Why is Kindermusik recommended for your little one?

 

Did you know...

MUSIC CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Music plays an important part in the lives of people. Everyone can learn and benefit from the study of music. There is musical potential in every individual and like all potential, it should be developed to its fullest. Music can connect us to our history, tradition and heritage while providing a constructive use for leisure time.

1The study of music aids in mental, physical and personal needs.
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1Music is a uniquely powerful means of involving and integrating the activities of both the right and left halves of the brain, combining the rational and the aesthetic. There is a proven correlation between musical study and the following:
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• Muscular Development:   It improves a child’s small motor skills, hand-eye coordination and over-all physical coordination.

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• Increased Listening Ability:  This helps to increase the attention span, concentration, and long and short term memory.

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• Increased Primary Mental Abilities: (verbal, perceptual, number, and spatial) This sharpens a child’s communication, critical thinking and problem solving skills. He or she learns to understand, interpret and use symbols in new contexts.

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• Creative Potential: This promotes awareness of student’s capabilities using imagination and self expression.

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• Development of Personal and Social Skills:  It can help to build confidence, self-discipline and responsibility. They learn to work for and cooperate with others.
  

Through participation in music, children learn the gratification of work shared
and challenges met. It helps your child learn how to learn.

“The Effects of Kindermusik on Behavioral Self-Regulation in Early Childhood”

 

     Study results were made available to Kindermusik in May, 2005.  Adam Winsler Ph.D and graduate student Lesley Ducenne in the Department of Psychology at George Mason University conducted a study on children 3-5 years old titled “The Effects of Kindermusik on Behavioral Self-Regulation in Early Childhood.”

Why is this research important for parents?

     It adds impetus to a parent’s decision-making because it’s more than just saying, “Okay, we’ve done Kindermusik, let’s try something else.” It encourages a parent to go beyond the smorgasbord approach to children’s activities. A lot of times parents will say, “We’ll do art, then soccer, then swimming.” A study like this encourages families to look at the value of re-enrolling.  Repetition is vital for a child’s learning, and currently in our culture, it’s not viewed that way, as variety is the current trend.

 

THE RESULTS:  The Benefits increase the longer you stay in Kindermusik.

 

Specifically, the study showed:

·         “Children currently enrolled in Kindermusik showed higher levels of self-control than those never enrolled and those previously enrolled.  This suggests that in order for children to reap the benefit of increased self-control as a result of Kindermusik participation, it is important to have repeated and recent Kindermusik experiences and remain enrolled in the program.”

·         “Four-year-old children who had been exposed to Kindermusik for longer periods of time are better off in terms of self-control—namely a child’s ability to plan, guide, and control their own behavior—than similar children with less Kindermusik history.”

·         “These experiences, stop-go, high-low, fast-slow, short-long, and loud-soft, whereby children’s motor behavior is guided by the music, appear to be good exercise for young children’s emerging self-regulatory skills.”

Editor’s note: The 15-month study included 91 children between the ages of 3 and 5 who were split into three groups: 23 students currently enrolled in Kindermusik, 19 students previously enrolled in Kindermusik, and 49 students of similar family backgrounds from local preschools who had never had Kindermusik.

The children were observed doing a variety of tasks that required self-control such as slowing down their motor behavior, delaying their gratification, refraining from touching attractive but forbidden toys, quietly whispering, and compliance with instructions to initiate or stop certain behaviors. Parents also completed surveys.

The study, supervised by Adam Winsler, PhD, Applied Developmental Psychology in the Department of Psychology at George Mason University, will likely be presented at national conferences and published later this year.