THESE DESCRIPTIONS ARE APPROVED BY
THE SUZUKI ASSOCIATION OF THE AMERICAS

Prerequisite - EVERY CHILD CAN! (CLICK HERE)

This introduction to Suzuki Education is a 6 hour course and is a prerequisite for Suzuki Early Childhood Education training.

Prerequisite Reading:
Suzuki, Shinichi, Nurtured By Love  and  Ability Development From Age Zero
Tanaka, Shigeki, Everything Depends On How We Raise Them: Education For Young Children By The Suzuki Method
Jones, Dorothy Lullabies, Action Songs and Rhymes  CD and Handbook
Grilli, Susan Preschool In The Suzuki Spirit  

Suzuki Early Childhood Education is divided into 3 sections:

• 1.      Prenatal and Baby Years
  stage One, stage two, stage three, Stage four, Stage five
• 2.      Preschool Years
• 3.      Elementary School Years
• Overview Course for Suzuki instrumental teachers

Each section has 5 stages or five course levels. Each of the courses listed below is a 5 day (25) hours study period including observation (live and filmed) of Suzuki ECE classes and pedagogy.

Stage One: Prenatal and Baby Years

This course emphasizes the development of a child from birth through age three.
This course introduces:

• The importance of the Suzuki approach to early education
• The prenatal and postnatal  learning environment
• The baby class curriculum and goals
• The equipment used in class
• The team teaching approach
• The sequence of the baby class curriculum
• Teaching strategies
• A brief introduction to prenatal music stimulation

Daily class assignments are given each trainee. Each trainee has an opportunity to lead an activity in the daily baby class during the training week.

Stage Two: Prenatal and Baby years

This course emphasizes the development of a child from birth through age three. The Second stage delves more deeply into topics and includes:

• Study of the baby class curriculum and goals
• The importance of the baby class sequence and key teaching strategies
• Discussions of the skill level of  babies and toddlers
• An emphasis on parent education
• An outline of a four week prenatal music stimulation program,
• Guides to prenatal resources

There is a minimum of one written assignment required during this week. . Each trainee has an opportunity to lead an activity in the daily baby class during the training week

Stage Three: Prenatal and Baby Years

This course emphasizes the development of a child from birth through age three. This stage assumes teacher experience in the classroom and addresses how new ideas are developed. Study includes:

• Baby class curriculum and goals (now including new ideas for stimulating more excitement in classes)
• Discussion about how teachers can help parents to become excellent observers of not only their own child but the others in the class
• Techniques for encouraging celebration of each small achievement.
• Documentation and a brief look at the Reggio Emilia approach to documentation
• Ongoing research in prenatal stimulation
• Examination of the teacher’s own resources for Suzuki ECE

 There is a minimum of one written assignment required during this week. Each trainee has an opportunity to lead an activity in the daily baby class during the training week

Stage FOUR: Prenatal and Baby Years

This course emphasizes the development of a child from birth through age three. In Stage four training, teachers will begin a personal study of the history and research in Early Childhood Education relating Suzuki, Piaget, Montessori, Kodaly, Orff and others. 

• Piaget’s careful and sensitive observation of his own children is compared with Suzuki’s similar observation of the very young children he taught.
• Trainees are asked to develop a list outlining the ways to create a learning environment in their Suzuki baby classes.
• ‘At home’ activities are suggested which can be shared with parents as part of the on-going parent education.
• The baby class curriculum will be studied in terms of skill development, tactile/body awareness, posture and balance, auditory perception, visual skills, fine motor co-ordination and temporal awareness.
• Further discussions will continue about Suzuki’s teaching model of “new idea every day” and its application in the baby class.
• Other topics will include a comparison of Montessori and Suzuki and a study of Masaru Ibuka’s book  Kindergarten Is Too Late ,
• Literacy and the value of reading aloud to children from birth will be discussed.
• Prenatal research and several real-life quotes from teachers and parents about their experiences with prenatal music stimulation are discussed. 

Trainees continue to receive daily assignments for leading an activity in the “live baby class” and as well will assist in the planning and delivery of a parent session or a prenatal music stimulation information session.

Stage Five: Prenatal and Baby Years

In Stage Five training, teachers will review the Suzuki concepts used to form the foundation of the parent education delivered during baby classes. Each trainee will research quotes which best reflect each concept. This work will be added to their own personal resource book.

• An individual observation tool for use in the baby classes will be studied in detail. Trainees will use this tool during their daily observations of the live baby class.
• The work of scientists Marion Diamond and Harry Chugani will be studied, particularly their studies outlining the link between thorough mastery and brain development.
• Prenatal resources on the internet and a session for expectant Moms called “A Loving and Nurturing Environment Before Birth and After” (We Can Do Small) will complete our study of prenatal music stimulation.
• Study will include creating a stimulating learning environment in the baby class, in the home and strategies Suzuki teachers use to do this successfully. This will be the focus for a parent session led by the trainees during the week. 
• Trainees will work on their own “reading aloud” skills and will study resources promoting early reading aloud in the home.

Stage 5 completes the course work for the Suzuki Early Childhood Education  Prenatal and Baby Years.

Preschool Years

The Suzuki Early Childhood Education Preschool Years courses (25 hours of guided study in each of 5 stages) include a thorough study of curriculum and teaching strategies for the two aspects of Suzuki preschool education.

1. The one hour weekly class for preschoolers and parents,
2. The five day preschool
   1. Curriculum, goals, curriculum webbing and parental involvement.

The Preschool Years descriptions will be revised later.

Elementary School Years

The Suzuki Early Childhood Education Elementary School Years courses (25 hours of guided study in each of 5 stages) include a model for the Suzuki classroom, curriculum, teaching strategies and guidelines for activity planning, and study of other philosophies of education compatible with Suzuki Method.

The possibility for Charter Schools becoming Suzuki Based schools is real. As need dictates, descriptions will be developed in cooperation with the SAA.

Overview COURSE

The Suzuki Early Childhood Education Overview for Suzuki Instrumental Teachers is a single course which includes a rationale for Suzuki ECE, what it is and how it differs from other early childhood approaches. The general goals for prenatal, baby and preschool classes are identified. What defines a quality early childhood education program is discussed.