Using music and movement to teach

"I first heard about it through an online support group for parents with autistic children," said Liu.

After reading about successes other parents had with the technique and deciding she would try it out, she went through a rigorous training process. Much of it was focused on evaluating her music background, since knowledge of music or education is required.

Liu had little to worry about in this area, since she started playing piano when she was 4 and was already giving private piano lessons.

After passing the certification process, she put Kindermusik to use with her son. She was quickly impressed by the results.

"I found his attention span and focus became longer because of the variety of activities," said Liu.

Realizing she could help other children locally with what she learned, Liu started Kindermusik with Yvonne in 2002. She now regularly holds eight- and 15-week classes in locations around the Peninsula.

The approach Liu uses in her classes varies by age group, though the fundamentals of music and movement remain a constant. In a typical 45-minute session, children are exposed to short snippets of music, often sung by Liu herself, which encourage response and playfulness.

Liu's singing, backed up on certain occasions with specially created Kindermusik CDs, is sifted in with age appropriate instruments, different types of dances and other movement-based activities. Each segment is no more then a few minutes in length, given the short attention span most children have.

"Children all love the music especially," said Liu. "They are naturally attracted to it. It's like learning a new language for them."

The effects of Kindermusik are incredibly positive and Liu cited personal examples some of her parental clients have seen.

"One mom told me about how her 7-month-old baby wouldn't let itself be held by the grandparents," said Liu. "After Kindermusik, the child became attached to a song. By singing that song, the grandparents could calm the baby and hold it."

While Liu has found great success with Kindermusik, she's also added her own touches to her classes to keep things fresh and creative. Many of her play ideas came from activities with her own children.

Since she started teaching Kindermusik, Liu has personally learned a great deal of patience, especially when her lesson plans go astray.

With such young children, Liu said, they sometimes don't stick to what she is trying to teach. She's learned to adjust on the fly though, trying to honor what the child wants to do if it seems appropriate.

Whether or not the child is following the lesson plan, Liu sees great results from what she teaches.

"Children have a hard time expressing themselves so young," she said. "Music gives them the power to express. It gives them self confidence to express, which is powerful in the sense that it gives them some say in the world."

More details on Yvonne Liu and Kindermusik can be found on her Web site at www.kindermusikwithyvonne.com.