A shape poem is one that describes an object and is written in the shape of the object. To get your child’s creative juices flowing, you can look at examples of shape poetry here. Next, have your child pick an object
Head Start for Back to School
Simple changes that will make life easier for everyone Going back to school is tough for most kids—it’s a sudden blast of social anxiety, new responsibilities, and unfamiliar territory that hit all at once, and can leave both parents and
Paint by Part of Speech
Brush up your budding artist’s English skills by transforming a paint-by-numbers download into a a paint-by-part-of-speech. (Or rhyming words for the little ones.) 1. Download a paint by numbers drawing off the internet (this one came from http://allkidsnetwork.com/color-by-numbers/) 2. Import
Forces of Nature
Inspired by 200+ Active Learning Strategies by James A. Bellanca Play some nature-based music (we recommend trying some of George Winston’s Seasons based piano solos from the early 1980s on YouTube). Have your child pretend to be either the forces
Senza Voce Video
Watch a short film or movie scene that your child hasn’t seen before with the sound off. Can s/he tell what was happening with Character X in the scene? How did they feel? How about Character Y? What about their faces,
Calculation Composition
Musical notations are intrinsically tied to mathematics. Whether the fractional notes need to add up to a complete measure, each measure needs to be equal to the time signature, how the written notes are essentially “graphed” on the ledger or
10 Tips When Helping Your Children to Choose Their Science Fair Projects
Science fair season has become increasingly more competitive. This is because the stakes at these events are no longer limited to ribbons and plaques. There are big money rewards to be won and chances to impress college entrance boards as
What a Character!
Adapted from a post on Minds in Bloom by Rachel Lynette. Used with Permission. “If there is beauty in character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the
How Playing Angry Birds Could Make Your Child Smarter
Have you noticed that kids nowadays are always glued to their phones or playing video games instead of going outside and hanging out with the neighborhood children? It seems that good ol’ fashioned games like duck, duck, goose are a
Summer Reading Recommendations for the “Music Smart” Child
All ages: Story of the Orchestra : Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, the Music and the Composers Who Wrote the Music! By Robert Levine. The book is divided into two major parts: composers and their associated musical periods,