What Kindermusik Music Class is Right for My Young Child?
Please read this wonderful information organized by some of our fellow Kindermusik educators. Not only can you discover what class is right for you, read the details about those typical and specific milestones you can look for in your child’s development from birth through age 7. For class information and schedules please visit Kindermusik at Utah Piano Conservatory.
“The Kindermusik philosophy springs from genuine respect for each child’s individual rate of development. Class activities and @home Parent Guides 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.”
The suggested ages for Kindermusik curricula are
Cuddle & Bounce: 0’s and 1’s
Sing & Play: 1’s and 2’s
Wiggle & Grow: 2’s and 3’s
Laugh & Learn: 3’s and 4’s
Young Child: 4’s and 5’s
While looking over this information carefully consider the following:
Which of these levels will my child thrive in, rather than just being able to get along in?
Am I considering my child’s pleasure and emotional development as much as their cognitive development?
Is my child eager for added independence and challenges, or are they most delighted by sharing special time with me to help guide and support them?
Moving from Cuddle & Bounce to Sing & Play
Children ready for Sing & Play show many of the following characteristics:
Physical
- Has taken his/her first steps and is gaining confidence when walking
- Increasing ability to purposefully manipulate objects (ex: shaking eggs, tapping a drum)
Cognitive
- Explores cause/effect relationships by pushing, pulling, and throwing objects
- Is learning to use toys and objects in symbolic ways, including enjoyment of sensory properties
- Can interact in a directed activity
- Connects to an activity; participates a play sequence
- Frequently responds to own name by looking at person speaking
Emotional
- Beginning to use gestures and language to deal with frustration, as apposed to just crying or whining
- May experience separation anxiety when caregiver is out of sight
Language
- Language is emerging, sometimes able to express wants and needs symbolically (gestures, words)
- Is beginning to use meaningful language (spoken or sign) to express needs and wants
- Reads with caregiver cooperatively. Enjoys books even if caregiver is just labeling the pictures on a page.
Social
- Is interested in what other children are doing
- May be very social and outgoing but reserved around strangers or new situations
Musical
- Recognizes music vs. silence (reacts when a song is sung and stopped before the end of the song)
Moving from Sing & Play to Wiggle & Grow
Children ready for Wiggle & Grow 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
- Can reliably point to correctly identified body parts
- Can follow two-step direction
- Understands what “one” means vs. a handful
- Is learning to use toys and objects in symbolic ways, moving beyond just enjoyment of sensory properties
- Can interact in a directed activity
- Is able to shift attention with transition
- Connects to an activity; initiates a play sequence
- Reliably responds to own name, referring to self by name in secure environments
Emotional
- Uses gestures and language to deal with frustration, as apposed 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
- Reads with caregiver cooperatively. Can select a book, sit, relate to the story and interact.
Social
- Is interested in what other children are doing
- Is capable of distal communication, such as following verbal instructions from farther away
Musical
- Moves to music, perhaps to steady beat
Moving from Wiggle & Grow to Laugh & Learn
Children ready for Laugh & Learn show many of the following characteristics:
Physical
- Has a taller, thinner, adult-like appearance
- Balances on one foot; jumps in place without falling
- Holds crayons in pincher grasp rather than fist
Cognitive
- Knows if he/she is a boy or girl
- Can do matching games
- Knows some basic shapes and colors
- Has developing divergent thinking skills (“What animals do you like?”)
- Is 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
- Shows development of humor
Language
- Is beginning to master rules of language; speaks in full sentences (4-5 words); asks questions
- Has a vocabulary that increases 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
- Is learning about patience
Musical
- Recites rhymes
- Sings simple, whole songs
Moving from Laugh & Learn to Young Child
Children ready for Move & Grove show many of the following characteristics:
Physical
- Can jump forward many times in a row, hops, gallops, is learning to skip
- Demonstrates control of pencil or marker
Cognitive
- Is eager to learn
- Has developed classification skills (i.e. can sort things that have a single common feature) and can sort by size, color and form
- Counts to 20; recognizes numerals 1-10
- Recognizes some letters of the alphabet
Emotional
- Has emerging and developing impulse control
- Exhibits self-confidence and reliability
- Has a growing sense of right and wrong
- Is beginning to see things from other’s perspective
Language
- Speech is nearly 100% intelligible (exceptions may include children with hearing and language delay)
- Uses grammar correctly, including past and future tense
Social
- Enjoys friendships and group activities
- Shares, takes turns, plays cooperatively
- Is affectionate and caring
- Follows directions
Musical
- Sings a whole song
- Begins to match pitches consistently
- Is developing the ability to match to group steady beat.