There’s Still Time To Register For Spring Kindermusik Classes!

There's still time to enroll for the following Kindermusik classes this spring! Come and check Kindermusik out with us!

Sign & Sing A (4mos-3yrs): March 28-May 2 (5 Classes) - Mondays, 1PM

Sign & Sing classes (developed by Signing Smart™) give parents the tools and knowledge to communicate with their babies using American Sign Language through songs and play. Playtime and everyday items around the house—such as a ball, bubbles, and family members—are learning themes in this introduction to American Sign Language for a child and caregiver. Parents will benefit from Session A’s four research-proven strategies shown to speed language development in hearing children, developed by the child development and sign language experts Signing Smart™. With the DVD’s visual dictionary showing parents and children making over 60 signs, plus a pocket-sized set of flashcards of the pictures and the words of the signs, parents easily incorporate sign language into their daily routines, favorite nursery rhymes, and stories.

Family Time – Our Kind Of Day (Birth-7yrs): March 12-May 21 (10 Classes) - Saturdays, 10AM

Family Time brings adults and children of all ages together, providing a dynamic and integrated musical learning experience for everyone. Music time isn’t just at music class, it’s all day long! What better way to build family bonds than to sprinkle music and movement throughout playtime, mealtime, clean-up time, bathtime, and nighttime? At each lesson in Our Kind of Day parents are given ideas for creativity and insights into their child’s development. With catchy songs such as “Wishy, Washy, Wee” for bathtime, “Go Into the Kitchen” for mealtime, and “Love Somebody” at bedtime—parenting becomes easier and a lot more fun! Over the course of 10 weeks, each lesson is packed with singing, listening, storytime, puppet play, creative movement, instrument play, family jams, and sharing.

GET THE JUMP ON SPRING KINDERMUSIK CLASSES!

Registration is now open for Spring 2011 Kindermusik Classes at Kellert Music Studios! We plan to offer an even broader range of classes at our Silver Spring location, and returning families get a 10% discount on tuition! Also, if you register for class early (by January 8, 2011) you’ll automatically get an extra 10% tuition discount!

Village (Birth-18mos) – Hickory Dickory Tickle & Bounce:  Jan 31-Mar 22 (8 Classes) - Tuesdays, 1:00PM

Village (Birth-18mos) – The Rhythm Of My Day: Mar 29-May 17 (8 Classes) - Tuesdays, 1:00PM

Village is for lap babies, crawlers, and walkers. It incorporates the most current research on early childhood development and provides families a special place for learning and connecting with other parents and babies through music and movement. Research shows the more you expose your baby to nursery rhymes and songs, the stronger those emerging language-learning skills will be. That's why Mother Goose-like stories and rhymes are the main theme of Hickory Dickory Tickle & Bounce. Plus, you'll develop research-proven communication strategies with your child through listening activities, speaking "parentese," and sign language. The Rhythm of My Day will help you bring more rhythm and routine to your baby's day, as well as help develop lasting learning skills. We'll show you how and tell you why music can help your little one soothe into the day’s schedule and help build a strong body and mind network for learning. You can bring home those same stress-free play and relaxation techniques from class, and incorporate them into your daily routines.

Our Time (18mos-3yrs) – Fiddle-dee-dee: Feb 8-May 17 (15 Classes) - Tuesdays, 11AM

Our Time reflects the emotional foundations of school readiness and the latest research on music and early childhood development. Our Time is a unique opportunity for parent and child to interact and learn together in an unhurried and joyful manner. We'll meet many animal characters in our books, activities, and songs—each specifically chosen for a toddler's emerging interests and physical skills. With silly, bumpy lap bounces we'll help toddlers develop rhythm while further developing their ever-emerging language skills. With a special stringed instrument emphasis in the music from class, parents can bring home the violin, cello, and orchestra sounds to help their toddlers stay happy and engaged learners at home, too.

Kindermusik For The Young Child (5-7yrs): Feb 12-May 21 (15 Classes) - Saturdays, 10AM

Kindermusik for the Young Child prepares 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. Playing simple musical patterns and songs on the featured instrument from the first session—the glockenspiel—is a central focus this semester. While learning to sing a melody, and then play the pattern on the glockenspiel, we'll delve deeper into the understanding of musical concepts such as piano and forte through orchestra-style music such as the William Tell Overture and Peter and the Wolf. Music appreciation and understanding continues with a complete introduction to the instruments—and the families in which they're grouped—of the orchestra. (Though this is the second semester of a four-semester course, children are welcome to join at any time as there is a review of prior concepts each semester.)

Sign & Sing A (4mos-3yrs): Feb 7-March 7 (5 Classes) -  Mondays, 1PM

Sign & Sing B (4mos-3yrs): Mar 14-Apr 11 (5 Classes) - Mondays, 1PM

Sign & Sing classes (developed by Signing Smart™) give parents the tools and knowledge to communicate with their babies using American Sign Language through songs and play. Playtime and everyday items around the house—such as a ball, bubbles, and family members—are learning themes in this introduction to American Sign Language for a child and caregiver. Parents will benefit from Session A's four research-proven strategies shown to speed language development in hearing children, developed by the child development and sign language experts Signing Smart™. With the DVD's visual dictionary showing parents and children making over 60 signs, plus a pocket-sized set of flashcards of the pictures and the words of the signs, parents easily incorporate sign language into their daily routines, favorite nursery rhymes, and stories. Session B, a follow-up session to the first, introduces more signs using animals and toys as a learning theme, and delves into a deeper understanding of the Four Keys to Signing Smart introduced during Session A. With a special focus on helping children understand signs used in different contexts, the  Home Materials include a children's DVD called The Treasure Chest: Signs, Songs, and Rhymes, and features mini-music videos of children singing well-loved songs using the signs, as well as showing the printed word across the bottom of the screen—giving children multiple ways to learn the words, the sign, and the language.

Family Time – Our Kind Of Day (Birth-7yrs): Mar 12-May 21 (10 Classes) - Saturdays, 10AM

Family Time brings adults and children of all ages together, providing a dynamic and integrated musical learning experience for everyone. Music time isn't just at music class, it's all day long! What better way to build family bonds than to sprinkle music and movement throughout playtime, mealtime, clean-up time, bathtime, and nighttime? At each lesson in Our Kind of Day parents are given ideas for creativity and insights into their child’s development. With catchy songs such as “Wishy, Washy, Wee” for bathtime, “Go Into the Kitchen” for mealtime, and "Love Somebody" at bedtime—parenting becomes easier and a lot more fun! Over the course of 10 weeks, each lesson is packed with singing, listening, storytime, puppet play, creative movement, instrument play, family jams, and sharing.

ABC, Music & Me – Sounds Abound (3-6yrs): Feb 5-Feb 26 (4 Classes) - Saturdays, 10 AM

ABC Music & Me, an award-winning enrichment program for 2 to 6 year olds, was designed for early childhood learning centers, but can also be taught in a Kindermusik classroom. This month, we’ll explore all the sounds we can make with our mouths, bodies, hands, plus everyday objects we can find around the house. Your preschooler develops an early understanding of how one material can be used to make something else. Activities in your Home Kit help you bring these big ideas home when you take part in the listening, turn-taking, and sound-effect making activities.

Why Kindermusik?

Fall is here, and classes are in full swing! Don't let that stop you from joining in though-- you can join classes at any time in the semester as long as there's a spot available!!

We have plenty of open spaces left in our fall classes: I guarantee that there's something available for every child in your family, and even classes for your whole family all together! For the full schedule, visit the Kindermusik website's Class Locator and check out our profile page!

Why should you jump into class as soon as you can? I think this quote from the Kindermusik International site states it pretty well:

There is no doubt that research shows music helps children become better learners. Infants respond to music by cooing, smiling, and even swinging their arms or kicking their legs to the beat. Toddlers love to dance, swing, and sing as they develop their motor and aural skills. Preschoolers strengthen neural pathways by making up songs and rhymes as their imaginations run wild.

But what’s more? All the research in the world can’t capture the pure joy and delight your child will experience in Kindermusik, both in the classroom and at home. We’ll help you foster a bond with your child that will last a lifetime. Parents tell us every day that they look forward to Kindermusik because they can really stop, breathe, center, and focus all their attention on their child. In our frantically paced lives, this time is becoming harder and harder to come by.

With over 30 years experience in developing early learning curricula and products, Kindermusik is the original and most trusted name in music and movement classes. Our curricula, for children age newborn to seven, are based on early development principles as defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Plus, our philosophy is rooted in the work of early childhood development experts like Piaget, Montessori, and Greenspan.

Enrollments are always available on a rolling basis for classes with openings:  reserve your spot now in these wonderful classes!

Kindermusik Open House!

Have you been wondering what Kindermusik class is like? Do you want to enroll but are unsure of what to expect? Just want to see what all the fuss is about?

Come to our Kindermusik Open House next week, August 30-September 4 and attend any class  free of charge as a preview for the semester's class offerings! You'll get to sing, move, laugh and play in a class just like those you'll be attending once you enroll, and get to meet the teachers for each class and other families who you'll get to know through your Kindermusik classes this semester.

And best of all, next week's classes are all being offered free of charge!

Monday, August 30:
10am Village (Infant-18months)
11am Our Time (18months-3 years old)

Tuesday, August 31:
10am Imagine That! (3 years old-5 years old)
1pm Village (Infant-18months)

Wednesday, September 1:
6pm Family Time (Infant-7years old)

Saturday, September 4:
10am Family Time (Infant-7 years old)

Contact us ASAP to reserve your spot-- space will be reserved in free classes on a first-come-first-served basis. Can't wait to see you in class!

Fall Kindermusik Classes!

The fall semester is just around the corner, and it's a great time to check your schedule and enroll for Fall Kindermusik classes!

This fall KMS is offering a full complement of classes including Village (newborn-18mos), Our Time (18mos-3yrs), Imagine That! (3-5yrs) and Family Time (all ages) classes! For the full schedule, visit the Kindermusik website's Class Locator and check out our profile page!

I'm also pleased to announce that educator Heidi Littman will be joining KMS to teach selected Kindermusik classes beginning this semester, and any of you participating in the Village and Our Time classes she'll be teaching are in for a real treat!! She recently completed her training, and I was very, very impressed by what a natural she is with the young children she taught. I heard more giggling and fun in her training classes than I've heard all summer out and about, so get ready for some serious fun with Heidi!

Classes begin as early as August 30th, so reserve your spot now in these wonderful classes-- you won't believe how fun it is and how much your child will learn!