Why Jo Jingles?

We believe that Jo Jingles classes are the best way to introduce children to music in a fun yet educational way. Our classes are well-structured and this allows us to enjoy ourselves in a safe environment where the children learn much more quickly. A lot of planning goes into our weekly programmes - offering exciting and different themes and giving you a weekly opportunity to have some very special one-to-one time with your child. Of course we welcome all parents, carers, child-minders, grandparents – with the proviso that you bring at least one child with you!

Jo Jingles is for children from 3 months up to school age. Our classes are suitable for children with special needs and our pre-school classes attain many of the Key Stage 1 early learning goals.

So what do we do at Jo Jingles?

Jo Jingles is a fun and lively introduction to music for pre-school children. Each session is 45 minutes long and includes singing (with our repertoire of old favourites and exciting new songs), movement activities, instrument playing and the introduction of basic musical principles. We have a wide variety of percussion instruments, props and visuals to bring to life weekly themes. Each week the programme changes, to hold the children’s attention and develop learning through fun and interactive topics.

We work on all areas of a child’s development and you will find our classes will help your children in many ways, including: language development, mathematical awareness, creativity, physical skills, confidence and social skills – participation from all ‘grown-ups’ in the room is essential, as with our guidance and support children find that learning is FUN!

How do we structure our classes?

Our classes incorporate a carefully structured routine appropriate to the ages of the children, which is designed to maximise their enjoyment and learning. A summary of our approach for each of our main age groups is given below:

	Jingle Babies (From 3 months): A gentle and relaxed introduction to music making. Parents or carers play a key role in this session, introducing the babies to a small range of props and instruments that stimulate the senses. Classes aim to develop gross motor skills (reaching, crawling) and fine motor skills (holding instruments, clapping & waving) as well as providing some quality time in your week for bonding between you and your baby. Classes are usually scheduled at the end of the morning or as the last session of the day, so that there is time to feed babies and chat with other parents.
	Under 2 years: Our little toddlers need and increase in pace to their classes to hold their attention, so we introduce more movement songs around the room to encourage 'crawlers' and 'walkers' to exercise. We also introduce some basic pre-school themes, so that every week offers something new and exciting.
	Over 2 years: This age group has progressed with the aim of enhancing vocabulary and early learning in areas such as numeracy. Children are now more adept at playing instruments and can follow simple instructions on playing to rhythm. They are also learning how to socialise and we encourage lots of interaction with our lively weekly themes that aim to capture young imaginations.
	3 - 5 years: Where there is demand for this age group, in addition to a lively music session we introduce pre-schoolers to some basic theory; such as learning about musical notes, music from around the world and instruments of the orchestra.
Term by term the demand for each age group fluctuates - as parents return to work or children start nursery and pre-school. To allow for this, some class areas offer two age groups; an "under 2's" class and an "over 2's" class. Within these sessions, the class teacher will always demonstrate songs and instruments allowing for the different abilities in the group and adjust the content of the programme accordingly.

Click here to view the timetable for the Autumn/Winter term 2009

Trial sessions: Class numbers permitting, we offer a trial session for anyone new to Jo Jingles. However, to benefit from the ‘Jo Jingles Experience’ we do advise attending for at least half a term to allow your child the time to settle in and make friends. Just as you wouldn’t expect your child to swim on their first swimming lesson, we don’t expect them to fully participate on their first Jo Jingles session!

Siblings: Jo Jingles is a fun activity to be enjoyed by the entire family. Accompanying babies may be required to remain seated in a pushchair or car seat for the duration of the class. This is in the interest of the health and safety of all the children. However, as the babies get older and more mobile, they will want to participate in the classes and at that point they may join their older siblings class at a discounted rate.

Twins: We have several sets of twins registered with us and class teachers are very willing to support parents during the session. As with all siblings, we offer a discounted rate.

Visiting guests: Please advise your class teacher in advance if you would like to bring along friends or family members. We appreciate from time to time older siblings may be off from school, but in order to maintain the quality of our classes we like to keep class numbers to around 15 children. It is also important to note that Jo Jingles do not hold drop-in sessions.