Lesson #3

It is so fun playing with you and your child(ren) in class! It usually takes the kids (and sometimes you) a few lessons to get the feel for class and relax and fully participate. The more you listen to the music at home and familiarize your children with it, the more they will enjoy class and grow in their musical skills! 

If you have any problems accessing the music, please let me know! Use the lyrics printed in the front of the book if you’d like extra guidance on words.

Please reply and let me know one thing you and your child(ren) have done with your scarf that you've enjoyed at home! 

Next class we'll sing these songs:

• ABC Song
• A, You're Adorable
• Bickle Bockle
• Instrument Listening (Steel Drum, Ukulele, Sand Blocks, Fish Guiro)
• Waves on the Sand
• Over in the Meadow
• Three Little Fishies
• Baby Shark
• Charlie Over the Ocean
• Lukey's Boat

We are practicing more than just music in our Sand and Sea class! Preschool skills such as taking turns, name recognition, following instructions, and taking care of our supplies are all skills we used today! We also used a lot of vocal play and echoing today (listening skills), along with keeping the beat (did you feel the subdivision we are doing? This uses the math side of our brain and prepares it for future learning!), and imagining the waves with our blue scarves and ocean life (strengthens our creativity and problem solving skills)! 

Helping children identify their feelings (like in Over the Deep Blue Sea) promotes healthy emotional development. When they learn to label emotions in themselves and others, they are better able to respond to strong emotions in healthy ways.

Smart Moves dances (like our Sea Diver's Dance) allow children to use their whole body to interact with the musical elements in a classical piece of music.

Optional home fun activity: Color the "Sea Diver's Dance" on page 15 of your workbook. You can hold a paper on each side of the bell if you'd like to help them to color in the lines. (Remember, these activities are optional but can be a great bonding experience to do with your child during the week.)

Watch this amazing family perform “Aquarium” by Camille Saint-Saens. Or watch this educational video with real sea creatures while you color!

Wasn’t it fun to try out some Hawaiian dancing with our hands and tell your child how much you love them this way? Watch this clip to play at home! (Our version is a bit simpler!)

Sound Beginnings is education through musical play! It prepares children for success in Kindergarten and Let’s Play Music. Sound beginnings provides research-based elements that stimulate growth in the areas particularly crucial to the development of the young child. These elements make up the foundation of the Sound Beginnings curriculum.  Here is just one:
	In class we experience steady beat and imitate rhythmic patterns with our voices, bodies, and through hands-on use of instruments. We incorporate Eurythmics, which is movement-based rhythm training that is perfect for toddlers!