Studio of Leah Brammer: 13_Twinkle Lessons - November 17, 2009

Monday, November 16, 2009

13_Twinkle Lessons - November 17, 2009 - Happy Thanksgiving

Dr. Suzuki said "Only practice on the days that you eat".
From looking at the practice sheets I can see that see that the children are practicing daily. So, about now the daily habit should be getting easier-just in time for the holidays...music becomes a part of every day.

As my children were growing up holidays were special concert days instead of the regular practice. All the family would gather for the performance. It turned out that this became an event that evolved into making up a program to give out, getting out the video etc. So getting ready for the performance was important too.

Whether your child is doing make-up songs, Twinkles, or the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody this is a wonderful way to acknowledge your child's efforts in a relatively pressure free situation. Grandparents usually can enjoy each little step and children enjoy playing for them because of this. If you are away at friends or family there may not be an adjustable bench and footstool, or even only a keyboard is available. Not to worry. Flexibility is good.

It is good to keep these occasions very relaxed and in the spirit of the holiday. The most important point is to really enjoy this time as it is and then your child will enjoy the attention, feel good about sharing their music, and want to do it again in the future.

If you are traveling away from home be sure to take the disc/listening. Long trips are perfect for extra listening, and a good chance to listen to the "Suzuki favorites" disc, or the Mozart Concerto.

This holiday I am very grateful for my wonderful students and parents!
Happy Thanksgiving.
Leah Brammer

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Core Education Principles

1. Life Ability
Core Education develops life ability- the ability to live life optimally.

2. Natural Learning
Core Education utilizes and preserves natural learning, which is direct learning from the environment.

3. Whole Learning
Children learn through absorption of the total environment rather than part by part. This is sometimes called ”right-brain learning” Whole learning is a better way to describe this absorption as it involves both the right brain (learning through the senses/intuition and left brain (analytical) types of learning working together.

4. Ability Development
Pattern recognition and the forming of relationships between these patterns can be developed through repetition for optimum learning. This then includes physical ability, mental/memory, emotional balance and spiritual development as well. This is the balancing concept of whole learning and involves understanding of learning in relationship to sequencing and the development of ability through the acquisition of foundation skills

5. Integral Learning
Core learning involves recognition and support for the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of development in combination with mental/cognitive learning to form life abilities.

6. The core focus principle of nurturing:
This principle is that the most fundamental aspect in a child’s learning must always be addressed rather than focusing on the content of what is being learned. It is finding the core aspect of the process that will produce the easiest and quickest way to learn. It is closely connected to Ability Development.

7. Positive affirmation
Core education involves affirmation as a critical component of feedback for the child. Using verbal acknowledgment of that which is correct will accelerate learning. It is not a judgment such as good or bad, but is a positive statement of fact to the child about how they are learning.

Through understanding and applying these principles teachers and parents can recreate the concept of education from the learning of facts to the development of ability.