Smith brings new program to area

By AMY SATTERWHITE / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Kindermusik instructor Paddi Smith gets on 2-year-old Addy Jane Stanley’s level while launching the new music appreciation and learning program in conjunction with Magness Library’s summer reading program last week. (Amy Satterwhite photo)

Paddi Smith was looking for something fun to do with her 2-year-old daughter and found it in a program called “kindermusik.”

After taking time to study the program through an online course that took almost four months to complete, the stay-at-home mother has begun to branch out and offer it to others. Smith launched the new interactive learning program at Magness Library last week as part of the library’s summer reading program.

Simply put, kindermusik is a program for children up to age 7 that enhances a variety of skills through music, singing and dancing.

“Basically, it’s a music and movement type program for children,” said Smith, who holds a degree in business education. “While they’re learning to appreciate music, they’re also getting the benefit of developing language, social, reading and listening skills. The program touches on every aspect of child development.”

An example of types of activities are singing the same song repeatedly or having children learn a rhythm.

“That makes them have a feeling of control that they know what’s going to happen in their environment,” she said of having repetition, “and then there are steady beat activities where they try to keep time with the music and that helps them later on with bouncing a ball or hand writing – there’s just so many different aspects of it. It’s a complete program and it’s fun for them.”

The program was introduced to the community last week as one of five planned special programs offered through Magness Library, which has been conducting the annual summer reading program since June 10.

Children’s librarian Sandra McGuire said she believes the program was well-received by the children.

“They were thoroughly engaged in the information she was presenting,” McGuire said. “I thought it was a learning experience and thought it was just terrific. That’s the purpose of the summer reading program, is mixing information, enjoyment and fun, and I thought it was great fun.”

Library manager Mary Robbins added she was unfamiliar with kindermusik upon being approached by Smith, but after hearing more about it, gave it a thumbs up.

“I think that’s great when you can bring together for instance, art, music or literature or in her case, what she does is bring together movement, sound, color and everything. I think it’s a wonderful teaching tool,” Robbins added.

Upcoming special programs for the library’s summer reading program are a summer picnic this week and a patriotic-themed magic show July 8, which will round out the season for between 70 and 100 area children participating in the library’s program

For more information on kindermusik, contact Smith at 815-2528.