One of our favorite moments in a Kindermusik class is the Hello Song. It’s simple, it’s quick, and it is filled with JOY and CONNECTION.
Our Hello Songs are carefully written and structured to be MORE than just a “hello”.
Of course the Hello Song is part of the opening routine of class. Routines are crucial in signaling to children a transition from one activity or state of being to the next. Our Hello ritual helps our children leave behind what they have been doing before (napping, school, driving, snacking, etc.) and renew their focus on the class, the environment, and all that is to come in the next hour.
If you have been with Kindermusik for several years you will have noticed the Hello Song changes each time your child progresses to a new level. This helps each level of Kindermusik feel distinct and different. What’s interesting to notice is that the complexity of each hello song increases with the developmental age of the students in that level. Simple melodies and lyrics for the babies allow for maximum recognition and cognition. As the child’s brain develops and is capable of more complex auditory mapping, our hello songs keep pace with those changes.
Every hello song reserves time to sing to each and every child individually. We sing to them, using their names, for a variety of reasons. It grabs your child’s attention, it helps them feel seen, validated, and loved. Using all the children’s names allows everyone to get to know one another, develop a sense of social bonding, build trust, and create empathy with their classmates. It helps to develop that sense of a class “family”.
An important aspect of hello songs is the motor movements we use along with it. We clap, tap, swish, roll, rock, tickle, stomp, smile, bounce, wave, and more. All of these actions provide practice for both fine and gross motor development, but they also boost blood flow and oxygen, which primes the brain for the neural feast that follows.
In the upper Kindermusik levels we often allow time for children to choose what motor movement they will use in the hello song. This gives them some autonomy and practice making choices. It also helps the educator emphasize the steady beat, helping them learn to externalize a beat and play together as an ensemble. It’s developing their musical abilities under the cover of a fun ritual.
As you can see, there are a myriad of benefits to our hello songs. It helps your child develop self awareness, integrate language and movement, supports socialization, develops singing skills, and promotes self expression. All wrapped up in one tidy little JOYFUL ritual.
