Early Childhood Education

Every Child Learns Music (If We Lived in a Perfect World)

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Making music, enjoying music, and learning through music all have a profound impact on a child, even before he or she is born.  Mothers have known this instinctively. Teachers have always drawn on the benefits of music.  Research and new technology continues to confirm it over and over again. That’s why for over 30 years, Kindermusik International has not only been recognized as being
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Easy Activity for Teaching Social Studies through Music

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Understanding and accepting similarities and differences among people is the foundation of Social Studies skills in the early childhood years. Teaching social studies through the arts, including music education, increases children’s understanding and engagement and also gives voice to cultures that may not be reflected in the current classroom or community. Dancing the way to understanding cultures “Dancing along” with other families around the world, all
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10 Reasons Why Music Belongs in Our Schools

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This year we celebrate a significant milestone:  30 years of Music in Our Schools month. Thirty years ago music in schools meant recorders and “Hot Cross Buns.” Now, it still means recorders and “Hot Cross Buns,” but it also means English Language Arts, Math Class, Social Studies, and more. Here’s why we should be celebrating Music in Our Schools today… and 300 years from
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Music: The Ultimate Playlist for School Readiness

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Anyone around young children long enough soon realizes that a bulk of the time is spent getting them ready for something….ready for bed, ready for preschool, ready for a playdate/library/park, ready for bath, etc. But getting children ready for Kindergarten means more than just making sure they have everything on the school supply list. So what can early childhood educators and families do now
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6 Ways Music Delivers on the Promise of Early Learning

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Especially when it comes to teaching children the skills they need in order to be successful in school, there’s a critical window of learning that’s widest open only during the first seven years of a child’s life.  In fact, the kind of early childhood learning and experiences a child has before the age of 7 can actually change the trajectory of his/her life.  But
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10 Reasons to Give Babies a Daily Dose of Music

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We like to tell parents that they are their child’s first and best teacher because it’s true! Sure, parents may not always know all the answers—like that initial night home from the hospital (now what?!) or when a baby experiences a growth spurt and wakes up every two hours (why?!). But, thankfully parenting is not about personally knowing all of the answers all of
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Give It a Rest. Kids Will Love these 2 Musical Math Games.

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Patterns surround us and recognizing and understanding patterns is a foundational math skill. Music gives children the opportunity to experience patterns through movement, listening, and playing instruments. When children step, step, step, stop responding to the music or ta, ta, ta, rest with rhythm sticks, children are learning rhythm patterns (quarter note, quarter note, quarter note, rest), a basic musical concept. Rhythm patterns are combinations
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Why Kids Blur the Line between Work and Play

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    So why DO kids blur the line between work and play?  Because play IS their work!  Play is the most important activity of early childhood.  So even when it looks like a child is “just” playing, there’s really some serious learning and developing happening as a result of the play. Music and movement activities are perfect for inspiring a child’s play, not
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4 Reasons Why the Creative Arts Matter in Early Childhood Education

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Young children love music, dancing, painting, playing, and other creative ways to express themselves and make sense of the world around them. However, as if those reasons weren’t enough to include things like art and music in early childhood education, research indicates that the arts, including music education for kids, significantly impacts cognitive development, increases self-esteem, and actively engages everyone in learning—children, parents, and
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4 Benefits of Music for Big Kids

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Growing up, but not all grown up yet – thankfully!  The early years of childhood pass so quickly, and before you know it, your child has officially earned “big kid” status.  The turbulence of the toddler years and the exuberance of the preschool years are past, and your big kid can mostly be described as composed, calm, cheerful, and capable.  Big kids are eager,
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