Star Tots Music Class provides young children with fantastic learning opportunities. The programme is supervised by qualified instructors and is aimed at developing your child's musical intelligence.But best of all, it's FUN! Classes cater for children from 1½ years to 3 years. Places are strictly limited.
Why go for Star Tots Music?
Music seems a natural accompaniment in a toddler’s life. Young children might sing to their stuffed animals, tap their feet to the rhythm of nursery rhymes, and enjoy the sound of their parents singing to them — even if mom and dad can’t quite carry a tune. But this early introduction to music does more than entertain. It can kick-start learning, serve as an important cue in your child’s routine, and offer lifelong benefits.
Music contributes to what experts call "a rich sensory environment." This simply means exposing kids to a wide variety of tastes, smells, textures, colors, and sounds — experiences that can forge more pathways between the cells in their brains.
These neural connections will help a child in almost every area of school, including reading and math. Just listening to music can make these connections, but the biggest impact on your child comes if he or she actively participates in musical activities.
Of course there's another reason to introduce music into your toddler's world: It's enjoyable for both of you. That will come as no surprise to parents who sing songs with their child, sway and twirl together to favorite CDs, or listen to lullabies as they rock their child to sleep.
I Got Music, I Got Rhythm
Between the ages of 1 and 3, your child will respond best to music when he or she actively experiences it. Passive listening (like in the car) is fine, but Star Tots Music class gets your child rocking, marching, rolling, tapping, clapping, and moving to the beat.
During the session, we sing a lot of kids' songs and rhymes that go along with simple hand motions or dance moves, like The "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "The Wheels on the Bus," "Two Little Blackbirds," or the "Hokey Pokey."
For toddlers, a parent's lap is a great place to put music and movement together.
We will show him or her how to move with the music by twirling quickly to a fast song and swooping slowly to a song with a longer, slower beat.
We will also introduce props like scarves, balloons, or stuffed animals to dance with.
At this age, your child can sporadically keep time — you'll notice this if you give him or her a pot and a wooden spoon and sing a song or play some music that has a steady tempo. We can encourage this by grabbing his or her own spoon, inviting your toddler to bang out a rhythm, and then imitating what he or she does.
We will extend the game by tapping a slightly more complicated rhythm and inviting your child to follow or by asking your child to tap on different surfaces — the floor, your back, a pillow — and seeing what sound these different taps make.
Star Tots Music Can Teach
Songs are a lot more fun than flashcards and they really can teach your child some important facts and skills. For instance, singing the ABC song can help your child learn the alphabet, "This Old Man" teaches counting, and "There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly" helps with rhyming and memory. And we can encourage creativity in your child by singing new words to familiar tunes like "Drive, Drive, Drive Your Car" for "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" or by inserting your child's name in "Did You Ever See a Lassie?"
You're likely to find your child gloms on to a few favorite songs and rhymes and wants to hear them again and again. While this may grow dull for you, your child is on to something. Repetition helps kids learn. It's important to note that toddlers won't learn to read or understand music at this point. They won't pick up individual notes, for instance, but they will experiment with different pitches. You may notice your toddler singing made-up songs that slide from high to low and back again. Usually these songs will not have a regular rhythm.
Children this age also are learning about keeping a steady beat and making coordinated movements — skills that are critical to math and reading later on. We encourage this development by tapping the beat with their foot while they sing and chanting simple nursery rhymes.
Adding Instruments
If we introduce an instrument, we keep it simple. Very young toddlers will enjoy instruments they can shake — bells, rattles, shakers, tambourines, or rain sticks. As your child gets familiar with the class and a little more coordinated, we will experience rhythm instruments he or she can bang, like drums, cymbals, or xylophones. Some 2- to 3-year-olds can use simple wind instruments, like a recorder, a pipe whistle, or a kazoo.
Kids usually don't start formal instruction to learn an instrument until they're a good bit older. process. Star Tots Music will provide a good music foundation for your toddler. And, of course, you'll want to have reasonable expectations of how much a child can master at this young age.
Music Can Soothe
After attending a few sessions and once your toddler is familiar with music, it can be a source of comfort and soothing. Don't be surprised if you hear your child singing in bed or while playing, or serenading dolls or stuffed animals, especially if you have made a habit of singing to him or her yourself.
When music is part of the everyday routine, these songs can help your child know what to expect and feel more secure. For instance, if you always sing a lullaby at bedtime or naptime, your child will come to see this as a cue for "go to sleep."
Even if you do take a class with your child, remember that you are your child's first and most important teacher when it comes to music — and so much more. To help your child really benefit from a music class, be sure to bring the music and games you learn there into your home.
