 Sound Beginnings incorporates seven basic elements in every class period: Literacy and Kindergarten Skills, Rhythm and Beat, Vocal and Pitch Development, Fine Motor Skills, Gross Motor Skills, Classical Music Experience and Parent Bonding. These elements give children a rich foundation for further music study, school, and life.  Nursery rhymes are a rich oral tradition used for centuries to pass stories from one generation to the next. They are included in the Sound Beginnings curriculum because they boost language development by introducing speech patterns and rhyming words, making them a fun way to prepare for further literacy skills.
Fun Fact: ‘Humpty Dumpty’ is believed to refer to a large cannon used during the English civil war. The cannon’s perch on the wall was disturbed during battle and due to its heavy weight, it could not be moved to another place on the wall before the ‘king’s men’ were forced to surrender. Optional home fun activity: Make the Humpty Dumpty puppet on page 31 in your workbook. (Remember, these activities are optional but can be a great bonding experience to do with your child during the week.) Your participation in class and at home is powerful! In the first few years of life, the human brain forms more than 1 million new neural connections every second. These early connections provide either a strong or weak foundation for the connections that form later. Purposeful engagement with music at a young age means musical skills will be more easily learned and internalized as these neural connections are established. Sound Beginnings classes provide many opportunities to learn to keep a steady beat. Reciting chants, imitating rhythm patterns, using simple percussion instruments, and participating in basic body movements like patting, clapping, and marching allow students to experience this foundational rhythmic skill. This skill will not only benefit future music study, but impacts other areas of a child’s development. The ability to move to a steady beat helps develops the ability to coordinate movements with proper timing such as bouncing a ball and catching it, and leads to the ability to speak and read with a smooth cadence.
Optional home fun activity: Color the apple tree on page 21 in your workbook. (Remember, these activities are optional but can be a great bonding experience to do with your child during the week.)  A child’s natural desire for repetition is the brain’s instinctive way of helping them master skills and concepts. When engaged in an activity, the brain and body send electrical signals back and forth. The more practice the nervous system has at receiving and sending messages, the more efficiently it operates, and the more effectively a child acquires a skill. So, keep listening, singing, and dancing at home!  The average human has 642 muscles in their body. Dancing makes use of more of these muscles than most other activities, making it a great way to more fully develop a child’s body. Dancing promotes coordination, balance, strength and endurance. In addition to its physical benefits, dancing provides a creative outlet that stimulates imagination. And, when done in a group setting, such as in our Sound Beginnings class, dance becomes another way to experience socialization and promote teamwork.
Optional home fun activity: Color the Jump Dance on page 15 in your workbook. (Remember, these activities are optional but can be a great bonding experience to do with your child during the week.) |
Clara McDonaldAs a music educator of 25 years, my passion is infusing others with music! Archives
December 2022
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