In Kindermusik, there are no tests. No monitoring of a skills checklist for each child. Even in Kindermusik for the Young Child where children are being introduced to musical notation and playing instruments, the focus is on the process, not the “performance”. Yet, learning is taking place every minute of a Kindermusik class and that learning extends well beyond the classroom time through at home materials and interactions with you. Kindermusik provides a gentle guide for your child to explore, to develop skills at his/her own pace.
In our public schools, children are increasingly expected to perform. Perform on tests. Perform on homework to prepare for tests. At a younger and younger age, children have homework. For many parents, this is a shift from the way they experienced elementary school. Researchers are beginning to ask tough questions about the emphasis on homework and test scores. Even if you don’t have school-aged children yet, this is an issue that will greatly impact your family in the coming years.
InJoy Music has learned about an opportunity to begin the conversation around testing and children’s academic lives. Below is information about attending a screening of the documentary “Race to Nowhere”. It’s free but requires advanced registration to attend.
Why should we as parents be concerned about the amount and type of homework our kids are expected to complete in elementary school?
Please view the trailer here.
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdm/84202849/”>darkmatter</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>cc</a>
I’ve long appreciated Kindermusik’s focus on enjoying the *process* of learning and experiencing music. Interesting documentary opportunity, thanks for sharing.