Kindermusik Our Time is for ages 18 months - 3 years. Imagine That ages are 3 1/2 - 5 years. What happens during that 6 month time when Our Time ends and Imagine That begins? Parents want to know if their child should move up as soon after they turn 3 or wait. They will often say things like, "they are the oldest in the Our Time class, I wonder if they should move?"
Let me give you a personal perspective. I have 4 children, the youngest is Kate. She has always been mature for her age because she was the youngest, and because she grew up with college students babysitting for her! She potty trained at 18 months. She had done music since the womb.
Kate and Imagine That? She could have, and would have done fine...but we stayed in Our Time for another semester. I attended Kindermusik with Ms. Wendy on Tuesday mornings at 9:30, and had a great time. She has a December birthday, thus turning 3 mid-year. Should we move up to Imagine That?
She got to be the oldest! She had lots of great ideas for us to do for the activities! We had lots of fun being together and enjoying music. When she moved up to Imagine That in the fall, she was ready.
That is my story, but here are some guidelines for you to consider with your child:
Let me give you a personal perspective. I have 4 children, the youngest is Kate. She has always been mature for her age because she was the youngest, and because she grew up with college students babysitting for her! She potty trained at 18 months. She had done music since the womb.
Kate and Imagine That? She could have, and would have done fine...but we stayed in Our Time for another semester. I attended Kindermusik with Ms. Wendy on Tuesday mornings at 9:30, and had a great time. She has a December birthday, thus turning 3 mid-year. Should we move up to Imagine That?
She got to be the oldest! She had lots of great ideas for us to do for the activities! We had lots of fun being together and enjoying music. When she moved up to Imagine That in the fall, she was ready.
- Separates from adult without crying; enjoys interacting with peers.
- Thinks creatively - has moved from "what animals do you know?" to "what might we see in our pretend tree?"
- Recognizes the needs of others; can be empathetic; take turns (usually!), understand classroom rules and why they are important
- Developing abstract language and thought - can sustain a pretend play and enjoy developing an idea for up to 5 minutes or more.
- Can tell stories, relate a series of ideas, connect own experiences to those of others
- Beginning to take turns - can accept "she is playing the woodblock, and you have the tambourine today"
- Has broad movement vocabulary, and can explore the same movement in diverse ways ("What other parts of your body can twirl?")
- Can sit and listen to a story or musical selection for several minutes, and comment on what they have heard.
- Knows simple shapes, colors, weather, seasons, and is beginning to count
- Participates in singing, and reciting rhymes.
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