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Suzuki Early Childhood Education: Baby Music of Abilene

Comment from Suzuki ECE teacher in California: Began Spring Semester this morning. "Here's a parent comment: Lola (1yr,5weeks) was happy to be back in class and was much quicker to get involved. Playing the CD at home more frequently has definitely made a difference in class and at home. She is becoming more vocal and is more attentive when in a learning environment. She loves spending time with other children!"

Enroll your child for the Abilene, TX SECE program now! We are one of only four SECE programs in Texas.

ANNOUNCING NEW CLASSES! 

Caitlin and I are very excited to announce that Suzuki Early Childhood Education Classes begin May 1 at 5:30 pm at First United Methodist Church, S. 2nd & Butternut Streets in the room beside the parlor.    Classes are always more fun if there is a variety of ages from birth to four years.  So, please invite your friends to attend with you. Message us at the phone numbers above or on FaceBook if you have questions, please.    

Good Report

Miss Caitlin says Mommies are doing a great job with their little ones!  I was sorry to miss Thursday night's class, but had to be out of town for a family illness.  All is well.  See you next week!

You Teach Music to Babies????

Welcome back to Baby Music of Abilene, Suzuki Early Childhood Education!

Are you searching for a place for your baby or toddler to play, learn, explore, create, listen, read, count, sing, build vocabulary, and more? While you are observing and learning how to create that same environment in your home? Are you searching for connections with other families with children of similar ages to yours? Would you like to learn more about how to observe and guide your child in learning adventures?  

 Where is Baby Music of Abilene?
 First United Methodist Church, located between S. 2nd and S. 3rd and Butternut Streets   Go inside the double glass doors facing the East parking lot. Turn right in the first hall.  The first classroom on the right is where we meet. 

When does the Baby Music of Abilene class meet?
We have class weekly, Thursdays at 5:30-6:30 pm.  Enrollment is limited.  We will begin a new class when enrollment is full.

What do I wear?
Baby Music of Abilene classes are very casual. Wear comfortable clothing that allows you to be up and down from the floor.

What do you do for an hour with babies and toddlers?  Can they really learn music? 
We sing, play nursery rhyme games, dance, play instruments and always read a story book.  The instruments are chosen for producing beautiful tone.  We want all our students to aspire to play and sing beautifully. Books are chosen with strong rhythm and rhyme characteristics. 

What is the tuition for Baby Music of Abilene classes? 

Your first class is free and you may join us at any time!  The deposit to hold your place in the class and to purchase your CD and booklet for home use is $43.00.  Monthly tuition is $45.00 and is due for the semester, either in one payment for the total amount or in post dated checks for each month of the semester. 

What else do I need to know? 

We participate while in a circle in a listening environment.  If your child cries, or is disruptive of the learning circle we ask that you take the baby in the hall and gently quiet him/her and always return to class. We want to encourage quiet, attentive behavior and our curriculum offers varied activity levels to promote interest and participation.  The most comforting thing you can do is to participate and sing with the teachers to be a model for your child.  

Most importantly, HAVE FUN! 

For more information call: 325.829.4440 or 325.668.3189 

Visit us on Facebook at Baby Music of Abilene

Fall Semester 2012 Begins! Come Join Us!

What:  Early Childhood Suzuki classes, Baby Music of Abilene

When:  Thursday, August 30, 6:00 PM for Fall Round-up

Beginning September 6, Regular Class times are 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM every week.  You may join at any time in the semester.

Where: First United Methodist Church, S. 2nd and Butternut Streets, Activity Center

Tuition: Early Childhood Classes:  $ 43.00 registration deposit (new students only)

$180 for Fall semester ( or $45.00 per month, due September 6 in post-dated checks)                                                

BIG day!

Today was an awesome day for milestones in Baby Music class.  Miss S gave us a handshake and rolled the ball sweetly, as well as proving to be quite the dancer while shaking her egg. Mr. A counted to "3", played with beautiful tone on the xylophone, stayed quietly in the circle more often, and --drum roll please--played with a steady beat solo on the woodblock for Hickety Pickety!  Miss S at 16 months old, after attending four classes, found her clock beat with both arms for Hickory Dickory Dock!  We read Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Eric Carle and there was great silence in the room after Mr. A named every animal on the last page.

We're on FaceBook!

• We are celebrating our first year anniversary in Abilene with a FaceBook page.  Please "Like" us!  Then come visit a class.  The first class is free!  Choose from classes on Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM, or Thursday evening classes at 6:30 PM.  If those times are impossible for your schedule, leave us a message or post a comment including a time you would love to bring all your friends to a Baby Music of Abilene class.  We are open to suggestions.  
• We have something new in the classroom!  There is a big hint at the beginning of this post.  Be on time for class so you won't miss seeing it. 
• If you are interested in reading how art and music can promote healing, check out this article 

Suzuki Concepts in Photos: COME LEARN WITH US!

Baby Music of Abilene is looking for new students in our Tuesday morning (10:00 AM) Class and our Thursday evening (6:30 PM) Class.  Caitlin and Mrs. Joyce would love to have 10 children in each class varying in ages from birth to the third year.  A variety of ages provides a richer learning environment for all the students and parents, much like a one room school where the younger students learn from the older ones.  Please join us in this great learning adventure!  Call for more information at:

325.829.4440, Mrs. Joyce

325.668.3189, Miss Caitlin

  ABILITY DEVELOPS EARLY

PARENT INVOLVEMENT IS CRITICAL

CHILDREN LEARN FROM OTHER CHILDREN

ENCOURAGEMENT IS ESSENTIAL

ENVIRONMENT NURTURES GROWTH

EVERY CHILD CAN LEARN

SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS

Christmas is Here!

Miss Caitlin and I can hardly believe that almost one year of Suzuki Early Childhood classes have passed!  We are having so much fun with your children!  Each week we see more learning taking place--more language, voluntary counting, keeping steady beat on hands, knees, legs, and with mallets. We are dancing this season with Celtic Woman's Carol of the Bells, which has dramatic glissandos and lovely violin solos. Michael Tilson Thomas, conducting Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, is our seasonal music for rolling the ball. The March is lively and features many instruments in the orchestra for rich listening.  Our new words for Falling Thirds with the xylophone are:
"Silent night, silent night, holy holy is the night."


We have seen three children take their first steps in class now.  Thrilling for all of us!  There is such quiet expectation before the triangle and rain stick are introduced, and putting the mouse under the chair is everyone's desire.  I am personally very happy when the children understand that it is their turn to sing, or keep the beat, or show finger play, rather than doing the "solo part."  Everyone is important in an orchestra, and everyone is important in a classroom.

At home you may want to emphasize listening, especially for instructions, and show pictures of instruments from library or other books.  It would also be helpful to talk about taking turns: we earn a turn by staying in the circle, by listening quietly to all the sounds and to every child sing and play, we also take a turn with our parent or grandparent and by doing the finger plays and singing while others are doing a solo.  Since this is how we sit in a concert and appreciate the music we are learning valuable lessons!

You may want to view this article, which reinforces that all we are doing is beneficial.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/135027758.html

See you in class!

What a great week!

The photos are from the Tuesday morning class, but both classes were full of "firsts" this week and so much fun!  Miss K and Mr. A loved dancing with the new shakers I bought in Mexico.  They demonstrated more language, kept the beat with perfection, stacked drums, played on the cue of "fall" in Humpty Dumpty, and behaved with respect.  Miss Caitlyn and Mrs. Joyce were so excited and encouraged.

Thursday night's class was our first big class of all boys, ranging in age from 15 months to 3 years.  Little K's Mom had a cake crisis tonight, and they were absent.  Two of our boys, Mr. H and Mr. L, brothers, were attending their first class with both parents.  First of all we witnessed Mr. N roll the ball by himself. Then we saw everyone in the class offer their handshake as we sang the greeting song.  Several boys put the puppy on their shoulder or said "Tommy" as we sang Tommy Tucker.  All boys were happy to perform solos on the glockenspiel and xylophone. There were softer hands tonight, choices in songs, with two or three preferring our new song of the week for falling thirds :

Falling leaves, falling leaves, falling from the Autumn trees

Mr. B reached up and down without his Mom's prompting for high and low pitches. Drum solos were initiated by each child, even NBaby!  Additionally three of the boys played beats on their knees in perfect sync with our songs.  We had some awesome popping on cue with Pop Goes the Weasel. Criss-Cross was a big hit tonight. Wee Willie Winkie was called "Willie" by Mr. J, who offered us his most charming smiles and best behavior.  Dancing with the shakers was fun to "Jamaican Rumba" played by Brian Lewis, violinist.  We love that the piano plays a glissando just like we demonstrate on the glockenspiel.   The most exciting "first" of the evening was NBaby walking around the circle--his first steps alone! There was both participation and total quiet as Mrs. Joyce read Brown Bear.   I think we all wore one another completely out with excitement tonight.  It was AWESOME!