Musicalia Yoga Circles for
ages 3 & 4 years
Class size: 6-8 children
Class duration: 45 minutes
YOGA & MUSIC
The program for this age group is active, chatty and creative!
Everything is a game!
- Musicalia Yoga Circles are designed to develop musicality and nourish confidence, coordination, connection and creativity through singing, chanting & vocalizing, body percussion & rhythm games, rainbow kids yoga, creative dance and movement stories.
- The body and the voice are our first instruments. Developing comfort to learn & be expressive through the body and the voice are all part of becoming a happy, healthy human!
- Each week’s activities are organized around a playful new theme
For example
- values (such as kindness, courage, gratitude, trust…)
- emotions (joy, happiness, naming feelings…)
- nature, animals
- space, robots, machinery
- imaginative travel to countries and cultures around the world
- seasonal themes (Halloween, Valentines, Fall, Winter, Spring…)
Why Yoga?
Yoga has cumulative, tangible benefits for children including improved strength, flexibility and body awareness.
Yoga play for children expands self-awareness, builds concentration, self-control and inner strength.
Benefits include practice of calming breath techniques, peacefulness, stress management.
Group yoga circles are playful, imaginative, non-competitive, encouraging cooperation and respect for self and others.
African children in particular
are as involved with music
as our children are
with television.
{think: screentime}.
John Miller Chernoff
Musical Voice & Musical Ears
- vocal and speech development through singing, chanting, rhymes and vocal play, melodic and rhythmic patterning
- using the whispering voice, speaking, singing and calling voices
- listening games and quiet times
- storytelling
- miming & conducting
Musical feet, hands & body
- free dance, creative dance, folk dance, circle and line dances using special children’s music, world music, classical music and story/narrative music and acapella singing
- develop beat competency
- performing rhythm patterns thru modelling, echo and play with world percussion instruments
- musical play (choosing, playing, sharing) with families of percussion (metals, woods, shakers, scrapers, skins)
- props and other cool things to keep us active, creative, interested and focussed (stretchy bands, scarves, balls, microphones, beanbags, paper plates, string, parachute, music boxes, glass chimes, dice games)
Musical Mind
- creative music reading & writing experiences that prepare children for learning notation
- use of manipulatives (pictures and touchable learning props) that build a foundation for reading music notation
- special rhythm pictures and melody pictures that this age group loves and reads easily
- musical planning and interactive use of musical terminology (forte, piano, tutti, timbre, crescendo, decrescendo, accelerando, ritardando, presto, adagio)
What parents say
“This is my children’s favorite thing to do all week. Susan has the capacity to draw out a love of music in every child! She is like a real-life Pied-Piper for children. Susan always greets the children with a smile. She is always patient and encouraging. She manages to keep the kids engaged without having them run wild and lose focus. This class is worth every penny! There is no other program for young children that offers as much. Susan works her magic with the kids and that is what brings us back.”
“Susan is an unbelievable teacher – she IS the Musicalia program. Curriculum is important, but without the right teacher it isn’t enough. Susan is very intuitive – she knows exactly what my children need and provides it for them so that their participation, engagement and success during each class are guaranteed.”
“When my son was about 2-1/2, he started losing interest in music classes (he had been taking them since he was 6 months old). That is when I discovered Musicalia. Susan was highly recommended by several people, some whose kids are now in university (is that possible??!) so I decided to give it a try. My son’s class consisted of 8? 9? Two-and-a half year old BOYS and one girl. It had chaos written all over it. Much to my surprise, my son and all of the other kids were 100% engaged from the minute the class started until the time it finished. Transitions were seamless and the lessons were just so much fun. My son is now 4 and still loves it and enjoys the classes with many of the same children he started with. Thanks, Susan!”
“Susan’s energy is amazing. She enjoys her work and her passion for music, kids and creating all shines through!!”
“This is a WAY of being with music, not a way of doing music. Not only is Susan a master educator, but also she is a gentle soul who knows how to connect meaningfully with her students to create a caring, rich, dynamic learning environment.
“Susan is extraordinary at sensing and molding the tone of the class. I appreciate that she uses the interests of the children to shape the flow of the class. I’ve been in other programs where when the drum time is over, or if children are wandering or focused elsewhere there isn’t a cohesion to the class. Susan masterfully uses that type of momentum to draw the children in and aim the musical experience toward where the children are at, not where the program has set. She’s so gentle and intentional with the children; it’s a beautiful thing to see how the children flock around her to see what she will do next!”
“To me, Musicalia is more than just “music lessons”. It’s a place where my children are discovering the voice of their souls which is invaluable. It’s done with such excellence. I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else.”
“We love your class – it is such a wonderfully rich musical experience for our little ones. Our son doesn’t willingly leave his Lego table for many things but he does for your class.”
“Susan is capable, talented and dedicated. She treats every child with respect and love. She nurtures the individual child, encouraging their strengths and developing their weaknesses. Classes are exciting, engaging, fun, interactive, structured but with freedom of movement and expression. My children have benefitted in so many ways. They have gained independence, friendships, been exposed to music of all genres, experienced instruments in a controlled environment and developed confidence. She has fostered their love for music.”
“It’s the whole experience which when I sit back and take in, is so moving. Kids moving, creating, learning, playing together. Susan is so aware of child development/brain development and how you incorporate great, focused, energized classes with fantastic management skills.”
“Musicalia goes beyond music and movement and encompasses socialization, learning and fun and play as learning. Susan’s enthusiasm and passion separate her from all other programs. This isn’t her business, it is her calling. Classes are a fun experience that keeps changing and never gets routine. We’ve tried other programs and honestly there’s no comparison. Others were routine and boring. Musicalia TRULY combines music & MOVEMENT. Above all, she engages children on their terms and doesn’t force them to be mindless singing and clapping drones.”
“The pre-K programs are fabulous! All three of my children have absorbed the wonders of musical beginnings here through play. It’s truly something to discover that music is more than just an instrument, but movement, feeling and sounds all around. To observe that wonder in the toddler stage is awesome; they begin understanding the language of music as a whole body experience not just limited to something external from themselves. I think to know that so young frees music to be a natural part of you.”
“Susan knows how to ride the ebb and flow of authentic and natural learning with astonishing ease and grace. She knows how to inspire each child – the perfect amount of tenderness and toughness to help them connect with and to awaken them to their inner music.”
“Susan rocks! Classes are filled with lots of movement and involvement of imagination and creativity.”