Which Kindermusik Class is Right For My Child?

Children ready for Sing & Play show many of the following characteristics:
Physical

• Has taken his/her first steps and is gaining confidence when walking
• Increasing ability to purposefully manipulate objects (ex: shaking eggs, tapping a drum)

Cognitive

• Explores cause/effect relationships by pushing, pulling, and throwing objects
• Is learning to use toys and objects in symbolic ways, including enjoyment of sensory properties
• Can interact in a directed activity
• Connects to an activity; participates a play sequence
• Frequently responds to own name by looking at person speaking

Emotional

• Beginning to use gestures and language to deal with frustration, as apposed to just crying or whining
• May experience separation anxiety when caregiver is out of sight

Language

• Language is emerging, sometimes able to express wants and needs symbolically (gestures, words)
• Is beginning to use meaningful language (spoken or sign) to express needs and wants
• Reads with caregiver cooperatively. Enjoys books even if caregiver is just labeling the pictures on a page.

Social

• Is interested in what other children are doing
• May be very social and outgoing but reserved around strangers or new situations

Musical

• Recognizes music vs. silence (reacts when a song is sung and stopped before the end of the song)

Children ready for Wiggle & Grow show many of the following characteristics:
Physical

• Improved walking skills, feet are together, knees flexible vs. the “just walker” who has a wide-based legs apart gate with locked knees
• Beginning to imitate/explore a variety of traveling movements —run, jump, leap

Cognitive

• Can reliably point to correctly identified body parts
• Can follow two-step direction
• Understands what “one” means vs. a handful
• Is learning to use toys and objects in symbolic ways, moving beyond just enjoyment of sensory properties
• Can interact in a directed activity
• Is able to shift attention with transition
• Connects to an activity; initiates a play sequence
• Reliably responds to own name, referring to self by name in secure environments

Emotional

• Uses gestures and language to deal with frustration, as apposed to just crying or whining
• Sustains interest and attention in activity for several minutes (Note: not wanting to give something up such as bells or sticks, can be a sign of maturation)

Language

• Can express wants and needs symbolically (gestures, words)
• Has vocabulary of 20 words; receptive language is still stronger than expressive
• Reads with caregiver cooperatively. Can select a book, sit, relate to the story and interact.

Social

• Is interested in what other children are doing
• Is capable of distal communication, such as following verbal instructions from farther away

Musical

• Moves to music, perhaps to steady beat

Children ready for Laugh & Learn show many of the following characteristics:

Physical

• Has a taller, thinner, adult-like appearance
• Balances on one foot; jumps in place without falling
• Holds crayons in pincher grasp rather than fist

Cognitive

• Knows if he/she is a boy or girl
• Can do matching games
• Knows some basic shapes and colors
• Has developing divergent thinking skills (“What animals do you like?”)
• Is beginning transition from concrete to abstract thinking; humor aids this process
• Sits and listens to stories for up to 10 minutes

Emotional

• Recognizes needs of another person; can be empathetic
• Separates from parent without crying
• Shows development of humor

Language

• Is beginning to master rules of language; speaks in full sentences (4-5 words); asks questions
• Has a vocabulary that increases from 300-1,000 words
• Can relate a series of activities; tells stories (“We went to the grocery store, then to grandma’s and I played with the kittens.”)

Social

• Recognizes the needs of others
• Turn taking becomes harder than earlier, but beginning to understand reasons
• Is learning about patience

Musical

• Recites rhymes
• Sings simple, whole songs

Children ready for Move & Grove show many of the following characteristics:

Physical

• Can jump forward many times in a row, hops, gallops, is learning to skip
• Demonstrates control of pencil or marker

Cognitive

• Is eager to learn
• Has developed classification skills (i.e. can sort things that have a single common feature) and can sort by size, color and form
• Counts to 20; recognizes numerals 1-10
• Recognizes some letters of the alphabet

Emotional

• Has emerging and developing impulse control
• Exhibits self-confidence and reliability
• Has a growing sense of right and wrong
• Is beginning to see things from other’s perspective

Language

• Speech is nearly 100% intelligible (exceptions may include children with hearing and language delay)
• Uses grammar correctly, including past and future tense

Social

• Enjoys friendships and group activities
• Shares, takes turns, plays cooperatively
• Is affectionate and caring
• Follows directions

Musical

• Sings a whole song
• Begins to match pitches consistently
• Is developing the ability to match to group steady beat

Children ready to participate in Level 5 (Music for the Young Child) classes show many of the following characteristics:

Physical

• Good fine motor control

Cognitive

• Pre-reading skills – understands that writing moves from left to right, and from the top of the page down
• Good abstract thinking skills – “How do you think a composer can make music sound like a thunderstorm?”
• Eager to learn

Emotional

• Developing self-motivation – can work for short periods toward a set goal
• Continuing development of impulse control

Language

• Speech is 100% intelligible (exceptions may include children with hearing and language delay)
• Uses grammar correctly, including past and future tense

Social

• Exhibits self-confidence and reliability in a classroom/group situation
• Follows directions reliably
• Can participate in an activity with groups doing different things simultaneously

Musical

• Can sing whole songs
• Developing a good sense of pitch
• Can pat a steady beat

Do you think your child is ready for piano lessons? Visit again soon for a piano readiness checklist.