Kindermusik Nanaimo

New Village Class for Babies begins February 1, 2012, 11:15am-12pm

2012-01-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

New Class this February 2012!
Enroll now for a new Village class running from February 1, 2012 to May 16 (no class March 21.) Classes are held at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music, 275 Selby St, Wednesday mornings from 11:15am-12pm. Call the conservatory at 250-754-4611 to reserve your spot today.

Kindermusik Village: A Bonding Experience
The Kindermusik Village class provides a delightful environment unlike any other. Through a unique blend of multi-level activities that include creative movement, vocal play, object and instrument exploration, and a colorful literature component, baby’s growth and development are stimulated and all senses engaged.

Kindermusik 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. Check out Kindermusik's Village Video.

Village Curriculum Description

Age Range: newborn to 18 months

Class Length: 45 minutes

Class Size: up to 12 babies with parents or caregivers

What a Parent and Child Will Experience in Class:

Variety of Music -- Musical diversity builds strong neural in a baby’s forming mind, which is why each Kindermusik semester contains an array of styles, sounds, and genres.
Instrument Play -- Age-appropriate experiences with child-safe instruments enhance a sense of rhythm and steady beat, develops a keen awareness of the distinguishing qualities of sound, and encourages spontaneity and creativity.
Dance -- A classroom full of baby and adult pairs dancing together helps a little body develop the muscle strength needed to crawl and walk and helps a little heart to fall in love with the sheer joy of responding to music.
Together Time -- A Kindermusik class is truly the essence of “quality time,” offering the parent a place to create special memories with their child, gain new insights into their child’s development, and nurture their child’s natural love of music.
Expert Advice -- A Kindermusik Educator explains “what-to-watch-for” every step of the way and how each activity enhances a child’s complete development.
Learning Continues at Home -- With the home materials, the learning continues at home with the child’s best teacher—the parent!

Enrollment Includes:

Developmentally appropriate curriculum for parents and babies, ages newborn to 18 months
Class of no more than 12 babies with parents
Weekly 45-minute class that includes new and unique parent and baby activities
At Home Materials—one for each 8 week theme—each including a CD of music from class, literature board book, age-appropriate instrument, and a set of art banners
Learn over 30 songs, lullabies, and nursery rhymes and play over 200 activities together by the semester’s end

Our Time for Toddlers - New Class begins February 2012

2012-01-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

Away We Go! - Hop on the train, get in the car, board the plane, and Away We Go! This class focuses on transportation, a favorite topic for toddlers who are on the go, go, go! Sing and play along with favorite songs, such as “I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad” and “Wheels on the Bus”. Explore fast and slow, smooth and bumpy, and high and low. Read stories about ways to get around. Shiny Dinah tells the story of a train, and Giddy-Up! has a horse, speedboat, racecar, and more to help you get where you want to go.

This At Home materials set includes two Music and Movement Books, a Home Activity Book, two Home CDs, Child's Train Carry Box, and two Harmonicas - one for Baby and one for parent.

15 week Spring 2012 Semester begins February 1, 2012. Classes meet Thursday mornings from 10:30-11:15am. Call the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music at 250-754-4611 to register.

Happy 2011!

2011-01-05T08:53:00.000-08:00

I sincerely hope you and your families had a wonderful holiday. I enjoyed sharing time off with family and friends, and I'm looking forward to the start of the teaching year again. Our spring term of Kindermusik classes begin the first week of February 2011. Each 45 minute class meets 15 times Wednesday mornings from February 2 to May 25.

Village(0-18 months) - 9:45am
Our Time(1.5-3 years) - 10:30am
Imagine That (3.5-5 years) 11:15am

Call the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music at 250-754-4611 to register today!

Fall 2010 Kindermusik Schedule at Nanaimo Conservatory

2010-08-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to new year of Kindermusik! I've had a busy and exciting summer, visiting Kelowna, Vernon, Calgary, and even Fairbanks, Alaska for family weddings and Suzuki Piano Teacher Training. I feel energized and ready to get back to teaching Kindermusik Music & Movement classes to you and your youngsters.

All classes will be held Wednesday mornings this year at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music at 375 Selby St. You can register by calling them at 250-754-4611. Specific Kindermusik questions are best emailed to me, Miss Nicky, at nicolepercussion@gmail.com. Classes run September 15 to January 12, 2011. There will be no classes October 13, December 22 or December 29.

Village (0-18 mnths) with caregiver - 9:45-10:30am (Zoom Buggy, Dream Pillow)
Our Time (1.5-3yrs) with caregiver - 10:30-11:15am (Milk & Cookies)
Imagine That! (3.5-5yrs), caregiver(s) attend last 15 minutes of class - 11:15am-12pm (Hello Weather, Let's Play Together!)
Village Unit Descriptions

Zoom Buggy!—Swoosh, vroom, and clickety-clack your way through this delightful unit. Babies and adults will dance, sing, and play instruments to the theme of being on the go. Chug around the room to the song “Little Red Caboose,” hold on tightly while “Riding in the Buggy,” and dance your way to “Zoom-e-oh!” Engage in rituals and playful activities such as infant massage, lap bounces, exercise, and quiet time.

Home Materials: Colorful board book of different vehicles—Zoom Buggy, Home CD of the songs heard in class, a set of Art Banners for the nursery wall that strengthens visions and promotes early literacy, and a Zoom Car baby instrument for music-making at home.

Dream Pillow — This title alone brings images of rocking, cuddling, singing, and lulling to sleep. But leading up to sleepy time are many upbeat and playful activities. Babies and Adults will swirl to a dreamy cloud dance “Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland.” They’ll also play baby appropriate instruments to “Aiken Drum,” and “Sarasponda.” Favorite nursery rhymes like “Wee Willie Winkie,” and “Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling,” are sprinkled throughout the classes. It’s easy to weave many of the class songs and activities into your families’ daily routines.

Home Materials: A board book that calms and relaxes—Dream Pillow Lullaby, Home CD of the songs heard in class, a set of Art Banners for the nursery wall that strengthens vision and promotes early literacy, and a Star baby instrument for music-making at home.

Our Time Unit Description

Milk & Cookies -- Make everyday home activities and chores easier and more fun with music! Cook and sing to “The Muffin Man”; dust and clean to the original song “In My House”; get ready to wash clothes to the delightful poem “Washing Machine”. Baking cookies, eating cupcakes, blowing on hot cross buns, wiggling like jelly, going grocery shopping and making tea are all represented in familiar as well as new songs. Move, play, and sing together in developmentally appropriate activities created just for 1 ½ to 3-year-olds. Capture the familiar and new moments of the day and learn how music can impact your toddler.

Home Materials: Double CD featuring songs from class; two books—At My House and Cookies, two Home CDs, stir xylophone instrument, and a Home Activity Book—all arriving in a durable lunch bag.

Imagine That! Unit Description

Hello Weather! Let’s Play Together! -- Sunshine, rain, snow, thunderstorms, and more in this imaginative and delightful weather-related musical adventure. Preschoolers create storm sounds with a drum to “Wild Storms,” jump in pretend puddles to “Mud Puddle Jump,” throw pretend snow-balls to “Snowballs,” and sing along to “Colors of the Rainbow.” With weather as our learning theme, preschoolers will explore musical styles that range from Opera to American folk, and become more self-sufficient in a creative musical environment that integrates music, pretend play, storytelling, movement, and more.

Home Materials: Two books—Michael Finnigan and Hurry Home, Little Kittens, Hello Weather Play Set, Two Home CD with over 63 recordings of the stories, games, and weather sound effects played in class, 46-page Family Activity Book, and two instruments—ankle bells and rain shaker with scraper.

Why Kindermusik?

2010-01-17T23:33:00.001-08:00

Watch this cute Kindermusik Video and then explore the link to their homepage to learn a bit more about what to expect in a Kindermusik class.

Spring 2010 Kindermusik Schedule at NCM

2010-01-05T22:42:00.000-08:00

We hope you'll join us for our spring session of Kindermusik classes beginning the second week of February, 2010: February 8 for Monday classes and February 11 for Thursday classes.

Call the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music at 250-754-4611 to register today. Early registration helps us plan our classes and ensures your home materials will be shipped in time for you to enjoy at your first class.

Village (newborn to 18 months) - parent participation class
Monday 11:15am-12pm or Thursday 11:15-12pm

Our Time (1.5 to 3 years) - parent participation class
Thursday 10:15-11am

Imagine That (3 to 5 years) - parents join the final 10-15 minutes of class
Monday 10:15-11am

See other posts below for more detailed class descriptions.

Cock-a-doodle-Moo! - New Kindermusik Village Class Beginning February 2010

2010-01-05T22:41:00.001-08:00

Cock-a-doodle-Moo! -- Hop on the hayride—it’s time to head for the farm! In this class, you will sing songs about the farm, including “Old MacDonald,” “Hayride,” and “Clever Cows.” You’ll engage in rituals and playful activities with your baby, including infant massage, lap bounces, exercise, and quiet time.

Home Materials: A picture board book with charming farm animals and the sounds they make—Cock-a-doodle-Moo, a CD of the songs heard in class, a Sunshine Jingle instrument for music-making at home, and a set of Art Banners for the nursery wall.

Choose from Monday or Thursday classes from 11:15am-12pm at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music 250-754-4611. Classes begin the 2nd week of February.

Imagine That! for Preschoolers - new class begins February 2010

2010-01-05T22:39:00.000-08:00

Toys I Make, Trips I Take
Music and Movement classes designed for children 3 to 5 years old with parent/family participation the final 15 minutes of class.
-- Think of it like taking a course inside a child’s imagination. We’ll use the theme of a toy shop to make our pretend-creations, using rhythm and songs with every imaginary saw, hammer, and nail. The result is building the preschooler’s sense of a sequence of events, which is good for storytelling, as well as making his ideas a reality.

Home Materials: Two books—If I Had a Big Blue Boat and Tippity Tippity Too, Toys I Make, Trips I Take Play Set, Two Home CDs, Family Activity Book, and a drum.

15 week spring semester begins February 8.
Classes meet Mondays from 10:15-11am beginning February 8 at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music. Call 250-754-4611 to register.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

I've enjoyed a lovely relaxing holiday right here on beautiful Vancouver Island. It's only the 2nd day of 2010 and I've got 2 days of holidays left - a great time to reflect on the blessings of last year and to look to a full and exciting year ahead. Going back to work Monday morning means using an alarm clock once again, but I have to say I am truly looking forward to my first Imagine That and Village classes of 2010.

Check this blog for updates on new Village, Our Time, and Imagine That classes beginning in February. And be sure to check out Kindermusik's official blog, with a link to join their facebook page here: Minds on Music - Kindermusik. It's full of videos, links, articles and more.

See you in the new year!!!

New Village class starts November in Nanaimo!

2009-10-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

Do-Si-Do -- Pick up your baby and dance. Dance the Charleston, the Tango, and the Cha-Cha and learn why dancing with your baby helps develop vital learning skills—from head-to-toe. In this class, play a variety of baby appropriate instruments, a dance with fun props.

Home Materials: CD with songs from class, an instrument—Kindermusik eggshaker and scarf, a picture board book—Do-Si-Do—with lilting move-to-it rhyming text, and a set of Art Banners for the nursery wall that strengthens vision and promotes early literacy.

Mondays from 11:15am to 12pm, beginning November 23, 2009 or
Thursdays from 11:15am to 12pm beginning November 19, 2009.

Call the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music at 250-754-4611 today to register!

Kindermusik Village for Babies

2009-09-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

Kindermusik Village

newborn to 18 months
8 45 minute classes, with 4 different units each year
tuition $80, materials $40, annual registration fee applies
Call 250-754-4611 or visit the Nanaimo Conservatory at 375 Selby St. to register.

Kindermusik Village 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.

In each of these professionally created classes, you will learn about your baby’s development, and how to engage your baby using all of their senses. We will dance, sing, and play with a wide variety of age-appropriate instruments and props. There is so much to explore, and with your home materials you have the tools to continue the fun and learning at home and even in the car!

Fall 2009 Unit: Feathers
Offered Mondays or Thursdays at 11:15am beginning September 21 or 24.
In Feathers we explore the musical poems of Woody Guthrie, bird songs, and the naturally occurring sounds in nature that help babies develop an early appreciation—and accelerated aptitude—for language, movement, and music.
At Home Materials include 1 cd, colourful board book, art banners, and chime ball.

Kindermusik Our Time for Toddlers

2009-09-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

Kindermusik Our Time

18 months to 3 years
15 45 minute classes
parent or caregiver attends with child
tuition $150, materials $60, annual registration fee applies
Call 250-754-4611 or visit the Nanaimo Conservatory at 375 Selby St. to register.

Our Time encourages toddlers to uncover an engaging musical world while building confidence, self-control, and communications skills. Singing, imitating sounds, rhyming, and object identification foster language skills, while creative movement to various musical “moods” develops a sense of balance, timing, and spatial awareness. Listening and turn-taking encourage emerging social skills.  And with you by their side, they will develop the confidence to be creative and original.

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 you to interact and learn together with your child in an unhurried and joyful manner.

Fall 2009 Unit: Wiggles and Giggles
Offered Thursdays at 10:15am, beginning September 24.

Splash in the tub, row your boat, jump in puddles, swim with the fish – all without ever getting wet! This unit is designed to reflect the importance of movement in the life of a toddler. You’ll learn 15 different dances, and explore many types of instruments and props. Dance and play, while developing language and cognitive abilities, fine motor skills, gross motor abilities, and social skills.

At Home Materials include 2 cds with over 50 songs, Home Activity Book, zig zag blocks instrument, and 2 books: Watch Me! and Pete and P.J.

Kindermusik Imagine That for Preschoolers

2009-09-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

Kindermusik Imagine That!

3 to 5 years old
15 weekly 45 minute classes
parent or caregiver attends the last 10 to 15 minutes of class
tuition $150, materials $60, annual registration fee applies
Call 250-754-4611 or visit the Nanaimo Conservatory at 375 Selby St. to register.

Using the power of music, Kindermusik’s Imagine That! taps into your preschooler’s creative spirit and boundless energy and focuses on developing his learning strengths and self-confidence so he’ll be ready for school, and prepared for future music lessons.

Through pretend play children are engaged in musical and vocal development, reading and storytelling, and expressive movement. Social interaction and peer bonding skills are encouraged through both structured and free group activities.
Children participate in the first part of the class alone, and parents, siblings, and caregivers are invited to participate in sharing time for the last 10 to 15 minutes of class.

Fall 2009 Unit: See What I Saw
Offered Mondays at 10:15am, beginning September 21.

In this class, your preschooler uses her real experience playing in the park to create imaginative, storytelling scenarios with music. Each week provides your preschooler one uninterrupted session of imaginative play that's guided in a very specific, sequential way—with a special Family Sharing Time with you in the last 10 to 15 minutes of class.

At Home Materials include a Double CD, Family Activity Book, interactive "Grasshopper Park" play set, a slide whistle instrument, a pair of lumi sticks, and two beautifully-illustrated storybooks: Can You Find Me? and The Ant Picnic Feast.

Nanaimo's Fall 2009 Kindermusik Schedule

2009-07-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

Check this link for the fall 2009 Kindermusik class schedule: http://www.kindermusik.com/Classes/StudioInformation.aspx?EducatorID=40353&LocationID=STUDIO1.

Spring 2009 Village Classes

2009-03-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

Spring Village classes have just begun at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music, and we only have 4 spaces left. Village Zoom Buggy meets from 11:15 until 12 noon every Thursday until April 23. A brand new 8 week class, The Rhythm of My Day, will run the same time and day from April 30 until June 18, 2009.

The Rhythm of My Day

This class 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.

Home Materials: CD of beautifully arranged songs from class, The Rhythm of My Day—a colourful picture board book with class themes, a set of Art Banners, and an instrument for music-making at home.

Enrol today! Call 250-754-4611 or email nicole_arendt@yahoo.ca for more details.

Story Time Jewels

2009-02-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

As I get ready to begin a new semester of Our Time this week I am again excited by the high quality of musical and developmental research that goes into each and every unit of Kindermusik. This Thursday (10:15am) and Friday (11:15am) I'll introduce the delightful unit Fiddle Dee Dee to parents and their children, including the favourite book, created just for this unit, called Animal Serenade written by Susan James Frye and illustrated by Andrea Eberbach. This sing along book ties in beautifully with all of the activities we will be exploring over the next 6 weeks of classes, at which point we get to explore another book. Refreshing myself with the book, I count 7 songs with a rich musical heritage. This one small children's book packs in original Kindermusik songs, adapted traditional tunes, as well as music from South Carolina, Arkansas, Germany, and Mexico.

It's not too late to join the learning and fun! Call the Nanaimo Conservatory at 250-754-4611 to register today!

Moving from Village to Our Time

2009-02-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

Transitional Ages and Stages

How do I know if my child is ready for the next class level?

The Kindermusik philosophy springs from genuine respect for each child's individual rate of development. Class activities and at-home materials are designed to honor, support and celebrate the wonderful uniqueness of each child. Classes have overlapping age ranges to help parents accommodate their child's own needs.

If your child is near a transitional stage, the following guidelines may help your decision.

Moving from Village to Our Time - Children ready for this next level show many of the following characteristics:

Physical
- Improved walking skills, feet are together, knees flexible (vs. the "just walker" who has a wide-based, legs apart gate with locked knees)
- Beginning to imitate/explore a variety of traveling movements -- run, jump, leap

Cognitive
- Reliably point to correctly identified body parts
- Can follow two-step direction
- Understands what "one" means (vs. a handful)
- Learning to use toys and objects in symbolic ways (moving beyond just enjoyment of sensory properties)
- Can interact in a directed activity
- Able to shift attention with transition
- Connects to an activity; initiates a play sequence
- Reliably responds to own name (refers to self by name in secure environments)

Emotional
- Uses gestures and language to deal with frustration (as opposed to just crying or whining)
- Sustains interest and attention in activity for several minutes (Note: not wanting to give something up, such as bells or sticks, can be a sign of maturation)

Language
- Can express wants and needs symbolically (gestures, words)
- Has vocabulary of 20 words; receptive language is still stronger than expressive
- Reading with caregiver becomes cooperative. Child will select book, sit, relate to the story and interact

Social
- Interested in what other children are doing
- Capable of distal communication (i.e. following verbal instructions from farther away)

Musical
- Moves to music, perhaps to steady beat

Spring 2009 Schedule

2009-01-12T17:07:00.000-08:00

Village (0 to 18 mnths)
Thursdays 11:15am to 12 noon

Our Time (1.5 to 3 yrs)
Thursdays 10:15am to 11am, OR
Fridays 11:15am to 12 noon

Imagine That! (3 to 5 yrs)
Fridays 10:15am to 11am

Call the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music at 250-754-4611 or visit http://www.ncmusic.ca/group.php#kindermusik to register.

Questions about Kindermusik? Call me, Nicole, at 250-591-2010, or email nicole_arendt@yahoo.ca.

* Register by Jan 15 and receive a 10% tuition discount *

Save When You Register Early!

2009-01-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

Register by January 15, 2009 for the exciting Spring semester at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music and receive 10% off your tuition!

Call 250-754-4611 for details.

Fall 2008 Family Time classes at NCM

2008-07-20T16:57:00.001-07:00

Family Time (Newborn through 7 years – the whole family!)

Here, There and Everywhere – 10 weeks Saturdays 3:15-4pm

—the five sub-themes center around different family outings: a visit with a friend, an outing at the park, a trip to the city, an afternoon at the aquarium, and a day on the farm. Move like animals with this unit’s story Flip-Flap, Sugar Snap! And follow a girl’s adventure as she loses her jambourine during the day’s outings and then finds it in the story Jingle-Jangle Jambourine.
Home Materials: Two Books—Flip-Flap, Sugar Snap! and Jingle-Jangle Jambourine, Two Home CDs, Family Guide, Board Game, Waggs the dog Hand Puppet and Finger Puppet, and Two Jambourine instruments.

Fall 2008 Imagine That! classes at NCM

2008-07-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

Imagine That! (3 years to 5 years)

Hello Weather! Let’s Play Together! – 15 weeks Fridays 10:15-11am or Saturdays 1:15-2pm

—sunshine, rain, snow, thunderstorms, and more in this imaginative and delightful weather-related musical adventure. Preschoolers create storm sounds with a drum to “Wild Storms,” jump in pretend puddles to “Mud Puddle Jump,” throw pretend snow-balls to “Snowballs,” and sing along to “Colors of the Rainbow.” They’ll be surrounded in a creative musical environment that integrates music, pretend play, story telling, movement, and more.

Home Materials: Two books—Michael Finnigan and Hurry Home, Little Kittens, Hello Weather Play Set, Two Home CDs, Family Activity Book, and Instruments—ankle bells and rain shaker with scraper.

Fall 2008 Our Time Classes at NCM

2008-07-20T16:45:00.000-07:00

Our Time (1 ½ years to 3 years)

Milk & Cookies - 15 weeks - Thursdays 10:15-11am or Fridays 11:15am-12pm

This unit makes everyday home activities and chores easier and more fun with music! Cook and sing to “The Muffin Man”; dust and clean to the original song “In My House”; get ready to wash clothes to the delightful poem “Washing Machine”. Baking cookies, eating cupcakes, blowing on hot cross buns, wiggling like jelly, going grocery shopping and making tea are all represented in familiar as well as new songs. Move, play, and sing together in developmentally appropriate activities created just for 1 ½ to 3-year-olds. Capture the familiar and new moments of the day and learn how music can impact your toddler.

Home Materials: Two Books—At My House and Cookies, Two Home CDs, Stir Xylophone instrument, and a Home Activity Book—all arriving in a durable lunch bag.

Fall 2008 Village Classes at NCM

2008-07-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

Village (newborn to 1 ½ years) - Thursdays 11:15am-12pm or Saturdays 2:15-3pm

Zoom Buggy! – 8 weeks
—Swoosh, vroom, and clickety-clack your way through this delightful unit. Babies and adults will dance, sing, and play instruments to the theme of being on the go. Chug around the room to the song “Little Red Caboose,” hold on tightly while “Riding in the Buggy,” and dance your way to “Zoom-e-oh!” Engage in rituals and playful activities such as infant massage, lap bounces, exercise, and quiet time.
Home Materials: Colorful board book—Zoom Buggy, Home CD of the songs heard in class, two Art Banners, and a baby instrument for music-making at home.

Dream Pillow – 8 weeks
—This title alone brings images of rocking, cuddling, singing, and lulling to sleep. But leading up to sleepy time are many upbeat and playful activities. Babies and Adults will swirl to a dreamy cloud dance “Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland.” They’ll also play baby appropriate instruments to “Aiken Drum,” and “Sarasponda.” Favorite nursery rhymes like “Wee Willie Winkie,” and “Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling,” are sprinkled throughout the classes. It’s easy to weave many of the class songs and activities into your families’ daily routines.
Home Materials: Board book that calms and relaxes—Dream Pillow Lullaby, Home CD of the songs heard in class, two Art Banners, and a baby instrument for music-making at home.

Our Time for Toddlers

2008-01-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

The Magic of Village for Babies Newborn to 18 months

2007-09-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

Join the Family Time Fun! Call 754-4611 for more info.

2007-09-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

Music and togetherness for your family ages newborn and up

Build family bonds, creativity and physical and mental development in a delightful one-room schoolhouse for babies, toddlers, preschoolers—and you, the parent.

Each week your children will listen to instruments and to each other, learn from their peers and older children, and enjoy music and movement with hoops, scarves and tumble-around play. Story time and family jams, puppet play and happy singing—every Family Time activity encourages discovery and exploration and fosters sharing and social skills too. In this special place for musical, social and emotional learning, your children will strengthen their ties with each other and with you—and developing the skills they need at home, at school, and on the neighbourhood playground.

What’s the class about?
You children get exposure to the emotional and social skills they’ll need for starting school, or on the playground. It’s hard to find time for things you can all do together, as a family, thats why Family Time is so special. You’ll see how music can help your family laugh and play together, and learn from each other.

Tuition includes:
• Developmentally appropriate curriculum for parents and children
ages newborn and up
• 10-week semester
• One 45-minute class per week
• At Home Materials—Family Guide Activity book, two CDs of music
from class, two literature books, one kangaroo hand puppet with a
pouch that holds a kangaroo finger puppet, and two double egg shakers.

What you’ll see happening in class:
Sing. When a child sings in the appropriate vocal range, toddlers and preschoolers begin to explore their voices and emerging pitch accuracy—but the benefits
go beyond building strong singers. Singing develops memory and recall, lung and cardiovascular strength, as well as creativity, and socialization. Simply hearing
those voices also helps a baby develop her own vocal skills.

Play. Musical instrument and prop-play throughout the semester builds strong finger muscles, and develops a sense of rhythm. Plus, hoops, scarves, and tumble-around activities develop coordination.

Move. With growing coordination and interest in their peers, younger children will watch the older ones learn how to skip and gallop.

Listen. Throughout the class, the children are listening to instruments, to each other, and to specially designed opportunities to focus in on developing critical listening skills.

Story Time. When children listen to a story in a group, they watch the reactions of each other, helping to stimulate curiosity, expand knowledge, and develpo a
life-long love of reading.

Family Jam. Everyone grabs and instrument and plays along with the music—helping children experiment with a variety of instruments and sounds.

Benefits of Massage

2007-03-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

Kindermusik is so much more than a weekly music class!

Classes are child-centered, developmentally appropriate, and focus on the growth and development of the whole child. In every Village and some Our Time classes we provide time for simple massage activities that we encourage you to try to incorporate in your daily home routines. Choose a favourite relaxing recording, sing a song, chant a nursery rhyme, or make something up, all while bonding with your child through the magic of intentional and gentle touch.

Follow this link for more massage ideas: http://www.makewayforbaby.com/massages.htm.

"Gentle massage of the neck and shoulders creates oxytocin, a hormone that produces feelings of calm and comfort. Massage of the back provides stimulation to an area that is vitally important to child development. As the back is stimulated, it stimulates the growth of nerves all over the body."

- (Carla Hannaford, author of Smart Moves, in an interview by the Kindermusik International Creative Team, January 2000)

My Other Job

2007-02-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

On March 3 in Nanaimo and March 4 in Duncan I will get to be a marimba soloist with the Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra. I will begin the second half of their program with a marimba solo by Paul Smadbeck called Rhythm Song and finish the concert with Ney Rosauro's Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra, an exciting work with jazz and Brazilian influences.

I'll be playing my Marimba One marimba which was built for me by Ron Samuels in Arcata, California just over 3 years ago. The instrument itself is a work of art, thanks to Ron, with Honduras Rosewood bars and a cherry frame. It is 100 inches long and over 200 pounds!

For times and ticket information, visit the Harbour Living website.

The Younger the Better

2007-02-18T20:00:00.000-08:00

Some people are quite surprised to find out that Kindermusik is for children as young as newborns. Really, what can such a young child gain from starting Kindermusik as an infant or toddler?

The following statement, jointly issued by The National Association for Music Education (MENC), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and the US Department of Education, helps explain just how important music education for even the youngest children can be.

The Value of Music for the Very Young

The idea that very early education provides great long-term benefits has been rendered incontestable by studies in cognition and early learning. Research in developmental psychology and commonsense observation underscore both the importance and the wisdom of making music an integral and overt part of the earliest education of young children:

(1) We know that music is among the first and most important modes of communication experienced by infants.

The youngest children lack the gift of speech, but they are deeply responsive to the emotional ethos created by music. The lullabies sung by parents help children to accomplish the fundamental developmental task of learning-to trust their environment as a secure one. Songs communicate adult love and the experiences of joy and delight; they teach children that the world is a pleasurable and exciting place to be. Music is essential to the depth and strength of this early foundation for learning and for connecting to life itself.

(2) As young children grow and develop, music continues as a basic medium not only of communication, but of self-expression as well.

Through music, children expand their cognitive universe as they first experience-and later learn to produce-sounds organized to carry musical meaning within their culture. Music expands memory and assists in developing crucial language skills. Music exerts a multiplier effect on reasoning skills, especially on spatial reasoning-an effect that has been demonstrated experimentally. Music also reinforces such logical and perceptual ideas as beginning and ending, cause and effect, sequence and balance, harmony and dissonance, as well as arithmetic concepts such as number, enumeration, and timing. In addition, as centuries of tradition and modern vehicles such as Sesame Street have taught us all, music in the lives of young children is a highly effective means of delivering vital information about the world itself, as when it is used to teach such basic content as counting, colors, relationships among ideas, social skills, and the wonders of the natural world. Music is also a powerful tool for communicating the full spectrum of human emotion in ways appropriate to children’s experience. Children who may not be able to express verbally their happiness, anger, or sadness can find in music the right outlet and mode for what they cannot yet identify or express clearly using the tools of language.

(3) As preschool children listen to and respond to music, and also learn to make music by singing and playing instruments together, they create important contexts for the early learning of vital life skills such as cooperation, collaboration, and group effort.

(4) Music contributes strongly to “school readiness,” a foundational education aim for all our children.

Music experiences can help children prepare to learn to become literate as it helps them become more aware of and focused on the phonemes that make up the language or languages they will need to excel in school. When children develop musical skill and understanding, they are developing basic cognitive, social, and motor skills necessary for success throughout the educational process. They are preparing skills that will apply to language, to literacy, and to life itself.

....[U]nless the positive learning engendered by music in the earliest years is nurtured by those in the best position to provide it, i.e., parents, music teachers, and professional caregivers, the educational power of music and its potential for sound development can be diminished and diluted.

- excerpted from a report from the Early Childhood Music Summit, June 2000

Spring 2007 Kindermusik Schedule

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Village (0-18 months, 16 45 minute classes)
Hickory, Dickory, Tickle & Bounce and The Rhythm of My Day

Tuesday - 11:15am
Wednesday - 10:15am
Saturday - 11:15am

Our Time (1.5-3 years, 15 45 minute classes)
Fiddle-Dee-Dee

Tuesday - 10:15am
Wednesday - 11:15am
Friday - 10:15am
Saturday - 1:15pm

Imagine That! (3-5 years, 15 45 minute classes)
Cities! Busy Places - Friendly Faces

Wednesday - 12:15pm
Friday - 12:15pm
Saturday - 10:15am

Family Time (0-7 years, 10 45 minute classes)
Our Kind of Day

Friday - 11:15am
Saturday - 12:15pm

Can't find a class that fits your schedule? Email the Nanaimo Conservatory to be placed on a waiting list for a new class. Classes begin February 13 and require a minimum of 5 students to run, so please register early.

What Level is Best?

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Transitional Ages and Stages
How do I know if my child is ready for the next class level?

While a child should be at least the minimum age to enroll in any given class, there are three critical "transitional stages" when parents have an important choice to make about which class is most appropriate and beneficial for their child: at age 1 1/2, when broaching age 3 1/2 and at age 4 1/2.

If your child is near a transitional stage, the following guidelines may help your decision.

Moving from Village to Our Time - Children ready for this next level show many of the following characteristics:

Physical

Improved walking skills, feet are together, knees flexible (vs. the "just walker" who has a wide-based, legs apart gate with locked knees)
Beginning to imitate/explore a variety of traveling movements -- run, jump, leap

Cognitive

Reliably point to correctly identified body parts
Can follow two-step direction
Understands what "one" means (vs. a handful)
Learning to use toys and objects in symbolic ways (moving beyond just enjoyment of sensory properties)
Can interact in a directed activity
Able to shift attention with transition
Connects to an activity; initiates a play sequence
Reliably responds to own name (refers to self by name in secure environments)

Emotional

Uses gestures and language to deal with frustration (as opposed to just crying or whining)
Sustains interest and attention in activity for several minutes (Note: not wanting to give something up, such as bells or sticks, can be a sign of maturation)

Language

Can express wants and needs symbolically (gestures, words)
Has vocabulary of 20 words; receptive language is still stronger than expressive
Reading with caregiver becomes cooperative. Child will select book, sit, relate to the story and interact

Social

Interested in what other children are doing
Capable of distal communication (i.e. following verbal instructions from farther away)

Musical

Moves to music, perhaps to steady beat

Moving from Our Time to Imagine That! Children ready for this next level show many of the following characteristics:

Physical

Has a taller, thinner, adult-like appearance
Balances on one foot; jumps in place without falling
Holding crayons in pincher grasp rather than fist

Cognitive

Knows if they are a boy or girl
Can do matching games
Knows some basic shapes and colors
Developing divergent thinking skills ("What animals do you like?")
Beginning transition from concrete to abstract thinking (humor aids this process)
Sits and listens to stories for up to 10 minutes

Emotional

Recognizes needs of another person; can be empathetic
Separates from parent without crying
Development of humor

Language

Beginning to master rules of language; speaks in full sentences (4-5 words); asks questions
Vocabulary growing from 300-1,000 words
Can relate a series of activities; tells stories ("We went to the grocery store, then to grandma's and I played with the kittens.")

Social

Recognizes the needs of others
Turn taking becomes harder than earlier, but beginning to understand reasons
Learning about patience

Musical

Recites rhymes
Sings simple, whole songs

Importance of Re-enrolling

2007-01-17T23:06:00.000-08:00

A recent study found that repeated enrollment in Kindermusik improves a child's ability to plan, guide, and control their own behavior.

"Children currently enrolled in Kindermusik showed higher levels of self-control than those never enrolled and those previously enrolled. ...This suggests that in order for children to reap the benefit of increased self-control as a result of Kindermusik participation, it is important to have repeated and recent Kindermusik experiences and remain enrolled in the program."

"Four-year-old children who had been exposed to Kindermusik for longer periods of time are better off in terms of self-control—namely a child's ability to plan, guide, and control their own behavior—than similar children with less Kindermusik history."

"These experiences, stop-go, high-low, fast-slow, short-long, and loud-soft, whereby children's motor behavior is guided by the music, appear to be good exercise for young children's emerging self-regulatory skills."

The study, "The Effects of Kindermusik on Behavioral Self-Regulation in Early Childhood," was conducted in 2005 in the psychology department at George Mason University in Virginia.

Results were made available to Kindermusik in May, 2005. The study was conducted by Adam Winsler Ph.D and graduate student Lesley Ducenne in the Department of Psychology at George Mason University.
The 15-month study included 91 children between the ages of 3 and 5 who were split into three groups: 23 students currently enrolled in Kindermusik, 19 students previously enrolled in Kindermusik, and 49 students of similar family backgrounds from local preschools who had never had Kindermusik.

The children were observed doing a variety of tasks that required self-control such as slowing down their motor behavior, delaying their gratification, refraining from touching attractive but forbidden toys, quietly whispering, and compliance with instructions to initiate or stop certain behaviors. Parents also completed surveys.

The study was supervised by Adam Winsler, Ph.D, Applied Developmental Psychology in the Department of Psychology at George Mason University.

Welcome!

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Welcome to the Kindermusik Nanaimo blog where you can learn all about Kindermusik music and movement classes for children newborn through age 7 offered by me, Miss Nicky, at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music.

I look forward to learning and growing with you and your families!