Invitation to Learn about Mozart

A Learning Lifestyle

My preschoolers are officially not preschoolers any more. As we step into Kindergarten and 2nd grade, and as a family new to "officially" homeschooling, I recently bought writing curriculum from BraveWriter and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The guidance offered essentially advocates for 1) focusing on creating an environment filled with books, music, and experiences; and, 2) a language-rich lifestyle - one where you listen to your child, respond thoughtfully, and pursue ideas together. (This builds on what we know about how preschoolers learn, too. ) She, of course, weaves writing lessons into the day and provides structure so parents don't have to come up with everything on their own. (Whew!) 

Books, Music, and Experiences

Despite being regulars at the library, I often find myself scouring the catalog and shelves for books that might work to answer my child's question or delve deeper into the subject du jour. It is no wonder why lists are some of the most popular blogs in the world. You know the ones: "101 Books to Read Before Kindergarten," "10+ Children's Books to Inspire Kindness," and my own  "24 Books for Preschool Engineers."

A Smaller, More Approachable List

The problem is that sometimes we want a smaller, more approachable list. One with fewer books that includes other things. I just want a few good books, a CD, and a video, perhaps a toy. Something like a thoughtful little themed basket.

Invitation to Learn

It is in the spirit of having a small sampling of one topic that I am writing Invitations to Learn. Each invitation grows from our homeschool life and is a pint-sized unit of study for the DIY crowd. With this list, I am inviting you to learn alongside your child and giving you a small amount of guidance for creating a rich learning environment in your home or school.

Read a book one day; listen to an audiobook another day; watch a movie a different day; go on a field trip a different day. By offering one great thing at a time, you are inviting your child to learn with you and enjoy learning with you! Over time you and your child will consider the topic in several different ways, using different materials, have different but related conversations about it, and you will grow your knowledge in wonderfully robust ways.

INVITATION TO LEARN MOZART

These are things we found at our library. (We stream many audiobooks for free.) For your convenience, I will also include affiliate links to Amazon.

Play, Mozart, Play! by Peter Sis

Listen.

A little boy named

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

is playing the piano.

Look.

He is playing backward!

He is playing blindfolded!

Imagine.

What must his life be like?

Play, Mozart, play!

Acclaimed artist Peter Sís introduces very young children to the child genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in this picture book tribute to the beauty of listening, looking, imagining, and -- most of all -- playing!

Young Mozart by Rachel Isadora

What better way to introduce young children to the world of Mozart than by reading them this stunning picture book? Caldecott Honor-winner Rachel Isadora recounts the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -- with special emphasis on his childhood -- in clear, straight forward language perfect for little listeners. Each spread features an exquisite watercolor painting depicting Mozart at a different point in his life.

Moonlight on the Magic Flute: Magic Treehouse Book by Mary Pope Osborne (We listened to the Audiobook.)

Jack and Annie head to 18th-century Austria, where they must find and help a musician by the name of Mozart. Decked out in the craziest outfits they’ve ever worn—including a wig for Jack and a giant hoopskirt for Annie!—the two siblings search an entire palace to no avail. Their hunt is further hampered by the appearance of a mischievous little boy who is determined to follow them everywhere. But when the boy lets the animals out of the palace zoo, Jack and Annie have to use the only magic at their disposal to save themselves and the naughty little fellow.

Classical Kids: Mozart's Magic Flute

A young girl falls into a production of Mozart's great opera "The Magic Flute." Sarah, Prince Tamino and a faint-hearted dragon embark on a magic journey from the dark realm of the Queen of the Night to Sarastro's enchanted castle, with only a magic flute and bells to guide them to the princess Pamina. Together they reunite Prince Tamino with his Princess and help the birdman Papageno find his Papagena.

This recording includes the most popular themes and arias from the original opera, all freshly translated and recorded using child-appropriate verse. Lyrics included.

Simply a CD

I also picked up a Mozart CD from the adult collection!

More From Classical Kids...

Classical Kids Mission is: 

"To provide children with an exciting and educational point of entry into the world of classical music by humanizing the lives of the great composers, creating an emotional connection to their musical masterpieces, and inspiring a personal excellence that leads to greater achievement and success in life."

For info on more CDs and DVDs and even concerts go to http://www.classicalkidsnfp.org/.

Celebrate National Get Outdoors Day with Educational Music about Nature

Celebrate National Get Outdoors Day (June 10, 2017) with music about natural science and nature safety and awareness by Jeff and Paige.

Download their music (or buy a CD) from CDBaby.com.

For National Get Outdoors Day I recommend the album "Get Outdoors!" Here's what you can expect: 

• A fun, science-based journey into nature! The songs & story combine to create a delightful nature musical for kids! 

• Their exciting fun-filled concerts and CDs are filled with love of the outdoors and ecology, bringing concepts like insect anatomy, energy conservation and plate tectonics to the whole family. If this sounds lofty for the kiddie set, then think again. Each song is instructive, but never preachy. And the messages are delivered in a playful manner with memorable musical hooks that captivate children and adults alike.

https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jeffandpaige

Microscopic Marvels

Endless Questions

It must be a marvelous thing to learn as a preschooler. It certainly is a marvelous thing to watch a preschooler learn. Lately we've been talking a lot about germs...'tis the season. And the idea of creatures that are so small that you cannot see them provides for endless questions.

What do they look like? What do they do? Should I be scared?

Answers

Sometimes I'm able to recall my high school biology lessons...enough to satisfy my children and their inquiring minds. But sometimes we like to learn more, dive deeper. And thanks to the advent of the genre of creative nonfiction, we are able to find lots and lots of satisfying answers.

First We Research

We find those answers in books, videos, and music.

Books

We have two favorite books that teach us about microscopic marvels:

Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes by Nicola Davies illustrated by Emily Sutton

All around the world—in the sea, in the soil, in the air, and in your body—there are living things so tiny that millions could fit on an ant’s antenna. They’re busy doing all sorts of things, from giving you a cold and making yogurt to eroding mountains and helping to make the air we breathe.

See Inside Your Body

Follow your food as it travels through your body. Take a deep breath and explore your lungs. Let your mind boggle at what your brain can do. This exciting book, packed with lively illustrations and fascinating flaps, is bursting to reveal your body's amazing secrets.

Videos

Thanks to Netflix, we can stream Magic School Bus.

Scholastic's "The Magic School Bus" follows Ms. Frizzle and her class as they set off on field trips. Based on the best-selling book series of the same name, "The Magic School Bus" takes kids on a virtual bus ride. Magically transforming into a plane, submarine, spaceship or surfboard, this bus carries Ms. Frizzle and her students on super adventures and teaches them about science.

There are at least half a dozen shows about microscopic things. I'll list the ones that coordinate with the books and other resources we use:

Season 1 Episode Six - "Meet the Rot Squad"
Season 2 Episode Seven - "In a Pickle"
Season 4 Episodes One, Six - "Meet Molly Cule" and "Goes Cellular"

Music

The Opera of Giardi takes an upclose look at one microbe, Giardia, where it lives, what will happen if you ingest it, and how to stay safe when you're playing and learning outdoors.

Then We Elaborate through Play

My children love to impersonate TV/book personalities and animals. Sometimes they pretend to be Ms. Frizzle and members of her gang to go on an adventure. Other times the impersonate Jeff and Paige impersonating scientists. Sometimes microbes, and their study, are imaginary. Other times a simple toy enhances their play and their learning.

In learning about microscopic marvels, two toys have proven invaluable for making it real - a microscope and a stuffed microbe.

Microscope
My son is very discriminating and wants his tools to perform like "real" tools. So this microscope didn't appeal to him. HOWEVER< my daughter is more flexible when it comes to this sort of thing and is satisfied with its child-appropriate function.

Stuffed Giardia
Yes. There are stuffed microbes. In fact, Giant Microbes is a whole business dedicated to creating such silly and wonderful toys. Our stuffed giardia are beloved creatures. (My daughter is making hers a wardrobe.) And, if I would let them, my children would own every single toy from anthrax to varicella-zoster virus.

Through the Eyes of a Child

This is what we do to learn alongside our kids. We begin to see things through their eyes. With my own children, I have learned to think in pictures, to look up close, to see circles in rectangles, to see calculus, approximation and logic in new places and ways, to see letters from a new perspective, and imagine that a square is a frog.

The microscopic world that thrives in and around us is no different. It is my pleasure to invite you to learn as I have about Microscopic Marvels.

Celebrate Earth Day with Educational Music about the Science of Climate Change

Celebrate Earth Day with music about nature, environmental science, and sustainability by Jeff and Paige.

Download their music (or buy a CD) from CDBaby.com.

For Earth Day I recommend "21st Century Superheroes." Here's what you can expect: 

• Embark on an adventure with Jeff & Paige as they explore and inquire into the natural world. Educational, upbeat & kid-friendly songs, stories, science and solutions for a changing climate!

• Tired of eco-doom and gloom? "21st Century Energy Superheroes" is an educational & solutions focused journey into climate change and energy conservation. The songs, woven together by a story, will keep the whole family captivated from start to finish! 

https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jeffkaganwithpaigedought

Fan Favorites - February 2017

Instead of denying our own sadness to our kids, we should teach them how to cope
www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2016/07/21/instead-of-denying-our-own-sadness-to-our-kids-we-should-teach-them-how-to-cope-heres-how/

So the next time my daughter asks me “You sad, Momma?” I will tell her that I am, and that it is okay. We may be sad, but we are not defined by our sadness. We may be scared, but we are not our fear. These emotions call on us to understand a deeper part of ourselves and inspire change. They are a part of a full and whole human life.

Free Coloring Books from World-Class Libraries and Museums: The Met, New York Public Library, Smithsonian, and More.

http://www.openculture.com/2017/02/free-coloring-books-from-world-class-libraries-museums.html

Study Finds Key to Preventing Disruptive Behavior in Preschool Classrooms

https://news.virginia.edu/content/study-identifies-key-preventing-disruptive-behavior-preschool-classrooms

The Enemy of Learning
http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-enemy-of-learning.html

The strong-willed child: how to turn power struggles into cooperation
http://www.mother.ly/child/11-tips-for-parenting-your-strong-willed-child
#11: Offer respect and empathy.

The Key to Smarter Kids: Talk to Them
http://ideas.time.com/2013/10/01/the-key-to-smarter-kids-talk-to-them/
" this reciprocal back-and-forth gives children a chance to try out language for themselves, and also gives them the sense that their thoughts and opinions matter."

This Awesome Bike Helmet Makes it Look Like You Have LEGO Hair
http://sobadsogood.com/2016/10/05/awesome-bike-helmet-makes-it-look-you-have-lego-hair/

Why Kids Need Minimalism
http://www.becomingminimalist.com/kids-need-minimalism/

By choosing minimalism, I am trading chaos for calm.

I Choose Gratitude
I Choose Family
I Choose Health
I Choose the Outdoors
I Choose Conscious Consumerism
I Choose Calm

PrintSheets Inchworms


This is why Finland has the best schools
http://www.smh.com.au/national/this-is-why-finland-has-the-best-schools-20160324-gnqv9l.html

"In class, children are allowed to have fun, giggle and daydream from time to time. Finns put into practice the cultural mantras I heard over and over: 'Let children be children,' 'The work of a child is to play,' and 'Children learn best through play.'"

The Key to Smarter Kids: Talk to Them

http://ideas.time.com/2013/10/01/the-key-to-smarter-kids-talk-to-them/

"Two-way adult-child conversations were six times as potent in promoting language development as interludes in which the adult did all the talking. Engaging in this reciprocal back-and-forth gives children a chance to try out language for themselves, and also gives them the sense that their thoughts and opinions matter."

Teach Your Child to Gently Work Through a Mistake with These Five Questions
http://www.mothering.com/articles/teach-child-gently-work-mistake-5-questions

By asking our children to evaluate the situation, separate facts from feelings, and develop a game plan, we’re giving them a lifelong empowerment blueprint for bouncing back from bad situations.

If You Want to Accelerate Brain Development in Children Teach them Music

https://wakeup-world.com/2016/07/25/if-you-want-to-accelerate-brain-development-in-children-teach-them-music/


The Dangers of Using a Sticker Chart
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/02/perils-of-sticker-charts/470160/?utm_source=atlfb

Our Learning Contract

On the long days of the winter break our entire family was stuck indoors due to gloomy freezing wet weather. My husband and I felt inclined to set the kids in front of the TV and rest. But we also are weary of the effects of screen time on our children and conservative when it comes to allowing them to binge on screen-based entertainment. 

In yet another effort to compromise, we came together to discuss a plan. My kids made it clear that they would like to play iPad games and watch the Magic School Bus on Netflix. My husband and I wanted them to not become vegetables and to enjoy some other forms of stimulation. So together we came to agree on four important daily activities: 

Music Performance,

Reading,

Exercise (Preferably Outside), and 

Story-telling.

Each the the four things must happen before they are allowed screen time. It is our Learning Contract and provides just the right amount of structure to our days.

Music Performance

There are two ways this usually manifests:

1. Piano Lessons (free online lessons via The Hoffman Academy)

2. Musical Performances (they dress up and put on a musical show, depicted below)

Prof Bunson and Prof Erlenmeyer perform "Fossil Fuels" from the 21st Century Energy Superheroes album.

Reading

There are three ways this happens:

1. I read to them.

2. They read to themselves.

3. We all listen to an audiobook.

Exercise

Exercise can be spontaneous or directed. If they are moving their bodies then it counts. These are the ways our family exercises:

1. Playing at the playground.

2. Following along with a yoga DVD

3. Yoga Class

4. Karate class

5. Dance class

6. Hiking

 

Storytelling

This is the most diverse and loosely defined aspects of our Learning Contract. It has at its core the idea of communication - the having and sharing of ideas. Here are some of the things that I count as story-telling:

1. Literally story-telling. Sitting together and weaving a fictitious story about creatures from their books or favorite TV shows.

2. Playing board games.

3. Building with blocks, magna tiles, and LEGO to create entire worlds for their mini-figures to explore.

4. Building forts.

5. Painting.

6. Writing secret codes.

7. Coding in Scratch Jr.

8. Playing Hide and Seek

The structure that our Learning Contract provides fits our family. It provides just the right amount of direction and, as it turns out, fills our days with interesting and rich conversations. It also makes space for screen time because when we're all worn out from performing, exercising, reading, and storytelling, we can sit back, relax, and laugh along with the stories told to us on film.

How to be Creative When You're Not Creative

Togetherness. We love it. There are few things sweeter than hearing my four-year-old daughter ask, “Mama, will you play with me?”

It usually happens after she has been entertaining herself while I have been cooking. But that is kind of an awkward time because I am tiring out from the work of life and wishing for some downtime at the same time she’s craving attention and running out of her own creative power.

Make the Dolls Talk!
In fact, her request is almost always, “Will you make the dolls talk?”

This type of pretend play is a wonderful and important part of development. The back-and-forth of conversation between the dolls is an important lesson in communication and turn-taking. The subjects we discuss lend themselves well to social-emotional learning. Plus, it is fun.

However, sometimes my daughter is just spent and my job is to bring all the creative power to the play. I have to be creative when I am not feeling creative.

Read the answer at Fat Brain Toys...

Don't be afraid to fall in love with something and pursue it with intensity

From E. Paul Torrance's Manifesto for Creativity:

Don't be afraid to fall in love with something and pursue it with intensity.

3 Things You Need to Celebrate Bats

Roadtrip Ruminations

We are well into the school year and have found a decent, albeit busy, rhythm. Three days a week we pile into the car and drive directly from school to karate. On the way we listen to books on tape, music, or just talk with each other. Usually, the kids just want to listen to a book.

As good as the books are and as many as we’ve listened to (good and not-so-good), I sometimes find my mind wandering. This autumn I have found myself wondering about bats.

Spooky Swarms

Bats are practically synonymous with creepy. Whether it is the seemingly unpredictable way they fly around on their own, the heart-stopping way they fly en masse, or their less-than-adorable visage, bats seem to evoke the feeling of otherworldliness that comes with the month leading up to Halloween.

Why are bats a feature of October? I think there are two reasons: 1) dusk comes earlier so we are more likely to see them heading out for their meal; and 2) they swarm where they hibernate so we are more likely to see a bunch of bats when we do see them.

Bodacious Bats

How do I know all this? Well, these creatures are pretty interesting and there are some groups who advocate for and educate about bats. Defenders of Wildlife include bats as one of their featured creatures, which is how I learned this amazing tidbit: “bats make up a quarter of all mammal species on earth!” Bat Conservation International also has some interesting bullet points like, “Baby bats can weigh up to one-third of their mother’s body weight. To put that into perspective, just imagine birthing a 40-pound human infant!”

By poking around on the Defenders of Wildlife page or the Bat Conservation International page, you can learn about the unpredictable way they fly (echolocation), the way they fly together (swarming), or about their unique anatomy (they’re mammals that fly!). You can even adopt a bat!

Get Started with a MicroLesson about Bats

OK, OK. I know that not everyone ruminates during their roadtrips, nor do they have the time or energy to read an entire website worth of information, process it, and then teach it to their children. So, how about a microlesson?

You just need one toe-tapping song, one great book, and a set of wings.

1. THE SONG

“Bats! Oh, Baby!” is a song written by children’s musicians Jeff and Paige for children ages three to eight. It features original toe-tapping melodies and educational lyrics and was produced as part of their album, which is a musical, called “Get Outdoors!”

2. THE BOOK

“Nightsong” by Ari Berk is an amazing picture book about a young bat who is encouraged to find his song and use his good sense to navigate the world. Readers will enjoy the illustrations by Loren Long as much as they will connect with the literal and metaphorical aspects of how to use one’s sense.

3. THE WINGS

No. Your child does not have to sprout wings to fly. You can just order a set of Dreamy Dress-up Bat Wings delivered to your home. Then they can take what they have learned from Jeff and Paige and Ari and Loren, and take to the skies.

Really? They will take to the skies?

Really. When your children are learning this way, the sky is the limit.

UPDATE October 26, 2017

Check out this amazing Science Short Film by the Montana Natural History Center!

Feeling Young Surrounded by Nature's Playground

"Nature's Playground" was produced for the album "Rocky Mountain Tunes for Rocky Mountain Kids" by Jeff & Paige.

The Second-Best Thing about Controlling Screen Time

Finding What Works for Your Family

For every family I meet who limits and/or controls screen time I meet another one who doesn't. We are parenting in uncharted waters and doing what works best for our families. For my family, what works best is setting limits. My children are screen-free until Saturday morning when they watch cartoons for an hour.

The First-Best Thing

It hasn't always been that way. We used to use an iPad and watch TV on a daily basis. But when things began to deteriorate, I made a change that had remarkable and lasting positive effects on our lives.

The best thing: sleep. After three weeks of screen-free living, my son began sleeping long and uninterrupted, which was the first time ever in his five and a half years of life.

The Second-Best Thing

So what is the second-best thing? Binging on free piano lessons. My children and I have found a loophole in the screen-free rule. They can take piano lessons via The Hoffman Academy whenever they want and for as long as they want. And they do.

This is what you should know about The Hoffman Academy:

• 160 Free Piano Lessons
• Each lesson is between 10-20 minutes long, presented as a YouTube video. 
• Mr. Hoffman teaches more than chopsticks. He presents a comprehensive curriculum that includes ear training, rhythm, sight reading, technique, improvisation, and music theory. (Now, I'm no expert but I am a critical consumer and this looks pretty freaking awesome to me.)
• Each lessons ends with a 30-second comedy sketch that keeps young children coming back.
• Each lesson has supplemental materials you can buy.

More than a Babysitter

I have to admit that I enjoy the peace and quiet that Saturday morning cartoons bring to the household. While the kids sit watching Octonauts or Pokemon, rapt, I enjoy a slow cup of coffee and conversation with my husband. It is almost as good as hiring a babysitter for date night and it is free.

But piano lessons with Mr. Hoffman is more than free babysitting. While I cook or have a little quiet time in the next room, the kids take turns sitting at the keyboard listening to Mr. Hoffman who is simultaneously entertaining and educating them. I hear them giggling, answering his questions, clapping rhythms, or playing notes. And with that work, I suspect they are experiencing and enjoying the whole-brain workout of playing a musical instrument.

Better than TV

It is the whole-brain work that makes piano lessons with Mr. Hoffman better than TV time or playing an iPad. For our family, the marked difference becomes obvious when my children step away from their piano lessons.

When they play on iPads or watch TV, they come off it like drug addicts, which is apparently not unique to my kids. In fact, the chaos that ensues immediately after watching an episode of Octonauts is not unlike what is described in research: they can't do anything on their own. As part of our Saturday morning routine, my husband and I plan to reconnect with the kids by reading books to them or playing a game with them to help them transition away from being mindlessly entertained by the TV into being independent human beings.

However, when they step away from the piano, they are entirely independent and often elaborating on what they learned. Sometimes they pretend to be Mr. Hoffman, sometimes they pretend to be his finger puppets. Last week, they used a metronome to define the speeds at which they raced around the back yard. And yesterday my son started writing music note "secret codes."

Maybe, Possibly, Perhaps...

Do you think that your children would ever binge on piano lessons? Maybe...with Mr. Hoffman.

Do you think your children could learn to play an instrument? Possibly...from Mr. Hoffman.

Do you think you are ready to accept my invitation to try? Perhaps... It is up to you.

4 Sing-Along Books You’ll Never Get Tired Of

Elevated by Song

Nothing delights my four year old more than discovering a new "singing book." With these unique picture books, siting together and reading is elevated by song. Lyrics come to life through illustration; story comes alive through song.

Ubiquitous Songs and their Books

Classics have been made into finger puppet books like The Itsy Bitsy Spider and Old MacDonald Had a Farm. We return again and again to songs and books by Raffi (especially "Down by the Bay") and Sandra Boynton ("The Belly Button Book"). The classics have a place in our world but I often find myself rolling my eyes when they are requested.

More than Music, Extraordinary Sing-Along Books

Fortunately, there is a small handful of sing-along books that I find extraordinary. The melodies are simple and easy enough for me to sing my way through. But each book has something special that makes it stand out. The revised message by Sylvia Long in "Hush Little Baby" emphasizes mindfulness and finding comfort in everyday things instead of the classic message that "Papa will buy"cooperation and comfort. The artwork in "Ain't Gonna Paint" is joyful and colorful and intriguing. And Robert Sabuta's ornate pop-up version of "The 12 Days of Christmas" celebrate the song in a wildly imaginative and refreshing way.

These are Forever Books
I want to keep them on my shelf forever and ever.

Hush Little Baby by Sylvia Long is my go-to gift for new parents. The melody is one most of us remember from our own childhoods. However, the lyrics are different. Instead of encouraging children to seek comfort in newly purchased possession ("Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring."), Ms. Long demonstrates how to appreciate the mundane ("If that hummingbird should fly, Mama's going to show you the evening sky.") Between this refreshing new perspective on finding peace and the beautiful images, this book stands out among other sing-along books.

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont illustrated by David Catrow tells the story of a young child who cannot help but paint. Set to the melody "Ain't Gonna Rain No More" the boy paints himself from head to toe. Catrow's illustrations show vibrant paint-dripping mischief and joy of Aelita Andre and aspiring painters everywhere.

"Puff, the Magic Dragon" was first a song by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton released in 1963 and re-recorded for release on "Peter, Paul, and Mommy" 1969. In 2007 illustrator by Eric Puybaret painted a story that evokes joy of adventure and tear-jerking sorrow of a friendship lost. (Indeed, my four year old daughter weeped when I sang/read the book to her.) Like the other books on this short list, the visual art rivals the quality of the song it depicts.

"The 12 Days of Christmas" is seasonal but when did that ever stop a young child from wanting to think about and sing about the beloved holiday? Robert Sabuta's pop-up book is a mechanical masterpiece. Enough said.

Again?! Of Course
Like many children, my daughter has gone through phases of requesting each of these four books on a daily (and sometimes more-than-once-daily) basis. Unlike some of her other requests, I find myself saying, "This one again!? Of course. Let's sing together."

On Top of the World

"54 14ers" was produced as part of the Songs from the Trail album by Jeff and Paige.