Fresh Beat Band: Music, Action and Fun for Preschoolers

// 8.22.09 // 85 Comments » // Parenting

I swear I’m not being paid by Nickelodeon to promote The Fresh Beat Band. But I am going to post about them… again.

My first post about the new Nickelodeon band/show, Don’t Beat Down The Fresh Beat Band, is the top traffic generator to this site and could be the most-commented post I’ve ever had. Something’s going on here. What is it with this show? Well I’ve got the scoop from Teri Weiss, Senior Vice President of Production & Development for Nickelodeon Preschool Television.

Teri has been involved in the launch of mega-hits like Dora the Explorer and The Backyardigans, so I asked her if it’s typical for parents to be so outspoken about a show before it’s even aired. She explained how The Fresh Beat Band (FBB) is different than other Nick shows.

The FBB is Nick’s first live action show for preschoolers, meaning there are no puppets, no animation — just humans. “Our strategy was to launch them as a band first and get kids excited about the music,” said Teri. Nickelodeon started airing music videos by the band months ago, with no mention of a series. As the launch date got closer, the series was introduced.

“There was more conversation about this show because of the bigger window of time (used to promote the show),” Teri explained.

So why a live action show for preschoolers? “We learned a lot from Jack’s Big Music Show,” said Teri. When Nick execs attended live shows by bands like The Laurie Berkner Band and The Dirty Sock Funtime Band (both featured on Jack’s Big Music Show), they loved the energy and excitement coming from the kids.

“The energy of a live band – I wanted to bottle it and put it on TV. There was something special about it that we didn’t feel we had,” remembers Teri. She thought, “How can we create a TV show around a band that could capture that energy, tell a story, and send a positive message to kids through music?”

And The FBB was born. The show is about four best friends in a band who attend music school together. Each episode is a stand-alone with a broad-based music curriculum.

The curriculum focuses on three layers: music appreciation, self-expression through music, and comprehension of music terminology. Drummer Marina shows kids how they can make a drum kit out of anything. DJ/rapper Twist (who is a goofy, skilled physical comedy actor and my favorite character after having seen the first episode) gets his feet stuck in buckets and the band taps out a beat along with him. Musical terms and instruments are introduced and repeated to enhance understanding and retention.

Another reason there’s so much talk about this band is the “pop” feel to all the songs shown in the promos. Parents can find it grating and too sugary-sweet, but the pop feel was intentional, says Teri, because kids respond to it. However, during the show itself, kids will be exposed to different kinds of music – much more than the promotional videos are demonstrating – such as Hawaiian, opera, rock, and beat-boxing.

And while some parents may not be thrilled to have a Fresh Beat Band CD playing in their car over and over (although it’s WAY better than Yo Gabba Gabba or Wonder Pets), I think the show itself will surprise them. And their kids will love it. Check it out Monday at Noon ET on Nickelodeon.

What I Learned From Preschool

// 6.23.09 // 5 Comments » // Homeschooling, My Daughter, Parenting

Most readers of this blog know that I homeschool my children. Many also know that I sent my daughter to preschool this past year. Now that preschool is over, several people have asked me if I’ll send her on to kindergarten in a traditional school. My answer is no.

Preschool was fun. Playtime, with some education and social etiquette thrown in. It was a good experience for our whole family and it actually taught me to more fully embrace homeschooling. I learned that as much as I yearn for more “me” time, I like being with my kids and sharing their learning and growing process. There were several times that Cassie shared something she learned at preschool and I’d get this prickly feeling, like, “Oh, you learned that? I wanted to teach you that.”

I did consider sending her to school. I don’t “get” my daughter the same way I “get” my son. Our personalities clash. And the arguing that goes on between my kids makes me want to find a way to separate them permanently. But none of this is a valid reason to put my kids in school.

A valid reason might be believing that they would thrive and be challenged and be taught to think independently and pursue their passions. But I don’t believe that would happen. I believe they’d learn to mock or shun kids that are different or younger than they are. They’d learn to memorize facts to pass a test and get a good grade. They’d likely learn to be bleeding-heart liberals. And would I be any less stressed? I doubt it. If preschool is any indicator, I’d have my hands full helping with homework (that I’d be pissed off about because subjects weren’t being taught properly), field trips (that I’d rather do on my own in a more leisurely fashion), parties, assemblies, fundraisers and other responsibilities that come with attending a public or private school. And I’d know much less about my kids.

I homeschool my children because I believe they’ll be better off. And because I want to. For awhile I wasn’t sure that I wanted to. But I am now.

So thank you, preschool. It was an interesting ride. But I’ll happily give up the early-morning rush, getting homework in the backpack, scouring the house for a show-and-tell item, and packing up snacks and craft items and permission slips. We do that once a week when we have our homeschool co-op. The rest of the week we’re happy to have leisurely mornings in our jammies before moving on to our field trips and playdates. And the learning? With just a little suggestion and a rich environment, it happens all the time. It’s beautiful, natural, and pretty darn exciting to be a part of.

Five Kindergarten Math Resources

// 6.18.09 // 4 Comments » // Homeschooling

Did you know that in 1992 Mattel released Teen Talk Barbie who spoke a number of phrases including “Math class is tough!”? Well, that doll was recalled and we all now know from Danica McKellar that math is neither tough, nor does it suck. (I really love Danica. Loved The Wonder Years and love her. She’s way cool.)

Since my daughter is only 4 1/2, I can’t yet get her the book Math Doesn’t Suck, but I can work with her on some fun kindergarten math activities.

• Maths Is Fun: We love the picture addition worksheets — a great way to introduce basic addition to your child.
• Number Time:Unique math worksheets including number ladders, number stories, sequencing, and more.
• SoftSchools: Generate your own worksheets and online games, personalized with your child’s name.
• Kindergarten Math: Lots of simple games your child can play online.
• HomeschoolMath.net: Suggests games, activities, worksheets and goals for kindergarten math. The concepts presented here seemed easy for kindergarten level, so this article may also suitable for preschool math.