Kindermusik: More Than Just a Music and Movement Program

The other day, I saw someone post a question in a parenting forum (Facebook group) online. She asked people to give their opinions about Kindermusik and another program for kids that is well known locally and abroad (I won’t name it here but you can shoot me an email attina@trulyrichmom.com if you want to know what it is.)

Here is what I wrote in my comment to her post:

"I would recommend Kindermusik because it incorporates music, movement and even basic skills like counting, letter recognition, etc. -- depending on your child's age.  When I was researching about (the other program) and Kindermusik for my then-three-year-old-son, I found more reviews in favor of Kindermusik too. My kids are almost 7 and 4 now and they love Kindermusik! My son started when he was 5 and even if we weren't able to join classes when he was younger, I can still say it's beneficial. My daughter joined when she was 3."

To tell you the truth, we really can't afford for both kids to attend Kindermusik as we have other financial obligations to prioritize, plus only my husband is employed fulltime. However, through Teacher Suzette Yu-Kho's Outreach Program, our kids are privileged to be scholars. Because they are homeschooled, I consider their scholarship a great blessing -- Kindermusik serves as their "music curriculum" of sorts. The weekly classes are also a venue for interacting with other children and adults.

So what is it about Kindermusik that delights not just our family but many other families too? Why do many parents choose to enroll their children in Kindermusik programs?

I believe that other parents like me can see that Kindermusik benefits kids in many ways. Our children, for example, have learned to love music more, and are exposed to different genres and of different cultures, too! Also, the activities done during classes can easily be done at home, and help foster their imagination (and mine too).

I also asked Teacher Suzette, my four-year-old's teacher, about the benefits Kindermusik (KM) can offer children. Here's what she said:

"...there are so many! Please choose from: cognitive, social, emotional, language, physical and musical development. Deprived of early music stimulation, the brain develops 30% less than what it could have if given proper stimulation. MRI test results show that children in KM learn new languages quickly due to the multi-cultural songs and dances they are exposed to at an early age.

"When we say music stimulation, we do not mean passively listening to Mozart. We mean being engaged in musical activities in a group setting, being involved in circle dances, musical round and instrument exploration."

Meanwhile, my son's Kindermusik teacher, Mariel Uyquiengco (who also advocates that parents are their child's "first and best teacher" through TheLearningBasket.com) says research shows that music helps in language development. Also, music and movement stimulates pathways in the brain.

"Kindermusik fosters the parent-child bond by teaching parents how to do worthwhile activities and making it easy for parents to actually do these activities at home by using the home materials that are given to each student," adds Teacher Mariel.

So if you're a parent who plans to invest in a good educational program that incorporates fun, learning, music and a lot more, I encourage you to try out Kindermusik. Believe me, you won't regret it!

Do your kids attend music and movement programs like Kindermusik? If yes, what do you like about them? I'd love to know. Send me an email at tina@trulyrichmom.com or a Tweet at @tinasrodriguez.