Music is one of the most beautiful experiences in our world today. Every culture expresses itself through music.

Playing guitar

Some parents believe that music for their unborn child is a good thing. Children exposed to music early learn an appreciation for music later on in life. The first way to connect to your infant child is by singing. Babies love the sound of their mother's voice. Begin by learning a few lullabies.

In the Makeovers-Home Preschool Curriculum Music Section, you find a list of popular songs. Commit these wonderful songs to memory and enjoy teaching them to your growing child. Children learn through repetition. Have CD's of these favorite songs to play along to in the car or at bedtime.

Relating sound to music is the first step to introducing your child to this lesson. Loud/soft; fast/slow. Exposing your child to a variety of music like classical, jazz, blues, big band, country, rock and roll, cultural like Indian, American Indian, African, French, Italian, Mexican, etc. The library is a good resource for borrowing music and making up dances to match the style of music.

Dancing with your child 15-20 minutes a day is key. Put on music and dance in your home…Have a blast.

Learning how music is made and with what kind of instruments is another important aspect in our lesson. Going to an instrument store or concert is a good way to let kids actually see these wonderful instruments in action. Buying toy versions of guitars, xylophones, drums, tambourines, harmonicas, etc. is a safe way for children to experience instruments for themselves. Teaching your child to sing also improves his/her language skills. Children learn to talk through song.

Dance like nobody's watching

They also learn to express themselves through dance. Dancing is a wonderful way to develop body awareness. The important thing to remember is to plan your movements to the music ahead of time. Practice a couple of times by yourself to "work out the bugs" and start to memorize the dance sequence. You might want to start out with something familiar- Chicken Dance, Macarena, Twist. As you and your child get comfortable doing these dances, start making up your own! One of the best ways to appreciate music is to dance to it!

Start out with a medium paced music with lots of beat. Do simple slow paced movements using large broad gestures.

Now do a faster one using more intense movements.

• hopping or jumping
• running in place
• marching
• galloping
• keep arms high above head as you clap

Last, do a slower one and emphasize graceful movements. Use props such as streamers or scarves.

ENJOY…

Makovers Curriculum samples are viewable with Adobe Reader. If you need to download Adobe Reader, click the Get ADOBE READER button. The Adobe Reader download page will open in a new window.