The buzz…

Was Your First Mini Maestros Class What You Expected?

Did you know it can take around three weeks for young children to settle into new situations such as Mini Maestros? In our 30 years of experience, we have found that some of the younger children may spend their first lessons exploring the room and appear not to take any notice of the activity going on around them. Others may be quite reticent about joining in and sometimes cling to their parent/ carer. Both of these types of responses are very common when children are exposed to any new situation. There are many new things for children to become used to in Mini Maestros classes – the physical environment, different sights and sounds, and other children. So, don’t be concerned if you feel your child’s participation at your first lesson wasn’t what you hoped for or expected. Give it time and we know that your child will settle and join in with confidence.

Mini Maestros lessons are carefully planned to ensure sequential musical development and nurture a love of learning. Repetition is very important for young children in order for them to grasp new concepts and become familiar with activities. New material is introduced alongside repertoire from previous weeks so that children know what to expect and, therefore, feel safe and comfortable in class.

Mini Maestros classes are quite structured and this kind of approach can be new for many children. While we do have specific developmental aims and objectives for each activity, our primary philosophy is that of ‘learning through play’. Children learn best when they are having fun!Our 6-15 months and 1-2 year old classes are designed to give young children a range of musical experiences. Young babies may not appear to be doing much in classes at this stage, but they are definitely absorbing everything around them. It is worth keeping in mind that the activities in the babies’ classes are equally as important for you, the primary carer, so that you are equipped with a range of things to follow up at home, such as bouncing rhymes, finger plays and action songs. As your baby becomes older, you will be able to see how much they have been taking in when, all of a sudden, they start shaking an instrument or pull their scarf off at the end of a peekaboo phrase.

Our 2-3, 3-4 and 4-5 year old classes are designed to teach children about the elements of music such as beat, rhythm, pitch and form. For younger children these elements are learnt in an unconscious way, via movement and listening activities, and musical games. As children approach four years of age, the musical elements are presented in ways that allow children to make them conscious, such as through simple pre-reading activities, singing with Bumblebee and playing beat and rhythm on percussion instruments. Our toddler and preschooler classes also focus on developing important social skills such as sharing, taking turns and working with others.

Mini Maestros welcomes feedback from our customers. If you have any questions or comments about your first class, please do not hesitate to speak to your teacher.