Early Childhood students have the opportunity to experience a music and movement program with Kari Buishas called Musikgarten. Kari has been teaching all levels of Musikgarten  for over seven years.  Her classes are structured with movement in conjunction with music, giving the children the ability to feel and understand many musical concepts.  Through Musikgarten lessons the children learn many concepts, including the difference between a duple meter and a triple meter, stationary movement used with "the stick passing game" where they develop ensemble activity and a sense of connection with music, plus ear training with tonal and rhythm patterns.  At this beginning level, the children are using primarily percussion instruments to make music, with some use of tonal bars. There are many things being taught in these classes that are an integral part of developing true musicianship.  In working with a music ensemble it is important to learn ...

Young children progress through distinct stages of play as their social and emotional skills improve. While the stages of play are somewhat sequential, I tend to think of the stages as styles of play. As children mature they will use the different styles of play that they've mastered in appropriate moments and as they are ready. Solitary Play Solitary play is common for children under the age of two or among children who are still developing the social skills needed for successful peer interactions. Some children may need adult guidance to help them learn how to engage appropriately with peers. Parallel Play Children engaged in parallel play will work beside one another but will each focus on their own task. They interact very little with one another during this time. Associative Play Children who are developing interest in peer relationships may observe the actions of another child and decide to join in. Children engaged in associative play ar...

November News From Within As I watch our oldest students consider where they will continue their education after graduation, I am reminded of what a huge transition this is for those families. Every year, Middle School students and their parents seek to discover the "best fit" in education for high school. For some, there is a clear vision of where they want to go next. For others, consideration about how the student learns is a factor and also what their family values are around education and community create the need to make harder choices.                 These Middle School students, after years of study at Abintra, see that education is not just about math and science, but also about community, social dynamics, and teaching methods. While the priorities of the Middle School students themselves seem clearer at this point in their education, the guides and I are often consulted by paren...

Promoting Fluency through TPRS Readers’ Theatre is a highly engaging activity that helps a story to come to  life for the students.  Think of it as a mix of collaborative reading,  “improv” theatre, and memory work.   Here are the plays that the students in Lower Elementary, Middle Elementary and  Upper Elementary worked on during September and October.   Each of the plays  involved many activities like reading, art, memorization, writing, etc. Lower Elementary Animales Salvajes (Where the Wild Things Are) Risito de Oro (The 3 Bears)  Las 3 Ratitas (The 3 Little Mice)                                     Middle Elementary Alicia.     Mamba Verde (Green Mamba) Pantalones Pequeños (The Boy with Small Pants) Upper Elementary El Zorro.  Hay un chico famos...

Abintra is proud to announce our 3 new artists in residence that have joined our community this year.   Kari Buishas is with EC students every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon doing music.  She recently moved to Nashville from Illinois to be closer to her children and grandchildren.  In Illinois, she had a thriving Musikgarten business.  Prior to her Musikgarten business she taught piano for over 15 years in a private setting. Kari started teaching Musikgarten in January of 2007 at different facilities.  Kari started the music program at one of these schools.  She received the Musikgarten Achievement Award, which means she has been certified in every curriculum that they offer.  She has also been given the Exemplary Award for the past 4 years which means she has taught over 4 curriculum at the same time. Kari has invested extensively into teaching materials and instruments. Duncan May is with LE students every...

Duncan May teaches music to Lower and Upper Elementary students.  He was born in Nashville, and after fifteen years of living in other states, returned to the Nashville area in 1993. Duncan received his Music Theory degree from Middle Tennessee State University in 2000 and has been not only teaching lessons on guitar, bass, drums and piano since then, but has also been a touring performing artist. He has written, recorded and produced seven full-length albums as well as scored an award-winning soundtrack to an independent film.   In 2009, he became involved with a non-profit organization called Star Education where he worked in community centers and public schools to offer young students the experience of learning and performing songs as a group on electric instruments. This after school program was introduced to Abintra by Duncan a few years ago and has enriched and inspired many students and families within the Abintra community.  To take the music educ...

The students are having a lot of fun working on the EC porch.  Moving through various stations we practice crawling, balancing, climbing, rolling, and spinning. Walking the balance beam is one their favorite activities.    Beam exercises are great for children, strengthening core and leg muscles while also developing a stronger sense of balance and agility. Also very popular is the "spinning chair," a small legless seat that requires the activation of legs, feet, and core in order to send their bodies spinning! I only wish we had a larger one!  Before returning to class we strengthen and stretch our bodies by practicing yoga. Children easily assume the role of animals, trees, flowers, and warriors, standing strong like the tree, hissing like the cobra, and stretching long like the dog. Yoga and gross motor practice help to strengthen the powers of concentration and attention. Self-esteem and self-acceptance are bolstered as children gain cont...