Living our Kindermusik FOLs

Living out Kindermusik FOLs

What is an FOL in Kindermusik? An FOL stands for 'Foundation of Learning' and is one of my favorite components to what we do and teach in Kindermusik. I admit that I get much joy in the study of early childhood brain development. Each Kindermusik includes a main FOL that is the focus for that class. In addition to the main FOL, each class also contains several others FOLs.

As a mommy and teacher, I have enjoyed incorporating these FOLs into our every day lives. FOLs can be divided into six categories:
•Physical
•Social
•Cognitive
•Language
•Musical
•Emotional

There are several benefits to the parents of kindermuisk kids including bonding with your child, your child's social interaction with others, sand your child's stimulated creativity. By singing a simple song like 'If you're happy and you know it', you are labeling physical parts, identifying movements, and using fine motor skills. Who knew a simple song had so many benefits?!?

I have wonderful memories of dancing on my mom and dad's feet to my own special song I often talk about the need to dance and spin with your child each day to help their vestibular system, which gives the child a greater sense of balance. Activities such as this aren't just child's play either; in fact, in nurisng home residents who have a difficult sense of balance do therapetuic activities such as bouncing on large balls or spinning in office chairs. If you have ever taken a class with me, you know that I get dizzy easily! While my mom says she spun me as a child, I too am still working on my vestibular system!

A fun idea I learned from Miss Myra's class was an idea shared from other families. A great way to bring kindermusik to you and your children in a physical, emotional, and musical way is to make music and movement part of your home. Consider some music and movement time when your children are about to go crazy and you have already turned off the TV! Put in one of our fun Home Materials CDs and make music and dancing together. When the body and all of the senses work together as a whole, the brain has an easier and more efficient time with learning and adaptation of new material.