Our Term 3 music classes have started this week across all our age groups.

At Wriggle and Rhyme are passionate about using MUSIC as a catalyst for learning and development with children from 6 months to 6 years old. 

Because of the effect that music has on the growing brain, it is such a powerful tool for education.  We certainly witness this effect in our classes each week.

Functional MRI scans show that engaging in music-based activities lights up all areas of the brain - simulating a FULL BRAIN WORKOUT!
Functional MRI scans show that engaging in music-based activities lights up all areas of the brain – simulating a FULL BRAIN WORKOUT!

Musical Ubuntu

Each age group has a theme that they are following this term. Our oldest children in the pre-schools programme (4-6 years) are exploring the theme of MUSICAL UBUNTU.

UBUNTU is the African concept that “I am because we are”.

We use music to encourage the children to think about their uniqueness, and how that makes them even stronger as a collective, when they work together.

Musical Ubuntu and emotional intelligence

As we all know, as soon as we work together, there’s potential for conflict.  

Rocky the Rhino

For young children, this often manifests in struggling to compromise or share.  This causes them to feel sad or angry, and in turn, can lead to an aggressive or anti-social response.

Rocky the Rhino helps us with emotional intelligence.

So, we introduce our very own ROCKY the RHINO to the children.  ROCKY uses his horn to charge at other animals when he’s feeling cross or threatened.

We encourage the children to think of other ways to respond to these emotions – ways that equip them to deal with these emotions, without damaging relationships or lashing out in aggression.  

Focussing on emotional intelligence through pre-school music classes in Cape Town.

Psychologists call this EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE – the ability to identify and regulate our own emotions.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/za/basics/emotional-intelligence

Let’s face it, this is really hard to do, even as adults. 

REGULATING EMOTIONS and MANAGING CONFLICT are vital to being able to function well in our relationships, so we need to learn and practice these things.

I don’t want to charge … like a Rhino!

That’s where ROCKY the RHINO comes in!  We need all the help we can get, because when our stress levels rise, we definitely don’t want to charge … like a rhino!

Developing emotional intelligence through pre-school music classes in Cape Town.

Follow this link to listen to a clip of the song here … which is featured on our original MUSICAL STORY ADVENTURE, BUSH BABIES.

http://wriggleandrhyme.co.za/our-music

You can find out more about how to buy BUSH BABIES on CD or download there.