All classes are age structured and last for 45 minutes.
Jo is a large soft toy and all the children love him! Two sessions of percussion instruments are included, together with lots of props, namely streamers, bean bags, soft animals, etc. and are chosen to support the theme of the week which could be colours, jungle, zoo, etc. and are therefore educational as well as great fun.

We start each class sitting in a circle on the floor and we sing the “Good Morning Song” when Jo says, “Hello” to each child individually, followed by ‘Show and Tell’ where the children are encouraged to bring something to show Jo that is relevant to the theme. They look forward to this and are very proud to show their chosen item and therefore grow in confidence and self esteem. Each class finishes with “Sleeping Bunnies” and the “Goodbye Song”. We usually keep to a maximum of 15 children, thereby making them more personal and comfortable.

Adult participation is very important, the more enthusiastic you are, the more confidence your child will have and the more they will get out of the classes. So turn off the mobile, forget the jobs at home and have quality time and fun with your child at a Jo Jingles class each week!

AGE GUIDELINE

Baby classes – 6 months to walking

It is never too early to introduce your child to music and because the children are so young the mum/carer is very much involved and very soon in an informal fun way they quickly progress from passive enjoyment to being actively involved; clapping, cooing and wriggling their little hands and feet to the music! As well as instruments and props we always have several lap songs. It is also an ideal way for new mums to make friends.

1 - 2 years

The children still need lots of help from mum/carer but by now will start to put their own instrument back in the box and will be walking round rather than being held when we do our circle songs. We do some stopping and starting to music – good to develop listening skills. We continue with the lap songs as they seem to enjoy Humpty Dumpty even more at this age and its nice to include all the old favourites. They may wander off from time to time, but you cannot expect a child of this age to concentrate for the whole 45 minutes. Mum just has to make sure they don’t keep their instrument/prop while they do this, so that they learn that to keep these items they must stay sitting with mum.

2 - 3 years

There is generally a marked difference in the children’s abilities by the time they move up to this age group. They will be able to hold an instrument, tell you what it is called and play it by themselves and we practise slow/fast, loud/quiet. By this age they have wonderful imagination skills and we have great fun being “Dingle Dangle Scarecrow” or acting out “Miss Polly had a dolly”.

3 - 5 years

By this age most of the children are quite independent of their mum/carer and are also actively encouraged to sing the songs they know, identify and hold the instruments by themselves and to try to play in time. We also introduce the children to some music theory including learning about the four basic notes, simple dynamics, etc. It is presented in a fun way and the children love bringing their homework (colouring in) back the following week to be marked with a stamp!

BENEFITS OF MUSIC FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

Music is vital to a child’s development it helps to:

• Develop language and numeracy skills
• Improve physical co-ordination
• Gain confidence and independence
• Interact and develop social skills

What do the experts say?

“Singing songs to your child widens their vocabulary and improves listening skills, both of which make learning to read easier”. Professor John Sloboda, Keele University.

“Children who learn to sing and play together are more likely to lead successful lives than those who receive a more disciplined education “. Dr Kathy Silva, Educational Psychologist, Oxford University Daily Mail.

"This is a wonderful musical and singing session based on the 'Summer' theme - the children are totally absorbed in what Louise does and happily sing and play with the resources given. It's so nice to see parents and carers so involved with their children". Anita Tarrant, Baby & Toddler Development Officer, Pre-School Learning Alliance, Chelmsford.

PARTIES

If you are looking for a children’s party that’s a bit different, Jo Jingles could be just the thing for you.

We run parties for children between the ages of 1 and 5, with parent participation required for the younger children. It can be themed – Pirates, Princesses, Jungle, Farm, etc. We can include the children’s favourite songs, musical party games, a bubble machine if the venue is suitable and a parachute.

If your child does not attend a Jo Jingles class it doesn’t really matter because we will include lots of familiar songs that all the children know and love. We can also provide party invitations and name stickers.

If this idea appeals to you, please phone us on 01277 829964 or email us at louise.ryan@virgin.net when we will be pleased to discuss current prices and to pencil in a date.