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Today we heard rhythms from England, Scotland, The Virgin Islands, Jamaica, and many regions of the United States.  By exposing your baby to a variety of rhythms from many cultures, you're helping him/her build a large library of musical tastes, appreciation and movements.  Not only is this important for your baby's musical development, but it helps him/her learn to listen more carefully and be more open to new experiences, and establish a STEADY BEAT!

RHYTHMIC COMPLEXITY

 

Baby is first exposed to rhythm in the womb.  Babies here their mommy's heartbeat and then, after birth, they hear their own.  African and Indian music traditions have brought syncopation other rhythmic complexities to our ears, weaving these rhythms into current Western culture.  Exposing Baby to this variety will develop his/her abilities to listen and produce these rhythms more easily as he/she grows, and of course supports the development of accuracy in rhythm. For more information on how movement affect Baby's Brain Development, you may enjoy this article by Rae Pica, movement "How Movement Affects Baby's Brain Development" from iParenting.

 

Karen Miller, author of Simple Steps writes, "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."  That is why the experts at Kindermusik Int'l are careful to offer "integrated activities" in the curricula, encouraging a child's growth and development in ALL AREAS.

 SUMMER ONLINE RESERVATION   

 It's Not Too Late - Click Here  

       

  

HOME ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS 

   

1)  Complete your Home Journal Week #4 -"Signing with Baby"   

 Your home journal page includes loads of great hints as to how to go about introducing and incorporating "Sign" into your child's everyday routines.  

• Your home journal page includes loads of great hints as to how to go about introducing and incorporating "Sign" into your child's everyday routines.  
• Note:  Babies can sign by 6-9 months, but will understand sign before they are able to produce it.   FUN!! 
• Click here to go to Signing Savvy  or ASLPro, our favorite Sign Language websites.
• Fun Fact:  Signing babies have approximately 25 words by age 1 where non-signing babies generally have 1-2.  Not to fear - sign will help with your child's verbal language development, not hurt it!   
• If you would like to learn how to easily incorporate sign into your day while helping your little ones more quickly and prolifically learn "sign," then our summer camp "Sign & Sing" is for you!   Written by the leading experts in early childhood sign language development, you are sure to provide your child with language skills that will help them through the frustrating years pre-expressive language, while spring-boarding their verbal communication skills as well. Registration forms can be found on the greeting table, or click here to enroll online today!     

2)  Fall Priority Week #1 Re-Enrollment begins this Monday - ONLY Families Staying Same Class/Day/Time

3)  Have some more SYNCOPATED fun dancing this week!

Remember the saying, "Move your Baby to Learn, so he/she can learn to move!"

• Water Come A Me Eye (Our Move and Freeze Dance) 
• Four White Horses (Our Exercise)
• Ally Bally (Even our new Rocking Song has up-beat syncopated stresses)  FUN!   

4)  Continue to Listen - listen - listen to your RHYTHM CD

Your child will be comforted upon entering the busy classroom if they are familiar with the "sounds of Kindermusik."

 

THIS WEEK'S ADDITIONAL LEARNING POINTS FOR PARENTS  

 

BEDTIME RITUALS  "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 parent and child.  As children grow, it is a time when parents find out what is really going on in their children's lives.  Some Bedtime Rituals to Share with Your Children:

 

• Reading
• Listening to crickets
• Inventing stories
• Singing
• Bedtime checklist (get a drink, change diapers/get a drink, kiss & hug, turn out the light)
• Infant massage, back scratches and foot rubs

RHYTHMIC COMPLEXITY

Baby is first exposed to rhythm in the womb.  He/She hears her mother's heartbeat and then, after birth, her own.  African and Indian music traditions have brought syncopation other rhythmic complexities to our ears, weaving these rhythms into current Western culture.  Exposing Baby to this variety will develop his/her abilities to listen and produce these rhythms more easily as he/she grows, and of course supports the development of accuracy in rhythm.      

 

ABOUT THE MUSIC

Traditional Jamaican music is a rural folk form from the 19th century called mento.  Mento is derived from the music of Africa and Europe to create this creole style of music as in Water Come A Me Eye.  In this style there is usually a soloist improvising and leading with group participation.  The complexity of music is dependent upon the improvisatory skills of the performers. 

 

Those brief segments of 20-25 minutes each week without parental guidance at this age allows your child to learn to problem solve, create, lead, follow, empathize and make choices on his her own within the growth and development goals of the curriculum and with the guidance of an expert! Critical Thinking Skills, of which Math is one, can blossom in this type of integrated environment!    

These next 3 weeks integrate a culmination of skills learned to this point in the semester.  Integration of activities is now a possibility in-group. Social skills have seamlessly begun to integrate into our play as well.

Miss Amy and Miss Jen are bursting with excitement at the growth and developmental goals that are being reached by your children.   That sort of success within the process of Kindermusik is our greatest joy, our paycheck so to speak.  We are glad you were able to share a glimpse with us this week in the classroom, and know that we envy your at-home playtime with your little ones all week long.   Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this important time in your child's development!

SUMMER ONLINE RESERVATION  

 It's Not Too Late - Click Here! 

 

 

DEVELOPMENTAL FOCUS 

 

 

What is Critical Thinking?   It is the ability to break apart an idea and analyze its many parts.  It involves such skills as sorting, identifying, matching, classifying and comparing similarities and differences.  In our classroom this week we engaged your child's critical thinking skills as part of the integrated learning that took place.  

 

Click the link below for this short and highly informative article that will help you understand your child and how they can learn the 2 Forms of Thinking Skills:  Creative Thinking and Critical Thinking.  They need  both skills to maximize their brain development, and Kindermusik supplies the perfect blend, designed just for you and your little one to thrive!   Read this PRIMER FOR PARENTS by Ellen Booth Church entitled, "How Your Children Learn to Problem-Solve" 

 

  

 HOME ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS

 

1) Week #11 Family Activity: "I am a thinker. I think as I move, listen, look and count...." P.14"  

• This week at home you can have opportunities to grow your child's critical thinking skills through creative play with movement and sound and sight!  ENJOY your Home Activity Book!  

2) Fall Priority Week #1 Re-Enrollment begins this Monday - ONLY Families Staying Same Class/Day/Time    

• Week #1: This Monday thru Friday - Stay Same Class, Day and Time.  No Registration form needed - Just sign your Teacher's Class Sheet (KISS:  Keep It Simple Sweetie!)
• Week #2:  Priority Re-Enrollment begins this next Saturday 11th and ENDS May 17th at Midnight.   
• Click the Fall Logo below to read more about your fun Theme and Home Materials for Fall 2013 and for Easy Online Enrollment!�  
• Click Here for the At-A-Glance Fall Downloadable Registration Form  

3) If new,  Click here for your copy of Imagine That Helpful Guidelines  for our newcomers this week. 

 

4) If new,  Click Here for a copy of the Parent Class Handout for our newcomers this week. 

 

We often have parents begin to wonder what the "2nd Year" of Young Child will entail. This final year is the "capstone" of the Kindermusik experience. It is in this final year, where your child will be taught to use the skills you have invested so much time and money in developing thus far.  The skills that are now integrated are social (ensemble leadership & creative teamwork), emotional (leadership & self-esteem), cognitive (great brain functioning - can now learn new musical & math concepts very quickly), physical (coordination showing on instrument & movement activities), and language (music vocabulary of symbols just beginning to grow).

 

The power of the final year of Kindermusik is amazing.  It's what you've worked for years.  We look forward to traveling the final path with you next year.  If you think they can do well now, just wait until next year where they will have more musical knowledge than children entering high school, and in many cases "college." We will be guiding them to the appropriate "private studio" for instruction in piano, violin, voice or combination of the above next year.   Studios in our area are CLAMMERING to get our graduates because they far surpass the children who begin taking piano at age 5 or 6.   We are excited that we have the ideal transition to private studio right here at Musical Pathways Foundation with our  Elite Artistry Private Studio.  Like everything else at Musical Pathways, our Elite Artistry program is designed specifically for you and your child to thrive. 

 

Your child will be playing their instrument far beyond their years so quickly, because you have instilled all of the skills, not just musical, that are needed to make music a LIFELONG gift which will affect their academic success as well. Studies show significant increases in IQ due to enrollment in Kindermusik. We only have 1 shot at giving our children their BEST FOUNDATION (0-7). Congratulations on your commitment to have the best for your child! 

 

It's Not Too Late! - Click Here

 

 

 

 

 

 HOME ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS

1)  Music At Home Card 57: 

• Be sure to follow the instructions carefully on this week's MAH Card 57.  Your children will be singing and playing most of these songs at their graduation fiesta! 
• Continue to learn to "Play and Sing" Twinkle Twinkle by memory.
• Learn to Play and Sing the 4 Themes from  Don Gato 

2)  Continue to write compositions:  2-Measure Melody (4 beats per measure).  Perhaps your child will want to use one of their melodies as the "A Section" of a Rondo form piece.  ABACADAEA..........and on and on.

• Draw a Staff with 2 measures
• Create a melody on the glockenspiel.
• Transfer to the Staff and how about to the Piano/Keyboard as well.
• Please turn these in at your next class. 

3) Family Music-Making: How about a Trio/Quartet/Quintet?  Invite your child to start arranging the music you are learning for multiple people.

• Mom on Glockenspiel, Dad on Drum, Baby sis on the egg shaker, Me?  HMMMMmm - maybe the piano or the recorder or the synthesizer or  . . . ..  
• NOTE:  Graduation is a FAMILY EVENT.  At graduation, families will perform together, and we all perform and entertain.  This is great FIESTA fun and really works your child's arranging and group leadership skills, so why not begin now?
• Continue talking with your child about what piece your family can play together.  Your child can write an arrangement for your family to play to a song he/she knows from class (feel free to use any of our instruments), or a melody he/she has written.    

5) Continue to listen to your CD!

Elite Artistry  

Premier Music Instruction  

Piano, Voice, Violin, Guitar 

Join us for our Summer Sampler Series.  You choose how many lessons and when you want those lessons throughout the summer.  This is the perfect opportunity to refer a friend and let them sample the Elite experience. 

How is Elite Artistry different?  We incorporate all facets of Music Learning, and allow your child to choose their interests which we then combine with learning on their instrument.   Music History, Listening, Theory, Attending Performances, and so much more . . .  By following your child's interest from the very first lesson and as their interests evolve, your child will have the tools for remaining motivated to make their instrument a LIFE-LONG LOVE!  Oh - and by the way - they will know more about music and have more music skills under their belt than most incoming Freshman in college Music Majors. Exciting!

 

      2012 - 2013 CALENDAR

Sept: 10, 17, 24

October: 1, 8,15, Master Class, 29

November: 5, 12, 26

December: Master Class, 10, 17, Recital 9th

January: 7, Master Class, 21, 28

February: 4, 11, 18, Master Class

March: 4, 11, 18

April: 1, 8, Master Class, 22, 29

May: 6, 13, 20, Master Class      

June: Recital & Awards Banquet - 2nd

   

 

HOW WILL YOU KNOW WHEN CLASS IS CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER?

 

Tune in to the following for announcement or join our VIP TEXT CLUB to receive weather notices:  

TEXT: LOVEKIDS

TO: 36000

 

Radio: WTDY 1670 AM, WMGN 98 FM, WZEE 104 FM

 

TV:      WKOW-27, WISC-3

• If the Waunakee Schools are CLOSED, then Musical Pathways classes will be canceled as well.
• If the Waunakee School district is having LATE START there will be no change to our class schedule.
• If the Waunakee School district calls EARLY RELEASE, then the EVENING classes will be canceled.
• If the Waunakee School District cancels their evening sports activities, then the EVENING classes will be canceled.

As is common practice, cancellations due to weather or other circumstances beyond Musical Pathways' control will not receive a credit. On the other hand, either make-up classes will be offered or credits will be applied for cancellations due to teacher illness or absence.  If you would like to visit an alternate class as a make-up, please call 849-9712 or email  Miss Andrea to schedule.

How we will communicate:
Should classes be canceled, we will send an announcement via Constant Contact email and a TEXT to our LOVEKIDS club.  Want to join our TEXT CLUB, then just text LOVEKIDS and you are in. The radio and television stations are constantly updating their cancellations as well, so be sure to look for Waunakee Schools postings. Evening activity cancellations are not always listed on TV, so please do consult your email for a notice of cancellation of our evening classes.  We will also consult State and County Travel Advisory's to make our decision about Evening Class Cancellations.

          Musical Pathways Foundation

DIRECTORY 

We are a Charitable Foundation that exists to aid families through the education of parents, children and grandparents.   Our desire is to educate the early child 0-7, youth 8-18, parents and grandparents in whole child development, childhood behavioral management, and senior quality of life attainment.  We rely on the financial support of both individual benefactors and corporate contributions.  If you are able to help us in our mission, please click here and we will contact you, or click here to go to our website to make a donation .  If you would like to contact one of our team via email, just click their name below.