Friday, May 30, 2008

Music School?

To my mum’s generation, children going to music school means learning piano or other musical instruments. When I shared with her and my aunts that I signed Ern up on Kindermusik, they gave me the reaction of “huh? What can they learn when they are so small?” look.

Well, my intention of enrolling Ern to Kindermusik was to introduce the concept of school to prepare her, if we were to send her to playschool/kindy later, she can take it easily. Nothing more.

After 2 months of lesson, this is what we (Ern and us) learn:

- She is so much better when it comes to keeping her toy at home. I think the constant repeating act of "returning musical instrument to teacher" helped her to understand when it is time to keep, means you really need to return.

- Speech: New words that she picked up are those words related to the theme of activity.

- We repeat the things she learned from school and play with her at home. It gave us more ideas on play/teach activity when we spend time with her everyday. Other than playing, it includes educational value in it.

- Fast & Slow Rhythm: Part of the school curriculum is to teach the toddler to react to the beat of the songs, as in fast & slow rhythm. For example, lie down and relax when a slow beat song is played ; move around or run when the teacher plays a song with fast rhythm.

- Learn to blow: There was a harmonica given from the class and when we first showed it to Ern how to blow, she put the harmonica on her mouth and whistle on her own, pretending she is blowing like us with sound! I tell you, it was so hilarious then. After then, it gave me an idea to teach her blowing because she can see the effect from her own eye. It works and when we re-introduce the harmonica 1 week after, she was able to blow it.




- Last week, the teacher taught them about how "ar-pan" (Ern's version of airplane) can fly up high. It requires us (parent) to hold our child (in lying position) and "swing" them them up. Then, the teacher also showed them how an airplane landing down/take off and on the same afternoon after school, when I asked Ern how an airplane landing down, this is what she showed me. So funny actually.



Not only Ern had fun at school, i think we (the family) also have fun when she repeats the things she learn from school and showed to us.

2 comments:

Sasha Tan said...

haha initially when i see the pic i tot she was doing YOGA.. then i read properly alamak..AR PLAN!

Mommy said...

another thing with harmonica is to let toddler to learn and expore the "inhale" (suck) and "exhale" (blow) as it plays different notes with these actions. The kindermusik harmonica is different from the normal ones and it makes the exploration easeier. Mommy gets one too right? Try it :)