Kindermusik Foundations of Learning

Understanding Your Child's Development

Your Kindermusik educator understands your desire for education and information about your growing child. As you participate in Kindermusik class with your child each week, you may notice how your educator will pause briefly to point out how certain activities foster a particular aspect of your childÌs development. These insights, based on the most recent research, are called Kindermusik Foundations of Learning.

For example, in Kindermusik Our Time, one activity calls for you and your toddler to listen to a recording of bath sounds, name the sounds and then imitate the sounds vocally. The Kindermusik Foundations of Learning (FOL) statement that correlates with this activity stresses the importance of active listening and language development.

What exactly is the purpose of these tidbits of information? Kindermusik has incorporated FOLs into every new curriculum to heighten your awareness of the value of every Kindermusik activity and the impact on your childÌs development. In addition, Home Activity Books feature FOLs in connection with suggested activities to do at home, so your understanding continues even outside of the Kindermusik classroom.

Kindermusik Foundations of Learning draw from a wide diversity of research about how children learn. They follow the fundamental domains of child development: physical, cognitive, social, and emotional. In addition, they give insight into musical and language development.

The insertion of direct parent education in and out of class is what separates Kindermusik from most other early childhood programs. Kindermusik works closely with consultants and experts in the fields of early childhood development, music, and movement to keep our curricula up-to-date and to bring you the latest information on fostering your childÌs development. 

In Class With Kindermusik Foundations of Learning

Kindermusik Village class activity

Old MacDonald : In this activity, parent and child are asked to "STOP" on the first "E" of the "E-I-E-I-O" phrase of the song each time they sing it.

FOL: Baby enjoys "stop and go" games such as this. The element of surprise delights her at first. As she becomes familiar with the activity, she will enjoy participating in the stops and starts. She is beginning to understand the structure of the music in much the same way as she understands spoken language prior to speaking it.

Kindermusik Our Time class activity

Wishy Washy Wee!: Parent and child sing this refrain and pretend to take a bath, while incorporating the use of sandblocks.

FOL: Eye-hand Coordination: Playing instruments, such as sandblocks with a back and forth alternating movement, gives the child an opportunity to develop eye-hand coordination. The eye leads the hand movements, so that the internal knowledge becomes the basis for the movement. This connection of movement with sight is essential in writing, drawing, playing an instrument, learning a sport or dancing.

Kindermusik Imagine That! class activity

Three Blue Pigeons: During Sharing Time, parents and children use finger plays to act out this song, pretending to be pigeons.

FOL: There is something magical about singing a song while playing with finger puppets, stuffed animals or hand puppets. The power and use of puppets fulfills many developmental needs of the preschooler and opens up the door to imagination and make-believe! Extending vocabulary, building self-esteem, exploring emotions, coordination of speech and movement Ò these are a few of the benefits associated with puppet play.

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