Dear Parents,
We are becoming ready. Ready is a state of mind as well as a physical position. By holding the ready position, the mind can become still and focused and connected with the physical body. This enables the person to put their physical energy in alignment with their mental focus, their sensitivity of sight and touch, and their internal desire to learn naturally from the environment.

So, first the children observed an older student practicing his ready, next all of the stuffed animals practiced their ready, then each parent practiced their ready. Next every child did a ready position! This is a great example of nurturing and learning directly from the environment.

Please read the previous Twinkle Lesson post #7, and also read the post on Integral learning.

For the practice assignment:
Please continue working on the bow. This week a good focus would be to model hands at the side of the body- you can check your hands at the beginning and then the end of the bow.  Next, ready position.  You can do this a few times.  You might want to let your child choose a number to count to.

Next do finger numbers.  First go in order-12345.  Next go back and forth between fingers 1 and 5.  When this is easy add  finger 2 next. After two is easy go from #2 to #3 and then from #1-#3, etc.  Basically the easiest to learn are 1 and 5.  Two is next.  Three and four are more difficult.

Finish with sounds, or just Bow.  Short is good.  Put the sticker on.

Group activities:
  Continue singing “Do a Deer” and Twinkle with solfege.  It’s fine to sing the other songs we have done in class- (Mary Had a Little Lamb”, “London Bridge”, Cuckoo, and “Clair de Lune”.They all are probably ready to play the notes from bottom to top on the piano using their second finger only, while you say the names of the notes.

Words to Cuckoo:
Cuckoo, Cuckoo sings the bird sweetly,
Cuckoo, Cuckoo is the birds song.
We like to hear him and to be near him,
Cuckoo Cuckoo how he can sing!

Have a good week!
Leah Brammer