FAMILY TIME CLASS #1

Welcome to Kindermusik’s Family Time!  I am so delighted to share this time with you. Already in class this week you saw how music can help your family laugh, share, and learn together. 

But did you know that making and exploring your own home-made instruments provides opportunities for your children to learn and discover? Together they will make comparisons, conduct sound experiments, and talk about their findings, which in turn will strengthen their thinking skills.
 
Next to making music in class with your child, the most important thing you can do to accelerate and nurture your child’s development is found in your At Home Materials. The more you use the book, CD, and home activity ideas, the more you’ll discover just how much your child can do. This week, you’ll find ideas for making other shaker instruments at home using dried beans, rice, beads, popcorn, or paper clips.

I can’t wait to hear all about it next week!
 
Sincerely,

Mrs. Erin

Sign & Sing Session A #3

Dear Sign & Sing Parent:

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.
 

See you next week!

Mrs. Shelly

P.S. More early learning is available to you and your child next semester in Kindermusik. You’ll see how early exposure to music improves your child’s ability to think, reason, create, and express and so much more.
 
I think you and your child would love Session B of Sign & Sing. Register Now for April Sign & Sing Classes starting April 11th.  You’re welcome to attend, and bring a friend!

Toys I Make, Trips I Take

Dear Imagine That! Parent:

I see you went to sea to see what you could see!

As your preschooler’s language skills continue to improve, she begins to see great humor in the different ways words can be used. This is an important step in the growth of your child’s sense of humor, which is based on real life experiences and develops slowly over time.
As your child’s understanding of words evolves, she learns about using words in intelligent, creative, and funny ways.
This week think of ways you and your preschooler can play with words.
See, or “sea,” you soon!

Mrs. Yvonne

Away We Go Week #8

Dear Our Time Parent:

So many different instruments, and they’re all mine!

Sharing and taking turns doesn’t always come so easily. One of the best ways he can learn to share is in a supportive place like our classroom. As you explore the different instruments together, your toddler sees that when he gives something up, he will get to try another.

Learning to share is difficult, especially on a day when everything is “mine!”  Yet you will see improvement. And if you feel like your toddler has more trouble than anyone else, look around you…we’ve all been there, and we all understand!

We’ll share more together next time.

Don’t forget to check out the Summer Camp Schedule now available.

Blessings, Mrs. Erin

Zoom Buggy Week #1

Dear Village Parent:
 

Welcome today, friends of mine. Welcome today little starshine…

Singing and dancing, moving to the music in both slow steps and fast steps is how your baby can experience one of the must fundamental aspects of music: tempo. You may have noticed that your baby enjoys fast and slow music equally, or that he prefers one over the other. It’s important for his understanding of music and language that your baby hears and feels the range of tempi, such as we do in class through song and dance.
 
As you look through your At Home Materials tonight, you’ll find art banners that you can hold up and “dance” in front of your baby’s eyes. As suggested in your Home Journal, play with these banners in lots of different ways, helping your baby to develop the vision she needs for opening her eyes to this beautiful world of music and learning.
 
Looking forward to seeing you next week.  

Blessings,

Mrs. Erin

FUN AT THE STRAWBERRY FEST

I am a bit sunburned today.  I was in the sun all day yesterday at the Annual Strawberry Fest in Orange City.  What a fun time we had.  We had lots of new families stop by our booth to paint a picture on our easel and find out about our class schedules. 

 The best part was a live Kindermusik demo at the stage area.  There were about 20 kids and mommies and grandmas singing and dancing along to Skinnamarink and Toe-Tappin’ Blues.  Then everyone received a free egg shaker and streamer just for singing and dancing with us.  It was a blast!!

Introducing Happy Hearts

When I started teaching Kindermusik about 3 years ago, my babies were 2 1/2, 17 months and 1 on the way.  I was at home everyday but two mornings.  We had plenty of time on our hands.  I joined a couple of mom’s groups but wanted more out of our activities.  At that time my sister and sister-in-law were also having babies and so we decided to start Happy Hearts.  We really believed that it was important for us to train our children in the ways of the Bible at our kitchen tables.  We love God and want our children to know His love as well.  So one day I started making a list of activities based on Bible themes.  And the ideas just kept coming.  It was a way to do fun activities at our kitchen table and teach my little ones about God.

That day I had my three children, my sister’s 3 kids, and my sister-in-law’s 2 kids for a grand total of 8 children under 4.   It was time to start putting together weekly plans and specfic activities.  Then came the email list.  We knew lots of moms that would enjoy reading a Bible verse to their children each week.  Then through Happy Hearts they could not only read that verse, they could sing a song, do an art project and have an outdoor activity all around the same theme.

What a fun way to share our faith with our babies.  We are teaching them that faith is important and the Bible has lots of fun stories that can teach my little ones about being kind and patient or loving one another. 

It was then we realized that we needed a website, an email newsletter and a whole bunch of moms that want to help build a solid foundation in faith for their children.

Please visit the fruits our labor at our Happy Hearts Website.  The weekly newsletter is free.  Please join and let me know what you think.

From infancy to about two years of age, [children are taught] that God made the world, God made them, they are special, and Jesus loves them. Sometimes after two years of age, we [begin] to teach our children God’s rules.”  C. Hope Flinchbaugh, Spiritually Parenting Your Preschooler, Charisma House, ©2003.  

Purchase this book here.

Blessings,

ERIN WILSON – Mommy to Natalie, Sammy, Julia