Text Box: Structure: 15 classes in a semester Length: 45 minute class each week Size:  12 children or less Parent Involvement: Last 5 minutes of class Materials: 40-page activity book, two literature books, play set or game, instrument, and two CDs of music from class Kindermusik Imagine That!: Individuality and Independence Kindermusik Imagine That! takes the preschooler on a musical journey of discovery and exploration…a journey limited only by the power of imagination. Pretend play activities are integrated with music, vocal development, storytelling, movement, and literature to capture the preschooler’s potential to learn and to encourage cognitive and literacy skills, creativity and individuality. Designed for active, energetic, enthusiastic, and imaginative children ages 3 to 5, Imagine That!  classes encourage socialization, sharing, and participating in group activities. Singing becomes a focus for enhancing the preschooler's vocal development as expressive language is just beginning to emerge.  The parent and child have fun participating together in the last 5 minutes of class during Sharing Time, where they'll also learn about Home Activities they can enjoy together throughout the week. His blanket becomes a superhero’s cape. A cardboard box doubles as her princess castle. Pots and pans become a drum set.  And she sings all the time.  Sound like someone you know? Every day brings a new discovery for the preschooler—slowly opening the doors of individuality and independence. Using the power of music, Kindermusik’s Imagine That! taps into the preschooler’s creative spirit and boundless energy and focuses on developing learning strengths and self-confidence so he’ll be ready for school, prepared for future music lessons…or able to leap tall buildings. What to expect: Pretend Play Pretend play activities are integrated with music, vocal development, storytelling, listening, movement, and literacy aspects of each class. When based upon a child’s real life experiences, pretend play helps develop language, sensory, motor, and cognitive skills. Musical Variety and Singing Activities include a mixture of musical genres and styles and provide a setting for children to explore their many voices and to use a “singing voice.” Singing helps with memory and recall, physical development, creativity, and socialization. Storytelling and Literacy Each class is built on the development of a story, so you’ll hear preschoolers search for the word to say what they mean and try to keep up with their busy minds, emerging wants, needs, likes, and dislikes. Parent Involvement Preschoolers are learning to be self-sufficient in a group setting of peers, while many times still needing the emotional security provided by a parent. The preschooler experiences both in Imagine That! Caregivers participate in the last 10-15 minutes of class. Plus the At Home Materials ensures the learning continues at home with each child’s best teacher—the parent! Unit Descriptions for FALL and SPRING Classes only See What I Saw In this class, preschoolers use their real experience of playing in the park to create imaginative, storytelling scenarios with music—go on an imaginary trip to Grasshopper Park where they sail down the park slide and then recreate the sound of that experience with a loooong vocal glissando.  Each week provides preschoolers one uninterrupted session of imaginative play that's guided in a very specific, sequential way—with a special sharing time with parents in the last 15 minutes of class Home Materials: Two books—Can You Find Me? and The Ant Picnic Feast, Two Home CDs, See What I Saw Play Set, a Family Activity Book, a slide whistle instrument, and a backpack. Toys I Make, Trips I Take Think of it like taking a course inside a child’s imagination. We’ll use the theme of a toy shop to make our pretend-creations, using rhythm and songs with every imaginary saw, hammer, and nail. The result is building the preschooler’s sense of a sequence of events, which is good for storytelling, as well as making his ideas a reality. Home Materials: Two books—If I Had a Big Blue Boat and Tippity Tippity Too, Toys I Make, Trips I Take Play Set, Two Home CDs, Family Activity Book, and a drum. Hello Weather! Let’s Play Together! —sunshine, rain, snow, thunderstorms, and more in this imaginative and delightful weather-related musical adventure. Preschoolers create storm sounds with a drum to “Wild Storms,” jump in pretend puddles to “Mud Puddle Jump,” throw pretend snow-balls to “Snowballs,” and sing along to “Colors of the Rainbow.” With weather as our learning theme, preschoolers will explore musical styles that range from Opera to American folk, and become more self-sufficient in a creative musical environment that integrates music, pretend play, storytelling, movement, and more. Home Materials: Two books—Michael Finnigan and Hurry Home, Little Kittens, Hello Weather Play Set, Two Home CD with over 63 recordings of the stories, games, and weather sound effects played in class, 46-page Family Activity Book, and two instruments—ankle bells and rain shaker with scraper. Cities! Busy Places ~ Friendly Faces In this unit, sidewalks, elevators, skyscrapers, and world-traveling photographers are the theme. Learning through the pretend play that preschoolers adore, we'll be rhythmically busy playing storytelling games and handcrafting city "buildings" from wax paper at home so we can make a cityscape in class! Plus every activity has some at-home adaptations so the parent can take part in the learning. With a pair of resonator bars as a featured instrument, and a multicultural, jazzy collection of music, preschoolers will develop the social and intellectual skills they'll need in school. Home Materials: Two books—Razupazu Toto and Down Our Street, Cities! Game Board Set, Two Home CDs—collection of multicultural and jazzy music heard in class, Family Activity Book, and a pair of resonator bars as the featured instrument.

SPRING 2010:  Toys I Make, Trips I Take
Text Box: 3 & 4 year olds