This is your brain on music...

They say a picture is worth a 1000 words, but in this case, it’s an infographic that’s worth 1000 words, so we’ll keep this post brief and to the point.

At FinerMinds.com, the team explored the many effects of music on the brain, specifically those effects caused by playing and listening to music – things our Kindermusik families do every week in Kindermusik class and in their daily routines at home.

from "Minds on Music"

Need a pick me up?

Did you know that Music Stimulates 9 Parts of the Brain?

Music is such an important part of every culture around the world that no one can argue with the impact or benefits of music.  But what this infographic illustrates so vividly are those specific parts of the brain that are affected.  According to these authors, there are nine parts of the brain (nine – count them!) that are stimulated while playing and listening to music.  Astounding!

There’s no doubt that music makes a difference cognitively, physically, and emotionally.  And experts tell us that the younger a child is exposed to music and music-making, the better.
That’s one of the reasons why theKindermusik curricula are specifically designed to capitalize on those effects through a developmentally appropriate, whole-child based approach.  With that in mind, we leave you with this statement from psychologist Richard Davidson when he was a professor at the University of Wisconsin:

“The brain is the only organ designed to change in response to experience.  Musical training changes the structure of the brain and when it begins earlier in life the greater the influence.”

from Minds on Music

The Power of Your Touch

Music and movement are magical ingredients to learning for both the child and parent. A baby’s first communication is through movement. A toddler immediately responds to lively music with silly gyrations and flailing limbs – and while these movements usually make us giggle, to him they are serious attempts to coordinate movement with rhythmic patterns. The preschooler seems to be constantly moving – leaping off couches, rolling down hills, and spinning around and around 

Movement is fundamental for the development of the central nervous system, and science proves it. But what’s more, movement and rhythm are also essential for the development of the soul. These are things that can’t be measured with research and studies.

When a parent moves with her infant, a special bonding takes place that is key to social and emotional growth. When a parent sings to her child, not only are language skills being developed, but also a sense of love, comfort and harmony. The special touching, laughing, and rhythmic moving that takes place in a music and movement class lays a very strong and much needed foundation for a happy, healthy and joyful life!

Here are just a few of the ways that Kindermusik children learn through the interactive music and movement activities of the Kindermusik classroom:

• Intentional touch is designed to provide stimulation of the nervous system, relaxation and bonding.
• Activities involve unilateral, bi-lateral and cross-lateral movements that help develop the brain and muscles.
• Movement and dance steps allow the caregiver and child to experience different rhythms and locomotor movements.
• Synchronized dances develop sequencing, provide reassuring repetition and social interaction.
• Expressive movement provides variety, creativity, and opposing feelings such as fast and slow, high and low.
• Rocking and swinging stimulate the vestibular system, which is so important to balance and even eye movement.
• Props, such as the “humongous” scarves and parachutes, provide tactile and visual stimulation.

So put on your Kindermusik CD at home and don’t worry about performing the dances “just right.” Don’t even worry about right and left! Simply move to the music and have fun! It all makes a difference.

Source

Shhhh

Just as your child needs stimulation and engagement in age-appropriate activities, she also needs periods of relaxation. This is one of the reasons why Kindermusik Village and Our Time classes include Quiet Time in every class. But a “quiet time” isn’t only for young children; it’s also beneficial for older children as well. And times set aside for relaxation are just as important at home as they are in the Kindermusik classroom.

Creating regular quiet times at home gives your child practice in learning to calm herself, slow her pace, and relax. Plus it helps her develop a valuable lifelong skill – the skill of learned relaxation. Slow, gentle music can best provide an environment most conducive to relaxation.

So take a few moments to relax and listen to some beautiful music. You’ll love how good it makes you – and your child – feel!

Here are a few ideas for quiet time music to get you started:
You Are My Sunshine Music Collection

National Geographic: Lullabies

Lullabies from Potterfield Pond

Flying Dreams

taken from minds on music

Routines and Rituals

picture credit

While routines provide continuity, comfort and security for children,rituals provide children with the opportunity to build connections with others.  In a sense, rituals are routines with “extra sparkle.” Families often have rituals associated with holidays and birthdays.  According to Becky Bailey, author of I Love You Rituals, “loving, healthy rituals foster the development of loving, emotionally healthy children.”  From infancy on, children count on rituals and routines for comfort and security.  Routines comfort children and serve as cues for what is expected of them, giving children a sense of control over their environment.  When a child knows what will happen next and what is expected of him, he will be better able to participate and to act independently, which is an important developmental step (Poole 1998). 

IDEA: Plan for simple, fun ways to add the sparkle to your everyday routines that will turn them into special rituals.  A “wake up” poem in the morning, a posted schedule for the day, a special placemat at lunch, letting everyone tell about one favorite part of their day around the supper table, a family dance, and a lullaby sung before bedtime at night – any of these are the kinds of little things that can add joy and predictability to your child’s day.

-from minds on music

Brother/sister music fun!

Photo This year research was conducted about interactions between siblings with respect to music study. Data were collected from 5 2-child families, each with a younger sister and older brother between 7 and 15 years old, both of whom were taking private piano lessons. Siblings were considered as companions, friends, helpers, and communicators in music study. The older sibling provided most of the music teaching and modeling for the younger sibling, and the younger sibling requested information often from the older sibling. All siblings maintained a positive attitude towards one another with regards to rivalry in music study, and the findings provided insights into rivalry as a stimulus and source of encouragement in siblings’ musical growth. -Source Allow your children to help each other learn about and enjoy music together!

Listen like I do!

Guidelines For Modeling Good Listening Skills • Be interested and attentive. Children can tell whether they have a parent's interest and attention by the way the parent replies or does not reply. Forget about the telephone and other distractions. Maintain eye contact to show that you really are with the child. • Encourage talking. Some children need an invitation to start talking. Children are more likely to share their ideas and feelings when others think them important. • Listen patiently. People think faster than they speak. Children often take longer than adults to find the right word. Listen as though you have plenty of time. • Hear children out. Avoid cutting children off before they have finished speaking. It is easy to form an opinion or reject children's views before they finish what they have to say. It may be difficult to listen respectfully and not correct misconceptions, but respect their right to have and express their opinions. -Carl Smith

Why Kindermusik?

Check out this video about "Why Kindermusik?" and remember this class is a great investment in your relationship with your child as well as his/her development and love of music.

Why Make Music Together?

When creating music together in an ensemble, or group setting, each participant has the opportunity to experience music with “greater harmonic color, musical depth, variety of sound, and rhythmic complexities” than when participating alone. Ensemble opportunities also “stimulate and challenge” self-confidence, imagination, and musical understanding (Leung 2006). Create a little “ensemble” of your own. You can use homemade or purchased instruments and play-along to a favorite song on the iPod or radio, or even a song you sing. You might also have fun making an instrument out of something that isn’t usually an instrument – a bowl and a spoon make a great drum, a slightly inflated paper bag makes a nice rhythm instrument, and even two spoons tapped together add a nice sound. -Theresa Case

Circle dance with me!

Photo "Circle dances come from the wonderful tradition of communities dancing together, a tradition which is timeless in origin and yet relevant today in its capacity to foster togetherness. Dancing in a circle actually benefits the mind, body, and spirit. 'It is a very accessible form of dance for people of all ages and abilities, with the emphasis on participation, not performance' (Michaelsen). Remember the fun of making a circle and singing “Ring Around the Rosie” when you were a child? That fun lives on nearly every week in a Kindermusik class where we do all kinds of circle and group dances together. But you don’t have to be in class to enjoy a circle dance – even just two people can make their own circle and dance to their own song or a favorite recording. You’ll still experience [nearly] the same wonderful benefits whether it’s two or a whole class dancing in a circle together. -Theresa Case

What just happened?

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When our children experience sudden undesirable events (minor accidents, seeing a scary image, breaking something, or stains), they can often overreact because they don't understand fully what just happened or how the damage can sometimes be undone. According to "What to Expect: The Toddler Years" by Heidi Murkoff, "Let your toddler know that everyone has fears... but try your best to control yours. If your toddler sees you take charge of your fears calmly, he or she may eventually learn to do likewise, based on your model. If, on the other hand, you jump three feet in the air every time you spy a spider, you'll be showing your toddler how to let fear take charge" (p. 211). You can even embrace a little craziness - for example, if your child spills a little water just on the table, you can trace letters/shapes in it together with your fingers, then clean it up together - no anger, reprimand, or shock needed! It takes practice to develop an attitude of curiosity, courage, and patience in these sudden moments.

STRONG!

Ten Tips for Positive Parenting Your Strong-Willed, Spirited Child


1. Avoid power struggles by using routines and rules.

2. Your strong-willed child wants mastery more than anything.

3. Give your strong-willed child choices.

4. Give her authority over her own body.

5. Don't push him into opposing you.

6. Side step power struggles by letting your child save face.

7. Listen to her.

8. See it from his point of view.

9. Discipline through the relationship, never through punishment.

10. Offer him respect and empathy.

-Dr. Laura Markham

Good job!!

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"We say that a lot to our children but what does it really mean? What does our child take from that. Giving specific, sincere compliments and comments will mean a lot more to your child than a repetitive general statement.... Your sincere words reward even small improvements and encourages them to continue to work at it. Help them know exactly what they are doing well so they can continue to improve. It also helps them to know what we expect of them.

"Here are 10 compliments kids need to hear:
1. Compliment their character.
2. Compliment obedience and respect.
3. Compliment them for simply being part of the family.

4. Compliment contributions to the family.
5. Compliment the quality of their work.

6. Compliment the effort, even when the result is not the best.

7. Compliment when they achieve something new.
8. Compliment their sense of style even if we don’t exactly share their taste.

9. Compliment steps toward a long-term goal.

10. Compliment their friends.

Source

So many choices!

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Giving Choices: "Despite appearances to the contrary, toddlers wield very little power. Allowing them to make decisions in the course of the day's events helps them feel independent, proud, and in control. Whenever possible, give choices - but not open-ended ones...You'll sharpen decision-making skills and avoid minor battles of will." -Christina Frank, "How to Talk to a Toddler", Parenting. April 1999.

Would they like peanut butter and jelly or macaroni for lunch? Never ask them a question in which "No" is unacceptable, such as: "Shall we go to bed now?" Instead ask them which book (from an acceptable pile) would they like to read before bed. Which sleeper do they want to wear to bed? Asking the question tells them they have an option. When we don't allow options the child can be frustrated. Offering choices demonstrates respect and strengthens the relationship, which counts for a lot when the child has to accept a choice the adult must make.

Routines

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Transitions are often hard for toddlers and young preschoolers. Routines help them predict and prepare for what’s coming next. Whether it's bedtime or coming to Kindermusik, children need to know what's coming. Knowing what to expect gives children the confidence and security they need to understand the world. Our Hello and Goodbye songs help the children transition.

Try singing a special song when it's time for a diaper change, another when the child wakes up, and another very relaxing one at bedtime. Keeping the bedtime routine the same as much as possible every night can help immensely in ensuring cooperation!

You're safe

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Learning occurs only when children feel safe. "From the birth canal babies are looking for attachments, their brains acutely attentive to the care being received. If essential needs are being met and healthy bonding (lots of touch and “face” time!) is occurring there is a positive outcome.... A stressful environment (angry or emotionally violent, exhibiting relational/marital conflict) signals to baby a lack of safety....
In our Kindermusik classes our first and primary goal is to signal “this is a safe environment” to all children. From the welcome song where one discovers he or she not only “belongs” to this community, but is recognized as a valued individual, to the snuggle time where we turn back to receive the gentle care of a loved one, we sing and dance and snuggle our way to a place where learning can thrive and happy neurons connect at an alarming rate! - Miss Colleen, Kindermusik educator in Seattle

Happiness is HUGGING!

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According to "What to Expect: The Toddler Years" (Murkoff p. 290), "The single most important ingredient [for happiness], child development experts agree, is loving, physical contact. One long-term study, in fact, which followed its subjects from early childhood into their thirties, showed that being raised with an abundance of hugs, kisses, and cuddling went further toward producing happy adults than being raised with any other advantage, and even seemed to help negate such potential risk factors as poverty, broken homes, and stress. The study also suggests that kids who are hugged a lot are not only more likely to turn out to be happy adults, but to find more satisfaction in all areas of life, including marriage and family, friendships, and career.... Have I hugged my child today?" A fun game to help you hug and touch and teach at the same time is tapping a rhythm on your child's back as you hug them, and ask them to tap it on your back. You can let them lead and invent new rhythms as they are able. And you can do this in a group or as a family to see if everyone taps the same rhythm. You can also vocalize as you tap to make it easier to remember. Have fun and stay CLOSE!

Make 'Em Laugh

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"Soft and strong and loud and light,
Very sound of very light
Heard from morning's rosiest height,
When the soul of all delight
Fills a child's clear laughter." -Algernon Charles Swinburne

Laughter:

increases blood pressure
increases heart rate
changes breathing
reduces levels of certain neurochemicals (catecholamines, hormones)
provides a boost to the immune system.
-Eric H. Chudler, University of Washington


Try some tickling and funny faces next time your child seems to need extra attention. Their giggles will help make memories you both enjoy!

PRETEND

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Pretending fosters:

• social skill development
• vocabulary development
• differentiation between reality and fantasy
• emotional support
• understanding sequence of events

"Have a dress-up box with costumes and props. Save empty boxes or cardboard containers that can become forts, binoculars, or doll houses. And when you can, play WITH your child and enter into their world of imagination. There’s nothing quite being like a kid again – even if it’s just for a little while!" -Theresa Case

You can also help teach values like compassion, respect and sharing to children as you play imaginatively with them. They listen more because it feels like a game!

I feel great!

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"Emotions have a tremendous impact on learning. Simple family activities like rocking together help develop a child’s sense of security and worth, allowing him to grow into an assured, confident learner with healthy self-esteem." -Theresa Case, M.Ed.

Find ways to make life more enjoyable for your child by adding more music, compliments, or hugs to your daily routine. For example, rocking can be a special time at night to help him or her relax and snuggle close to you. Enjoy those precious moments! Feeling close to you will be worth more to the child than receiving too many toys, clothes, or even candy!