Canada's First Kindermusik Studio (Est. 1986)
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Which class should I enroll my child in? The Kindermusik philosophy springs from genuine respect for each child's individual rate of development. Class activities and at-home materials are designed to honor, support and celebrate the wonderful uniqueness of each child. Classes have overlapping age ranges to help parents accommodate their child's own needs. While a child should be at least the minimum age to enroll in any given class, there are three critical "transitional stages" when parents have an important choice to make about which class is most appropriate and beneficial for their child: at age 1 ½ years, 3 to 3 ½ years and 4 ½ to 5 years. The suggested ages for Kindermusik curricula are: If your child is near a transitional stage, the following guidelines may help your decision: Moving from Village to Our Time The suggested age for an Our Time class is 18 months to 3 or 3 ½ years. Children ready for this next level show many of the following characteristics: Physical
Cognitive
Emotional
Language
Social
Musical
Moving from Our Time to Imagine That! The suggested age range for Imagine That! classes is 3 ½ to 5 years. Children ready for this next level show many of the following characteristics: Physical
Cognitive
Emotional
Language
Social
Musical
The 2-year Young Child program was intended in design for kindergartners and first graders. Individual exceptions might be made for a child participating in a pre-K program who will turn 5 years old in the fall or who is developmentally mature. We find that children who have come up through our Kindermusik program are generally more mature than a child who has never participated in Kindermusik. 4 year old preschoolers would best be served, in most cases, by participating in "Imagine That!" which is also a 2-year curricula. Children who are 6 are encouraged to begin in Year One of "Kindermusik for the Young Child", but may elect to begin in Year 2 if they are more comfortable with the age range. 7-year-old children should begin in Year 2 of this two year program. Any child entering the program in the middle of the year should be the same age as the children in the class. (Children who were 5 in the September will be turning 5 ½ by January.) This is true because the Young Child curricula is a sequential curricula and the child will have to catch up with the major concepts taught in the fall semester. At the beginning of each semester, there is a review of the major concepts so that new children may be incorporated into the class. Because of the sequential and foundational nature of the curriculum, it is best to start in the fall if the child is 4. Children who are 5 in January usually can fit it with the review at the beginning of the semester. Young 4's would have a more difficult time catching the missed concepts quickly. If in doubt, speak with the Director, Nancy Hall. If you are a new client, it would be helpful for the child to visit a class so the teacher can observe the child. Children ready for this next level show many of the following characteristics: Physical
Cognitive
Emotional
Language
Social
Musical
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