LittleStars Music is a music program for children of 1 year up to the age of 6. It is a child-centred, colourful and fun way to introduce your child to music from a very young age, in an enjoyable and stimulating but structured way. LittleStars Music is based on the Kodály philosophy: everything starts with singing to develop inner hearing. The children learn through singing, clapping, marching, a
nd playing games, unaware that they are learning core musical concepts such as rhythm, pitch, dynamics and melody. In Finland this method has been a core part of the state music education for more than thirty years and is now an internationally respected way of teaching music to children. Colourstrings has been taught in the UK for almost 20 years and is fast becoming the most popular early years music program taught there.
2. How long are the classes and how do parents participate? LittleStars Music classes are 35 minutes for children aged 1-2 years, and 40 minutes for older children. Parents will be very involved with babies and younger children and enjoy the class almost as much as their little ones! When children get to 4 years they can participate on their own.
3. Children will be learning all about key concepts of music through singing, clapping, tapping, marching to the beat, movement, rhymes, playing games and using simple percussion instruments. There's lots of fun and frolics and of course winding down time with teddy at the end! By age 5-6 children will be singing confidently, reading and composing their own simple rhythms, using some solfa handsigns, moving to the beat and using various percussion instruments.
4. When & Where are the classes? Classes run on Saturdays all year round in the studios upstairs in the Redemptorist Centre of Music, Island road, Limerick city. Some Tuesday morning classes for -2 and 2-3 years happen at various times during the year. More up-to-date information is posted regularly on the Facebook main page. Times for SATURDAYS (places must be booked in advance)
10.45-11.20am 1-2 years
11.30-12.10pm 2-3 years
12.20-1pm 3-4 years
1.10-1.50pm 4-6 years
5. Is my child learning something different each term? Yes, each term has a different set of songs, games and skills for children to learn. There are also 3 sets of Colourstrings books and cd's available for each term, which we reuse each year.
6. Who is your teacher? Sarah O'Kennedy, B.A., H.dip.Ed., ATCL, MA Music Education, is a singer and voice coach based in Annacotty. She trained in Colourstrings Kindergarten level in London and is the first in Limerick to teach using the ColourStrings approach.
7. How does LittleStars Music benefit my child? LittleStars is different in that children will not just be enjoying but also learning all about the key elements of music through a fun and playful environment. Classes involve using most of the senses and ultimately lead to an intrinsic understanding and love of music. Little Stars Music also boosts confidence, aids motor skills and stimulates creativity and imagination. It is an ideal pre-cursor to learning an instrument. Advance booking essential. Please contact Sarah to make a booking. Family rates available. Contact: 085-7170729 or [email protected] for more details. Reviews: "I attended the Little Stars Music class with my daughter who is 3 years old. The classes were fabulous... I just fell in love with them." "Sarah brings so much fun to her music and dance classes and they are packed with cognitive, social, emotional and physical developmental skills for kids." "Little stars is a fantastic music class and it is great fun for the parents too."
