The Greenville Suzuki Strings Workshop is pleased to once again offer a class especially for children ages zero through 3 and their parents at 9 a.m. Feb. 2. This Suzuki Early Childhood Education class will be held at the Greenville High School Library. Suzuki violin teacher and Suzuki Early Childhood Education teacher trainer, Danette Schuh, will lead the class and promises fun and games for both children and parents.
The Suzuki Method founder, Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, who developed Talent Education wrote, “Develop ability from what a child can already do and that ability will promote the happiness of doing things better and better. An unlimited amount of ability can develop when parent and child are having fun together. This is simple but often overlooked.”
Suzuki Early Childhood Education is an interactive class full of music and movement. It is based on the Suzuki concept of the Mother Tongue Approach, the theory that young children naturally learn the language they hear every day. Children and their parents participate together singing and dancing to familiar rhymes and action songs. Also, babies and toddlers get to hear and play instruments such as glockenspiel, xylophone, drums, triangle and rain stick.
A few of the skills that are fostered by parent and teacher during the class are listening carefully, recognizing sounds and pitches, following directions, developing self-control, recognizing numbers, and learning to share. Suzuki ECE provides a skill foundation that can transfer later to an instrument. Research presented at the 2010 International Conference on Infant Studies shows that active music classes for infants promotes the brain’s acquisition of musical structure.
According to Dr. Suzuki, “We must never forget that certain talents can be developed when a certain environment is provided. Too many parents are misled by the words ‘born musician’ or ‘born painter’.” Suzuki ECE focuses on developing a positive environment where many skills can be fostered and ability can be developed. The following concepts are the basis of the class: every child can learn; ability develops early; environment nurtures growth; children learn from one another; success breeds success; parental involvement is critical; encouragement is essential.
We hope area parents of children ages zero through 3 years will join us with their children at the Greenville Suzuki Strings Workshop to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity at 9 a.m. February 2 at Greenville High School for this 45-minute class. The cost of the class is $20. To enroll, please call 903-455-1306 or email greenvillesuzukistrings@gmail.com.
