A Few Spaces Available-0-15 mos

Dear All
We are off to a great start
Classes are starting to fill
We have a few spaces left in the following classes

village home materials flyer for one semester of classes

Wed morning 11:15am
Sun morn at 10:00am

Take $10 off if you enroll by Tues January 3rd

If you are interested in a FREE review please contact me asap!

 

classes in teaneck NJ

http://www.teachkids.kindermusik.net

Head Start Programs and Recompetition-A Sobering Reality

Now that Part 1307 is law (see link), many Head Start programs I am working with are desperately searching for new and innovative ways to increase quality in the classroom. As Early Childhood Professionals, we all know that increasing the level of teacher training and knowledge is the way to make this happen. Unfortunately, funding issues always seem to come into play. True?

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/11/08/we-cant-wait-president-obama-takes-action-improve-quality-and-promote-ac

For most teachers, we also know that a one-time workshop is NOT the answer. Training needs to be continuous, with constant reinforcement and time for practice. Again, given time and budget constraints, this type of meaningful learning is often not practical.

From everyone I have spoken with recently, it sounds like the challenge for administrators in Head Start is to increase the quality in your classrooms while at the same time stretching your dollars further. Correct? This is NOT an easy task…I realize that. But here’s where I feel I can make help.

Did you realize that ABC includes teacher training tools built right into the program that they use with EVERY lesson? For instance, there is an Activity Demonstration DVD that SHOWS teachers how to implement the activities. There are also teacher-led CDs that guide teachers HOW to lead lessons that are engaging, interactive, and meaningful. As teachers use these components, they will learn what quality instruction should look AND sound like. And over the weeks and months they continue to use the materials, their own personal teaching skills will grow as well. I like to think of it as having a teacher mentor in each classroom.

It is crucial that we understand the necessity for QI-or Quality Instruction.  Teachers must have the tools to extend their teachings to all areas of the classroom. Federal mandates are proving this with CLASS assessment scores.

I would love to help

Please contact me to see how ABC is working with other Head Starts and to scehdule a FREE online webinar presentation.

 

Attn Head Start:Part 1307 Takes Effect December 9 2011

Just wanted to share another challenge ABC Music & Me can help you with

As you are probably well aware, changes are coming fast to the way Head Start programs are funded.

What does this mean for YOU?

http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/Head%20Start%20Program/Program%20Design%20and%20Management/Head%20Start%20Requirements/Head%20Start%20Requirements/1307

How Can We Help?

ABC Music & Me has the tools you need to help your teachers strengthen their interactions with children and promote a positive environment in the classroom.

1) Watch and learn – A comprehensive DVD shows each lesson presented by a highly-qualified teacher. Watching this DVD provides your teachers with a visual example of HOW they should lead each lesson to make it as effective as possible. These DVDs are so helpful, you could even consider them a teacher training tool.

 

2) Listen and learn – Each teacher-led CD included with each monthly unit allows your teachers to listen to an amazing teacher lead an engaging, interactive lesson in an extremely positive way….exactly what CLASS is looking for!

 

3) Model and Improve – Through use of the DVD and CDs, teachers are given a model to follow of what high-quality, effective teaching should look and sound like. As they use the program, their teaching skills should increase as they implement their own activities.

Our 3 hour professional development for classroom staff (included in our program, at no additional cost), provides the latest early childhood practices, furthering practical application that extends far beyond the program itself!  We recognize the need to tailor PD to each individual head start including an additional training specific to the FSW/FA’s.

Please contact me to schedule a brief presentation targeted to meeting these challenges.

OCEAN Inc Newsletter-Spotlight on ABC Music & Me

Sooo proud

I trained their staff this summer!

 

O.C.E.A.N., Inc. Tides November Newsletter-1

ABC Music & Me -Fall 2011

In This Issue Did You Know? The Importance of Vocabulary Teacher Highlight Teaching Tip New Customers Renewing Customers CONTACT US Quick Links Our Website

Fall 2011 DID YOU KNOW? Have you checked out our online resource site created exclusively for ABC Music & Me teachers?   Visit www.abcteachertools.com. (Registration is FREE and easy!)   You’ll find additional content and tools to use with ABC Music & Me.   Visit the site and discover: Bonus activities that will extend your lessons and give you some fresh ideas. Find cross-curricular activities and new song suggestions for Laugh & Learn and Move & Groove. Learning objective descriptors and a Skills Booster Index to help you align activities in our program with specific student needs for Individual Education Plans An In-Kind Log Sheet allowing parents to track eligible hours easily for Head Start In-Kind funding Alignments for Laugh & Learn and Move & Groove to the Common Core State Standards. Plus, scope & sequences for all levels and alignments to Creative Curriculum and I am Moving, I am Learning Flexible lesson plans (10-minute, 15-minute, and 20-minute options) Research Corner with articles about the significant impact that music and movement have on early childhood development Parental involvement tools such as an invitation for Family Reading Night and a letter to send home with students who start mid-year Visit www.abcteachertools.com for your FREE registration now! Just submit the registration form online and wait for two confirmations, one with your password and one confirming approval for access to the Teacher Tools site. Both should arrive within one business day.   THE IMPORTANCE OF VOCABULARY Researchers consistently find that the extent of a student’s vocabulary knowledge has a strong relationship to academic success (Bauman, Kame’enui, and Ash, 2003). As early childhood teachers, you help students develop all-important emergent literacy skills–the foundation of future academic success. The ABC Music & Me program is full of vocabulary-building opportunities, and our stories, songs, and activities introduce students to hundreds of words and their meanings. We’ve also built our program with diverse learning styles in mind.   Research shows that incorporating movement with learning has a significant positive impact (Gurian, 2008). The dances, walks, and other physical activities in ABC Music & Me immerse children in rich vocabulary while they move. And as you convey meaning in context, which improves comprehension, students are thoroughly engaged by the movement and receive lots of receptive language experience.   We included important learning experiences for visual learners, too.   Many children learn best this way (Gurian, 2008). Our vocabulary picture cards help students absorb new vocabulary, practice new expressions, and learn to listen and react to your cues. These cards are a great tool for boosting expressive language skills as you encourage discussions of the word on the card. Plus, all students can develop Spanish vocabulary because the Spanish words are included on the cards, too!   Surrounding students with rich and varied oral language helps to build their vocabularies. Our musical activities help aural learners shine. During ABC Music & Me’s storytime, you repeat words and use rhymes to build those all-important phonological and listening skills. Receptive language skills develop as children understand what they hear by following the songs and reacting to you and to their peers. Our take-home stories and activities keep this learning going at home, too.   Our goal is to help you enrich your teaching by giving you tools that help students “develop a large storehouse of words, a large vocabulary that they use to describe and explain experiences” (Marion, 2010). And have fun while doing it!   —— Bauman, J.F., Kame’enui, E.J., and Ash, G.E. “Research on Vocabulary Instruction: Voltaire redux.” Handbook on Research on Teaching in the English Language Arts, 2nd Edition. Ed. James Flood, et. al. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2003. 752-785.   Gurian, M., Stevens, K., and King. K. Strategies for Teaching Boys and Girls: Elementary Level. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Teacher, 2008.   Marion, Marian C. Introduction to Early Childhood Education: Developmental Perspective. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill, 2010.   TEACHER HIGHLIGHT   Debbie Thompson     Meet Debbie Thompson, a Pre-K teacher of children with special needs at Teresa C. Berrien Elementary School in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She’s been teaching ABC Music & Me for over a year and uses the program two times a week.   Debbie has seen tremendous gains in her children’s vocabulary development. She observed that “because the ABC Music & Me program is set up by themes, it is easy to integrate it with the themes we are using in our classroom.” She likes that the program “uses similar vocabulary to what is being stressed in our class activities” and that students are “exposed to themed vocabulary across a variety of settings.”     While Debbie was hesitant to use a scripted program at first, she’s glad she gave it a try. Her students “enjoy the structure of ABC Music & Me and have learned to sit and listen to the various activities. They especially enjoy listening to the stories that are in the lesson and are able to sit and listen to other stories with better attention and focus.” She has “been truly amazed at how easily everyone adapted to the program, especially me.”   Debbie mentioned an unexpected benefit of ABC Music & Me: new children integrate into the classroom much more easily with the program. “It has made the transition of new children easier because the activities are developmentally appropriate, and children are able to be successful immediately.”   And sometimes, Debbie said, the children will “decide to ‘play ABC Music & Me.’ They set up chairs in a circle (even though we don’t sit in chairs during our music activities) and put a stuffed animal in each chair…. One child is the teacher, and they begin with the ‘Hello Song.’ They pass out the different instruments to the animals and sing a favorite song or retell a story they have heard.” It turns out that the program is a great inspiration for pretend play!   TEACHING TIP     Our vocabulary picture cards help boost every child’s vocabulary. They are included in every classroom kit. Here are some unique ways to use the cards and encourage expressive and receptive language development: During circle time, show the picture vocabulary cards for the unit you are working on. Ask the children, “Everybody, what’s this?” Wait for the children’s responses. They get to respond as a group…and you can reward the children for their unique answers. Develop your students’ knowledge of concepts. Each vocabulary picture card ties to a commonly studied theme, such as a farm, transportation, animals, or weather. Expand your students’ Spanish vocabulary, too. Each card shows both English and Spanish words. Don’t forget: all of our curricula include a fantastic English Language Learners strategies guide. Even if you don’t have ELL students in your class, we encourage all teachers to use this rich resource to help boost vocabulary. Activities in the guide include rhyming games, focused listening activities, tips for storytelling, and other terrific learning extensions. Make sure you point to your mouth with your finger as you’re working on various vocabulary words. This helps to “show” the children how to make the word with their mouths. You will also find that they will start imitating you and pointing to their own mouths. This is a common way many speech and language pathologists encourage expressive language. Please share any tips with us at our blog: http://blog.abcmusicandme.com     AN ABC WELCOME TO… A.R.T.S., IL AJFC Head Start, MS Alamo Navajo Day School, MD Baltimore County YMCA Head Start, MD Barstow Unified PAT, CA Bend Lapine Schools, OR Blount County Schools, TN Broward County Early Head Start, FL Brunswick County Schools, VA CADA Head Start, NC Cape Fear Children’s Center, NC Carroll County Public Schools, VA Cazenovia Central School District, NY CEFS Early Head Start, IL Chester County Schools, TN Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, OK Clay County Voluntary Pre-K, TN College of Lake County, IL Collier County Schools, FL Community Action Agency, MI Crockett Independent School District, TX Cumberland County Voluntary Pre-K, TN Douglas County Schools, MO Fair Oaks Elementary School, SC Families United PAT, CO Forest Rose Elementary School, OH Foxhill School, MA Franklin County Voluntary Pre-K, TN Gadsden County Schools, FL Gaithersburg Early Head Start, MD Gan Yaldenu-Tots, NY Grainger County Pre-K, TN Greene County Schools, NC Greenwich Family YMCA, CT Hankinson County Schools, ND Hardin County Schools, TN HELP Morris ECP, NY Henry County Special Education, VA Herring Run Head Start, MD Holy Rosary Preschool, WA Home Again Early Childhood Education Center, MI Honeycutt Elementary School, NC Hueneme Elementary School District , CA Hutchinson USD 308, KS Immaculate Conception School, MI Jefferson-Clarion Early Head Start, PA Kirksville Early Learning Center, MO Lauderdale County Schools, AL Macon County Voluntary Pre-K, TN Manchester-Shortsville CSD, NY Maricopa County Head Start, AZ Marshall Public Schools, MI Mascoma Valley Regional School District, NH McKenzie Special School Voluntary Pre-K, TN Memphis City Schools, TN Mid East Community Action Head Start, TN Morgan County Head Start, TN Morgan County School District Voluntary Pre-K, TN Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools, NC Native Circles, NC New Albany School District, MS Norfolk City Public Schools, VA Northern Neck Regional Special Education Program, VA Northside Elementary School, SC Northwood Temple Academy, NC Oswego City School District, NY P.E.A.C.E., Inc. Head Start, NY Pamlico County Schools, NC Parkside Children’s Center, NY Partnership for Children, NC Prairie Five Community Action Council Head Start, MN Programa Head Start, Puerto Rico Richland County First Steps, SC Rim Family Services PAT, CA Ross County Christian Academy, OH Sawmill Elementary School, IN Shelby County Voluntary Pre-K, TN Singing River Education Association, MS Snyder Child Care Center, NC Spearfish School District, SD SRPMIC Early Head Start, AZ St. Bernadine’s Head Start, MD St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES, NY Suwanee County Public Schools, FL Sweetwater County Child Development Center, WY Tazewell County Public Schools, VA Tulare City Elementary School District, CA Tulsa Public Schools Special Education, OK UKV Starting Points/Parents as Teachers, WV USD270/Parents As Teachers, KS Village Family Resource and Youth Services, KY Wake County Schools Exceptional Children, NC Wake County Schools Title I/More @ 4, NC Waynesville School District, MO Weslaco Independent School District, TX Whitesville Central School, NY Williston Public Schools, ND   And an ABC Thank You for Renewing & Expanding!   Buckingham Special Education Center, IL Canutillo Independent School District, TX Carroll County Public Schools, VA Chaney-Monge School, IL College Station Independent School District, TX Cumberland County Partnership for Children, NC Cumberland County Schools, NC Deer Valley Unified School District – Esperanza Elementary School, AZ Escuela Ecologica Niños Uniendo Al Mundo, Puerto Rico FT Worth Independent School District, TX Gila Bend Unified School District, AZ Glen Ullin Public Schools, ND HAC Day Care Center, NY Health Federation of Pennsylvania Head Start, PA Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL Holy Cross Early Childhood Center, TX Immaculate Conception School, MI Kate Jackson Elementary School, FL Kirk in the Hills Preschool, MI Lake County Public Schools, FL Little Miracles, MI Macomb County Head Start, MI Marcellus Central School District, NY Marion County Public Schools, FL Millburn School District 24, IL Obion County Schools, TN OCM BOCES Special Education, NY Pathfinder Village, Inc., NY Perry County Schools, TN Roane County Schools, TN Robertson County Schools Voluntary Pre-K, TN Robeson County Pre-K, NC Rush-Henrietta Even Start, NY SCKSEC, KS St. Augustine School, MI St. Ferdinand School, IL Standing Rock Community Schools, ND Taylor County Exceptional Student Education, FL USD 422, KS Vernon Elementary School, FL Wake County Schools Exceptional Children, NC Washington County Public Schools, FL White Shield School, ND Whitesville Central School, NY Williamsburg Head Start, NY CONTACT US   Contact us any time to ask questions, set up a meeting, or set up a free demonstration class at your own school!   You can find your local Account Manager here: http://www.abcmusicandme.com/contact-us.html   ABC Music & Me Kindermusik International 203 S. Church Street Greensboro NC 27401 info@abcmusicandme.com www.abcmusicandme.com (800) 628-5687 ext. 1106 Or you can ALWAYS feel free to contact us at our home office!

OCEAN Inc, Head Start

Photo Album

OCEAN Inc Receives ABC Music & Me Grant

Head Start program in Toms River, NJ receives ABC Music & Me Grant

 

I was so excited that out of the hundreds that applied for this grant, My clients, OCEAN Inc were selected.  I had the opportunity to train the staff in ABC Music & Me this past summer.

When  Theodore Gooding received a call from ABC Music & Me informing him of the good news that his organization was chosen to receive the 2011-2012 ABC Music & Me grant worth up to $15,000, I immediately began preparing for the crucial and pivotal component that determines the success of ABC Music & Me-the training.

The ABC Music & Me Charitable Gift Program was designed to provide assistance to Head Start programs and public schools serving children who are financially or educationally disadvantaged and I wanted to ensure that the staff would receive the type of training that recognized the challenges that Head Start faces, including raising CLASS scores and the new components recently added to the Outcomes Framework.

 

As the President and CEO of O.C.E.A.N. Inc Head Start in Toms River, NJ, Gooding understands how research-based and proven early-education programs can help break the cycle of poverty and prepare disadvantaged children for success in school. O.C.E.A.N. Inc is the Community Action Agency for the disadvantaged residents of Ocean County, New Jersey. The agency’s Head Start program manages six Head Start Centers, serving preschool children ages 3 to 5 years from families with incomes at 100% or below the federal poverty line.

 

O.C.E.A.N. Inc will use this grant to implement its first-ever ABC Music & Me program, providing early childhood language and literacy development through music. ABC Music & Me is particularly beneficial for at-risk students and English Language Learners.

 

O.C.E.A.N. Inc.’s mission is to provide comprehensive services that improve the quality of life of individuals and families and assist them in moving toward self-sufficiency. The ABC Music & Me program will impact upon the intergenerational cycle of poverty and improve quality of life by working with young children and their parents to positively change the way they interact with their children.  ABC Music & Me gives the children and their families fun, engaging and educational ways to work on all areas of development through music.

 

 

Through the grant, ABC Music & Me  provided all the classroom teaching materials, a one-day training session for teachers and staff, and take-home kits for families to use together. Since 40% of the children enrolled in the O.C.E.A.N. Inc Head Start program speak Spanish as their first language, take-home kits were provided in English and Spanish. Language-specific family engagement will encourage more parent participation and give them confidence as their child’s first teacher.

 

It is my hope that agencies like OCEAN Inc will use ABC Music & Me as a springboard to Early childhood teachings and in my trainings we discuss ways to use the various components as a model to incorporate into the daily classroom agenda.

I look forward to maintaining contact with OCEAN Inc throughout the year and providing ongoing support for the staff.

 

ABC Music & Me Charitable Gift Program accepts applications once a year to be used in the upcoming academic school year. Applications for the 2012-2013 school year will be accepted in Summer 2012. For more information, contact info@abcmusicandme.com.

Paramus Fireworks 2011

No words necessary.  The best I’ve ever seen.

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ABC Music & Me For Schools Charitable Gift Program-Apply Now

The ABC Music & Me Charitable Gift Program   The ABC Music & Me Charitable Gift Program was designed to provide assistance to Head Start programs and public schools serving children who are financially or educationally disadvantaged.   One year of ABC Music & Me. One school or school district per year will receive a grant of ABC Music & Me materials worth up to $15,000 to establish a new program. During the summer, Kindermusik will ship – free of charge – the classroom and student home materials that have been awarded and will provide one full day of on-site professional development.  This ensures that the program can be implemented during the start of the school year in the fall.   ELIGIBILITY Head Start programs and public schools serving Pre-K and up are eligible to apply. FUND GUIDELINES Applications for this program must be submitted each year for which the award is requested. The annual award is capped at a value of $15,000 in ABC Music & Me program materials, which includes a maximum of the following: six Classroom Kits, Student Take-Home Kits for 120 children, and one full day of on-site professional development. The actual award amount will depend upon the school recipient’s needs. No further materials will be awarded beyond the first year. If you are awarded the annual gift, we ask that you participate in a case study, administering a pre-assessment in the fall and a post-assessment in the spring to observe student progress. (No individual student information will be released in the analysis of the assessments.) We also ask for a report sharing the students‘ experiences with the program (include pictures if available). Testimonials such as these truly make a difference. Schools that receive an award may not be nominated again until three years have passed.  Thus a school receiving an award in 2011 may be nominated again in 2014. Priority will be given to: Schools with the most compelling needs   APPLICATION PROCESS AND INFORMATION Applications will be accepted online from June 1, 2011 through July 31, 2011 for the upcoming school year. Applications require the following information: School name School address School contact person with title, telephone number and email address Details about the school to receive the award, including school curriculum, general description of the students who will be using the program, and statements describing the compelling need for award support Permission, should the gift be received, for Kindermusik International to have full access to teachers, students, and administrators for relevant testimonials, photographs, academic results, and other information for marketing.   The award winner will be notified via email by August 15, 2011.

Pirate Party Kindermusik Style

Couldnt resist sharing my son’s 5th party.

Proud to say I did it all from decorations to entertainment to food!

I experimented with the huge cost upfront for most party places and ended up saving over 1oo dollars AND the kids had much more FUN

If anyone is interested in the details please feel free to contact me

Also I’m available to do parties in the NY/NJ area

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