The Next Mozart? 6-Year Old Piano Prodigy Wows All

6-year old Emily Bear has wowed audiences from the White House to her own house. Playing the piano since age 3, Emily also composes her own music. Has WGN-TV discovered the next Mozart?

Music Improves Reasoning in Preschool children

The hypothesis that music training significantly and specifically enhances spatial-temporal reasoning in young children has recently found strong support. Rauscher, Shaw, Levine, Wright, Dennis and Newcomb (Neurological Research, 1996, in press) studied 78 children (3-4 years old) divided into three groups.

Thirty four children received private piano keyboard lessons, 20 received equally frequent private computer lessons and 24 served as other controls, receiving either singing lessons (n=10)or no special lessons (n=14) for six months.
Four standard, age calibrated, spatial reasoning tests were given before and after training; one test measured spatial-temporal reasoning and three tests assessed spatial recognition.

Post-treatment test scores showed a significant improvement on the spatial-temporal test only for the keyboard group. No group improved significantly on the spatial recognition tests. That the computer group showed no effect provides a control for extra attention, involvement, etc.

The authors suggest that the improvement in spatial reasoning may be related to the linear spatial layout of the keyboard. They propose that keyboard training may enhance the learning of standard subjects, such as mathematics and science,
in which spatial-temporal reasoning is particularly important.

Source:
Rauscher, Shaw, Levine, Wright, Dennis and Newcomb
(Neurological Research, 1996, in press)

Did You Know That Playing Music Helps Under-Achievers?

Music training helps under-achievers. In Rhode Island, researchers studied eight public school first grade classes. Half of the classes became “test arts” groups, receiving ongoing musicand visual arts training.

In kindergarten, this group had lagged behind in scholastic performance. After seven months,the students were given a standardized test. The “test arts” group had caught up to their fellow students in reading and surpassed their classmates in math by 22%.

In the second year of the project, the arts students widened this margin even further. Students were also evaluated on attitude and behavior. Classroom teachers noted improvement in these areas also.

Source:
Houston Chronicle, January 11, 1998

Students often ask how much they have to practice. Now I have an answer for them. The magic number seems to be 10,000 hours. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers: The Story of Success, quotes neurologist and music specialist Daniel Levitin:

In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice-skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals… this number comes up again and again. Ten thousand hours is equivalent to roughly three hours a day, or 20hours a week, of practice over 10 years… No one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery.

And don’t think Mozart got away with less. According to Gladwell, music critic Harold Schonberg, Mozart “developed late,” since he didn’t produce his greatest work until he had been composing for more than twenty years. Read The Artful Manager’s take on this here.

Piano Sandwich--It's OK to play with your food

Here’s a way to get your little one to eat their lunch AND practice the piano. Mark Northeast, UK food artist, turns sandwiches into art to encourage his four-year old to eat healthy. (via alphamummy)

It's not a hula hoop, it's a puddle

In Kindermusik, it’s rare to ever call hoops by their actual name; usually they’re mountains, meadows, or even puddles. In fact, last week my toddlers we’re ecstatic to “hop-a-doodle” around their “meadows.” With my early elementary kids, they loved playing the rhyming “Dr. Foster” game with their “puddles.” Even my preschoolers were looking forward every week to taking the “tricky trails” with their imaginary friends in our story “Josh and Katie.”

At the end of the week, I realized that a bunch of plastic 2 dimensional circles managed to not only thoroughly entertain all the children, but more importantly helped them learn important skills like how to jump on one foot, how to communicate with each other to go through “the tunnel”, and even how to work on their special awareness. All these important learning concepts were addressed by using something that costs around $5.

Funny thing is, in the same week, I was talking to a friend, and he was mentioning how he just spent $30 on a toy that was supposed to be geared to his son’s learning, yet after the first week, his 3-year-old never touched it.

So if children can make a hula-hoop be a mountain, or a puddle, or a meadow, and never tire of it, then what separates the hoops from that very expensive gadget at the toy store? Why do they love the cardboard box more than the toy inside?

It all boils down to how children play. Both parents and childhood professionals alike can tell you children not only love to pretend but it’s how they learn. Children can grow in all domains of development through play. Often, when children pretend, they associate an identity with an object in their game. A block is not simply a block, it’s the start of their hospital. Then more blocks become the road they need to connect it to their house. Then perhaps from the hospital, the children will decide to use their scarves as wings and become helicopters, spinning away onto another game, and so on. We call these objects endowed objects because the scarves, for example, would never be called those; they would be endowed to be butterfly wings.

We see these elements of pretend play particularly in children 3 years old and up, however children learn these skills much earlier, in toddler hood. That is why in Kindermusik classes, we use these elements as the basis for the songs and activities. In fact, manipulatives in Kindermusik such as hoops, scarves, and streamers all have one thing in common: they are open-ended. The more open-ended an object is, the more roles it can have in play.

We see children assign multiple identities to an object all the time. One day, a scarf is a butterfly wing, but the next, it’s a leaf. When children can use an object in their play in many different ways, they will pick it up again and again. Children can play with legos for years because it can be so many different things! When children are autonomous and own their learning, they not only enjoy learning more, they retain it better. This comes from choosing how to learn a certain concept.

So when you’re at the store this holiday season, think about that toy you’re buying and if it will be worth the cost. Some of those higher-priced toys are really cool, I am a big fan of some of those science-oriented toy stores, but some are just too closed-ended to keep our children’s attention with their growing minds! Kindermusik is one of the best gifts that you can give your children.

Music and Academics

Music enhances the process of learning. The systems they nourish, which include our integrated sensory, attention, cognitive, emotional and motor capacities, are shown to be the driving forces behind all other learning.
KONRAD, R.R., "EMPATHY, ARTS AND SOCIAL STUDIES," 2000
The College Entrance Examination Board found that students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on math than students with no arts participation.
"COLLEGE-BOUND SENIORS NATIONAL REPORT: PROFILE OF SAT PROGRAM TEST TAKERS," PRINCETON, NJ: THE COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION BOARD, 2001

Music on the Mind--The Corpus Callosum

This is an exerpt from a NEWSWEEK article by Sharon Begley.

The brain seems to be a sponge for music and, like a sponge in water, is changed by it. The brain's left and right hemispheres are connected by a big trunk line called the corpus callosum. When they compared the corpus callosum in 30 nonmusicians with the corpus callosum in 30 professional string and piano players, researchers led by Dr. Gottfried Schlaug of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston found striking differences. The front part of this thick cable of neurons is larger in musicians, especially if they began their training before the age of 7. The front of the corpus callosum connects the two sides of the prefrontal cortex, the site of planning and foresight. It also connects the two sides of the premotor cortex, where actions are mapped out before they're executed. "These con-nections are critical for coordinating fast, bi-manual movements" such as those a pianist's hands execute in an allegro movement, says Schlaug. The neural highway connecting the right and left brain may explain something else, too. The right brain is linked to emotion, the left to cognition. The greatest musicians, of course, are not only masters of technique but also adept at infusing their playing with emotion. Perhaps this is why.

This article entitled

Will Music Make You Smarter?

also supports children beginning music before age 7 and a more developed corpus callosum.

Kindermusik is such a terrific program for children during their formative years. The greatest neural growth occurs befor age 2 so having your child in a developmentally appropriate music program will help prepare them for success in all areas of life. However, all is not lost if you are older then age 7 or even a senior. Studies have shown in the last few years that the brain is very plastic if we continually give it new challenges such as learning an instrument. Make music part of your life--you won't regret it.

Quick facts about music lessons

According to a recent Gallup poll:
• More than half of U.S. households (52%) has at least one person, age 5 or older, who currently plays a musical instrument
• 85% of Americans believe that music is a very important part of their life
• 82% of Americans wish they had learned to play a musical instrument, and 67% expressed an interest in learning to play
• 94% of respondents believe music is part of a well-rounded education, and that schools should offer instrument music instruction as part of the regular curriculum
• 85% believe participation in school music corresponds with better grades and higher test scores
• Seniors are turning to music making as not just an enjoyable pastime, but also for the health and wellness benefits such as enhanced immune systems, stress reduction, and staving off depression and loneliness

The Healing Power of Music

Here is an amazing story about a young violinist who made an amazing recovery due to his musical training.

“Better Minds Through Music” by Michael Shasberger, Adams Professor of Music and Worship, Westmont Magazine, Fall 1997

In 2007, one of our violin students nearly died in a car accident and lay in a coma for several weeks. Doctors told the family there was little hope of recovery. He did regain consciousness, however, and while he had limited speech, he couldn’t form cogent thoughts or recognize simple objects. Case workers predicted months or years of therapy and doubted he’d recover his intellectual capabilities.

His violin professor visited him in the midst of these assessments. At the time, the student was doing tests that determined he couldn’t recognize or name simple objects such as a spoon. Then Dr. Phil Ficsor took out his violin and put it in the student’s hand. Perplexed, the student was unable to name the instrument and said he didn’t know what to do with it. Dr. Ficsor put the bow in his other hand and encouraged him to try. Moments later he was playing music from memory that he’d studied a few months earlier. Two months later he was back in school playing drums in the Chapel Band and violin in the orchestra and taking a full academic load. Music played a seemingly miraculous role in a recovery that exceeded the doctor’s wildest imagination. But it wasn’t miraculous. It was the result of violin studies this young man began at the age of 6. The musical resources of both his brain hemispheres were so strongly developed and linked that they could pull together when linguistic skills, which operate in only one lobe, couldn’t. His parents’ investment in musical studies —and the resources committed to his high school orchestra —made the difference. What happened to this student vividly illustrates the value of music education.

I wonder. If musical training had such a profound effect when it was begun at six, (a year past the time when most of the neural connections are finished forming), what could the brain do as a result of having had developmentally appropriate musical “training” since infancy?

As promised, here’s the link to the whole article.

My Bunny Lies Over the Ocean

I love our Quiet/Rocking Time in my classes each week (in Imagine That it’s about once a month.) Sharing a special rocking time with your child helps them learn how to hear, feel, and see the beat. It is a whole-body experience: they hear the beat, feel the beat, and see the beat as you rock together. It also builds their self-esteem, soothes, provides rhythmic motion, and promotes muscular strength, control, and balance.

“My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” has been a great snuggle song in Our Time lately. It is a traditional Scottish song, but the origins are a bit unclear. Some think it is about Charles Edward Stuart, who was more commonly referred to as Bonnie Prince Charlie.

I love it when the kids in class sing along with the song! Some of the wonderful renditions I’ve heard recently are: “My Body Lies Over the Ocean”, and even “My Mommy Lies Over the Sea”. I like that we can “bring back my mommy to me!”

Warner Brothers took it one funny thought further and came up with “My Bunny Lies Over the Sea.” (Sort of a rabbit trail, here…) Most people can't resist a fluffy bunny, but I still think one of my favorite rabbits of all time is Bugs Bunny! Anyway, I found the cartoon for you on YouTube – so here you go!

Why We Teach Music

Music is scientific.

It is precise, specific, and demands accurate acoustics. A conductor's score is a complex chart that indicates frequency, intensity, volume, melody, and harmony, all at once and with the most exact control of time.

Music is mathematical.

It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fractions that must be calculated, interpreted, and applied instantaneously.

Music is foreign language.

Most of the terms are in Italian, German, or French, and notation is a highly developed kind of shorthand based on symbols that represent ideas. The semantics of music is the most complete and universal language known.

Music is history.

It reflects the environment and times of its creation, including the cultural and social values.

Music is physical education.

It requires exceptional coordination of fingers, hands, arms, lips, cheeks, and facial muscles. It also takes extraordinary control of the diaphragm, which in turns uses the back, stomach, and chest muscles.

Music is philosophy.

It demands research and develops insight and perspective.

Music is art.

It allows a human being to take dry, boring, and often difficult techniques and use them to create emotion.

Music is the human experience.

Music pieces are as complex and varied as life itself. Music inspires thought, reflection and emotion-- much like human relations do. Rhythm and tone simulate moods-- such as joy, sorrow or anger. Music relates to us the stories of human experience. We do not teach music because we expect you to major in music or become a professional musician. Nor do we teach music because we expect you to play or sing all your life (although you might).

We teach music so you will recognize beauty.

We teach music so you will have more compassion.

We teach music so you can be fully human.

Joel Bernstein - Musician, Archivist

Composer Johann Sebastian Bach 1685 - 1750

In my piano studio this month we are focusing on Mr. Bach and his Music. He lived in the Baroque Period which was from 1600-1750. The music of that period had specific characteristics which included:

Baroque compositions usually have one mood or affect for the entire piece.

Many are dances require a buoyant, steady, rhythm. Complex voicings and rhythms prevailed.

The harpsichord was the main keyboard instrument of the day.

Emphasis was on strong beats, upbeats and fast changing rhythmic motion.

Phrase and expression marks were not used. Faster notes were normally played legato (smoothly) and slower notes were normally played nonlegato (separated). Ornaments were frequently used.

Here are some websites which have more information about Bach and his music:

Classics for Kids

J.S. Bach Home Page

Making Music Fun

The Joy of Music

The Joy of Music - Music is unique to humans. Music is as basic as language to human development and existence. Through music a child gains insight into herself, into others, and into life itself. Perhaps most important, she is better able to develop and sustain her imagination. Without music, life would be bleak. Because a day does not pass without a child’s hearing or participating in some music, it is to a child’s advantage to understand music as thoroughly as she can. As a result, as she becomes older she will learn to appreciate, listen to, and partake in music that she herself believes to be good. Because of such cultural awareness, her life will have more meaning for her (adapted from Gordon, 1990).

My Journey as a Piano Teacher and Pianist

I am on a journey of piano playing and teaching that I never expected to travel. However, it has been the best journey of my professional life. A BA in piano Performance and a national certification in piano did not prevent me from developing tendonitis in both of my wrists almost 2 years ago. The doctor told me I would probably never play again unless I had surgery. But, I started researching and knew that surgery was not the answer. I had already had surgery on my thumb for de Quervain's tenosynovitis and I still experience pain.

I began taking lessons in the Taubman Technique with my teacher Joan Harrison in March of 2008 and it has been amazing. I am not 100% yet, but I am on a journey that will never end as I continue to discover all my potential and new ways of teaching my students to play with a coordinated and injury preventive technique. The video below is about a pianist and teacher who went on a similar journey. Someday soon I hope to make a similar video, but for now........





Check out the newspaper article about my journey at this link: http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ech/news/53973967.html

Can't decide whether to enroll in Kindermusik

The Joy of Kindermusik

This virtual snapshot of Kindermusik shows a brief overview of all the curriculums from newborn to age 7.

Follow Me to kindermusik

Moving Right Along – The Proprioceptive System

Everything we do is about movement. Without movement, we couldn’t express our feelings, take care of ourselves, have relationships, or go anywhere. Can you sit absolutely still? If you are still reading this, your eyes are moving.

Much of our movement is affected by the proprioceptive system. The proprioceptive system works in partnership with our vestibular system (head movement and gravity). Proprioception is the unconscious sensation of movement in the muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons in our bodies. Input from this system tells us when and how our muscles are contracting or stretching, and when and how our joints are bending, extending or being compressed. These sensations occur when we are moving and when we are still.

I’ll bet you never think about it. For most of us, we rarely notice the sensations of muscles and joints unless we deliberately pay attention. That is as it should be. Proprioception provides the “connection” between the brain and muscles, and produces smooth and controlled movements.
If the proprioceptive sense is not working well, a child will find it difficult to move with smooth and coordinated movements. He might have a difficult time going up and down stairs with ease. She’ll make a movement too “hard” or too “soft”. He will have difficulty with both gross and fine motor tasks such as riding a bike, writing, walking, crawling, buttoning a shirt, screwing a lid on a jar or playing sports. These children usually have a lot of trouble doing something when they cannot see it with their eyes.

The proprioceptive system also assists in organizing the body and in “motor planning” – a person’s ability to think through, (plan) and then physically carry out a task. How to climb up on the counter to reach something. How to get from point A to point B with an obstacle in the middle. How to tie shoes; how to skip or gallop.

Most of the time, “motor planning” to learn new tasks occurs naturally, and when a child has performed the task so many times it becomes automatic, the task has become a skill, and planning is no longer required. (Adults motor plan, too – think about rock climbing.)
As parents, we can help our children with motor planning. You already do it. Think about how you talk your children through swinging a bat, or throwing a ball.
Here are some ways to stimulate your child’s proprioceptive system:

• Rolling over

• Balancing on one foot or kicking alternate feet

• Lots of variation in types of body movement – stomping, twisting, swaying, swinging

• Vacuuming

• Piggy back or horsey rides

• Jumping on a trampoline

• Bean bag chairs

• Rolling your child up in a blanket (Like a pig-in-a-blanket!)

• Wheel barrow walks

• Tug of war

Make an easy Hawaiian Lai

Children age 4 and Up:

An easy project! Cut a length of yarn to hang loosely around your neck; make sure you cut it a little longer than you want it so you have room to tie the ends of the yarn together. Cut the straws into 1 inch long pieces. Cut many colorful flower shapes out of construction paper (you can use the graphics above to trace if you like!). Use a hole puncher and put holes in the center of all your flowers.
Now that you have all your pieces prepared, you can start making your lei! Tie a small piece of straw onto the end of your piece of yarn. Start stringing your flowers and straw pieces onto the yarn. Alternate between flowers and straws. Once you get the design you want and the yarn piece is full, tie the two ends of the yarn together and wear your lei with pride!

Younger Children:

You can use String or String Licorice and have fun stringing fruit loops and cheerios. Then just tie a knot and enjoy eating it.

Ahoy There Mates!

We are having so much fun in our Creatures at the Ocean Summer Adventure. Last week we sang a song about a crab, made little scuttling crabs with our hands and then crawled on all fours sideways--well not everyone crawled sideways, but that is the way a crab walks. Kindermusik is all about letting your child lead you as you find new ways to experience the same activity. Crawling is a great way to stimulate both sides of the brain and connect the mind and body. I found a great picture of a crab and some other stunning pictures of ocean creatures. Enjoy!!!

Paper Plate Crab Craft

DLTK's Crafts for Kids Paper Plate Crab Craft

This is a simple paper plate craft that's suitable for young children to make.
My daughter usually loves painting paper plates, but this time she decided to use a children's marker and spray it with a spritz bottle so the color ran a little bit.

If you don't have a paper plate, trace a regular plate on a piece of cardboard (old cereal box) or use a margarine container lid.

MATERIALS:

• 
  paper plate or alternate (we used snack size in this picture, but dinner size would work too)


• 
  pipecleaners or two twist tie's twisted together - 9 of these. If using snack size, cut pipecleaners in half


• 
  1 inch(ish) pieces of drinking straw


• 
  hole punch


• 
  markers or paint
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

• punch 8 holes around the edge of the plate


• 
  thread pipecleaners/twistties through these holes and twist to secure.


• 
  Put three pieces of straw on each of the pipecleaners. (represents real leg segments)
  bend legs to shape/make look like he's walking


• 
  punch two more holes, close together in the "front" and put 1 pipecleaner through with ends sticking up. Twist to secure and add beads to the end to decorate (if desired)


• 
  color or paint

This is just one of the many creatures we are exploring in our Summer Adventure. In Kindermusik we believe that children this age learn best when playing with someone they are emotionally involved with such as a parent or caregiver. Let the child lead as you explore this activity together. Don't worry about the crab turning out just like the instructions.

Benefits of this activity:

• Positive, loving parent-child interaction


• Creativity


• Developing fine-motor skills

Did you know...MUSIC CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Music plays an important part in the lives of people. Everyone can learn and benefit from the study of music. There is musical potential in every individual and like all potential, it should be developed to its fullest. Music can connect us to our history, tradition and heritage while providing a constructive use for leisure time.The study of music aids in mental, physical and personal needs.Music is a uniquely powerful means of involving and integrating the activities of both the right and left halves of the brain, combining the rational and the aesthetic. There is a proven correlation between musical study and the following:

• Muscular Development: It improves a child’s small motor skills, hand-eye coordination and over-all physical coordination.


• Increased Listening Ability: This helps to increase the attention span, concentration, and long and short term memory.

• Increased Primary Mental Abilities: (verbal, perceptual, number, and spatial) This sharpens a child’s communication, critical thinking and problem solving skills. He or she learns to understand, interpret and use symbols in new contexts.

• Creative Potential: This promotes awareness of student’s capabilities using imagination and self expression.

• Development of Personal and Social Skills: It can help to build confidence, self-discipline and responsibility. They learn to work for and cooperate with others.

Through participation in music, children learn the gratification of work shared and challenges met. It helps your child learn how to learn.

Stimulate Those Calf Muscles for Brain Development

Did you know that stimulation of the calf muscle aids in language development? Put your child on the floor in front of you so that you can bicycle her legs. Then flex their feet and have your child just push against your hands as hard as she can. I think they just have fun trying to be as strong as you! But the work is good for their brains as well. It actually aids in the language development of children. Why? This information is in Carla Hannaford’s book Smart Moves, Why Learning Is Not All In Your Head. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more ways to stimulate learning.This kind of stimulation of the whole body is why children need to be jumping, running, climbing, twirling, singing and dancing and playing in free, joyful situations. And this is why Kindermusik is such a good investment…your dividends increase exponentially

Nurturing Your Baby’s Brain Development

When parenting my first born, I was often overwhelmed. Not only was I responsible for the well-being of this tiny person, but there was a staggering amount of brand new information to assimilate. My pre-parenting career had provided woefully little contact with infants!
I didn’t understanding much about Sarah’s brain development during those early months when I was barely surviving. However, I wish I had! There’s a lot a mom can do to stimulate brain development in her infant. Thankfully, a lot of what our babies need we do instinctively. So fear not. You’ve probably been doing just fine if you’re new to this subject. But we can also contribute even more if we learn a bit and begin to consciously create an environment for maximum brain development.

A Mini Lesson in Brain Development:

The cerebral cortex makes up 85 percent of the brain. It is divided into the right and left hemispheres. The left hemisphere receives information from and controls the right side of the body. The right hemisphere receives information from and controls the left side of the body. The left hemisphere contains the center for spoken and written language and positive emotions. The right hemisphere handles spatial abilities such as judging distances, reading maps and recognizing geometric shapes and negative emotions. It’s popular these days to talk about being “right-brained” or “left-brained” based on which hemisphere’s abilities we seem to express more strongly.
When babies are under 1 year old, their cerebral cortex is said to be highly plastic because the hemispheres are not yet committed to a certain function. By 1 year old, lateralization has occurred, which means that the brain has specialized. Now certain areas of the brain are committed to a certain functions. This is why it is so easy for young children to learn new languages; their brains are not fully lateralized.
The brain is made up of 100 to 200 billion neurons, which are nerve cells that store and communicate information like a computer chip. By the end of the 2nd trimester, the brain has developed all the neurons it will even have! The neurons make up the communication center of the brain as each neuron develops thousands of connections to other neurons. Tiny gaps, called synapses exist between neurons. Chemicals sent by neurons bridge the gap, providing a path for sending messages back and forth. As a baby grows, the neurons connect and communicate and all the lobes of the cerebral cortex integrate. Neurons which are not stimulated by incoming information from the environment die off from disuse, while neurons that are used continue to form other connections. Therefore, when a baby’s brain has lots of proper stimulation, it develops more connections.

Developing A Brain Stimulating Environment:

Providing a brain stimulating environment is somewhat second nature to parents, but with some intentionality, can be that much more effective and fun. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests a couple of ideas for creating an environment for normal brain development to take place in their book, Caring For Your Baby and Young Child:

1) Lots of face to face communication—talk, sing, play!

2) Careful observation allowing for early identification of developmental problems

3) Opportunity for your child to explore a variety of safe places

4) Positive Parenting: Raising your child in a loving, supportive and respectful environment

Other ideas might include: reading books to your baby, playing classical and other styles of music, going on daily walks, regular play dates or other outings, classes that allow for communication with other children and adults, sensory stimulation such as bath times and tummy play time with a variety of toys. Kindermusik classes are based on the science of brain development. Music, rhythm exercises, parent-child interaction, a stimulating environment, lots of fun, intentionally contributes to brain growth.
Information overload was a part of my early parenting experience. However, learning to recognize and encourage Sarah’s brain development would have brought even more focus and encouragement to my daily activities. Now that your brain has been exercised with this science lesson, here’s a couple suggestions:

1) Observe your routines. Note what you do to encourage brain development. I bet you’ll realize you already do a lot—Pat yourself on the back!

2) Choose to add one more activity this week.

3) Read more on the science of brain development!

Source Material: Development through the Lifespan, Laura E. BeckCaring for your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5, Steven P. Shelov, MD, Ed.

Your Eyes are crossed

I happened across this great blog which I thought would spark the imaginations of your toddlers, preschoolers and young children. It is called Faces in Places and it has pictures of buildings or items that look like faces. Can you and your child go on a face hunt with your digital camera and see how many faces you can find? Email them to me and I will post them on the blog!!!!

The Auditory System - Can you Hear That?

Simply put, the auditory system is the sensory system for the sense of hearing. The auditory system is stimulated when airwaves reach the auditory receptors in the ear. Auditory processing is the ability to perceive, decode and understand sounds. Language development is greatly influenced by the ability to process auditory information.
Of the eight sensory systems, the auditory is the first to become fully functional during gestation, at about 25 weeks. But children can’t listen like adults. Why not? Because the higher auditory brain centers are not fully developed until a child is about 15 years old.
Auditory discrimination is the ability to detect similarities and differences between sounds. Why is this important? For instance, when you have two children and call to one by name, you expect Jack to appear, not his sister Olivia. Children also need to be able to respond to sounds that signal danger, like a smoke alarm or a car horn. Before children can begin to read, they must first learn to discriminate between the sounds associated with different letters (phenomic awareness). As well, they must have the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds that make up words (phonological awareness).
So, a two year old may recognize the sound of a dog. But if two dogs were barking at the same time, the child may not be able to tell you if the barks were the same or if they sound different. This is why we use simple instruments and acapella voices in the Kindermusik classroom much of the time. Young children do not have the ability to filter sounds and know what to attend to.
The development of auditory discrimination can not be pushed. However, researchers tell us that as parents and educators, we can provide activities that assist in assuring development of this vital skill. Researchers also say that listening, singing and dancing to music, as well as playing musical instruments are the best ways to stimulate the auditory system.
Here’s some of the auditory discrimination activities you’ll find in a Kindermusik classroom, as well as some to do at home:

Village/Newborn to 18 months:

Vocal play. Vocal play involves the babbling that babies speak, and the natural response from parents. When your baby babbles, you’ll likely repeat back to them what they just said. That’s exactly what you should be doing! Then, wait for your baby to respond. Give them an opportunity to continue the “conversation”. A baby must see your mouth and facial expressions during vocal play in order for them to be able to mimic the physical process of speech.

Our Time/18 months to 3.5 years:

Active Listening. We spend time almost every class playing sounds from the CD’s in class, and identifying them. Children have to learn individual sounds before they can discriminate two sounds that are occurring at the same time.

Imagine That/3.5 to 5 years:

Layered sounds in active listening. It is at this age where we begin to layer sounds. For instance, a “fountain” will play on the CD. It is identified by the children. The fountain sound plays again and identified, and a bicycle bell is added and named. Layering sounds in this manner helps children to begin to attend to individual sounds in a multi-sound environment. We also begin to listen to the sounds of individual instruments.

Young Child/5 to 7 years:

Symphonic instruments. Now children have become a bit more sophisticated in their listening skills. Your child might hear and identify all the individual solo instruments in Peter and the Wolf, and then listen to the music of Peter and the Wolf. As each solo instrument begins to play on top of the orchestral background, your child will become adept at singling out the clarinet, or violin part. You can do the same thing at home with pieces such as The Magic Flute, or Carnival of the Animals, or The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.

Here are some auditory-stimulating activities for you to do at home:

**Listen to your CD’s, of course! All the active listening sounds are on your CD’s.
In the car (you’ll have a captive audience!), play a lot of “What does the ____ say?”. (telephone, cow, horn, clock, rooster) You can even do this before your child can give a response! Just ask the question, and then say, “The sheep says ‘baaaa’”. They can learn to recognize sounds before they can say them. And then one day, you’ll be surprised when a “baaaa” comes out of your little ones’ mouth!
**Talk to your child and let her talk back to you in different intensities of voice: softer, louder and with different intonations. Speak or sing in a high pitched voice and then a low pitched voice and ask her to imitate you.
**Auditory hide and seek. Hide, and then call to your child. See if he can find you by following your voice. Children as young as crawlers LOVE this game!
Play musical statues with your children. Play music and dance. When you stop the music they must freeze like statues.
**Clap a rhythm and ask your child to imitate it. Repeat with your backs to each other so that she cannot see you clap.
**Sing to your baby acapella. He want to hear his mother’s voice (and his father’s voice, too). He’s been listening to it since utero. It is the most comforting sound to him.

Early Experiences with Music Prepare Children

“Early experiences with music that are successful and fun prepare
children to be successful in other areas of learning, particularly
math.”* Research is showing that music has the power to jump-
start your child’s brain, including triggering the areas of the brain
used for mathematics.

Why? Like your toddler, music doesn’t stand still. When your child
plays an instrument or listens to a catchy tune, her brain is
constantly being challenged to process and make sense of the tune
and the rhythm.

What’s great is that all that neurological exercise can be playful
and fun! The activities in Kindermusik classes have been carefully
constructed to leverage all the findings from the latest and
greatest scientific research on the links between music and math.
So, how does that work?


GEOMETRY: Space and Shapes

What is it?

Geometry before age three? You bet! Toddlers learn geometry
through their eyes, hands, and bodies as they crawl through
tunnels, run around corners, and stack boxes. Your little
explorer gains spatial sense as she experiences how her body
moves in relation to objects and structures in the world. As she
moves “my body” and “my things”, she starts to show her
understanding of location and position by using or understanding
words like on, off, under, below, in and out, and of distance by
using words like near, far, and next to.

Geometry concepts keep popping up as your child explores objects
that are different shapes. As he plays with blocks, your child learns
that some objects are similar to others in their shapes: some are
rounded, some have corners; some fit under the door, some get
stuck! Just past the age of three, your child may begin to represent
shapes as visual images in his mind, and then move them around
mentally. This is called spatial-temporal reasoning, and is
important not just for chess champions, but for math and science
understanding too.


As your toddler gets toward preschool age, scientists say you’ll see
some surprising benefits of making music. Children who participate
in music instruction, including Kindermusik classes, show stronger
spatial-temporal reasoning skills than those without music
instruction. Research shows that with training, even children as
young as two can demonstrate surprisingly advanced skills in the
area of spatial reasoning.

What is it about music instruction that improves these specific
geometry skills? In your toddler’s brain, certain neurons are
actively firing as she plays rhythms on the drum. The same brain
pathways that are created by this music-making are used for
more complex spatial-temporal geometry tasks.


What You Can Do at Home


* Yummy Shapes. Point out the shapes around your kitchen
or dining room, especially those on your toddler’s plate.
Point out the round banana slice or triangle-shaped tortilla
wedge. Or, offer your child the choice of square or triangular
toast pieces.

* Dance, Dance, Dance. Use scarves or streamers to wave
in and out, near and far. Sing out the words, then see if
your child can be the dance teacher telling you what to do.

* Rainy Day Playground. Encourage your toddler to climb
over and under pillows and cardboard boxes and sheets turned
into tunnels. See how her body fits in these new creative spaces!!
—
* Sawyers, K. & Hutson-Brandhagen, J. (2004). Music and Math: How do we make the connection for preschoolers? Child Care Information Exchange, July/August 2004. For all other reference citations and a full version of this paper, please visit us at www.kindermusik.com/benefits.