Our Classes

Smart Start Courses Target A Child's Musical And Cognitive Skills By Age For Maximum Benefit And Comprehension.

 

Each class is filled with unique music and movement activities to help children exceed developmental milestones at every age. Classes range from 8-week summer sessions to longer 15-week sessions and incorporate drama, dance, and visual arts to create a full-bodied learning experience that include physical, visual, and interpersonal engagement.

Class Summaries

  • +

    AGE 0-12 MONTHS

    Enjoy rhythms and rhymes, learn new lullabies, and have fun with your little one

    Children are naturally curious about music from a very early age. The positive atmosphere of this class helps foster lifelong connections with music, build strong caregiver-child emotional bonds, and provides a weekly forum for social interaction. The goal of this course is to expose you and your child to the basic concepts of music through sensory awareness and self-creation, with particular attention paid to beat, rhythm, and listening skills.

    Infants are just beginning to explore the world around them, and that includes their musical world. Even before they are born, children can hear music, and our classes start from the very beginning. In this class, you and your child will start to learn about the fundamentals of music through movement, singing, and play. The course is designed to foster basic cognitive skills through a musical framework, and to help parents and caregivers learn ways to interact with the child through music. A typical class begins with a greeting song, followed by gentle bouncing games, finger plays, movement, and many songs. The class concludes with lullabies or other tunes for all to enjoy.

  • +

    AGE 12-24 MONTHS

    Channel your toddler's natural energy through music and movement

    The energetic, music-based activities in this class help support your child's cognitive, social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development, while facilitating bonding. Coordination, body control, and spatial awareness skills are accrued through games built around walking, dancing, and age-appropriate percussion instruments such as shakers, drums, and bells.

    As infants grow into toddlers, their musical abilities and needs develop as well. This class works with toddler's ever-expanding cognitive skills through rich and engaging musical activities with the child and caregiver. It focuses on topics such as musical memory, creative artistic play, and active imitation.

    The activities in this class have been specifically designed to develop listening skills and improve memory through repetition, as well as to enhance cognitive skills. The toddler's social skills are also developed through experiencing music in a group setting.

  • +

    AGE 2 YEARS

    Build your child's confidence through musical exploration, movement, and play

    Set your child on the right path by engaging them in play based in music and movement. This class focuses on developing gross motor function in toddlers by encouraging them to move their bodies in time to sounds and music.

    At age 2, children are beginning to develop more complex cognitive skills that will aid them later in life. These classes focus on cognitive skills relevant to music, such as sustaining attention, remembering songs, and recognizing perceptual cues. Children in these classes will learn how to apply these know-how towards musical exploration, and gain greater musical independence through basic musical skills. At this age, parents or caregivers assist their child's musical creativity and gain further ability for musical interaction with their child.

    With an emphasis on the fundamentals of listening and singing, playing simple instruments like maracas and drums, and taking turns, this course helps develop music competence and fosters confidence, belonging, and security among its weekly attendees.

  • +

    AGE 3 YEARS

    Children adore this play-based learning environment with singing, dancing, and games

    In this class, children learn foundational musical skills such as tempo, meter, pitch, and volume through educational, movement-based games and multi-arts activities.

    By age 3, children are beginning to develop their singing voices, and as such, singing a wide range of songs is a vital component of the Smart Start curriculum. By age 3, children's basic cognitive skills are in place. Smart Start is designed to enhance these cognitive skills through activities such as recognizing musical patterns, focusing on the most important aspects of music, and understanding connections across artistic representations. Children work in musical and artistic collaborations designed to foster basic musical knowledge and spur on individual and group creativity. Socialization and personal growth are strengthened via group engagement.

Explore The Benefits Of Smart Start

Find A Smart Start Program Near You

Our program is expanding internationally. Don't see a participating provider near you? Join our mailing list and be the first to know when we launch Smart Start at a school in your area!

For Teachers and Parents! Download our Free Smart Start Handbook which includes:

  • Musical activities from the Smart Start curriculum
  • Curated articles about the connections between music, language, cognition, and learning
  • A handy guide to enrollment and getting started with the SmartStart app

GET THE HANDBOOK