Standards Alignment
Prodigies is aligned with the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework and with NAfME Standards.
Click here to see how our curriculum aligns with Head Start Standards.
Click here to see how our curriculum aligns with Pre-K Standards from the National Association for Music Education.
Does your school use a different set of standards or alignments? E-mail [email protected] and let us know!
A Note About the Head Start Standards:
As Preschool Prodigies is largely a program for learning an instrument, it leans heavily into literacy and math. We identify colors, read lyrics, sing about short syllables, practice patterning and sequencing and much more!
Science and social studies are touched on through themes and through the lesson plans that accompany each video lesson.
Raising the Standards for Early Childhood Music Education
Most of the early ed standards for music involve movement, appreciation, exposure and exploration with shakers and sticks.
While all of these standards have strong merit, actually learning a musical instrument, which is arguably the highest form of music appreciation and exposure, hasn’t worked it’s way into the early education mainstream.
Here at Preschool Prodigies, we strongly believe that there are three main standards missing from the list above. It is our hope that with our easy-to-use program, schools will be able to introduce higher level musical concepts and standards to their students. Namely:
1. Learning the basics of a melodic instrument (such as low v high notes on piano or bells)
2. Meaningful play with individual musical notes (to develop a child’s long term sense of pitch and music)
3. Rhythmic play through teacher led call-and-response
For the most part, achieving standards like this requires highly specialized teachers, expensive instruments and small group or even one-on-one instruction.
Thanks to technology and a little bit of help from Preschool Prodigies, now anyone can get the amazing cognitive benefits of learning to play an instrument! It is our hope to expand on what the average preschool learner is exposed to through our fun, colorful and standards aligned approach.
Meaningful Exposure to Pitch During the Critical Years for Auditory Development
When it comes specifically to preschool children, modern research shows us that developing a strong sense of pitch happens in early childhood.
This is why our program focuses heavily on giving children meaningful play with pitch during the critical years for auditory development.
This kind of play with music is easy to facilitate no matter who you are; you just need the right kind of instrument and a little bit of guidance.
So not only does it play to the strength of the preschooler–who has a rapidly developing ear, but not the best fine-motor skills, it also plays to the strength of a loving parent or teacher, who might not know a ton about music, but can certainly guide children through a color coded and error-proof program.
Our hope is to make the concept of meaningful play with individual notes a staple in preschool classrooms and homes everywhere.