A Learning Lifestyle
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.
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.
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!
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.
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/.
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