Mommy and me KinderJam: Children learn through dance, song
Jonathan Hardy puts his thumbs up during the “thumbs up” portion of the opening song at the KinderJam session Jan. 11 held at the Kelly Park Community Center. Photo by Marcie C. Wright, Monitor Staff.
Marcie C. Wright
Monitor Staff
Nearly 50 mothers and their children gathered at the Kelly Park Community Center for a sing-a-long and dance-a-long KinderJam session Jan. 11.
The Tuesday morning classes are free and will continue for the next four weeks at the community center. It is aimed at children 1 to 5 years old.
With the aid of props, KinderJam sessions include number recognition, alphabet phonics, counting, days of the week, dancing and singing. The program originated in Monterey, Calif., where military spouse El Brown doubled as an elementary school teacher and conceptualized a program where children could get loose, have fun and be educated simultaneously.
From there, she trained Colleen Rosales, also a military spouse, who recently brought the classes to Fort Bliss.
“There’s not a whole lot of classes like this for children aged between 1 and 5, so this is great.,” said Rosales. “Plus it gets them up and moving, and it’s fun.”
DJ Walker pretends he is a drummer during the drumming portion of the KinderJam session held at the Kelly Park Community Center. Photo by Marcie C. Wright, Monitor Staff.
As the children repeat after the instructor, they learn the importance of following directions. As they sing the popular “5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” song, each time one falls off and bumps his head, they put one finger down, introducing a technique to counting backward. Through creative movement and song, the children experience kinesthetic learning, or learning by doing.
Besides integrating preschool essentials, Isabel Walker finds other benefits to bringing her son, D.J. to the sessions here.
“He’s an only child and I bring him so he can have social time,” said Walker, who noticed her once shy son now openly participates. She appreciates the reinforced learning of the alphabet, as well as counting by ones and twos, but added, “The singing and dancing gets him moving and uses up some energy, [and it] wears him out.”
Rosales said an added bonus for the parents is that classes serve as a networking tool and an escape from the monotony of being in the house. “It’s a good thing for parents to do with their children. They’re having fun with them and they’re getting entertainment.”
“I think it’s really good because it’s educational for [the children] without them realizing it,” said Walker.
Now open to the residents of Balfour Beatty, the program is soon to fall under the SKIES umbrella with Child, Youth and School Services and be available to everyone who has access to the post. For more information, call 474-6642 or visit www.kinderjam.com.
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