Autism. Dancing. Kindermusik. It's all Connected.

The below article is from Miss Allison, of Studio3Music, the largest Kindermusik studio in the greater Seattle area. You can visit Studio3′s Web site here.

The big question of what I would be when I grew up was not such a big question. I’d known since before I went to school that I wanted to be a teacher. Occasionally I get an AFFIRMED stamp on that decision, and on those days my heart just sings. Last week, on Tuesday morning, October 4th at about 10:55, I had one of those moments.

I have this little guy in that Our Time music class. His name is Ben, and he’s been in class with me since before he was born. I actually think he was in class before his mother even knew she was pregnant. After he arrived on the outside of mom, he came as a tag along in a car-seat with his older brother, and when he could sit up, he came to Village (you don’t have to wait that long… come before they sit up!) and now he is coming to his second year of Our Time. So he’s less than three years old and has been in class longer than that.

Ben and I have a connection that I can’t quite explain… so when his mom came to me last fall and said Ben had been diagnosed somewhere on the Autism spectrum I was literally shocked. Not this child, who is so lively and connected, who smiles at me and hugs me and makes eye contact and snuggles into my shoulder so tight that you couldn’t slide a piece of paper between us. Nope. I couldn’t see it… ‘cause Ben and I are connected.

But I started watching him with other folks and I did notice that he only makes eye contact with his mom and me in class. He doesn’t touch anyone but the two of us, and he doesn’t really interact with the other children, and the other moms are treated like shadows on the wall. He is very interested in the activities, but on his terms. So after the shock wore off, I began to understand. It didn’t change anything, ‘cause Ben and I are, well… we’re connected.

Last week in class we we’re doing the Keel Row, just like we always do after we’ve found Lukey’s Boat (Because you dance a Keel Row on a boat- duh!) But I wanted to add a level of personal connection to the communal experience of the dance so I asked the parents to call out to the children across from them and to use the child’s name when we go in and out of the circle during the refrain. The song is highly patterned- intro, verse, refrain, interlude, verse, refrain, and interlude, verse, refrain, refrain. So, there are exactly eight times in the song where the parents were calling out the kids across from them.

Last Tuesday was a running in and out day for Ben; this means he dashes into the action, watches for second or two, or maybe longer, and then dashes back out. Sometimes back to mom, sometimes to a spot of his choosing. I know sometimes he’s watching, sometimes he’s absorbing, but not actively focused on what’s going on. During the dance he ran around the outside of the circle. I could tell he was aware of what was going on, because he knew when to back up so that no one stepped on him when we were backing out of the circle.

But what happened next was so unbelievably wonderful. As we came out of the circle for the second to the last time, Ben dashed in to the middle of the circle, threw his arms up in the air and beamed at the whole class. I took the opportunity and shouted out for everyone to say hello to Ben as we came in; I fully expected him to dash out of the circle before we got there. We all headed back in, the whole class shouting “HI BEN!” and he squealed with delight and wriggled with obvious joy, even jumping up and down a bit. And he made eye contact with a goodly percentage of the class and was a complete member of the community. My heart swelled… my eyes got teary. I blinked hard and did a Scarlet O’Hara,“ I’ll think about it another day” because we we’re about half way through class. I still had plenty of work to do and no time for tears.

So I pulled out the memory and thought it about on the way home- and I realized something really important; not only did Ben choose to make a connection with his class in a socially huge way, he knew when to do it… he knew the pattern in the song, knew it was the last chance to be a part of the dance, knew when he needed to be in the center of the circle and knew how to say “MY TURN” with out any words. I got all teary again… no matter how far away he seems sometimes, he’s not. He’s right there, and he’s getting it. This was only the 4th time we’ve done the dance in class, and he knew what the pattern was, knew this was a safe place and that he could take that leap of faith to join the community.

Today, Ben danced the WHOLE dance. Standing right next to his mom. He kicked, he went around, he went in and out- he squealed with delight, he made eye contact with other adults. When we read the “Pete and PJ” he Wishy Washy Whee’d with the group, right on time, every single time. And his WHEEEEE! was whole-heartedly spectacular.

And later, when he came to drop off his big brother for his class, he gave me the sweetest hug, with his head on my shoulder, and a pat.

-posted by Miss Allison, who says, “Here comes that stamp- AFFIRMED! I so made the right decision back when I was five and decided to be a teacher.”

5 Reasons to Use Music in Head Start Programs

Although the poet Robert Frost was not a preschool, Parents as Teachers, or Head Start teacher, we think he could have been writing about what happens inside a early childhood classroom when he penned: “I’m not a teacher, but an awakener.”

Every day in Parents as Teachers and Head Start programs around the United States, preschool teachers awaken the potential in children. At Kindermusik International, we think—and the research supports it—that music can unlock this potential in all children, especially those most at risk.

Kindermusik Sing & Play, our brand-new curriculum for young toddlers can be used as part of a Parents as Teachers, Early Head Start, or Head Start curriculum to impact a young child’s social, emotional, physical and intellectual development and increase school readiness.

5 ways new Head Start curriculum, Sing & Play, enhances toddlers’ growth:

Created for children between the ages of 12 and 24 months, each Sing & Play lesson includes an average of 11-13 activities with one or more of the following lesson components: gathering time, singing/vocalization, language development, instrument play, movement, pretend play, and greeting/closing rituals. Plus, each lesson features a specific focus, which is experienced, discussed, and discovered through music and movement. Participating children see gains in:

1. Language and Literacy—phonological awareness, auditory discrimination, listening and attention skills, vocabulary development, oral skills, expressive language, verbal memory, and following directions.
2. Pre-math—pattern awareness, sequencing development, spatial awareness.
3. Social-Emotional—pretend play, sharing and taking turns, self-esteem, cooperative play.
4. Music—steady beat competency, vocabulary development, ability to identify and express, rhythmic patterns, listening acuity.
5. Physical—creative movement, rhythm and coordination, eye-hand coordination, fine- and gross-motor skills.

Parent involvement in early childhood development

It’s not only teachers who are “awakeners,” parents are, too. Sing & Play includes the tools and resources needed to boost parent involvement in early childhood education. Through Kindermusik@Home, parents receive access to the music from class as well as parenting tips and ideas on how to incorporate musical activities into their everyday routines and rituals.

Kindermusik @ Home

One of the fabulous benefits of your enrollment in Kindermusik isKindermusik@Home – a whole new way to access and enjoy your Home Materials throughout the week.  But how can Kindermusik@Home make parenting a little bit easier?  Well, you might turn to Kindermusik@Home when you…

• need a lullaby to calm your baby to sleep
• are looking for a special way to connect with your child and sneak in a few giggles or cuddles
• are desperate for a diversion in the long line at the grocery store or the waiting room at the doctor’s office
• can’t remember the words to your child’s favorite song from class
• can’t get out on a rainy day and an educational activity for kids like a video field trip or kid-friendly recipe might be just the thing
• want to help your child get even more out of his or her weekly Kindermusik class
• have a few minutes to really engage with your child and need some inspiration to make that time meaningful and fun
• have a child begging you to read his favorite story from Kindermusik class and you’re not anywhere near the bookshelf at home (Gotta love these mobile apps for kids!)
• want to play a developmentally appropriate, kid-friendly game together
• are ready to download all of the great music from your Kindermusik class
• need expert advice and a window of insight into the precious miracle that is your child
• are looking for an easy way to begin expanding your child’s awareness and understanding of the world around her
• need some great music and activity ideas to soothe or clam, play together, chase away the blues, or share some giggles
• need all of this with you wherever you are – at home or on the go

Kindermusik@Home… It’s all in there!

Why Kindermusik?

The Top Ten Benefits of Enrolling in Kindermusik

With so many choices out there for young children, we thought we’d try to help make the decision a little easier by sharing our top 10 benefits of enrolling in Kindermusik.

Benefit #1: Kindermusik gives your child that unique head start you’ve been looking for – musically, cognitively, and academically.

Benefit#2: Kindermusik inspires a love of music from an early age with songs, instruments, and activities that are just right for each age and every stage.

Benefit #3: Kindermusik enhances every area of your child’s development – we are so much more than just music!

Benefit #4: Kindermusik gives you the time and the tools to enjoy quality time with your child – in class and at home.

Benefit #5: Kindermusik Home Materials let you take the music, fun, and learning with you all week long, wherever you go.

Benefit #6: Kindermusik classes provide a happy social outlet for your child and a valuable support network for you.

Benefit #7: All Kindermusik activities are research-proven and giggle-approved, and all are supported by a developmental and musical focus.

Benefit #8: Kindermusik lays a strong foundation for future success in school and in formal music lessons later on.

Benefit #9: Kindermusik is something you and your child will use every day – at home or on the go!

Benefit #10: Kindermusik offers a comprehensive program with the potential for positively impacting your child from newborn all the way to 7 years of age.