Dear Pigeon Plum Families:
I can’t believe that it is November already! September and October have just flown by in what seems like the blink of an eye. I want to extend a big thank you to everyone who brought in pumpkins this past month for the toddler pumpkin patch. The toddlers have enjoyed looking at all the different types of pumpkins, squash and gourds while on the playground. Not only that, but they rolled them, carried them and stacked them too. Who knew there were so many ways to experience pumpkins?!
I learned so much at the Montessori Music class that I attended a few weekends ago that I would like to share with you a little of what I learned and found so very interesting. Did you know that our sensitive period for music is from the ages of 0-6 years old? Musical development actually begins in utero with the mother’s heartbeat (rhythm) and voice (pitch). The mother’s voice, through singing and humming, soothes the fetus and the mother’s inflection is the precursor to music. The movement of the mother activates the movement of the fetus and the fetus will begin to move to the pattern of the mother’s speech.
Movement is the vehicle for developing rhythm and music should be made through the body first. This can be done through repetitive rhythmic movements with the feet and hands. Examples of such movements with the feet include rocking, swaying, walking and kicking of the feet. Examples of such movements with the hands include patting and shaking and the usage of items that can include a small hand drum, scarves, shakers and rhythm sticks.
This past month the Pigeon Plums have been working on developing their rhythm by dancing with scarves to The Carnival of the Animals or Le Carnaval des Animaux by Camille Saint-Saens. The Carnival of the Animals is a musical suite of fourteen movements and each movement is named after a different animal. So far the Pigeon Plums have swam like fish to movement VII, “Aquarium,” marched like lions to movement I, “Royal March of the Lion,” and hopped like kangaroos to movement VI “Kangaroo.”
All our best,
Dori and Sarka
