Hello all you Highland Park Parents! I just wanted to introduce a great music enrichment program for 18-36 month old children! This class is listed as an activity under my account, but also please refer to the information below!
This playful music class is designed to enhance the caregiver/child bond and build social skills while engaged in music and musical games! “Movin’ and Groovin’ with You” is a music enrichment class designed for caregivers and children, ages 18 months to three years old utilizing a relationship based approach. Each class is led by a board-certified music therapist who will utilize a variety of musical activities such as musical story telling, musical games, instrument playing, singing, steady rhythms and movement to music within each session.
Hearing music, singing songs, and moving to the beat are what experts call "a rich sensory environment" for young children. Research has shown that children who are actively involved in music do better in reading and math when they start school, are better able to focus and control their bodies and interact with others and have higher self-esteem.
The “Movin’ and Groovin’ with You” music class utilizes music and music therapy techniques within a DIRŪ/Floortime™ approach to assist each child and caregiver in improving functional emotional capacities including: increasing shared attention with others, engaging in warm intimate pleasurable interactions with others, engaging in back and forth reciprocal interactions with a clear purpose, sustaining interactions with others through a wide range of emotions, and encourage creativity. These capacities will be addressed through music therapy techniques and addressing developmental milestones through incorporating the use of basic sign language to help foster language development, introducing sensory experiences, eliciting motor movements, and strengthening trust and relationships with adults and peers.
The objective of “Movin’ and Groovin’ with You” class is to see improvement in each child’s social-emotional development, as well as strengthening the caregiver-child and peer bonds. Each caregiver is involved during the entire 90 minute session, interacting directly with their child as building a trusting relationship with children is essential to their development. Music facilitates this relationship and builds trust because it evokes affect, which is the driving force of relationships. Musical elements such as tempo, melody, dynamics and lyrics will be individualized to best match the children’s needs and interests.
The program is designed to encourage participation and enrich each caregiver’s knowledge of familiar children’s songs. The class runs in 8 week blocks, beginning July 10th. The class will be held on Friday Mornings from 9 am - 10:30 am. For more information, pricing, or to enroll in the class, please contact the Music Therapy department at (626) 793-7350 ext. 262.
