Musical Mother Goose and Nursery Rhymes

Check out these musical and learning products from Do-Re-Me & You, a division of Kindermusik. These products certainly compliment the new Village unit Hickory, Dickory, Tickle & Bounce for Kindermusik babies. You might want to add these to your library collection of nursery rhymes and songs! Please let Miss Sunny know if you'd like to place an order with Do-Re-Me & You!

Wake up little one! When Cock-a-Doodle-Blue! looks for a friend to help him wake up the animals on the farm, your baby gets a multi-musical, multi-sensory experience. As you read together, your little one will love discovering the plush rooster's six touchy-feely surfaces and squeezing his beak to hear him crow. And when everyone is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, you'll love listening to the CD's farm animal-infused songs drawn from nursery rhymes and beloved children's literature, such as Charlotte's Web and Mother Goose. Includes: CD, board book, plush multi-sensory rooster. Infant and up $25.95

Move those tail feathers! A slightly larger egg shape than you'll find anywhere means these shakers are safe and sound. Plus she gets a better grasp around the eggs themselves, and the idea that when she shakes them, she'll feel the vibrations in her hands, and hear a sound in her mind—turning on several learning senses at once. Get loosey-goosey with this activity booklet, CD, and Mother Goose's favorite rhymes. Includes: CD, activity booklet, 2 blue egg shakers. Listen to a medley of the music on this CD. Infant and up $14.95


Put your best piggy toe forward. Every little toe's favorite rhyme has a new musical ending when these little piggies go la-dee-dah-dee-dah all the way home...and start a band! You'll be inspired for lots of toe and finger play when singing along to the nursery rhymes on the CD, like "This Little Cow," "Round and Round the Garden," and "I Have 10 Little Ponies." Includes: CD, board book, and a 7" piggy drum and drumsticks. Listen to a medley of the music on this CD. Infant and up $32.95

Higher-chair learning. Take the mess out of mealtime with a healthy serving of songs and high chair games whipped together to help your child learn language, count, and play along with the pots and pans in the kitchen. With this interactive, cuddly-cloth book about the Pat-a-Cake rhyme, your baby will get a feel for the story from the delightful textures in the book while wiggling all of the moveable cloth parts. On the CD, play along with "Zoom, Zoom the Airplane Spoon," dance with the "Muffin Man," and pat along with new originals like "High Chair Drummer." Includes: CD, cloth baby book with a velcro clasp and carrying handle. Infant and up $25.95

First Day Jitters

Best selling book on first day jitters: Kindergarten to 3rd grade!

Truth be told, I am feeling both excited and a wee bit nervous about starting back tomorrow with Saturday's Village class-- teachers experience first day jitters, too! Though I've listened and memorized over 200 songs and planned for 63 weekly lessons for the 6 different curricula, my biggest worry of course is that I will suddenly lose it, and an activity I thought would be a total hit will suddenly turn into a total flop. So I suppose I should start practicing what I preach and that is: Let go of your own agenda and expectations of how things should be.

I first received this advice from another Kindermusik educator out in East Bay. Lindsay Levin, M.A. who's been a personal mentor and now a dear friend offered this advice when I was thrown a curve ball in class, figuratively speaking that is. Since then, I've adopted it as my personal motto and have shared it with many Kindermusik families. As we work and teach the very young together, it's important to remember to put aside our personal and adult "expectations" of how children learn best. One plan does not fit all so it's critical that we be flexible and be open to many and different expressions of learning. So let's embrace the unexpected and delight in the creative contribution each child brings to the Kindermusik classroom. Cheers Lindsay for your wisdom!

Here is what we have in store for you at Musikandmotion this spring semester:

VILLAGE: Hickory Dickory Tickle and Bounce offered on SAT. 9:00AM OR TUES. 9:00AM
VILLAGE: The Rhythm of My Day offered on SAT 9:00AM, TUES. 9:00AM, WED. 11:15AM, OR THURS. 4:00PM
OUR TIME: Fiddle Dee Dee offered on SAT. 10:15AM, TUES. 10:15AM, WED. 10:15AM OR THURS 5:00PM
IMAGIN THAT!: Cities- Busy Places, Friendly Faces on MON. 4:00PM
YOUNG CHILD 1 offered on TUES. 4:45PM
FAMILY TIME: Our Kind of Day offered on FRI. 10:15AM
SIGN & SING A offered on WED. 4:00PM

There are spaces available in some classes and enrollment is continuous so please contact Musikandmotion at 916-419-6999 or musikandmotion@yahoo.com to inquire about enrolling your child in Kindermusik this spring!

For our website: please log onto www.musikandmotion.com

Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language

Here's another reason to teach yourself and your child a foreign language!

According to Yahoo Health News: Bilingualism delays onset of dementia. January 12, 2007 01:13:36 PM PST "People who are fully bilingual and speak both languages every day for most of their lives can delay the onset of dementia by up to four years compared with those who only know one language, Canadian scientists said on Friday. Researchers said the extra effort involved in using more than one language appeared to boost blood supply to the brain and ensure nerve connections remained healthy -- two factors thought to help fight off dementia."

Facinating!

WONDERTIME

I first came across this magazine at a doctor's waiting room last summer. This relatively new parent magazine from the editors of FamilyFun made its debut last spring of 2006-- its articles are informative, inspiring and educational. It's an excellent resource magazine for those who are facinated by how children learn birth through 6 years of age! Don't take my word for it. Click Amazon.com to read customer reviews of Wondertime.

Now you can visit Wondertime to read all of their articles!

P.S. Last year, they featured the following story, What Babies Know at Birth. It's a facinating and thought provoking article about language development and learning among infants. You can read the full article here: What Babies Know at Birth

Born to be Multilingual

Did you know that babies at birth are ease dropping on our adult conversations and working hard to learn the phonetic sounds of what they are hearing? During the first year of a baby's life, these consistent spoken sounds and patterns are imprinted on babies’ brain cells as they form a map in the auditory cortex. Amazingly, as babies become proficient at decoding what they are hearing, they begin to somewhat lose their natural ability to discriminate between sounds that are not made in their own language, which occurs at... are you ready for this? 1 year old! Although anyone can learn a foreign language at any age, we know that as we get older, it gets harder. That's because after 10 years of age, the brain starts to prune away the language learning connections that haven't been used, while strengthening the existing connections we currently have to speak and think. Of course, the more we use it, the stronger these connections become allowing us to speak and think more clearly and efficiently in our native language.

Tales from Milk & Cookies

Here are some delicious and scumptious tales of Milk & Cookies from home! There have been batches of more original stories shared that did not make it to the blog but were savored in class. Thanks for the delightful memories!

I love when Maya (age 18 mo) starts to sing different portions of Our Time songs on her own at home; she doesn’t sing much in class- but I can tell she listens when she bursts out ‘Shake, shake, shake—STOP!’ – Surekha

It's so wonderful to see her making the connection to things we have learned and experienced in the class. ...my parents have a piano at their house and my mom and Madison (age 20 mo) will "play" the piano together every once in a while. What she has been doing lately (in the past months or so) is playing just the highest black key and the lowest black key. She will lean way over to reach each of those keys and only those two keys!! I really think she is trying to understand the concept of highs and lows and opposites...just like we do in Kindermusik class when we do "loudly" and "softly" and "high" and "low." I was so tickled when I saw her do that at the piano! She really likes the different sounds that the two highest and lowest black keys make!" - Shelley

Santa brought a scarf, egg shakers, bells and rhythm sticks for Christmas. After a couple hours of extended family present opening, my husband found Karley (age 2) playing with the scarf and instruments in a quiet room by herself saying, “Yeah! Miss Sunny!” – Brenna

Ryan (age 2) loves to sing at home—he still won’t go to sleep without hearing To Market, To Market and Rise Sugar Rise (which he calls “Sunny’s songs”)— Sara

One more Ali (age 2 ½) story to tell, that my mom just relayed to me -- she is with them in Sunnyvale and we are getting a some nice quiet time here in sacto. I miss her, but the time to myself is quite nice! Before bed, my mom is laying down with Ali and tells her the story of the three bears. Ali listens intently and then when it's over, says that it's her turn to tell a story. She then proceeds to tell the story of "Pease porridge hot." Made me laugh. — Kristin

Madison (age 2 ½) loves to listen to “Milk & Cookies” CD at bedtime. She has a small CD player in her bedroom now. She also loves to wash the dishes, “scrub, scrub, scrub.”—Grandma Bettie

My daughter, Gianna (age 3) asks every day if she goes to see Miss Sunny today. -- Reina

We actually just got into Fort Worth this evening and preparing to unpack my Mom tomorrow..fun fun!! When we had stopped, Kaylin (almost 3) was riding with her Dad and I went to go sit with her while he ran into the gas station, I noticed that they had been listening to her music. One of the things that I thought was really cool was that she was starting to sing the words right as they were happening and knew the words better than I did. It was really cute. — Stacy

Milk & Cookies Memories

Organ Dedication Concert

DR. JEAN CHANG, INTERNATIONAL CONCERT ORGANIST

SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2007, 3:00PM
St. Luke's Lutheran church
7595 Center Parkway
Sacramento, CA 95823
916.421.5039
On the corner of Center Parkway and Tangerine

Dr. Chang dedicates the three-manual Allen Quantum 325 Organ

THE CONCERT IS FREE & OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC APPETIZER REFRESHMENTS TO FOLLOW

Dr. Chang received her doctorate from Claremont Graduate University in 1999 in Church Music (Organ Major). Come listen as Dr. Chang plays a beautiful selection of music of composers ranging from the seventeenth century to present day. She is the director of the music department at St. Luke's Luthern Church and offers private/group oragan and piano lessons in Natomas Park, Sacramento. Jean is also my talented older sister and is the reason why I'm inspired to continue to pursue my own musical creativity.

Our Time! Loud and Quiet Scarf Dance!

Milk & Cookies toddlers rock, and so do these parents!!! Here's to learning about pattern, rhythm, movement, creativity, contrast, anticipation and spatial awareness (I could go on and on...) among our 18 months to 3 1/2 year olds. Fun, fun, fun!

Milk & Cookies Favorites

Here are the songs and activities that won the most votes from Kindermusik Milk & Cookies families at Musikandmotion:

A House for Me (traditional) & Rise Sugar Rise (adapted African folk song)-- Tied
Shake Hands (adapted African-American Children's Song)
Somebody's Knocking (adapted African-American Children's Song)
In My House (Claire Clark--Kindermusik International writer)
Active Listening: Hammer/Saw and Doorbell/Knocking-- Tied
All Around the Kitchen (African-American Folk Tune)
I'm a Little Teapot (traditional)
Hot Cross Buns (English Nursery Rhyme)
Washing Machine & Jelly in the Bowl(both anonymous)-- Tied
Fai-do-do (French Lullaby)
Go into the Kitchen (adapted Square Dance Tune)
Class Photo Book (by Milk & Cookies Children at Musikandmotion)

Hmmm, anyone see a pattern here???

Farewell Dream Pillow Babies & Families

To All My Kindermusik Village Dream Pillow Families,

Thanks for the wonderful memories! Looking forward to making new ones this spring semester!







Keep those little feet dancing!

Human Intelligence and Creativity

"Creativity... comes about from the interaction of different disciplinary ways of seeing things," Sir Ken Robinson

Hat tip to Brenna Taylor, a Kindermusik Mom at Musikandmotion for sending the following video to me! Sir Ken Robinson, author of Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative, shares his witty and facinating perspective on the human mind and how children ought to be nurtured in the 21st century. It's inspiring and I encourage you to take a moment to watch it! Please share your thoughts and comments on our blog!

Click here to view video!

Josh Groban's Voice and Message

A dear friend and personal mentor, Miss Jane Buchanan (a Kindermusik educator in Antioch, California) first introduced me to Josh Groban's mesmerizing voice-- and what a voice he has, and an even greater message he has to share! Though this young man enjoyed a rich musical background, he didn't start vocal training till he was in 8th grade! On a recent interview with Oprah, he shares one of his "A-Ha!" moments about his journey to stardom, "I had gotten to this place by doing what I loved, even when it meant I felt different and alone. I could have gone out for the baseball team or stopped wearing sweater vests. But for some reason, I didn't try to be like everybody, even when that seemed the easy option, and I had finally been rewarded. I know that if I follow my heart, it will lead me where I belong."

You can visit Josh Groban on his official website.

To listen and view Josh sing Weeping from his new album Awake, click here! This South African song was inspired by his visit with Nelson Mandela and schools in Soweto. He vocally harmonized this song with his long time idols, Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Ladysmith Black Mambazo will be performing here in Sacramento, on January 25, 2007 at Crest Theatre! You can also find out more about Grobanite for Africa-- a grassroot charity foundation spearheaded by Josh Groban.

Click here to listen to his more dramatic voice from Awake Josh Groban!

Music is Everywhere

Music is ev'rywhere, in my head, in the air.
All around, hear the sound, I hear it ev'rywhere.
by Jacque Negus



The words to this sweet song from Kindermusik Young Child 1 curriculum kept popping up in my mind on my recent trip to San Diego with my husband, David, and my parents who are visiting for the holidays. With the So. Cal. sun warming our backs, we leisurely took a delightful stroll down memory lane along the shores of La Jolla Cove. While David and I reminisced about our carefree college days at UC San Diego some 18 years ago, my dad shared stories of his naval training at Coronado as a young officer some 45 years ago! A local flutist played to the music of Bach, putting all of us in an even more floating, relaxed and reflective mood. After wards, we drove to Balboa Park and purchased a Peru pan flute at the Hall of Nations and learned a new song, San Diego-- the Beautiful, proudly displayed at the entrance of the Japanese Friendship Garden. How wonderful to know that where ever you go, music truly is everywhere and always helps to create the perfect ambiance!

I hope you enjoyed your holidays as well with time for family, relaxation and reflection. I look forward to seeing you and the children this week as our classes will resume again. I can't wait to hear about your children's holiday and music stories!