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Ages and Stages
What Level Is Best For My
Child?
One of the
many strengths of the Kindermusik philosophy is its focus on the
different developmental needs of each stage of childhood. Each level is
designed to give your child the most appropriate, most stimulating
environment to nurture their developmental needs. We celebrate and
explore each age rather than rush forward, coaxing forth the joy and
creativity in each individual child and respecting their unique pattern
and pace in growing up.
Since
Kindermusik addresses the development of the whole child, there are
certain ages at which you may wonder which of the Kindermusik curricula
best suits your child’s age and stage. It is necessary to indicate age
levels to guide you, but there is flexibility in certain age spans which
overlap curricula. The “transitional stages”, 18-20 months, 3 to 3
½, and 5, are points at which you and your Kindermusik teacher can help
your child by deciding which level would be most beneficial and
appropriate. Family Time is always an option if your child is in
a transitional stage. Please call and we can discuss the options.
Ask yourself some important questions:
There are
certain guideposts to look for in development which will help direct
your choices. Below are some characteristics which indicate that your
child will obtain the maximum developmental benefits and pleasure from a
particular curriculum. Let these assist in making this important
decision. While no two children develop in the exact same way, a child
who is ready for a certain curriculum will display many of the
characteristics of that level. Of course, our teachers always here to
discuss individual questions and concerns. Please do not hesitate to
contact us—sharing in your child’s developmental journey is both our
profession and our joy.
From Village to
Our Time-: 18-20 months
·
Uses
gestures and language to indicate needs
·
Sustains
interest in an activity for several minutes
·
Shows
cooperative/interactive learning: is interested in what others are doing
and in sharing that activity (whether by observing, parallel
exploration, or imitation)
·
Can
understand and follow verbal directions of two steps; will generally
cooperate with a request
·
Is learning
to explore objects in purposeful, symbolic ways, rather than mouthing,
dumping, etc.
·
Shows
interest in concept pairs - high/low, fast/slow, loud/quiet, stop/start
·
Responds to
song and rhyme; may join familiar ones, and enjoys word and language
play
·
Can reliably
point to named body parts, is beginning to understand number and color
concepts
·
Group
interaction and connection with an activity is becoming more appealing
than individual exploration of the environment
·
Physically,
can walk well, explores other types of movement (run, tiptoe, jump,
turn) - enjoys own mobility and will try new movements s/he sees others
doing
·
Beginning to
understand and participate in “sitting” activities: finger plays, lap
bounces, singing
From Our Time
to Imagine That: 3 to 3 ½ years
·
Separates
from adult without crying; enjoys interacting as part of a peer group
·
Thinks
creatively - has moved from “What animals do you know?” to “What might
we see in our pretend tree?”
·
Recognizes
the needs of others; can be empathetic, take turns (usually!),
understand classroom rules and why they are important
·
Developing
abstract language and thought - can sustain a pretend play and enjoy
developing an idea for up to 5 minutes or more
·
Can tell
stories, relate a series of ideas, connect own experiences to those of
others
·
Is
developing patience - can accept “she is playing the wood block, and you
have the tambourine today”
·
Has a broad
movement vocabulary, and can explore the same movement in diverse ways -
“What other parts of your body can twirl?”
·
Can sit and
listen to a story or musical selection for several minutes, and comment
on what they have heard
·
Knows
shapes, colors, weather, seasons, counting
·
Participates
in singing, reciting rhymes; follows a model for movement or
instrumental play
From Imagine
That to Young Child: around 5 years old
Kindermusik
for the Young Child realizes the developmental leap to school-age child.
Musically, it is the culmination of all that has come before; in
addition to movement, instrumental play, singing, and creating, YC
students begin to learn musical notation (note and rhythmic), begin to
explore playing in an ensemble, and begin learning to play a melody
instrument, the glockenspiel. We strongly recommend that the step to
Kindermusik for the Young Child be made by children who are entering
Kindergarten, rather than those who are still in preschool. If your
child has a fall or early winter birthday, and either falls after the
school cutoff or you have elected to wait for the following year to
begin school, consider the following guideposts when choosing to begin
Young Child or remain in Imagine That. Please be aware that Young Child
is a sequential, two year curriculum - new students may join in the
second (winter) semester as class space allows, with the understanding
that the family and child will work with the teacher to catch up on
concepts and learning covered in the first (fall) semester. The child
ready for Kindermusik for the Young Child:
-
Exhibits
self confidence and reliability in a classroom or group situation
-
Has
basic pre-reading skills; understands that writing moves from left
to right, and from the top of the page down
-
Has good
fine motor control - reproduces shapes and letters, enjoys puzzles,
games, drawing
-
Follows
directions reliably, can participate in an activity with groups
doing different things -simultaneously
-
Has good
abstract thinking skills - can answer questions such as “How do you
think a composer can make music sound like birds?”
-
Can sing
whole songs, and is developing a good sense of pitch
-
Is eager
to learn, and is developing self-motivation - can work independently
for short periods toward a set goal
When Should
My Child Begin Private Instrumental Instruction?
As
a general rule, most children are not ready to begin formal instrumental
training before the age of 6 or 7 for piano or string instruments, and
most instructors will not accept students younger than 8 or 9 for other
orchestral or band instruments. Before that, they tend to lack the size,
stamina, and outcome-oriented commitment to make lessons a pleasurable
and successful experience. Children are individuals, with a wide range
of aptitude, but all children possess the ability to enjoy lifelong
music making, and this ability can be greatly influenced by how we
choose to approach their earliest experiences.
Kindermusik
contains all of the needed elements to develop a child who is musically
aware and who has the solid foundation to make lessons a natural and
joyous next step. Children who grow up in Kindermusik have had chances
to succeed, be nurtured and encouraged in their early creative
explorations, and develop a core of music theory instilled through
voice, body, and mind. Music for them is a natural part of their
environment, and they have gained the language of note, rhythm, and
expression to help them as they select which instrument they most wish
to make their own. Many experts agree that early musical enrichment lays
a foundation for musicianship which may accelerate later progress on an
instrument.
Children
who graduate from Kindermusik for the Young Child have a strong basis in
theory, musicianship, and instrumental technique. More importantly, they
have been allowed to develop the whole child through music, in a
supportive and reassuring atmosphere, which lays the groundwork for a
lifetime of positive outlook not only towards music learning, but
towards learning in general.
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