Music in early childhood

When Drew was 4 months old I enrolled her (us) in a music program that we attended once a week.  We drove 50 minutes one-way for this class.  I mostly did it because I was going apeshit at home.  I was new to the stay-at-home-mom world and needed something to do.  We'd been in our new house and new town just a few weeks and I got online and went searching for something.  I found this class, enrolled, and we loved it.  She wasn't even sitting up yet so she literally laid there while I patted the beat on her tummy or danced around with her.  We continued going to this music class until I was too pregnant with William to enjoy sitting on the ground during the class anymore - Drew was 18 months old.  As soon as William was born, we started back up again.  We missed just one semester.  We had the most fabulous teacher, Miss Jody, and we followed her from Pleasanton to Livermore to Brentwood.  Finally she opened a class just 20 minutes from our house which was awesome, we didn't have to travel so far anymore.  Once the kids started school our schedules just got too busy and we stopped going.  Just this afternoon I enrolled Lauren in Miss Jody's class and we start next Friday.  Drew and William will be in school and it will be a special time for just Lauren and me.  I can't wait.

When I was teaching I used music in my classroom to teach everything from math to the states and capitals.  I often had 30 fifth graders who could sing all 50 states and capitals - in alphabetical order - in less than a week.  Think about it.  How does a baby learns all his letters?  By singing them.   There is an immense amount of research that proves music is essential to learning and is incredibly beneficial in early childhood especially.  To find one great article you can click HERE.  

So, what started out as just an activity to get us out of the house turned into a much more enriching experience for both Drew and me.  And then William and me.  And now for Lauren and me.  I'm excited.

If you have a little one, are looking for something to do with him/her, and have a free hour a week, look into a local class.  There are lots of different programs.  The one we attend is called Music Together.  You can find their info. at www.musictogether.com if you're interested.

Here's Drew at 16 months  (June, 2006).  She was speech delayed and didn't have any real language until 25 months so this was exciting and I attributed much of what she hummed (her only communication at that point) to our music classes.

Don't judge her by her lovely 'do.  Her mother was a complete idiot and cut her hair for the first 2 years of her life.  Her bib should say, "Don't blame me for my mullet,  blame my mommy."







Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing