Early Childhood Music and Movement
SING WITH ME is a unique research-based Music & Movement curriculum designed by an educator to help meet the criteria for developmentally appropriate activities specific to early childhood music. The audience includes infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, and their parents or other family members. Materials can be adapted for K-2nd Grade and include many infant activities. Use SING WITH ME at home or for travel, as a curriculum in the classroom & daycare, spontaneously throughout the day, during transitions, circle time, home visits, parent-child enrichment, community events, in therapeutic settings & birthday celebrations.
The program's developer, Gari Stein, is the founder of Music for Little Folks, based in Ann Arbor Michigan. An enthusiastic teacher and grandmother, she is passionate about providing a rich musical environment for every child. With over 30 year's of experience in the field of Early Childhood Education, she brings a wealth of knowledge about child development and numerous activities to her program.
SING WITH ME is chocked full of materials that are good for children. Based in Traditional Folk Music, songs & activities are fun, easy to learn & keep children moving. Except for the instrumental selections, the program is presented in short segments-simply, in just Gari's voice, slowly-paced with purposeful pauses to create silence, which helps children to focus, absorb & listen to the music. Babies Too!
Along with nursery rhymes and melodies, much of the program uses old tunes in new ways. Some songs may be familiar but the design of the methodology speaks to young children, piques their interest, sharpens their listening skills and gets them moving purposefully with lots of room for creativity.
More than just lesson plans, SING WITH ME addresses the adult's comfort level and provides support, information, direction, demonstration, instruction and guidance. Over 200 musical activities, 300 minutes of audio musical fun and 72 minutes of available visual reinforcement, help to ensure that the teacher has everything necessary to feel competent and well equipped to sing and dance with young children. Materials, methods and philosophies used were gathered from experts in Music Education for Early Childhood.
The search for materials for young children can be frustrating and often educators rely on recorded music that may not be developmentally appropriate. Much of the commercially music geared to our youngest population is often too loud, too fast, too busy.
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