What a wonderful Music Festival on Friday! Thank you to all of our families who came and celebrated and danced!! What fun. The crafts and activities were a hit and Mr. Will was wonderful with the children. It takes the time and talents of many people to pull off this event, and I am so thankful. Thank you to our set up crew: Eric Ford, Lani Adebanjo and Kristen Thurman. Also thanks to our cupcake crew: Jacob Hendrickson, Shelby Walter and Carly Criscoe. Thank you to our wonderful teachers who assisted in the activities and the clean up. There are photos and videos on our social media accounts, thanks to Ms. Keely! Check them out.
2020-2021 Registration Update.
Thank you to all for completing your registration forms for next year. We still have 23 children who are not registered. Please complete your registration by 5pm today using this link: https://www.fumpaustin.org/post/2020-2021-registration/. As for you that have registered, we are excited to have you return to FUMP, and we are already making plans for an exciting school year. Hooray! Please note that registration for summer begins on March 23, right after Spring Break.
Wednesday will be Music with Ms Amanda.
Friday is Valentines Day. Be sure to watch for notifications from your child’s teacher regarding plans for Friday.
FUMP will be closed on February 17 for Presidents Day.
Director’s Blog. This week, I want to highlight a column from one of my favorite bloggers: Amanda Morgan. She has an approach to early childhood education that very closely resembles our FUMP philosophy. In the current state of education and instagram parenting, there is a push that earlier is better. However, the research shows that children’s develop will proceed as their brains and bodies develop. In light of that, at FUMP, we break down complex processes such a reading into small manageable and flexible experiences for children. In her blog series, WHY DON’T YOU TEACH READING?, you can learn more about how FUMP teacher support teaching literacy while supporting children’s individual difference and maturation rates. Happy reading!
Teacher Column: Ms. Erin. Why Making Music Matters in Early Childhood Development.
I recently read a wonderful new research paper from Dr. Dennie Palmor Wolf titled “why making music matters”. In the paper, her research points to several key reasons why investing in children early and often is critical to healthy development and a successful future. She also emphasizes that music can play a role in everyday interactions that support the next generation.
Studies have found that day old infants breathe differently depending on whether they are listening to Mozart or Stravinsky, that music soothes premature babies, and that babies will listen to a lullaby for twice as long as a baby talk or adult speech. Live music and the human interactions that accompany music said is one of the most intense multi-sensory and physically involving activities in which young children and their caregivers can engage in together. Making music especially tapping, clapping, bouncing and dancing develops fine and large motor control. Simple songs and games back-and-forth play build brain and body coordination. Music also builds intimacy. In relationships with caregivers, children develop a sense of trust and security. Music can support this, for example, when a caregiver sings lullabies, they use pitch, rhythm and lyrics to sooth, teach language, and communicate hope and affection. Humans are wired to be sensitive to sound patterns, and the sensitivity allows music to foster communication and imagination. When they hear and see others singing as a daily part of life, young children quickly pick up the habit using sound to explore new ways to understand the world around them. Finally, live music is a remarkable carrier of delight and excitement. It attract others, lift moods, wards off sadness and illness. In a world where children experience trauma from violence, or, natural disasters, etc music and the other arts can play a powerful role in their healing.
In our PreK classroom at First United Methodist Preschool, I enjoy using music on a daily basis to communicate with the children, to teach new concepts, to lift spirits and to have further enjoyment and connection in our day-to-day interactions with ourselves and each other.