Big Ideas for Village and Sign and Sing Parents:

Singing Hello! Do you remember the first time you said hello to your baby? Perhaps you saw a shadowy, profile on a sonogram or maybe someone put a swaddled bundle in your arms when you first whispered, “Hello, little one.” Somehow saying hello for the first time made your baby more than just a plus sign on a test. In that moment, your emotional connection became even stronger.

At Kindermusik, we believe in the power of hello. So, each week, we begin class by singing: “Hello, hello let’s sing together!” Using your child’s name helps him make an emotional connection with the song and activity right from the start. It also encourages social interaction by inviting him to respond with his own greeting, such as a smile, wave, laugh, or even a little peek-a-boo. As an added bonus, it helps you learn the names of the other grown-ups in class, too! Everyday connection: Say hello to your little friends. Try singing hello to the people, animals, and objects you see around your house. Sing to Nanna…clap to doggie…wave to the bathtub, wave hello. Your child will love it and you will be encouraging social interaction, emotional connections, and even vocabulary development!!

Big Ideas for Our Time Parents:

Repetition! Think about the last time you tried doing something for the first time. Maybe it was using your new smart phone, going for the perfect cloth diaper fold, or even figuring out how to feed your baby while checking Facebook at the same time. (Hey, we all need some outside connections!) After lots of repetition, you’ll probably master the fine art of that new thing, or at least fumble a little less. For your child, few things build her brain and open opportuniites for learning more than consistent repetition of healthy activities and experiences. Every new activity in which she participates makes a new neural pathway in her brain. Each time that experience is repeated, the neural pathway is strengthened. That’s why in Kindermusik class we deliberately repeat activities from week to week and give you the tools to repeat them at home, too. Everyday connection: Practice makes perfect learning. Listen to the music from class and do the activities together at home. Repeat. Listen to the music from class and do the activities together at home. Repeat. (Learning is that easy … and fun!)

Big Ideas for Imagine That! parents:

Even on the first day of class, your preschooler started using a vital learning skill, something we call investigation. Going through a new experience, your child investigates to make sense of a new situation, makes guesses about what will happen next, and then checks that prediction against what really happens. This is an important skill your child needs for learning about new things at home, or someday in preschool.  New experiences are vital to your child’s developing sense of investigation and becoming a more curious, self-motivated learner.  To aid the learning, remember to download your child’s digital music and activity files from http://play.kindermusik.com using your special individual code. The album files include music used in class that you and your child may enjoy at home to recreate the fun we have had. The pdf activity files give you lyrics to the songs we will be singing in class and activities to enjoy at home.  Spend some time together investigating your Toy Shop Play Set. Take turns as you sing Play, Play, Play, and use your Kindermusik drum as you explore loud and quiet sounds.