March 26th

This week in ABC MUSIC & ME we pretended to fly a kite! The Developmental Benefits are Incorporating imagination and developing gross- motor skills. This activity encourages creativity in children.
We used Ziz Zag blocks to develop a steady beat during instrument play with the Song De Colores. Learning Steady beat will be a key factor in learning to walk, use scissors, and even dribble a basketball.

Take the fun home with you!“I Like to Sing” (CD Track 4) is a great locomotor activity. Try all the verses: sing, trot, swoop, and twist—then try jumping, twirling, swinging, swaying, stomping, romping, rolling, and giggling when the sun is shining! For an extra challenge, have your young child help you make up new verses—not only with new movements, but using different scenarios, such as “I like to hop when the rain is falling” or “I like to tiptoe when the dog is barking.”

Young children are always being asked questions— from “What color is this?”
to “What did you do in music class today?” Most of the questions have simple
and definitive answers. Try opening your questions up for more creative answers—Ask “What do you like to do when the sun is shining?” or “How should we move next?” Be prepared to follow your child’s lead, and you may be surprised at how creative he can be!

While locomotor milestones (balancing, sitting, crawling, and walking) develop most rapidly in the first two years of life, the development of locomotor skills never actually stops. From manual tasks that require fine motor coordination to learning how to play a new sport, we are constantly faced with new tasks that require new locomotor abilities.

Lesson 1 Up In the Sky

We welcomed 2 new students & their mommies this week.
Today's activities:

* ABC Music & Me Hello—Greeting Ritual ~ Today we waved tapped and were "flying" hello to our friends. This Ritual helps to develop singing skills and develop social skills. This is a song that we sing every week in class. This lets children know that we are begining our lesson and gets them "ready" Children enjoy repetition which is evident in how many times they like to hear the same story or song...
* Mr. Sun—Song and Finger Play This song also helps to develop singing skills as well as Developing those fine motor skills, which are necessary for scissor control, and holding a writing instrument.

* I like to Sing - Locomotor Movement ~ children need opportunities to develop these skills. Research shows that children that participate in activities such as the ones in today's class will help with balance, coordination, and timing which will help later on when learning how to ride a bike, dancing or playing sports.

- Sunshine Play—Instrument Play-Along
_ Robin Story—Expressive Movement
_ Robin Sounds—Focused Listening
_ Little Robin—Rhyme and Finger Play
_ Mister Robin—Song with Echoed Response
_ Someone Bigger—Storytime
_ My Kite—Expressive Movement with a Prop
_ The Color Song—Movement with a Prop
_ De Colores—Instrument Play-Along
_ Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star—Song and
Finger Play
_ ABC Music & Me Goodbye
—Goodbye Ritual


Take the fun home with you!
Play CD Track 2 and try this simple finger play with your young child. Watch how rapt she becomes when listening, watching, and moving all at once. When you’re ready, try it on your own without the CD.

Activities that integrate a young child’s senses are an extraordinary way to get—and keep—a young child’s attention. They provide a multiplicity of learning benefits, including exercising listening skills, enhancing vocabulary development, and building and refining motor skills.

March – Up In the Sky

In your Home Kit read the story we’re sharing in class called Someone Bigger, about a boy who wants to take over the reins of the family kite. Then grab a scarf or handkerchief and imitate the up and down crouching, reaching, and running associated with flying a kite—just like the boy in our story. Your Family Guide magazine includes activities you can easily incorporate into your day to reinforce our counting and color-learning activities in class.
Home Kit: Three-bell jingle instrument, Home CD, and magazine-style Family Guide (includes the class story Someone Bigger)

March – Dance With Me

This month, we’ll feature the music and dance of “one-two” rhythms and “one-two-three” rhythms. In class, we’ll hear real instruments from the ballet and learn a few dance steps, too. Activities like dance, where your child follows a short sequence of instructions, helps to strengthen memory and his ability to follow directions. At home, play the CD in your Home Kit and let your preschooler show you a new step or two. Home Kit: Pair of lumi stix, Home CD, and magazine-style Family Guide (includes the class story Dance of Our Own)