Music Education for Parents: Musical Learning for Babies

by: - December 8th, 2009   Filed under: Musical Learning

When there is an expectant mother in the family, everybody spends those nine months in learning all about parenting and preparing for the new arrival in the family. But have you ever thought about the role of musical learning in helping the newborn develop to its full potential in life?

We adults feel so proud of our child when he exhibits his talents throughout his formative years. Why not consider teaching him music, the timeless art form that brings so much of joy! Your child need not have to become a great musician to tap its great benefits. Musical learning helps children enhance the quality of their life. Its effect on development of the brain is well documented and can be found in innumerable books and articles.

Trust me, dear moms and dads, you can give all these benefits to your child by providing him with musical learning. Even if you don’t have an ear for music, it does not mean that your child will not. The important thing is to let him learn and play music and find his place among the successful people in school and work!

Most parents are aware that the unborn child can hear things perfectly even in the womb and that’s why they talk to him. It’s beautiful! How about going a step further? Play him some music! Play some good classical music CDs or anything which you find melodious, for 15-20 minutes a day or more, and your child will love it.

He might even react to his favorite music by moving around in the womb. Musical learning starts! If he’s inconveniencing you too much, all you have to do is play calm, soothing music and he will fall asleep.

If the mother has a good musical ear, I recommend her to sing aloud often. Sing anything that you love singing. After the child is born, you will even see him react to the songs you sung to him in the womb; he will smile!

You can give your child the gift of musical learning even if you don’t have an ear for music. Musical talent is not hereditary. All you have to do is play lilting music CDs every day, before and after his birth throughout life.

Here is a caution, though, for parents who don’t have the musical ear: Never sing in the presence of your child! Not even before his birth. Musical talent is acquired through observations and practice, so don’t lead your child down the wrong way!

Tatiana Bandurina is an owner of Quintecco Educational Products Inc. She develops a new trend in education – Music Education for Parents. For more tips on musical learning, visit http://www.quintecco.com


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Benefits of After-School Social and Emotional Learning Programs in Broward County, Dade County, Pembroke Pines and Hollywood, FL

by: - December 8th, 2009   Filed under: Emotional Learning

A meta-analysis on the findings of three large-scale scientific reviews on the benefits of social and emotional learning programs has been conducted by Roger Weissberg, president of the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and Joseph Durlak, professor of clinical psychology at Loyola University Chicago, showing multiple and extensive benefits for students aged five to 18.

The study, funded by the W.T. Grant Foundation and the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Mental Health, compared the results of the three 2008 reviews, each of which focused on social and emotional learning programs for the general student body, social and emotional learning programs for children with special needs, and social and emotional learning programs held after-school. They analyzed the effect of social and emotional learning programs on the students’ social and emotional learning skills, academic performance, conduct, positive social behavior, attitudes toward self and others, and emotional distress.

The three large-scale scientific reviews analyzed were a Universal Review, an Indicated Review and an After-School Review. The Universal Review was composed of 180 school-based studies which covered 277,977 students from the general student body who had no behavioral or emotional problems or difficulties. The Indicated Review was composed of 80 studies which covered 11,337 students who had been observed to show early signs of social, emotional, or behavioral problems but with no diagnosed mental disorder nor need for special education. The After-School Review was composed of 57 studies which covered 34,989 students with no identified problems.

According to the study, social and emotional learning programs are effective in-school and after-school in urban, rural, and suburban locations for racially and ethnically diverse students from elementary school to middle school levels, whether or not they have behavioral and emotional problems. Such programs were found to improve the student’s achievement test scores by as much as 11 to 17 percent. Students were also found to have improved attitudes about self and others, social-emotional skills, positive social behavior, cooperation with others and connection to school. They had reduced emotional distress, anxiety and depression. Their behavioral problems such as aggression, disruptiveness and substance use were also reduced. All the benefits of the social and emotional learning programs were found to continue through time.

The most effective social and emotional learning programs were found to be those that follow the S.A.F.E. formula which stands for Sequenced, Active, Focused and Explicit. This means using a sequenced series of activities with specified skill objectives; using active learning methods; having a program component that is focused on the development of personal or social skills; and explicitly targeting specific personal or social skills to develop.

Social and emotional learning programs were also found to be most effective when they were conducted by teachers instead of researchers.

Given the success of social and emotional learning programs in youth development, the study recommends that federal, state, and local policies encourage their widespread implementation during and after school.

K-5 after-school enrichment programs in social and emotional learning and character education are held in Broward County, Dade County, Pembroke Pines and Hollywood, FL by an education company called Brilliant Minds. The sessions are held in school premises by trained teachers after class hours. Students are grouped by age and academic level for the sessions. Parents may request their schools to coordinate with the company if they wish to avail of such programs for their children.

The same company also provides tutoring referral services in Broward County, Dade County, Pembroke Pines and Hollywood, FL, connecting families with tutors who have the necessary teaching credentials. Furthermore, the company enriches the students’ summer breaks with summer camp activities mirroring the same social and emotional learning and character education programs.

Brilliant Minds
Deborah Jane Smith
176 Wimbledon Lake Drive
Plantation, FL 33324
Phone: (954) 547-0202
Fax: (954) 495-4042
Email: dsmith@brilliantmindslearning.com
Website: www.brilliantmindslearning.com


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Conquer Your Learning Disability To Be Successful At Work

by: - December 8th, 2009   Filed under: Physical Learning

Learning Disabilities tend to stay for life. Remedial teaching teaches children “coping skills” so that the child is able to function despite the learning disabilities. As a learning-disabled child grows, he becomes more aware of his shortcomings and this causes frustration. Added to this is the fact that as children grow, they become less accepting. They look to form groups with children who have the same abilities and themselves. They become more aware of “differences”.


With age come challenges that are more and more difficult to handle using coping mechanisms. Things that normal adults take for granted have to be carefully thought through. Getting emotionally involved with another person and starting a relationship could be deadly for a learning-disabled person who is not able to cope with the uncertainties of emotions. Many a tragic story has been written and many a tragic movie has been made of learning-disabled people trying to make their way in the world.


Learning disabilities are varied in form and severity. They usually affect how a person thinks, talks, hears, reads and writes. These problems impact how you process thoughts and perform tasks such as reading (dyslexia), mathematics (dyscalculia), writing (dysgraphia), and so on. Since we use these skills everyday, you will have to find ways of coping with daily tasks.


Learning disabilities, just like physical disabilities, call for a lot of patience on your part. The difference lies in the fact that most physical disabilities are visible and therefore obvious to the person as well as their companions. Learning disabilities are subtle and can be quite difficult for bosses and coworkers to pick up. There are many moments of frustration that you will need to be overcome. It is important to identify and then assess the limits of your disability, especially as you enter the workforce.


It is important for you to understand and recognize the limitations that your learning disability imposes on you. At the same time, it is important not to use the learning disability as a crutch and to live life to its fullest and perform as best you can on the job despite the disability.


Life with a learning disability is a challenge – but it is not a lost cause. As with a physical disability, one has to learning coping skills to compensate for the lack of physical ability – so it is with a learning disability. Given below are some common coping skills that you can use, if you have a learning disability:


*Set up a routine in your life. It could be a daily routine from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep. Listing routine tasks and posting them in a prominent position can be of immense help. Working according to a set schedule brings in a routine that is a comfort zone for you.


*Avoid stressful situations. The additional stress of high emotions can make it more difficult for you as a learning-disabled person to cope with a situation.


*Avoid noise and confusion. Surrounding noise, confusion and tension make it difficult for a learning-disabled person to concentrate on the task on hand.


*Ensure you get adequate rest. People with learning disabilities find it more difficult to cope with routine tasks if they are tired.


*In a prominent place, list all the emergency contact numbers you may require. You should even carry these numbers with you at all times.


*Lead a healthy lifestyle. This includes proper rest schedules, eating healthy food and eating on time, abstaining for all mood altering substance and, getting sufficient exercise.


A learning disability is a disability that you can cope with, even in your professional life. It is a disability that will allow you to lead an independent and productive life. It is a surmountable problem. Be aware of your problem, be informed about your problem and then live life within the confines of your problem. Live life to the fullest!

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.


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