what the "Magic" component was that cleaned crayon off my walls with ease. No ingredients were listed and absolutely no warnings were on the box, other than "Do not ingest."

My package of the Scotchbrite Easy Erasers didn't have a warning either and since my child knew not to eat the sponges and keep them out of reach of his little brother and sister, it was a chore I happily let him do.

If I had known that both brands (and others like them) contain a harmful alkaline or "base" chemical (opposite of acid on the pH scale) that can burn your skin, I never would have let my little boy handle them. As you can see from the picture, when the Scotchbrite Easy Eraser was rubbed against his face and chin, he received severe chemical burns.

At first, I thought he was being dramatic. I picked him up, put him on the counter top and washed his face with soap and water. He was screaming in pain. I put some lotion on his face - more agony. I had used a Magic Eraser to remove magic marker from my own knuckles a while back and I couldn't understand why he was suddenly in pain. Then, almost immediately, the large, shiny, blistering red marks started to spread across his cheeks and chin.

I quickly searched Google.com for "Magic Eraser Burn" and turned up several results. I was shocked. These completely innocent looking white foam sponges can burn you?

I called our pediatrician, and of course got sent to voice mail. I hung up and called the Hospital and spoke to an Emergency Room nurse. She told me to call Poison Control. The woman at Poison Control said she was surprised nobody had sued these companies yet and walked me through the process of neutralizing the alkaline to stop my son's face from continually burning more every second.

I had already, during my frantic phone calling, tried patting some numbing antibiotic cream on his cheeks, and later some Aloe Vera gel - both resulted in screams of pain. The Poison Control tech had me fill a bathtub with warm water, lay my son into it, cover him with a towel to keep him warm and then use a soft washcloth to rinse his face and chin with cool water for a continuous 20 minutes.

My son calmed down immediately. He told me how good it felt. I gave him a dose of Tylenol and after the twenty minutes was up, he got dressed in his Emergency Room doctor Halloween costume and off we went to the Hospital.

They needed to make sure the chemical burn had stopped burning, and examine his face to determine if the burn would need to be debrided (from my fuzzy recollection of hospital work, this means removing loose tissue from a burn location). My son was pretty happy at the hospital, they were very nice and called him "Doctor" and let him examine some of their equipment. The water had successfully stopped the burning and helped soothe a lot of the pain. I'm sure Tylenol was helping too.

They sent us home with more Aloe Vera gel, Polysporin antibiotic cream, and some other numbing burn creams. By the time we got home, my son was crying again. I tried applying some of the creams but he cried out in pain. Water seemed to be what worked the best.

After a rough night, I took the above photo in the morning. He was swollen and wouldn't move his lips very much to avoid moving the skin on his taut cheeks. I was fighting back the tears, and I said, "Oh honey, I wish I could take it away from you. I wish I could take it off your face and put it on mine." He was so shocked, he started to tear up a little and said, "Mom, no. You don't want this on your face, it hurts so much. You would be hurting. Last night was terrible, I couldn't sleep, and you wouldn't be able to sleep either." It just broke my heart into five trillion pieces - as much as he is hurting, he wouldn't want me to be hurting in his place.

Today he is doing much better. The burns have started to scab over, and in place of red, raw, angry, skin we have a deeper red, rough healing layer. I can touch his skin now, without it stinging, and this morning he went back to Pre-School with Polysporin rubbed all over his face. He announced to the class, "I brought my face for Show and Tell!"

What's in Your Glass?

2007-06-05T23:38:00.000-07:00

Jacob used to only drink water and milk. A lot of milk. He was introduced to apple juice a little while ago, and now it's the only thing he wants to drink. He's very aware of my attempts to dilute the juice, and is NOT happy about it.

He used to drink smoothies for me in the morning (not a big breakfast eater), but not in quite some time.

So tell me. As we get into summer (really, I do believe it's coming back), what will your kids be drinking? Got any good mixes to send me?

We Did It!

2007-06-04T22:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all those who came out to run with us on Sunday in the 22nd annual HSBC Childrun.

Kindermusik With Notable Kids raised $1,670 for research into childhood cancer. Thank you, thank you to all who donated!

Sadly, I forgot my camera! So no photographic evidence. Ask Jessica how her legs feel this week - they won't lie!

Peas in a Pod!

2007-06-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

Slip, Slap, Slop!

2007-05-31T00:42:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again (thank goodness!) - time to break out the sunscreen.

For Dr. Glick, the former president of the American Cancer Society in Mesa, Ariz., the single most common skin problem he sees in young children is sunburn. "Eighty percent of all skin cancer is caused by sunburns that occur before the age of 18," he says.

Follow the common prescription: Slip on a t-shirt, Slap on a hat, and Slop on the sunscreen.

There is some controversy about whether or not children under the age of 6 months can use sunscreen. A doctor recommended to me that I could use sunscreen on my baby, but to be sure to wash it off and not let it stay on the skin longer than a couple of hours. It seemed like a reasonable compromise to me!

If a child suffers a sunburn, Dr. Glick says to hydrate the skin, use Advil or baby aspirin, and cool soaks.

Dan the Music Man - Criss Cross, Oh my Gosh!

2007-05-30T00:28:00.001-07:00

This video is based on the concepts of a book called Brain Gym. It uses different movements to enhance cognitive development. For more information on this subject, you can also read Smart Moves, by Carla Hannaford. It is amazing how our brain and movement are connected!

In the Backyard

2007-05-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Summer camps start this week, and most all of you are doing Creatures in My Backyard. Here are some great ideas for bringing music outside. Thanks to Sarah of Loredo for these ideas!

1. Turn up the music and dance together in the backyard. No radio? Sing to your child or, even better, sing together as you dance. Dancing together helps with balance and coordination.

2.Load up the wagon or stroller with stuffed animals and have a zoo parade down the sidewalk, complete with homemade instruments and lots of animal sounds. Imitating animal sounds is a great way to help with language development.

3.Be sound detectives as you visit the park or walk in your neighborhood.Who can notice the most sounds? Who found the most unusual sound? Who heard the quietest sound? Listening intentionally builds attention skills that come in handy in school.

4.Look for outdoor objects that can be transformed into instruments. Sticks,
clean trash cans, pebbles, and sand all can become great soundmakers (and
help children think more creatively).

5. Overturned bowls make great drums in the wading pool. Add 3 or 4 bowls and a set of spoons to drum with, and you've got the recipe for a wading pool concert--not to mention building coordination and strengthening those finger and arm muscles!

Next Week!

2007-05-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver International Children's Festival is on next week! Last year we didn't buy tickets to anything, we just showed up, and it was a blast. There is lots to do - musical exploration tents, a giant covered sandbox, a preschool tent, a clay tent, and lots more. It's well worth a trip over the bridge!

Bobs & Lolo, two of my favourite children's performers will be there. They have a new cd out, too!

Can you Believe It?

2007-05-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

It's the last week of classes already! (For most of you anyway... The Saturday classes hit a number of holidays, so they are meeting this weekend, and again on the 26th. Monday's class is meeting for the last time next Monday.)

Be sure to sign up for summer camps! Busy Days for babies, Creatures in My Backyard for toddlers & families, and On the Road for preschoolers. We also have a Sign & Sing class running.

Check the schedule, and send me an email soon. A couple of classes are close to capacity. The next set starts up the week of May 28th. If you decide to do it again in the height of summer, it's only $55 because you will already have the home kit! (The website says there are different curricula running in July/August - I haven't been able to get down to the office computer to change it yet! We are repeating the curricula in July/August because I can't order the others from Kindermusik International this year.)

Sarah teaches on Saturdays, and Jessica teaches on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays. I will be teaching on Tuesday afternoons and possibly Thursday in July/August.

Looking forward to seeing you this summer!

Fiddle-Dee-Dee!

2007-05-03T22:31:00.001-07:00

A little ditty for the Our Timers. Lots of great animal pictures to see - and a catchy tune too!

Join the Fight Against Childhood Cancer

2007-05-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

Kindermusik families are among the most healthy and active families! I am always amazed at what so many of you do. We also have families in our Kindermusik community that are facing childhood cancer. In that light, I have created a team for the HSBC Childrun on Sunday, June 3rd.

There is a 5km fun run around Queen Elizabeth Park and a 1km Kidzone, a traffic-controlled route inside BC Children's Hospital grounds featuring fun activities for tots to tweens.

Entertainment starts at 8am, and the runs start at 9am.

I am encouraging all of you to either join the team or make a donation. Funds raised through HSBC Childrun go towards critical research into the causes and treatment of childhood cancer.

I hope you will join us on race day! My goal is to raise $1,500 and have 15 people participate in the race. Participants of all ages will receive a team t-shirt.

To date we have raised $200 and have 7 people on the team. If you are thinking of joining the team, you must do so by May 10th!

Thank you so much for your support!

Fickle Feline

2007-04-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

Our cat, Stoker (so named after the author of Dracula) loves to sleep with Piper. He is very patient with her, and lets her pull his fur out by the fistfull.
Having survived a year and a half with Jacob, Stoker is not so patient with him, and comes at him in full attack mode. Jacob loves finding the cat, chasing the cat, carrying the cat, and generally creating mahem for the poor beast. Sometimes, Stoker lands a good one in his own defence. This is Jacob showing me his play wounds.

SIGN & SING Week 4

2007-04-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

This week in class we learned more about recognizing and responding to your child’s versions of signs. Just as a child’s first attempt to pronounce “water” may sound like “wa-wa,” a first attempt at signing MORE may look as if she is clapping her hands or fists together.

Whenever you see your child moving her hands and you think she may be signing, respond enthusiastically. This will encourage her to use her hands to communicate with you.

Try MORE signing at home this week. Your Family Activity Guide this week explains how to use Conceptual Grouping to learn even more signs.

VILLAGE: Rhythm Of My Day Week 5

2007-04-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

STOP & GO: In some of this week’s activities we will experience the physical and musical sensation of stopping and going. By participating in activities that move and stop, your baby is developing the awareness of inhibitory control. Inhibitory control is one’s ability to stop his body on a given cue. “Stop” & “go” are reinforced in class with the use of American Sign Language.

BOUNCING GAMES: Bouncing games provide vestibular system stimulation to babies in many forms. These activities increase your baby’s muscle tone as he has to adjust his posture to stay upright while being bounced. At the end of Allee Galloo the surprising lift into the air or fall backwards on the whee! Provides immediate feedback to the vestibular system so that your baby just has to smile or giggle.

VESTIBULAR SYSTEM STIMULATION: It is important to stimulate the vestibular system, the part of the brain that handles balance and the sense of gravity. Stimulation can occur through swinging, twisting, swaying, rocking, etc..

OUR TIME: FIDDLE-DEE-DEE Week 12

2007-04-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

FINE MOTOR SKILLS: Fine motor skills may be developed through games requiring focus on finger movements. These skills are essential in increasing the child’s ability to turn pages of a book, use a crayon, hold a toothbrush or use a spoon. Look for the Bumblebee Play Pages in your home activity book to further enhance this skill.

NURTURING YOUNG SINGERS: In nurturing young singers, it is important to present songs with a limited range, such as five or six notes, which are generally easier for young children to sing than songs with a larger range. The notes from about the d above middle c to the a above middle c tend to be the easiest singing range for these young singers to access initially.

IMAGINE THAT! Cities Week 11

2007-04-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

Cooperative play among the children comes into focus this week in the activity Roll That Ball. The children pair up and each pair help “lay a sidewalk” (masking tape strips) upon which they roll a ball back and forth.

With preschoolers’ developing awareness of others’ feelings, they are increasingly able to enjoy cooperative play with another child, such as today’s “sidewalk” ball play game. This is an exciting milestone for your preschooler and the Kindermusik environment is one in which his social development will continue to be nurtured, week after week, through his first years in elementary school!

The face of autism

2007-04-26T21:17:00.001-07:00

April is Autism Awareness Month. This video documents the early experiences of one child with Autism. Current statistics suggest that 1 in 166 children receive a diagnosis somewhere on the Autism Spectrum.

Bad Blogger!

2007-04-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

Ooh! Can it have possibly been a week since my last entry? I will step it up a bit.

I will post your developmental notes later today!

I Did It!

2007-04-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

Can you spot me? I'm near the back, although I did place 30,314th or something...

Many, many thanks to my mom for running alongside me like a Jack Russell Terrier, full of positive energy and enthusiasm. Many thanks, too, to Femie for training with me (almost) every Thursday night. Thanks to all those, especially Granna & Poppa, who looked after Piper on my training nights, and to Mary who took them both while I ran in the afternoon. Thanks to Poppa for looking after Jacob & Piper the big morning of. Maybe next year you can come down and cheer me on. (Now that I know I won't be dying on the sidelines somewhere...)

Never in a million years did I think I would run a 10k. I haven't run more than a 1/2 a block since high school! It has been a wonderful experience. The best part by far, is that I can play tag with Jacob for 45 minutes without loosing my breath or begging him to play a new game. That is what makes all the time away worthwhile. And that is what will keep me running.

When I Get Work Done

2007-04-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

Jacob loves the bathtub, and will spend an hour in there if I let him.

It's usually not hard to convince him to take a bath while Piper is taking a nap, so if we're home for one of her naps, I get him in the bath and sit on the floor with my laptop.

Yesterday afternoon I spent an hour at Gleneagles Community Centre cutting 3' lengths of ribbons for my Music Box class while Jacob took a cooking class and Piper slept in the stroller. I got a few strange looks...

It's either that or late at night!

Furry Happy Monsters

2007-04-17T23:04:00.001-07:00

Were the muppets this cool when we were kids?

A "No" Brainer...

2007-04-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

Did you know that right before a baby figures out how to walk (at about 11 months old), her brain sprouts tons of new neural connections in her prefrontal lobes. Her brain is getting ready for all the exploring she will do on this new level! Shortly after there's a natural pruning that happens which clears away the excess connections that aren't being used. We seem to cringe when we hear that because I think we see potential that won't actualize. But the brain needs to streamline and get better at what we're good at rather than having too many irons in the fire....

But what I've read recently sheds new light on parenting and your baby's potential at this exciting stage of development. The prefrontal lobes is the part of the brain responsible for problem solving and creativity as opposed to the limbic system and the hind brain which take care of emotions and body functions (heart rate, breathing, digestion, aggression, etc). The limbic system is responsible for the decision to send an experience to the prefrontal lobes for thoughtful consideration OR back to the hind brain for fast action and survival. Consider this: How we discipline this toddler sets her up for how her brain will best handle situations that present themselves to her.

The average toddler hears NO!!! or receives a stern look or swat about every 9 minutes of their waking day. Those particular adult reactions to toddler behavior sends the toddler's hind brain into action. The prefrontal lobes do not get enough practice. Those new neural connections aren't being used much.

How can you say NO! without saying no?

Tell the child what TO do.
Get the child’s attention before communicating, touch them on the shoulder or hand...
Say the child’s name.
Use a gesture, move so you get into her visual field.
Show him an object or other visual cue to get him to look at you.
Help them know what TO do.
Using your singing voice calms you and the child.
Use a prompt, hand him a tissue instead of saying “Don’t wipe your nose on your sleeve.”
Use a gesture. Gestures can guide her to appropriate behavior. Point to the coat hookinstead of “Don’t drop your coat on the floor.”
Model what you want
Offer “Let’s do it together.” That can encourage children to do things with more enthusiasm.
Call attention to the “problem”.
Say “Oh, oh” “Oops!” “Look!” Then point to what needs to be done.
Look right at his face and clearly state what you want the child to do.
Take a deep breath..... and exhale.
Save NO! for emergencies! You'll need something strong then.

And parents, take care of yourself because it's a lot easier if you're not exhausted, hungry, stressed out....etc, etc! Your baby NEEDS a happy mom and a happy dad.

Sign & Sing Week 3

2007-04-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

Over the past two weeks we have used strategies to make opportunities for signing with your child more effective.

This week, we introduced an Adaptation Strategy. This occurs when you move a toy next to your face so your child can see you making the sign while you hold the toy. Watch your baby’s eyes as she looks back and forth from the object to you. You have created the ideal environment for learning.

Page 10 in your Family Activity Guide gives you more ideas on how to use adaptation strategies even in the quiet times of the day, such as reading a book together. Your child is naturally captivated and relaxed while sitting in your arms, sharing a story—it’s a perfect time to use the signs you have learned from class!

P.S. Only two more classes to go! Keep the learning going all year long! In the coming weeks I’ll let you know more about Kindermusik summer camps starting in May.

VILLAGE: Rhythm Of My Day Week 4

2007-04-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

LEARNING IS INTEGRATED: Realize that learning is integrated. It’s rare that a child learns just one thing from an activity. Physical coordination, or ‘motor’ skills, are engaged along with language, thinking skills, and social interactions. You can never be sure exactly what a child will learn from a given activity – what she already knows and can do, how others reinforce the child’s actions or ideas, and even the child’s mood.

LULLABIES & BONDING: The singing of lullabies provides optimum bonding opportunities. Mothers throughout the ages have communicated love and warmth to their infant child through the singing of lullabies and songs. These simple activities give the baby a feeling of security and protection. Researchers have found that babies more easily fall asleep when their mothers sing to them. Mothers singing is a signal of safety & protection.

RHYTHMIC COMPLEXITY: Babies are first exposed to rhythm in the womb. She hears her mother’s heartbeat and then, after birth, her own. African and Indian music traditions have brought syncopation and other rhythmic complexities to our ears, weaving these rhythms into current Western culture. Exposing you baby to this variety will develop her abilities to listen and produce these rhythms more easily as she grows.

THE SKILL OF RELAXATION: Unstructured quiet time teaches children to take a moment, watch and just listen rather than always being on the go. You can help you baby learn the skill of relaxation by giving him a cue. During each session the children can learn that when they hear a particular song that it is time to be still, listen, and relax for the duration of the song. Giving your baby tools to help him relax will be essential to his becoming a balanced person.

OUR TIME: FIDDLE-DEE-DEE Week 11

2007-04-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

HIGH & LOW: The focus of high and low lends itself naturally to exploration through music and movement. The Our Time child, a sensorimotor learner, delights in the many modes of experiencing high and low – moving, being moved, making objects move, singing, speaking, vocalizing, listening, and looking.

AABA FORM: Exposure to songs with clearly defined phrases and simple structures, such as AABA form, helps children develop an awareness of form and pattern in musical language.

LEVELS IN MOVEMENT: As toddlers become competent walkers and runners, most of the locomotor movement they are interested in is done in an upright position. Exploring levels in movement provides an opportunity to explore dancing upright as well as bent or crouched over, providing stimulation to the vestibular system while encouraging creativity in movement and providing an opportunity for linking a label with movement.

AWARENESS OF METER & STEADY BEAT: When attention is focused on the first beat or syllable of each measure, children are encouraged to become aware of larger rhythmic groupings or the meter in music. When attention is focused on the smaller rhythmic subdivisions within each measure, children are encouraged to become aware of steady beat. Awareness of meter and awareness of steady beat are both important musicianship skills.

IMAGINE THAT! Cities Week 9

2007-04-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

“[T]he successful minds of the future will be those that have learned what it feels like to be in charge of themselves. They will be able to direct their own attention and come up with their own action plans.”*

Through activities such as Three Artists Matching Game and Moving Artists, your child is encouraged to offer her own ideas, to answer open-ended questions, to consider options; in other words, to come up with her own plan. It is through multi-layered activities such as this, always presented so as to be engaging for young children, that Kindermusik continues to spark learning in so many areas of your child’s life.

P.S. Remember to bring your Kindermusik Resonator Bars and Mallets to class next week.

*How to Have Intelligent and Creative Conversations With Your Kids, by Jane M. Healy, Ph.D., p.13.

Family Time: Here, There, & Everywhere Week 11

2007-04-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING
Vestibular Stimulation: Balance is the ability to take up and maintain a body position against the force of gravity. Simple balance develops early, but becomes more complex as the brain improves its ability to integrate messages from the eyes, inner ear, and muscles in the neck. Movement and the attainment of balance depend upon this connection of messages. Moving activities stimulate the inner ear, also known as vestibular stimulation. Fluid in the inner ear passes over nerve endings, sending messages to the brain about the position of the body in space, and helps the young child counter gravity and control eye movements as well as attain balance.

Movement and Learning: Children learn best with their bodies. By providing a venue for movement, children have a chance to “try out” a variety of expressions. Being sensory learners, children should be encouraged to move, use their imaginations and large and small muscles groups, and be engaged mentally and emotionally. Physical, mental, and emotional developmental qualities of young children are so intertwined and interrelated that when one area is affected, the other two areas are equally affected.

Moms of Multiples Sale Tomorrow!

2007-04-13T14:56:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 14th
9:30 - noon
St David's United Church (West Vancouver)
Taylor Way at #1 Hwy.
Admission $1 (with partial proceeds going to a local charity)

A great chance to pick up some gently used toys, clothing and gear for the babies & children in your life.

Get Cooking!

2007-04-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

Cooking with little ones often means big messes, but it's lots of fun too. As a bonus, they are learning all kinds of things:
- COUNTING - 3 eggs
- FRACTIONS - one cup of flour, 1/2 a cup of milk, etc.
- SEQUENCING - first we put in the dry ingredients, then we add the wet, etc.
- FINE MOTOR SKILLS - cracking eggs, not spilling the flour when stirring, etc.
- PATIENCE - you might feel like it's an exercise in patience for you, but 18 minutes to bake a cookie seems like forever!

Jacob (3) cooks us dinner at least once every couple of weeks. His favourite is scrambled eggs & toast, but he regularly makes pancakes, cookies, banana bread, and muffins.

Tomorrow I will have him help me make butternut squash and pear puree for his little sister.

Simple Gifts

2007-04-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

This is Jacob on his first real Easter Egg Hunt. Fortunately, the Easter Bunny left the eggs in VERY visible spots. It still took some prompting, but it was exciting!

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

There are no classes on Monday because of the Easter holiday. Enjoy!

Bedtime Rituals

2007-04-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

"Bedtime is a monumental moment to a baby or toddler, a time of transition in which parents hold nearly shamanistic power to tame the forces of darkness." - Meg Cox, The Heart of a Family, p.213.

Bedtime provides a time of connection for parents and children. As children grow, it is a time when parents find out what is really going on in their children's lives.

Simple Bedtime Rituals to share with your children:
1. Reading
2. Listening to the nighttime sounds
3. Inventing stories
4. Singing
5. Bedtime checklist (go to the toilet, brush teeth, story, kiss, turn out the light)
6. Back scratches and foot rubs.

Bedtime is a time for children to process their day, and it may take some children longer than others to do this. One little girl, I am told, will lie quietly talking to herself for 2 hours before falling asleep!

SIgn & Sing Week 2

2007-04-02T21:40:00.000-07:00

Class was so much fun this week with all the new activities and opportunities for signing with your child. Keep playing and signing together at home. Review your DVD and flashcards in the At Home Materials and look around the house for items we used in class such as a teddy bear, ball, duck, or toy car. Pick an opportune time to engage your child in play with these items and use sign language. Try not to worry about whether your child sees your signs. The goal this week is just to get started signing and become comfortable yourself.

Some phrases you can use include (sign language is commonly represented in print with CAPITAL letters):

“WHAT is that?”
“It’s a BALL.”
“Do you want to PLAY?”
“Do you want me to roll it some MORE?”
“We’re ALL DONE now.”

Take your time and repeat phrases several times. Don’t forget your CLEAN-UP song at the end of playtime. See you in class in 2 weeks!

FAMILY Time: Here, There, & Everywhere Week 9

2007-04-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

Hearing & Listening: Listening and hearing are very different skills. Most of the senses – sight, taste, smell – involve chemical reactions, but ears work purely mechanically. Hearing is a physical process. Sound waves create vibrations that are transmitted as nerve impulses to the brain. Listening is much more complex, as it includes the mental processes of interpreting and absorbing a message and storing and retrieving information. Hearing is a sense most people are born with, but listening is a learned, mental behaviour.

The Joy of Listening: Children instinctively understand the language of music. Music draws children into its orbit, inviting them to match its pitches, incorporate its lyrics, move to its beat, and explore its emotional and harmonic dimensions. Music’s physical vibrations, organized patterns, engaging rhythms, and subtle variations interact with the mind and body. Children are happy when they are bouncing, dancing, clapping, and singing with someone they trust and love. Even as music delights, it helps mold children’s mental, emotional, social, and physical development – and gives them the enthusiasm and skills they need to begin to teach themselves.

Sign Language for Hearing Children: Children begin trying to decipher the mystery of language from the moment they are born. It takes children 12 to 24 months to begin speaking, yet while they are preparing for this huge leap forward, they already have some of the pieces in place. Signing with hearing children takes advantage of their motor abilities, which develop months earlier than the equivalent skills required for speech. Use signing in everyday interactions to open the door to early communication, facilitated speech, increased intimacy, and long-term learning.

Literacy: When a child points to pictures in a book, she is letting you know that she understand something about symbols – that words and pictures represent things and ideas. A child’s motivation to learn about and use symbols grows as she learns that this is how she can make her needs known and let people know what she is thinking. “Literacy” means so much more than being able to read and write. Literacy is being able to speak, and understand what you read, write, and hear. Children who are “literate” know that sounds, letters, pictures, and ideas go together and have meaning.

OUR TIME: FIDDLE-DEE-DEE Week 9

2007-04-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

CRESCENDO: Crescendo is the Italian musical term for a gradual increase in volume. It is one of many expressive elements of music and can serve to add intensity, urgency, and excitement to music, regardless of whether the music is sung, played on instruments, or spoken rhythmically.

HIDING & FINDING: Asking a child to hide an object and then find it helps her to discover object permanence. Awareness of object permanence is the realization that even when something (or someone) is hidden and out of sight, it still exists. This is an important understanding for “bound away and back” toddlers adjusting to the experience of being away from their parents.

VILLAGE: Rhythm Of My Day Week 2

2007-04-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

SOL-MI: In some of this week’s activities, we will hear and sing the sol-mi pitch interval in music. Some experts believe this is one of the easiest intervals for young children to hear and to imitate. In a major scale the pitches sol and mi are the fifth and third scale degrees and create the interval of a minor third. (Sing Rain, Rain, Go Away, or Toys away, toys away – that’s Sol-Mi!)

AFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: Affective communication between adults and babies can be encouraged through touch, eye contact, vocalization, and listening – all a part of the greeting ritual.

LABELING MOVEMENT: Children can recognize an object and understand movement long before they can use the language to tell you. We can help babies in developing their ability to speak by labeling movement and objects. They will then begin to connect the relationship between the word and the movement or object. After months of babble, your baby will begin to imitate these sounds and speak the words that previously she knew only by sight & sound.

Remember: if you’re holding your baby facing your chest and you move forward, you should label it “backwards”, as that is how your baby is moving.

OBJECT PERMANENCE: When your baby begins to search for a hidden object, this indicates that your baby remembers that the object continues to exist even though it cannot be seen. Object permanence is memory of behaviour and/or things seen but out of sight.

MOVEMENT POSITIONS: Baby-O allows the adult to move baby in a variety of ways such as crossing baby’s arms, lifting baby into the air, folding baby’s legs up to the head and swinging baby. Experiencing these movements and positions helps to develop baby’s vestibular system, muscle tone, and body awareness.

Dancin' Shoes

2007-03-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

I missed several posts last week, so here's a bonus weekend one just for fun.

Kindermusik isn't just about music - there's that MOVEMENT component too. Here's a terrific little clip (well, it's 6 minutes, but worth every last wasted moment of it!) that covers the "evolution of dance". See how many of these you're guilty of...

Celebrating Innovative Technique

2007-03-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

Do you think Mozart, Beethoven, Hayden & the like are rolling over in their graves or celebrating the current trend of playing pop music on classical instruments?

Check out this 80's classic on the violin. Owner of a Lonely Heart? I love it! (Was it the 80's??? I seem to remember big hair, dangerously large hoop earings, and shoulder pads...)

Sign & Sing Week 1

2007-03-27T23:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Sign & Sing with Kindermusik!

You are giving your child the tools to communicate with you at an early age. Be assured that signing will not delay your child’s speech development in any way. In fact, studies have shown that your child may begin to speak sooner given these early language skills.

This week we learned about See A Lot/Do A Lot Signs and Highly Motivating Signs. You and your child will make great learning strides together when you find more ways to use these strategies at home. Turn to page six of your Family Activity Guide and you’ll see how your flashcards will help you play, practice, and communicate together.

Many of you asked for specific signs in class. Here is a great resource for learning specific signs. It shows quick video clips of people signing words that you can look up on an index. Remember, however, to sign smarter, not harder! Pick just a few each week to introduce to your child.

IMAGINE THAT! Cities Week 8

2007-03-27T23:36:00.000-07:00

Whew! Nothing to bring this week!

A new complex game is introduced into this week's activity There’s a Little Bell. In this activity, they must think about several different things all at one time: walking around a circle of hoops to a cue, sitting in a hoop at the end of the cue, picking up and playing an instrument while singing a song, placing the instrument on the floor, and starting the entire sequence over again. A complex activity such as this is most successful when set up by breaking it into parts and rehearsing the parts separately. By doing this, the children are able to grasp each concept introduced. We will continue to enjoy this activity for a couple more weeks, and I know that with each repetition the children will more readily recognize the pattern and begin to gain confidence and satisfaction through their continued success.

OUr TIME: FIDDLE-DEE-DEE Week 8

2007-03-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

LAUGHTER: Laughter increases white blood cell activity and changes the chemical balance of the blood. This is believed to boost the body’s production of chemicals needed for alertness and memory. Laughter reduces stress, and low stress enhances the brain’s receptivity to learning. According to researchers, laughing (having fun) also boosts the body’s immune system for three days – the day of the fun and the next two!

SWEETLY SINGS THE DONKEY: Sweetly Sings the Donkey is an old traditional round. (We’ll be doing the round next week, so practice up!) As is often true with folksongs, there is more than one version of this song. We’ll stick with the straight eighth note version presented on the CD.

AT HOME: Look for the Good Morning, Dew activity on page 37 of your Home Activity Book. Go for a walk in the green grass while it is still wet with dew. There is another fun activity on page 33: a scavenger hunt for musical concepts at home.

VILLAGE: Rhythm Of My Day Week 1

2007-03-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

BAREFOOT IS BEST: Your baby learns much about the world through touch. The skin on the bottoms of the feet is especially sensitive, allowing lots of sensory input for baby.

BONDING BETWEEN ADULT & BABY: The human face is of great interest to babies, especially infants. The eyes, eyebrows, and mouth fascinate them and keep their attention. Being in position to focus on the adults face helps your baby feel calm and secure and can foster bonding between you and your baby.

SIGN LANGUAGE: From early in infancy, it is evident that babies are aware of their environment and have the desire to communicate. Introducing signing to hearing babies has the benefit of allowing adults and babies to communicate before a baby’s vocal chords are developed enough to speak. This silent communication raises self esteem, eliminates the frustration of not being able to communicate and engages your baby as an active participant in the learning environment.

ROCKING: Rocking has many advantages for babies. It soothes, provides rhythmic motion, and promotes muscular strength, control, balance, and lateralization (development of the right and left sides of the body).

MOVEMENT VARIETY: The opportunity to experience movement variety gives babies a chance to see the world from many perspectives, thus strengthening neural pathways.

BENEFITS OF RITUALS FOR BABY:
1. Rituals provide a safe and secure environment for baby’s development in all domains.
2. Rituals develop baby’s sense of identity, family traditions and memories, cultural heritage and values.
3. Rituals give baby a solid foundation which will assist her in adapting to and coping with change.

ROUND: In a round, one singer or group begins to sing a melody which is composed to harmonize with itself during upcoming phrases. At a designated point, a second singer or group begins to sing, starting at the beginning of the song and so on until all parts have entered. Each group will continue to sing their part, repeating the song numerous times, until the first singer or group ceases singing ending the song at an agreed number of repetitions. The net groups will consecutively end in the order in which they began.

Music Outside the Box

2007-03-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

We like to encourage free exploration of instruments at Kindermusik.
Can you imagine if this guy was told that he could only play the flute one way? What a waste that would have been!

The Art of Minimalism

2007-03-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

Can you believe people live in these apartments?
They are available for rent in Japan.
I think my dorm room at university was a little bigger than these...Can you imagine what their bylaws must be like? Whew! Pretty severe, I imagine!
I wonder if they come with a free session with a professional organizer?
Clearly, no children live here.

For those with a touch of wanderlust...

2007-03-19T22:08:00.000-07:00

You gotta see this!

Matt is a regular Joe who travels around the world. At each stop, he makes a short film of himself dancing. Clearly, he wasn't trained in any kind of formal dance, but the joy he exudes is marvelous.

Take a moment to dance with your little one in the grocery store, the bank, the drycleaners. Maybe someone will join you. Maybe you'll just get stared at. Either way, it's good to get a little dance in your step!

Are You EPIC?

2007-03-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

EPIC is a new kind of exhibition celebrating leading companies who care about the consumer. The community. The planet. And they're making great products and offering exceptional services that don't compromise style or function.

Join them this weekend as they introduce the new breed of environmentally friendlier, smart, stylish products and savvy services that allow shoppers to feel good about their purchases in more ways than one.

Take a look at the winning video from their competition here.

Have You Heard?

2007-03-14T23:35:00.000-07:00

The North Shore's favourite Kindermusik educator, Jessica Hansen, sings grown up songs too! Not only that, but she and her sister write the songs. They haven't performed in a while, but we're hoping that when they do, they'll let us know.

In the meantime, you can check out their site and listen to a few clips here.