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[MOUNT PLEASANT] – Registration for the spring Kindermusik programs are now open, and the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department is excited to announce that beloved long-time instructor Anastasia Churdar has returned!
Both Kindermusik Village and Kindermusik Our Time programs will be offered this year beginning Jan. 20. For more than twelve years, the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department has offered the nationally-acclaimed Kindermusik program, a music education program that helps enhance early childhood development through developmentally appropriate curricula, books, instruments and activities.
Research has shown that music helps children become better learners, and that even newborns respond emotionally to music. Kindermusik has become increasingly popular over the years, as parents find each class stimulating, fun and rewarding. According to www.kindermusik.com, 99% of Kindermusik parents would recommend the classes to other parents.
Also, as parents are invited to accompany and interact with their children during each class, the program also helps to necessitate a stronger parent-child bond.
Upcoming sessions of the program will be offered by returning Kindermusik teacher Anastasia Churdar. A mother of two, “Miss Anastasia,” as she is known by her students, is a Charleston native with a BS in Elementary Education and taught elementary school for nine years. She retired when she had her first daughter, Ellie, and together they took a Kindermusik class while Ellie was an infant. After the impact the program had on Anastasia and her daughter – baby Ellie began humming songs and words from class before she could even speak – Anastasia decided she wanted to become involved in teaching the program. Following certification, Anastasia taught Kindermusik with the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department for over five years, becoming a beloved teacher to many local participants. Throughout her career with MPRD, Anastasia’s classes would meet their capacity very quickly upon opening of registration. Following a nearly two-year absence, Anastasia has returned to the recreation department.
Anastasia is a firm supporter of the Kindermusik program and believes that all parents should take advantage of their local program. “We use a structured lesson plan. I respect the fact that children don’t have long attention spans, so we try to keep them focused as much as possible,”said Anastasia. “Even if children don’t directly participate, they benefit from the experience of being there. It exposes them to new experiences and lets them learn through discovery and movement in a positive environment.”
The Kindermusik program is broken down into two sections, each focusing on skills pertinent to a specified age group. In practice for 30 years, the Kindermusik curricula are based upon the principles of early development as defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The program is said to involve various aspects of a child’s growth and development, including language, motor skills, social skills, cognitive development and emotional growth, as well as positively influence mathematics and pattern-recognization skills, planning ability and behavior self-regulation.
Kindermusik Village, geared toward newborns to 18-month-olds, helps with the expressive stage of development and emphasizes various sounds and movement activities. Kindermusik Village educators teach parents how to encourage a baby’s learning through vocal play, object exploration, instruments and dance together. Featuring developmentally-appropriate curricula for babies, participants will play over 200 activities together while learning over 30 songs, lullabies and nursery rhymes and even get to bring home materials for home play. Kindermusik Village will be offered on Tuesdays beginning Jan. 20 at the G.M. Darby Building from 9:15 – 10 a.m., as well as on Fridays beginning Jan. 23 at the MPRD Park West Recreation Complex from 11 – 11:45 a.m. Programs will be offered over two eight-week sessions, the first session beginning on Jan. 20 and a second session beginning March 17.
The second section of the program, Kindermusik Our Time, is developed for children ages 18 months to 3 years and combines movement, music and literacy. Through this section, children are introduced to more complex sounds and rhythms and are even given the chance to play musical instruments. Kindermusik Our Time encourages toddlers to be creative, to initiate their own ideas and to respond in their own ways in an effort to build confidence, self-control and communications skills. Participants will experience exploration, vocal play, story time and movement activities through age-appropriate curricula, as well as be able to take home materials to continue the experience after class. Kindermusik Our Time will be offered on Tuesdays beginning Jan. 20 at the G.M. Darby Building from 10:15 – 11 a.m., as well as on Fridays beginning Jan. 23 at the MPRD Park West Recreation Complex from 10 – 10:45 a.m. The sessions will run from January through May.
Mount Pleasant resident Jill Handegan and her older child Aiden, now age 4, were students in Anastasia’s Kindermusik class at the G.M. Darby Building for several years. She says that even now – nearly two years since her son took a Kindermusik class – her child still relates to the program almost daily, listening to Kindermusk tapes and talking about the program.
“Music helps ground children,” said Handegan. “And Kindermusik helps foster their love for music and exploring. Plus, the children are allowed to be themselves in the classroom and have freedom.”
As Handegan’s younger child is now in the preschool age group, she is especially excited that Anastasia will be returning to the MPRD Kindermusik program. After Aiden took Kindermusik with Anastasia, Handegan said that she had a hard time taking the program with another instructor. ”It’s the bond she has with the children,” said Handegan. “Anastasia truly loves the children in her class.”
In speaking with Anastasia, any parent can sense her love for and devotion to children. “Every child is special and has a love language and a learning style that they respond to,” said Anastasia. “If we can target each child’s special learning style and love language, it helps them be more successful as they embark on their educational experience.”
Anastasia says that her main reason for returning to teach Kindermusik with MPRD is her love for the program. “I love it for many reasons, but I especially love watching the children’s eyes light up when the music starts,” she said. “Even tiny babies 5 – 6 months old respond to music in class, and you can see their personalities come out.”
She says she also loves seeing parents bond with their children during class. “It’s a child’s first experience in a classroom or social setting, and through Kindermusik, they can experience it with the security of their parents.”
Handegan said that she enjoyed participating in the class with her son as well. “It’s also a great way to meet other moms; I’ve made several friends from Kindermusik classes,” she said.
Emphasizing Anastasia’s impact on the children and parents she teaches, Handegan said that a friend hers is planning drive from West Ashley to Mount Pleasant this spring just to take Anastasia’s classes.
Aside from the four programs with the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department, Anastasia is available to arrange sessions with mom’s groups, play groups and parties.
As available spaces are expected to fill up fast, parents are encouraged to stop in any Mount Pleasant Recreation Department facility to sign-up for the program in advance. Parents can also register online at www.mtpleasantrec.com.
For more information on the MPRD Kindermusik program, contact Program Recreation Specialist Florine Russell at 849-2061. |
