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Kindermusik@Home

Kindermusik@Home The Next Generation

By July 31, 2013No Comments
“The smartphones, computers, tablets, and digital cameras are already in children’s environments.
That is not going to change.
It is up to caregivers to find ways to appropriately use the digital objects that permeate young children’s lives.”

Kindermusik: Leading the Way

DSC_0299Kindermusik International has been a leader in children’s publishing for over 30 years and they are one of the first companies to make the leap to technology in educational publishing for these early years. They have consulted the experts and want to do this carefully and with caution. Please remember that these materials are not passive screen time. We do not nor will ever advocate passive screen time for children. These materials are to be ACTIVELY used WITH a caregiver.  All interactions with these materials must remain as warm and language-rich, in-your-lap, touching, playing, hugging parent-child connecting as ever. We will never stray from our core belief that the parent is a child’s favorite and best teacher and everything we do in class and at home will always support that belief. And remember, if you don’t want to read an ebook or play an interactive game on your device, EVERY activity can be printed and enjoyed with no exposure to technology for your child.

Kindermusik: Keeping You Informed

In our field of early childhood learning, we don’t have to travel far to be bombarded by a wide variety of opinions about screen time. Kindermusik believes, alongside NAEYC, the Fred Rogers Center, Erikson Graduate School for Child Development, and many other early childhood organizations and professionals, that the purpose of any early childhood learning tool should be interaction and relationship between adult and child, whether digital or physical. Lisa Guernsey, author of Screen Time: How Electronic Media Affects Your Young Child, suggests we consider content, context, and the individual child in order to make wise choices about technology. What KindermusiDSC_0341k provides parents are educational resources that are developmentally appropriate and promote parent/child engagement, on and off the screen.

So what is appropriate? One of our favorite blogs has a post about ways to put boundaries around when a child has access to technology. She suggests saving it for the afternoons, long car rides and waits. She goes to say that as long as your child has had “the opportunity to develop the habit of active play and self-entertainment, a love of books, an attentive, focused mind, listening skills, creative initiative…” the use of technology will not derail your efforts.

We’ve spent a lot of time working with the Kindermusik@Home materials. With the exception of a few activities, you can choose whether you engage the activity online or offline. The only online-only activities are the “video field trips” which are very short, and like what you might see on Sesame Street or another educational children’s TV show.

Kindermusik: Your Resource Along the Way

DSC_0352We’re here for YOU!

  • We have trained all our licensed educators on appropriate ways to use technology with young learners.
  • We have equipped each of our educators with an iPad for class use so that we can teach caregivers appropriate ways to incorporate these activities while avoiding passive screen time.
  • We are happy to serve as your family’s guide on how to explore technology for little ones.
  • We’ll be providing ideas and resources for making simple instruments at home through Pinterest and other channels.