Parents do not always recognize what we do or realize the impact it has on their child’s learning, so I crafted this article for our parents to let them in on what all of us know ~ we build better brains!
I share this with you not only as a bit of inspiration…after all, I do call these newsletters “A Little Midweek Inspiration”, but as a template to perhaps encourage you to write to your own parents to let them know how truly valuable you are to their child’s present education, as well as for future learning! It is short and to the point, making it quick and easy to both write AND read! Enjoy!!
Dear Parents,
Your children are AMAZING!! We are exploring how to read new rhythms by using the steady beat as our guide. Students are learning to keep a steady beat in their head while they tap out a given rhythm. It has certainly gotten silly at times, as doing these 2 things at once can prove to be quite challenging, but we are getting it! The best part about it, though, it that we are learning a strategy to tackle unfamiliar music. As we go through these exercises, we are closer to being able to read a piece of music, which according to many studies is helping us build a better brain!
Harvard neuroscientists in Boston, MA have determined that there are four ways to actually build a better brain throughout your life through “neuroplasticity” the growth of the connectors between left and right hemispheres of the brain. (It has been said that what helped Einstein, a violin player, be a genius was that his left and right hemispheres were so well connected: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201503/10-ways-musical-training-boosts-brain-power )
The four activities determined to have the most important effect are
- Making music
- Movement
- Creative Play (returning to childlike attitude of play, imagination)
- Numinous Experience (those experiences in which our sense of self is absorbed into something bigger than we are)
(Taken from one of Mary Knysh’s handouts)
Of course, these are all activities that we are doing here in choir!
I hope this was helpful! Have a great rest of your week and please, as always, let me know if you need anything! Again, here is the link to easily get in touch with me: http://noteknacks.com/contact-us/