Class act: Sing-a-long classes get kids and parents ready for school
Educators have long recognized the importance of parents as a child’s first teachers. Reading, singing and dancing with toddlers or even infants comes naturally to some parents who know that baby’s brain is bursting with new connections. But not all parents are aware of the value of stimulating interaction with small children and preschoolers.
To support adults in making learning fun for their preschoolers, the La Habra City School District invites parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or any adult caretaker to bring their toddlers and preschoolers to a half-hour “class” of singing and movement designed to strengthen the child’s academic foundation for school.
La Habra collaborates with the Children and Families Commission of Orange County on Music & Movement—On The Go!, a program funded through First 5 California and Proposition 10. These short sessions are offered at schools and off-campus sites like the public library, children’s museum, and Boys and Girls Club, and other nonprofit facilities. At each session, teacher Joanna Lindenberger leads a sing-along that has adults and kids alike learning letters and words, directions, the names of body parts and skills like using a pencil.
The children are also learning to wait in line, take turns, listen and follow directions, respect other people’s feelings, make friends, and other valuable social skills that will make the transition to school easier.
“We want to give the parents skills and strategies so that their child can be healthy and ready to learn when they enter kindergarten, which will give them a good start to be successful in school,” says program director Oralia Birakos. “We want [kids] to be motivated to learn, and this is a great way for the parents to learn, too. We teach parents to redirect their child’s energy to a music and movement class where they can get up, dance, touch things, and explore.”
The participants are introduced to a routine and parents are encouraged to be involved in their child’s classroom when they do start kindergarten. Because the classes are taught in English—a second language for many of the families—repetition of the lesson helps to empower the parents to learn the language and to practice at home with their child.
“Parents in our programs are more involved with their child’s education.” Birakos says. “I have noticed parents from our program volunteer more to help in their child’s classroom, because they got used to coming with their child to the Music & Movement—On The Go! program regularly.”
Each child receives a music CD to help them get familiar with the songs they’ll hear in class. But getting together to do the Hokey Pokey with all the other children is where the real learning happens, Birakos explains, because they learn which direction right is, or where their elbow is.
“If you just play the music, it’s not the same. But if you teach them these little strategies, the moves, they love it. They’re like little sponges and really love to learn in this fun way. ”
The Music & Movement program—a 2012 Golden Bell winner—has been getting more popular every year, with participation growing from less than a dozen families in 2008-09 to well over 400 families in 2011-12. Those families are also taking advantage of other school readiness programs the district offers, made comfortable by “nonjudgmental, risk-free environment,” says Superintendent Susan Belenardo.
Most kindergarten classes start the year a dizzying scene of youngsters wandering about at will and vying for attention. “But children who have had the Music & Movement experience are different,” Birakos says.
“Our kids go into kindergarten and they’re asking questions,” she says. “They’re ready to learn.”
—Kristi Garrett