SCHOOL YEAR CLASS DESCRIPITION

BABIES
Newborn - 18 months
And their parent/caregiver

In a Kindermusik Village class, we take those special bonding moments between you and your baby and add in a unique blend of musical learning activities that stimulate and engage all of the senses. Your educator will teach you how to encourage your baby’s learning through vocal play, object exploration, instruments, and creative movement.

• Variety of music. Musical diversity builds strong neural networks in a baby’s forming mind, which is why each Kindermusik semester contains an array of styles, sounds, and genres.
• Instrument play. Age-appropriate experiences with safe instruments help develop a sense of rhythm and steady beat, develops a keen awareness of the distinguishing qualities of sound, and encourages spontaneity and creativity.
• Dance. A classroom full of baby and adult pairs dancing together helps a little body develop the muscle strength needed to crawl and walk and helps a little heart to fall in love with the sheer joy of responding to music.
• Together time. A Kindermusik class is truly the essence of “quality time,” offering you a place to create special memories with your child, gain new insights into your child’s development, and nurture your child’s natural love of music.
• Expert advice. A Kindermusik educator explains “what-to-watch-for” every step of the way and how each activity enhances your child’s complete development
• Learning continues at home. With the home materials, the learning continues at home with your child’s best teacher—you!

• Developmentally appropriate curriculum for parents and babies, ages newborn to 18 months
• 16-week semester with two different, eight week themes (length may vary by location)
• Weekly 45-minute class that includes new and unique parent and baby activities
• Two sets of At Home Materials—one for each mini-theme—each including a CD of music from class, literature board book, age-appropriate instrument, and art banner
• You’ll learn over 30 songs, lullabies, and nursery rhymes and play over 200 activities together by the semester’s end

TODDLERS  
1 ½  - 3 years
And their parent/caregiver

For your toddler, every day brings new discoveries and opportunities to explore the world around him. Despite your toddler’s seeming independence, he still longs for the safety and security of parental closeness. During this time, your toddler still relishes the comfort of the familiar while also seeking the challenge of something new.

Kindermusik Our Time encourages her to be creative, to initiate her own ideas and to respond in her own ways, while your active participation gives her the security she needs. As you play instruments, sing, move, and explore, you’ll uncover an engaging musical world while building your child’s confidence, self-control and communications skills.

• Instrument exploration and ensemble skill development. Your child will explore the physical characteristics and sounds of age-appropriate instruments which will eventually lead her to discover her potential for beat, rhythm, and melodic ensemble playing.
• Vocal play. Through vocal play, toddlers learn to form vowels and consonants, say words and phrases, and imitate rhythm and vocal inflection. In Kindermusik Our Time, vocal play is presented within the context of songs, chants, and activities done in class.
• Exploration Time. Your child will love discovering specially designed instruments, textures, sounds and movements.
• Story time and early literacy. Listening to stories enhances language and speech development and fosters awareness of sounds, teaches use of language, and sends the message that words and symbols have meaning. The same experiences that help your child learn to read a book also help her learn to read music.
• Movement Activities. Each class provides various opportunities for movement such as synchronized movement, group dances and circle games, and even expressive movement.
• Together Time. Kindermusik is the essence of quality time, allowing you to make the most of the fleeting toddler years and giving you the time and the tools to make music and memories together in class and at home.
• Expert advice. A Kindermusik educator explains how our musically based activities enhance your child’s complete development.

• Developmentally appropriate curriculum for parents and toddlers 18 months to 3 years old
• 15 week semester
• Weekly 45-minute class (length varies by location)
• At Home Materials including Family Activity Guide, two literature books, instrument, and two CDs of music from class

PRESCHOOL
3 - 5 years
parent sharing time last 10 minutes of class

His Blanket becomes a superhero’s cape. A cardboard box doubles as her princess castle. Pots and pans become a drum set. And she sings all the time. Sound like someone you know? Every day brings a new discovery as your preschooler slowly opens the doors of individuality and independence.

Using the power of music, Kindermusik’s Imagine That! taps into your preschooler’s creative spirit and boundless energy and focuses on developing his learning strengths and self-confidence so he’ll be ready for school, prepared for future music lessons…or able to leap tall buildings.

• Pretend Play. Pretend play activities are integrated with music, vocal development, storytelling, listening, movement and literacy aspects of each class. When based upon a child’s real life experiences, pretend play helps develop language, sensory, motor and cognitive skills.
• Musical Variety and Singing. Activities include a mixture of musical genres and styles and provide a setting for your child to explore his many voices and to use a “singing voice.” Singing helps with memory and recall, physical development, creativity and socialization.
• Storytelling and Literacy. Each class is built on the development of a story, so you’ll hear preschoolers search for the word to say what they mean and try to keep up with their busy minds, emerging wants, needs, likes, and dislikes.
• Parent Involvement. Preschoolers are learning to be self-sufficient in a group setting of peers, while many times still needing the emotional security provided by a parent. He’ll experience both in Imagine That! Caregivers participate in the last 10-15 minutes of class. Plus the At Home Materials ensures the learning continues at home with your child’s best teacher—you!

• Developmentally appropriate curriculum for parents and preschoolers, ages 3 to 5 years
• 15 week semester
• Weekly 45-minute class includes a variety of activities, with the last several activities in class shared with parents
• One set of At Home Materials—40-page activity book, two literature books, game board play set, instrument, and two CDs of music from class

FAMILIES
Infants - 7 years
Parent/child class ideal for families
with multiple children or looking
for a multi-age setting

Bringing children of all ages together provides a dynamic and integrated learning experience for everyone. So we took favorite Kindermusik songs and activities like “Shake, Shake the Apple Tree” and “hammocking” and rolled them into a fun, family class where each child is welcomed and valued and family “together time” is celebrated and cherished.

• Singing. From the first “Hello” song to the last “Goodbye,” exploring a variety of musical styles and genres leads children to find their own voice. Plus singing helps with memory and recall, physical development, creativity, and socialization.
• Assorted Movement. Whether moving as a family, as a class, or as individuals, Family Time movement activities enhance coordination skills, create opportunities for imitation and exploration, and give everyone something to smile, rock, bounce, or dance about.
• Story Time. Reading aloud to children stimulates their curiosity, expands their knowledge, and broadens their understanding of language.
• Family Jam Children (and adults) will love selecting a unique instrument and joining in one big class jam session each week.
• Musical Concepts. Fun engaging activities bring out the musicality in everyone, from the youngest member of the family to the oldest. Together you’ll learn more about music as you learn more about each other.
• Expert advice. A Kindermusik educator explains how our musically based activities enhance your child’s complete development.
• Learning continues at home. With the home materials, the learning continues at home with your child’s best teacher—you!

• 5, 10, or 15 week semester
• Weekly 45-minute class
• Set of At Home Materials including a Family Activity Guide, Hand and Finger Puppet, Two CDs of music from class, two instruments, two literature books

 EARLY ELEMENTARY
Children from 4 ½ to 7 years
sharing time last 10 minutes of class

Using a small-group approach to music education, Kindermusik for the Young Child provides a pressure-free class where your child can develop a strong musical foundation by learning the concepts, language, notation, and vocabulary of music and its greatest composers.

The program is designed to prepare the young child who is eager for first experiences with musical symbols and instrument discovery but is not yet ready for formal lessons and traditional music reading with an instrument. Parents or caregivers are encouraged to attend the last 10-15 minutes of class.

• Singing and vocal development. It may sound like a foreign language when your child sings “ta” and “ti-ti,” but he’s using the language of professional musicians and composers and getting ready to read and write simple rhythm patterns.
• Movement. You’ll see your child dance expressively to music, giving him the practice he needs to coordinate his body movements to the sound of music. This kind of musical play not only improves musicianship, but his physical coordination as well. Reading and writing. He’ll learn melodic notation and identify pitches such as the C, A, and D notes on the treble clef, plus rhythmic notation. Eventually he’ll even compose his own music.
• Reading and writing. He’ll learn melodic notation and identify pitches such as the C, A, and D notes on the treble clef, plus rhythmic notation. Eventually he’ll even compose his own music.
• Focused listening. Your child will learn to identify a range of orchestra instruments and their sound qualities, while also gaining an early awareness and knowledge of composers and masterworks in Western arts tradition.
• Exploring and playing musical instruments. Authentic percussion, string, pre-keyboard, and woodwind instruments expose your child to the many choices for future musical study, and at the same time provide your child with the opportunity to musically succeed before taking on more formal instruction.

• Developmentally appropriate curriculum for children ages 5 to 7; caregivers attend the last 10-15 minutes
• 15 week semester
• Weekly 45-minute class
• One set of At Home Materials—Children’s folder with stickers and Music At Home cards, Family Songbook, instrument (wind, string, or pre-keyboard instrument depending on the semester), CD of music from class, canvas bag (during first semester) and games bag

ABC Music & Me: An early literacy and language program

• Age Range: 2 to 6 years
• Class Structure: 12 monthly units
• Class Length: 30 minutes

Created for the child enrolled in a childcare center or pre-K program, ABC Music & Me is a research-based language and early literacy program built around music.. ABC Music & Me helps two to six-year-olds develop pre-literacy and language skills through a child’s most-loved rituals: music and story time.

ABC Music & Me supports the early childhood standards and requirements for “high quality programs” as defined by the National Institute for Early Education. Plus for the older age group, ABC Music & Me aligns with pre-K national and state standards.

• Songs and rhymes to develop phonetic awareness and early reading skills
• Tapping, clacking, and ringing rhythm instruments in time with music to improve hand-eye coordination
• Focused listening with music to improve skills in following directions
• Instrument play to strengthen fine motor skills
• Developmentally-appropriate songs to develop vocal chords and expressive speech
• Learning that emphasizes storytelling, imaginative play, and taking turns

• Developmentally appropriate curriculum for children 2 to 6 years old
• 4-week semester with 12 different monthly themes
• Weekly 30-minute class
• OPTIONAL Monthly Student Kit that includes a Family Magazine, CD with all the music from class, and an instrument every other month