New Year's Special!

Enroll by Jan. 1 and save $5 AND take an egg shaker home for each child after their first class!

Spring Schedule--January 26- May 17--15 weeks
(no classes March 22-29)

Village (0-18 months) $230-- 15 weeks
M: 10:00-10:45 / M: 5:00-5:45 / W: 9:00-9:45

Our Time (18 months-3 years) $220-- 15 weeks
M: 9:00-9:45 / T: 10:00-10:45 / W: 10:00-10:45 / W: 3:00-3:45
Th: 4:30-5:15 / S: 10:00-10:45

Imagine That (3-5 years) $230-- 15 weeks
T: 11:00-11:45 / W: 11:00-11:45 / W: 4:00-4:45 / S: 11:00-11:45

Young Child Semester 1 (5-7 years) $260-- 15 weeks
S: 12:00-1:00

Family Time (all ages) $230 for 1 child, $380 for 2 children, $100 each additional child-- 15 weeks
M: 11:00-11:45 / S: 9:00-9:45

Sign and Sing (6 months-3 years) $85 --5 weeks
Session A Jan 29-Feb 26 / Session B April 1-29
T: 9:00-9:45

Hope to see you this spring!

Brenda Haynes, MEd
Director and Kindermusik Maestro
Among the Top 5% of Kindermusik Educators Worldwide
573-881-1574 brenda@kindermusikwithbrenda.com
http://www.kindermusikwithbrenda.com/
_______________________________________________
For information about child development, local events, musical learning and more, visit my blog at:http://kindermusikwithbrendabrenda.blogspot.com/
_______________________________________________
To purchase Discovery Toys, book a party, or play for a living, visit: http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/home/bhaynes

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Winter Wonderland

Join my family and I for an evening filled with winter fun! We will go on a sleigh ride, play in the snow, go ice skating, and sing favorite holiday songs all in the warm and cozy Kindermusik studio!




Friday, December 21,
6:00-7:00 pm
Kindermusik with Brenda Studio

Directions: Parkade Center is just East of the West Blvd. exit off of I-70. Enter Parkade through the main South facing doors (between MOX and the Cafe). Go down the stairs and the classroom is at the bottom of the stairs on the right! 601 Business Loop 70 W. Columbia, MO 65203

I hope to sing with you then!

Brenda Haynes, MEd
Director and Kindermusik Maestro
Among the Top 5% of Kindermusik Educators Worldwide
573-881-1574 brenda@kindermusikwithbrenda.com
http://www.kindermusikwithbrenda.com/
_______________________________________________
For information about child development, local events, musical learning and more, visit my blog at:http://kindermusikwithbrenda-brenda.blogspot.com/
_______________________________________________
To purchase Discovery Toys, book a party, or play for a living, visit: http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/home/bhaynes

Drop a hint! Forward this to family and friends. What a great Christmas gift that will keep giving because Kindermusik changes how a child learns.... and that is forever!

Check here or Contact Brenda for specific pricing and class schedules.

Brenda Haynes, MEd

Director and Kindermusik Maestro

Among the Top 5% of Kindermusik Educators Worldwide

573-881-1574

brenda@kindermusikwithbrenda.com

http://www.kindermusikwithbrenda.com/

_______________________________________________

For information about child development, local events, musical learning and more, visit my blog at: http://kindermusikwithbrendabrenda.blogspot.com/

_______________________________________________

To purchase Discovery Toys, book a party, or play for a living, visit: http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/home/bhaynes

This Spring, your child will begin their two year journey through Young Child.

Saturdays, 12:00-1:00 pm

(additional afternoon class may be added if needed--CALL ME!)

Listen as your child astonishes you with her newfound ability to create musical compositions. Kindermusik for the Young Child provides a pressure-free, developmentally appropriate transition to musically succeed before taking on more formal instruction. Kindermusik provides the opportunity to explore voice development, rhythm, notation, musical symbols and authentic pre-keyboard, string and woodwind instruments.


Young Child helps every child develop a confident, joyful voice for singing and speaking as well as essential building blocks for a future of learning. Designed for children ages 5 through 7 years, classes meet once a week for 60 minutes.

Students explore many facets of the musical experience-speaking, singing, moving, dancing, listening, creating and playing instruments, as well as learning about reading and writing music. As the capstone to the child's Kindermusik journey, Young Child broadens and deepens the child's introduction to the fulfillment and excitement of musicianship.

Curricula for Spring 2008

Semester 1 broadens the child's musical experience through the introduction of the glockenspiel. Learning how to keep a steady beat plus reading and writing musical notations will help a child lay the initial groundwork for musical success! Semester 4 explores multicultural music-from Japan to Hawaii to Africa, just to name a few! Children will learn basic notation concepts on their first wind instrument--the recorder-while gaining confidence and appreciation for their own musical gifts.

Cost of 15 weeks including all materials is $260

I look forward to learning with your child!

Musically,

Miss Brenda

573-881-1574

Kindermusik Curricula
Spring 2008

Village (newborn to 18 months)

Cock-A-doodle-MOO!— Hop on the hayride—it’s time to head for the farm! In the Cock-a-doodle-MOO! unit of Kindermusik Village, families will sing songs about the farm, including "Old MacDonald," "Hayride," and "Clever Cows." They’ll engage in rituals and playful activities for baby and caregiver, including infant massage, lap bounces, exercise, and quiet time. During the week, families will enjoy their At Home Materials, looking through a playful picturebook of animals and the sounds they make, as well as a CD of the songs heard in class and an instrument for music-making at home.

Dew Drops—Stop and smell the roses—and lily of the valley, and tulips, and pansies . . . in the DewDrops unit of Kindermusik Village, families will play and move together to songs about flowers, such as "Jasmine Flower," "How Does Your Garden Grow?," and "White Coral Bells." They’ll also hear traditional Irish music: they’ll dance a jig, move to the "Irish Trot," and exercise to "Did You Ever See a Lassie." In their At Home Materials, families will receive a CD of beautifully arranged songs from class, a board book of flowers, and an instrument for music-making at home.

Our Time (18 months to 3 years)

Away We Go!
Hop on the train, get in the car, board the plane, and Away We Go! This delightful, 15-lesson unit 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. Move, play, and sing together in developmentally appropriate activities created just for 1 1/2 to 3-year-olds. Families will receive 2 CDs, a Home Activity Book, 2 storybooks (Shiny Dinah and Giddy-Up!), 2 harmonicas, and a train carrying box.

Imagine That! (3 to 5 years)

Toys I Make – Trips I Take
What’s more exciting to a 3 or 4-year-old than a new toy? How about an entire Toy Shop full of toys! And a full toy shop is exactly what your Kindermusik Imagine That! families will enjoy in an exceptional follow-up to the already highly regarded first unit of the curriculum, See What I Saw. Toys I Make, Trips I Take is focused on creating a stimulating musical environment that integrates music, pretend play, story telling movement, and more. Toys I Make, Trips I Take introduces the musical environment of a remarkable toy shop, filled with boats, trains, balls, jack-in-the-box and many other toys that bring a glimmer into a child’s eyes.

Young Child (5 to 7 years)

Semester 1
A pressure-free approach to learning, but concrete enough because his mind is ready for the more abstract thinking processes that music requires. Play remains the primary way a young child learns, so throughout the curriculum there is a consistent effort to balance active learning with the emotional reasoning aspects of a young child’s development in mind. At Home Materials include Children's Folder, Music At Home cards & stickers Games Bag, Family Songbook, Home CD, and Carry Bag. Instruments can include glockenspiel w/mallets, dulcimer, and recorder.

Family Time (all ages)

Make Way For Music
In Make Way for Music, families will sing, dance, and move their way through an exploration of several elements of music: beat and rhythm, concepts and contrasts (such as staccato and legato, high and low, the major scale, and arpeggios), the human voice, instrument families, and ensemble. They’ll engage in developmentally appropriate activities that the whole family can enjoy together, including fingerplays, songs, circle dances, story time, and family jam. In their At Home Materials, families will receive two fingerdrums, one Sing, Play, & Grow home activity guide, two children’s storybooks (Drum Circle and Animals on Parade), a hand puppet and finger puppet of Rex (the lion member of Family Time’s Jellybean Band), and an instrument-matching board game. Get the family band together, and Make Way for Music!

Sign & Sing (6 months to 3 years)
Session A: Everyday items around the house—a ball, bubbles, mom and
dad—become the objects of learning in the classroom and at home.
You’ll teach parents the sign language methods of the experts,
such as making the sign in front of a child, on a child’s body, and knowing when a child is most engaged and ready to learn. All assembled in this easy-to-
understand format so you can open your teacher’s kit, and be in the classroom teaching with confidence.

Session B: This session reviews the first three Keys to Signing Smart Success™ and provides an in-depth look at the final and fourth Key. New concepts such as in and out, up and down, big and little, tall and short will be explored with more songs and animal-themed activities.

Why Music?

Music is a science.
It is exact, it is specific and it demands exact acoustics. A conductor’s score is a chart, a graph which indicates frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody and harmony all at once and with the most exact control of time.




Music is mathematical.
It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fractions which must be done instantaneously, not worked out on paper.





Music is a foreign language.
Most of the terms are in Italian, German or French; and the notation is certainly not English - but a highly-developed kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The semantics of music is the most complete and universal language.






Music is physical education.
It requires fantastic coordination of fingers, hands, arms, lip, cheeks and facial muscles in addition to extraordinary control of the diaphragmatic, back and stomach muscles, which respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets.






Music is Art.
It allows the human being to take all these dry, technically boring (but difficult) techniques and use them to create emotion. This one thing science cannot duplicate: humanism, feeling emotion, call it what you will.

FACT SHEET
Research Encourages Focus on Music and the Arts to Enhance Early Childhood Development Music Research

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, states, "Studying music encourages self discipline and diligence traits that carry over into mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history and geography."

Research supports that music helps prepare the mind for specific disciplines of learning; skills learned through music carry over into study skills, communications skills, cognitive skills and abstract reasoning skills useful to all parts of life, according to a 1997 article in Neurological Research.

Young Children
Don Campbell, author of The Mozart Effect, traced neurological development during childhood and found prior to a major spurt of neural integration in the brain during the elementary school years, learning occurs through movement and quick emotional associations. For example, by age two, the brain has begun to fuse with the body via marching, dancing, and developing a sense of physical rhythm. The more that music children are exposed to before they enter school, the more deeply this stage of neural coding will assist them throughout their lives.

School-aged Children
Arts education makes a tremendous impact on the developmental growth of every child and has proven to help level the "learning field" across socio-economic boundaries, states the Involvement in the Arts and Success in Secondary School, James S. Catterall, The UCLA Imagination Project, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, UCLA, Americans for the Arts Monograph, January 1998.

Arts education has a measurable impact on youth at risk in deterring delinquent behavior and truancy problems while also increasing overall academic performance among those youth engaged in after school and summer arts programs targeted toward delinquency prevention, according to the YouthARTS Development Project, 1996, U.S. Department of Justice, National Endowment for the Arts, and Americans for the Arts.

Community-based Arts
Findings from the Living the Arts through Language + Learning: A Report on Community-based Youth Organizations, Shirley Brice Heath, Stanford University and Carnegie Foundation For the Advancement of Teaching, Americans for the Arts Monograph, November 1998 reports that:

Young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours a day, three days a week for at least one year are:

~4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.
~3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools.
~4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair.
~3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance.
~4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem.

Young artists, as compared with their peers, are likely to:
~Read for pleasure nearly twice as often.
~Perform community service more than four times as often.
~Participate in youth groups nearly four times as frequently.
~Attend music, art, and dance classes nearly three times as frequently.

5 tips for choosing the best toddler toys
What to buy to satisfy their need for activity and discovery

Top toys for your toddlers NBC News video

By Stephanie Oppenheim
May 8, 2007

Toddlers are often the hardest children to shop for because they still put things in their mouths, they're not always steady on their feet, and they're not ready for complicated toys.

Here's our list of top favorites for this on-the-go stage:

1. Active play
First you want toys for active play. "On the go!" That's the catch phrase that comes to mind when we think about toddlers. Wheel toys that match their new mobility are ideal. There are several things that we do not recommend for toddlers: They're not ready for pedals or motors. Choose toys that allow them to use their big muscles and develop their coordination. Our top picks: Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon (Radio Flyer $80); Retro Rocket (Radio Flyer $60) and Walker-to-Wagon (Fisher-Price $24.99).

2. Climbing toys
Climbing is another important form of locomotion. We spend so much of our time telling toddlers not to climb. It's important to give them space where they are encouraged to use their energy productively. Going up and down, under and over are all opportunities to use their big muscles. For this stage, skip the big, tall climbers. They're really not safe for toddlers. You're better off not having any, than to bring home something to grow into. That said, even low climber slides require adult supervision and cushioning underneath. New and small in scale is the Naturally Playful Lookout Treehouse (Step 2 $129.99). We also recommend Step 2's bigger Naturally Playful Clubhouse Climber ($599.99). It's pricey but a perfectly scaled climber/playhouse for this age group that will also be enjoyed by 3s and 4s.

3. Again-and-again toys
To know a toddler is know that they love doing things over and over again. While it may seem silly at times, these repetitive actions are a way of building their confidence and sense of themselves as active doers. It's important to select toys that build on that ability. There are several great choices in this category: Rollipop Toddler Starter and Advanced Sets (Edushape $19.95 and $24.95)/Roll Around Tower (International Playthings $28.99).

4. Exploration toys
Toddlers' play is all about exploration. Toddlers learn best through their senses so it's important to provide them with opportunities to make their own discoveries.

Sand/water exploration. Experience sand running through fingers, or through a sieve, or pushing a small boat through water. These are all fun ways to explore. What happens if I spill water through the water wheel? For exploration, you want toys that do not require a right or wrong way to make things happen. They are completely open-ended invitations for sensory learning. This kind of play gives meaning to concepts like full and empty, wet and dry. They're beginnings of basic science and great for language development. It's a good kind of messy play! We recommend the Sand & Sea Play Table (Little Tikes $79.99). It holds up to 50 pounds of sand. It comes with a water wheel, boats, an umbrella, and covers for both sides. Great for small spaces as well.

Art Exploration. At this stage it's not about making something, it's again about the exploration of the materials. How does the finger paint feel in my hand? What happens when you add red to yellow? These concrete experiences are the best way to introduce color concepts. This is literally hands-on learning. It's messy, so if that's an issue do it outside. Alex's Super Art Table ($154) is roomy enough for four young artists. Pair this with their new No Mess Fingerpaint Trays ($12.99) and finger paints that now come in new pump jars ($4.99 per bottle).

5. Pretend play
As language grows with older toddlers, so does the ability to make believe. Toddlers need more realistic props that look like things grownups are using. Familiar objects such as toy kitchens, shopping carts, toy phones, carriages, and huggables are all basic gear for this early stage of pretend. Simple props that allow the child to take charge are best. We'd recommend avoiding bossy toys that direct the play. The technology for these toys may seem appealing at first but they really rob kids of the opportunity to use their own imaginations. New this season, the Grand Walk-In Kitchen (Step 2 $259.99) works both as a kitchen and a playhouse complete with pretend microwave, of course.

Stephanie Oppenheim, a frequent TODAY contributor, is co-founder of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, an independent consumer organization that rates the best, and worst, in children's toys. For other top picks for toddlers, visit toyportfolio.com.

Why music?

Brain-Boosting Activities for Your Baby: Stimulate your baby's learning power by experimenting with his five senses.

By Kate Brophy

A newborn's brain is an amazing thing. It contains more than 100 billion cells and is primed to absorb and retain information. But it's all potential until those brand new cells start making connections with one another. Using his five senses, a baby will take in information and make a mental effort to understand it. That's how the connections form.

As your baby's primary teacher, you can help him experience the new sensations that get his brain cells buzzing. Here are nine super-simple at-home activities that can boost your baby's brainpower while you have a great time together.


1. Touchy Feely
Sense stimulated: touch
A newborn's hands are usually curled up into tight fists. Gently play with her hands and fingers to encourage her to unclench them. Touch her palms and fingers with soft toys, the edge of a silky blanket, or a nubby towel (the idea is to use different textures). Follow these soft sensations with solid ones, using a wooden block or plastic rattle so she can feel the difference. Label the textures as you go: this is soft, this is rough, this is smooth.
Brain bonus: Feeling a variety of sensations and textures teaches your baby about differences in environment. Switching between soft and hard, rough and smooth, also helps her develop rudimentary intellectual skills, such as the concept of opposites.

2. Colors and Contrasts
Sense stimulated: sight
Your baby's still-developing vision responds better to high-contrast patterns. Up to around 2 months of age, he prefers black and white to color images. Use a black marker on white paper to doodle spirals or simple faces. Hang these where your baby can see them. After 2 months, he can better distinguish colors and the differences in light. Carry him around the house so he can see how the light changes from room to room.
Brain bonus: Looking at contrasting shades helps develop your baby's perception of color and form. Color also affects his mood and behavior: blues and greens help to calm and relax him; reds and yellows energize him.

3. Let's Dance
Sense stimulated: hearing
Put on some music — whatever you like best — and hold your baby close to you in your arms or in her baby sling while you dance. Sway from side to side, slowly spin around, and move him back and forth and up and down. (Make sure you support her head at all times.)
Brain bonus: By experiencing the feeling of motion and seeing the world from different angles, your baby is making brain connections that will ultimately help her with balance when she's walking — and dancing — on her own.

4. Shake, Rattle, and Roll
Sense stimulated: hearing
Seat your baby in his bouncy chair and shake a brightly colored rattle 8 to 10 inches away from his face to attract his attention. When he focuses on the rattle, slowly move it from left to right so he can try to track it with his eyes.
Brain bonus: One of the things your baby will learn over time is that not all the sounds he hears actually come from him. Once you've piqued his interest in the bright, noisy rattle, he'll want to search for the source of the sound. Presto — you've got him thinking!

5. Chime In
Senses stimulated: hearing and sight
Hang a simple wind chime where your baby can see it sway and hear the tinkling sounds it makes. You can even make your own with spoons or other objects.
Brain bonus: When your baby sees the wind chime move at the same time she hears its song, she'll eventually associate its movement with the pleasant sounds that she hears. You're sowing the seeds of cause-and-effect understanding: certain events lead to predictable outcomes.

6. Puppet Pop-Up
Sense stimulated: sight
Wear a finger puppet on each hand and sit in front of your baby with your hands a couple of feet apart. Close your hands so he can't see the puppets. Then, slowly reveal one puppet at a time, alternating between each hand. Watch as he works out that there's a pattern to what you're doing: you'll see his eyes start to alternate their focus, fractionally pre-empting the appearance of each puppet!
Brain bonus: You're encouraging your baby to get his eyes to work together to focus on something, an ability known as stereoscopic vision. Plus, being able to recognize a pattern is vital for learning day-to-day routines.

7. Massage Moment
Sense stimulated: touch
Skin is the largest sense organ and your newborn is incredibly sensitive to touch. Her brain will register and respond to the slightest pressure on her skin. When you're changing her diaper, take a few moments to gently stroke and caress her skin. Trace the tips of your fingers down her legs and draw circles on the soles of her feet. Have skin-to-skin contact with your baby every day, holding her against your bare chest and gently stroking her back.
Brain bonus: Every time you touch and cuddle your baby, connections are made in her brain. The more connections her brain makes, the smarter she'll be.

8. Chatterbox Challenge
Sense stimulated: hearing
This one seems easy — but a busy parent at home with an infant may forget to talk to her child frequently. Try to provide a running commentary on your actions. Here's Mommy with your hat, so we can go outside now! ... Let's go see what's in the kitchen ... Want to sit in your seat while I make your lunch? Use a high-pitched, singsong voice. Babies seem to take more notice of higher tones. Once he starts to coo and gurgle, at around 2 to 3 months, give him the opportunity to reply and then be sure to answer back.
Brain bonus: Your high-pitched voice attracts your baby's attention. When he hears how you modulate your voice, he also learns crucial lessons about the tone and pace of speech. It's his first lesson in having a conversation.

9. Baby Aromatherapy
Sense stimulated: smell
Open one of the seams of a soft play cube and pop in a couple of cotton balls scented with lemon oil. Then, sew it back up securely. Your baby will breathe in the lemon scent as she plays with his newly fragrant toy.
Brain bonus: Certain smells will calm your baby or make her alert. Lemon and peppermint are linked to mental alertness, while lavender and orange promote relaxation and calm. Being alert or relaxed are both ideal states of mind for your baby to absorb and learn about what she's seeing, hearing, and feeling.

From: Parent & Child 2/2007
Parent & Child magazine reaches 7 million parents of young children and provides the learning link between home and school. Subscribe

So Many Ways

I'm coming right out and saying it. "Parenting is HARD!!"

I worked with school-aged children with emotional and behavior concerns during my first 8 years of teaching. That was a hard job. I thought that with my background in education and behavioral therapy, I'd have no problem in the parenting department. HA!



No amount of preparation could have made this easy!

One great way to learn about parenting is to talk to other parents! After speaking with many other mom's this week, I realize that ultimately, there is no one 'right' way to parent. What works for one or most may not work for another. Considering the unique nature of the situation and temperaments of the individuals involved really is the beginning to a solution that works for everyone.

Children change quickly, so we have to adjust our techniques a bit as time goes on in order to accomodate them. I have found myself going back to the training I received during my years teaching, in graduate school and during recent professional development.

In Conscious Discipline, Becky Bailey talks about how adults must first make changes in their own lives and in turn, change the lives of children. She also talks about really understanding children, their differences and the circumstances that make them who they are at this moment.

While attending one of Dr. Bailey's workshops (before motherhood), I wrote down, "a child needs to be treated the way they need to be treated." With all of the emphasis on multiple intelligences, learning styles, and the 5 Love Languages, I was forced to change how I felt about behavior. Now, as a parent, I am relearning this valuable information and trying to figure out where my children's intelligence lies, how they learn best, and how to fill their 'love tanks', all in the hopes of making all of our lives a little more peaceful.

When dealing with behavior, I try to keep in mind these questions: Does my child really understand what I think they do? How are they interpreting what I'm saying? Can they really control what I assume they can?

Ah Ha!!

We all have to find a balance within our own situation that works for everyone involved. This is tricky and requires a lot of creative thinking 'outside the box' so that appropriate solutions can be found for unique situations. This is why parenting is so hard! Sometimes it is hard to figure out just what makes our kids tick! I know it is a task that keeps my busy!!

It takes a Village!

Babies love to sing and play with their parents in this fun environment where all of the senses are engaged. Thanks to Paula Smith for this video!

Imagine That!

3-5 year olds sing, dance and play with their families in this class that is all about imagination and fun! Thanks to Paula Smith for this video.

Kindermusik with Brenda

Paula Smith, Mizzou student's news story on Kindermusik with Brenda!