KinderBach is a music education program but, at the same time, it prepares children for success in elementary school. Researchers have long established the strong relationship between math, literacy and music. An examination of the Common Core Standards reveals significant ways KinderBach prepares students for the achievements outlined therein. Click here to go to the Common Core State Standard Initiative website.

Reading

• Literature
• Key ideas & details K.1-3 – In the KinderBach piano lesson app there are several stories that the children must recall key details about, identify characters and geography of the keyboard.
• Craft & structure K.4-6 – In the KinderBach program children are lead through an analysis of the song as a whole, then we divide into study of beats with rhythm, structure of song with beginning, middle, and end (Grade 3).
• Informational Text
• Craft & structure K.4 – With KinderBach the children acquire a fairly comprehensive music vocabulary.
• Craft & structure K.6 – In KinderBach there are thorough explanations of the role of composer (author of song music or lyrics) and samples of different composers work. Children are encouraged to be composers.
• Foundational Skills
• Print concepts
• K.1a – KinderBach covers tracking music left to right, top to bottom and page by page.  Also (Grade 1) recognizing the organization and basic features of printed music.
• K.1b – KinderBach teaches children to link audible sounds to printed music.
• K.1d – KinderBach emphasizes the letter names of notes.
• Phonological Awareness
• K.2d. Isolate and pronounce the initial sound of words – KinderBach covers note names and the sounds the letters make.  Many exercises task the children with identifying pictures of items that start with the letter featured.
• Phonics and Word recognition
• (K to Grade 2) - 3. Decode printed words – The KinderBach program does a measure of this concept by teaching the association of the music note names and the phonics associated with those letters.  More importantly the KinderBach program teaches the initial idea of sound and visual symbol relationship, embedding the genesis of reading in activities for 3 year old children.  Tracking music notes while playing an instrument is a first form of reading and a terrific way for children to learn that printed symbols mean certain sounds.
• Fluency
• 4. Accuracy and fluency – KinderBach sets up the students to be fluent readers once they understand the printed language because they have been reading music in pre-staff format for years.  If a child starts KinderBach at the age of 3, he/she will have two or three years of reading music experience before traditional learning would expose him/her to printed language.

Writing

• K.1-3 Text Types and Purposes – KinderBach prepares children for elementary school standards by teaching music composition.  Students draw, dictate and write music notes to express a song.
• K.4-6 Production of Writing – KinderBach’s composition sessions teach children to organize, develop their song ideas, revise or edit their music, and use technology to explore tools and collaborate with others.
• Grade 3. 10 Range of Writing – In KinderBach preschool children are expected to develop a song in several time periods.  They compose several measures, reflect upon previous work and determine the revisions necessary to express themselves. 

Speaking and Listening

• Comprehension and Collaboration
• K.2 – confirm understanding of text or information given orally (by media) and answering questions about key details.  KinderBach is full of answer worksheets on information given by video.
• Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
• K.4-6 – In KinderBach children are encouraged to sing audibly to express themselves, add drawings and other visual displays to their music, make audio recordings (Grade 2-5) to communicate created songs with feeling and expression.

Language

• Conventions of Standard English
• K.1-a Print Letters – KinderBach goes to great lengths to make this possible in Kindergarten by strengthening the hands and fingers of children.  Fine motor skills are evidenced in this standard.  In addition, the ability to type on a keyboard, moving fingers independently is of great value.  Students of KinderBach have control of their digits and are experienced in the manipulation of the hands so that typing becomes another ‘instrument’ to them.

Math

• Counting and Cardinality
• K.CC.1 Know numbers and count sequence – KinderBach covers lower numbers below 10.
• K.CC.6 Compare numbers.  Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group. -  KinderBach gives students experience in grouping notes, counting and interpreting the value of the notes.
• Operations and Algebraic Thinking
• K.OA.1 and 2 Addition and subtraction – KinderBach audio rhythm and clap back exercises entail listening to a rhythm and laying down a visual note cards to represent the sounds heard.  The correct number of notes must be laid down in proper order so that the rhythm can be read and clapped.
• K.OA.3 Decompose numbers and create equations – The KinderBach rhythm dictation described above teaches this concept to preschool children. The assembly of note flashcards that add up to measures of 4 beats.
• K.OA.5 Fluently add and subtract within 5 – KinderBach rhythm dictation covers the adding and subtracting notes to equal the number of beats per measure.
• Measurement and Data
• K.MD.1 Describe the measurable attributes of objects. -  In KinderBach notes are objects given beat value and identified by their value.  Also the KinderBach curriculum compares tempo or speed of music.
• K.MD.2 Compare two objects with measurable attributes in common. – KinderBach lessons compare notes according to beat value.  KinderBach also covers the comparison of tempo, and volume of notes.
• K.MD.3 Classify objects into categories.  - KinderBach teaches children to analyze music identifying the measures that are the same, seeking patterns and discovering how different rhythms can sum up to the same number of beats.