The Royal Conservatory of Music launched an early childhood music program called Smart Start for 0-6 years. Smart Start is a new and innovative music program based on principles of neuroscience that uses musical activities to teach fundamental cognitive skills. The Smart Start curriculum focuses on four broad categories of cognitive skills: attention, memory, perception, and cognitive flexibility. Smart Start program is a pre-course for RCM exam curriculum. Children will transfer to the instrument playing easily when they grown a bit mature, since all fundamental knowledges they have. We believe That: music education is important in every child’s life, impacting every facet of their development. Music education should target the student’s current phase of development. Science shows that the mental skills practiced in music can transfer to other parts of life. Every child needs a great music education as early as possible.
加拿大皇家音乐学院推出了一项名为 Smart Start 的音乐类早教课程，适用于0-6岁的孩子。Smart Start 音乐集体课是一项基于神经科学原理的全新创新音乐课程，利用音乐活动来发展孩子的认知技能、从而达到开发智力的目的。Smart Start 音乐课程侧重于四个广泛的认知技能类别：注意力、记忆力、感知能力和认知灵活性。Smart Start 音乐课程是加拿大皇家音乐学院RCM考级体系的前导课程。待孩子们稍微成熟一些后，将更容易转入系统的乐器学习中。我们相信：音乐教育在每个孩子的生活中都非常重要，音乐将会是他们未来幸福指数的重要影响因子，并且通过学习音乐获得的益处也会影响他们生活、学习、工作的方方面面。优质的音乐教育是量身定制，针对孩子当前的发展阶段，有效的利用音乐这个工具，让孩子们成长的更稳健！每个孩子都应该尽早接受优质的音乐教育。
0-12 months
Enjoy rhythms and rhymes, learn some new lullabies, and have fun with your little one!
Kids have a natural curiosity for music right from the start. This class creates a positive environment that nurtures lifelong connections with music, strengthens the emotional bond between parents and children, and offers a weekly opportunity for social interaction. The aim of this course is to introduce you and your child to the basic elements of music through sensory experiences and creativity, focusing on rhythm, beat, and listening skills.
When babies begin to explore the world, they’re also discovering their musical surroundings. Music is something they’ve been hearing even before they were born, and our classes start right from that point. In this class, you and your child will delve into the essentials of music through movement, singing, and playful activities. The course is designed to develop fundamental cognitive skills using music as a framework, and it helps parents and caregivers learn how to engage with their child through music. A typical class kicks off with a welcoming song, followed by gentle games involving bouncing and finger movements, along with plenty of songs and movement. The class winds down with soothing lullabies or other songs that everyone can enjoy.
For each session, a parent or guardian accompanies their child throughout the class.
享受节奏与韵律，学习一些新的摇篮曲，与您的小宝贝一起玩乐吧！
儿童从很小的时候开始就天生对音乐充满好奇，而这门课程的积极氛围有助于培养与音乐的终身联系，建立坚固的亲子情感纽带，并为每周提供一个社交互动的场所。本课程的目标是通过感知意识和自我创造，特别关注节拍、韵律和听力技能，向家长和孩子介绍音乐的基本概念。
婴儿刚刚开始探索他们周围的世界，其中包括他们的音乐世界。甚至在他们出生之前，孩子们就可以听到周围的音乐声音，而我们的课程从最早的阶段开始。在这门课上，家长和孩子将通过动作、歌唱和游戏开始学习音乐的基本原理。该课程旨在通过音乐框架培养基本的认知技能，帮助父母或看护人学习如何通过音乐与孩子互动。每节课的课程结构以问候童谣开始，接着是轻柔的弹跳游戏、手指游戏、运动和许多歌曲，最后以摇篮曲结束，供所有人欣赏。
每堂课都需要一名家长或监护人陪同孩子参加整个课程。
1 years
Toddlers are almost always on the move! Channel your child’s natural energy through music and movement learning.
The activities in this class, which are centered around music and involve active participation, aid in nurturing various aspects of your child’s growth. This includes cognitive development, social interactions, emotional well-being, intellectual engagement, and physical skills. Moreover, these activities also facilitate a stronger bond between parents and their children. Through games that involve walking, dancing, and using suitable instruments like shakers, drums, and bells, children develop coordination, body control, and spatial awareness.
As babies transition into toddlers, their musical capabilities and needs evolve. This class is designed to cater to the expanding cognitive abilities of toddlers through engaging musical activities that involve both the child and the caregiver. These activities cover various aspects like musical memory, creative play with art, and active imitation. Both parents and caregivers participate in these activities, providing more examples for musical interaction with the child.
The activities in this class have been purposefully crafted to enhance listening skills and memory through repetition, while also boosting cognitive abilities. Additionally, the social skills of toddlers are nurtured as they experience music in a group setting.
Throughout this course, a designated caregiver accompanies the child for all sessions.
1-2岁的宝宝们白天需要的睡眠时间逐渐减少，他们几乎总是充满活力！通过音乐和游戏来引导孩子自然的释放能量。
这是一门能量满满的课程。以音乐为基础的活动有助于支持孩子的认知、社交、情感、智力和身体发展，同时促进亲子情感的建立。宝宝们通过身体的大运动如行走、爬等动作，并且给他们适龄的打击乐器（比如摇铃、鼓和铃铛）在设计好的游戏中，学习平衡、协调、控制身体，以及有意识的引导宝宝们进行空间意识、语言能力的培养。
随着婴儿逐渐成长为幼儿，他们的音乐能力和需求也在发展。这门课程通过孩子和家长一起参与丰富有趣的音乐活动，不断扩展他们的认知技能，孩子和父母之间的互动也有助于增强亲子间的纽带。所有音乐活动是以培养孩子的音乐记忆、艺术创意为前提，以游戏的方式导入，并积极引导他们模仿，于此同时把适龄的打击乐器交到他们手中，有意识的培养孩子对音色、音高、节奏等概念的建立。父母和看护人都会参与其中，为与孩子在音乐上的互动提供更多示范。
这门课程中的活动是经过心理学家、神经学家和教育学家共同设计的，旨在培养孩子的听力，提高记忆力，以及增强认知能力。幼儿通过在群体环境中体验音乐，也会培养社交技能。
2 years
Confident, active kids become confident, active adults!
Guide your child onto the right path through engaging them in music and movement-based play. This class is all about helping toddlers develop their large motor skills by encouraging them to move their bodies in sync with sounds and music.
By the age of 2, children are starting to build more advanced cognitive abilities that will benefit them in the future. These classes concentrate on cognitive skills that are important for music, like maintaining focus, recalling songs, and recognizing sensory cues. In these classes, kids will learn how to use these abilities to explore music and become more musically independent. At this stage, parents or caregivers play a role in nurturing their child’s musical creativity and gaining additional skills for musical interaction.
This course emphasizes the basics of listening and singing, introduces simple instruments like maracas and drums, and encourages taking turns. It’s designed to build music skills and boost confidence, a sense of belonging, and security among the participants who attend weekly.
Throughout this course, a designated caregiver joins their child for every class.
自信、活跃的孩子将成就自信、成功的成年人！
通过让孩子参与音乐和动作游戏，引导他们走上正确的道路。这个课程旨在帮助幼儿通过与声音和音乐同步运动来发展他们的大运动技能。
在2岁的时候，孩子开始建立更高级的认知能力，这将在将来对他们有益。这些课程关注了对音乐重要的认知技能，如保持注意力、回忆歌曲和识别感觉线索。在这些课程中，孩子们将学会如何运用这些能力来探索音乐，并变得更具音乐独立性。在这个阶段，父母或照顾者在培养孩子的音乐创造力和获得音乐互动的额外技能方面发挥作用。
这门课程强调听和唱的基础知识，介绍了简单的乐器，如沙锤和鼓，鼓励轮流参与。它旨在建立音乐技能，增强信心，增加归属感，并提高参与者的安全感，他们每周都参加课程。
在整个课程中，指定的照顾者每节课都与他们的孩子一起参加。
3 years
Singing, dancing, playing games – children adore this active, play-based learning environment.
During this class, kids acquire fundamental musical abilities like tempo, rhythm, pitch, and volume. These skills are taught through educational games that involve movement and various art activities.
By the time they’re 3 years old, children are starting to develop their singing voices. That’s why singing a wide range of songs becomes a crucial part of the Smart Start curriculum. By age 3, they’ve also built the basic cognitive skills they need. The Smart Start program is designed to enhance these cognitive abilities by engaging kids in activities that help them recognize musical patterns, focus on key elements of music, and understand the connections between different artistic expressions. Children collaborate on musical and artistic projects that aim to cultivate essential musical knowledge and ignite their individual and group creativity.
Participating in group activities strengthens social skills and personal growth.
Children up to the age of three need to be accompanied by a designated caregiver for the class.
唱歌、跳舞、玩游戏——儿童热爱这种积极的、以游戏为基础的学习环境。
在这门课程中，儿童通过设计好的游戏和多种形式的音乐活动，学习基础的音乐技能，理解什么是速度、节拍、音高和音量。
到了3岁，孩子们自发的开始发展他们的歌唱技能。因此，在Smart Start课程中，大量的歌曲被引入。学习演唱歌曲是这个年龄段课程非常重要的组成部分。到了3岁这个阶段，儿童的基本认知能力已经建立。课程通过多种音乐模式关注音乐中最重要的组成部分，理解音乐艺术的表现形式，通过音乐建立与四大认知能力技能的联系，包括专注力、记忆力、洞察力、和认知灵活性。儿童将在音乐和艺术合作中共同努力，培养基本音乐知识，激发个人和团体创造力。
通过团体参与，促进社交能力和个人成长。
三岁以下的儿童必须由一个指定的照顾者陪同。
4 years
The benefits children gain from music study enrich every aspect of their lives.
The teaching methods in this course are crafted to enhance and support children’s social skills, fine motor abilities, self-confidence, and focus. This is achieved by teaching fundamental musical concepts like pitch, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and meter. Listening skills are honed by exposing kids to a diverse range of musical elements through singing games, basic instruments, and guided listening. Singing, dancing, listening, playing instruments, and participating in multi-arts activities are all integral parts of the Smart Start curriculum.
When children reach the age of four, they start organizing and comprehending their world better. Smart Start classes are tailored for four-year-olds, allowing them to use their increased attention, organization, and planning skills to aid their musical endeavours. Kids also begin learning the basics of music theory and are encouraged to apply their creativity to musical and artistic ventures. These Smart Start classes lay the foundation for learning a musical instrument, singing, or engaging in any other form of musical activity.
In this class, children take their initial steps into music and theory, working with simple rhythmic and melodic notations. This class serves as a bridge towards The Royal Conservatory’s formal music instruction.
学习音乐所带来的好处丰富了孩子们生活的方方面面。
到了四岁，孩子们开始建立与世界的关系。Smart Start课程专为四岁的儿童设计，利用他们增加的注意力、组织能力和规划能力来促进他们的音乐创作。孩子们开始学习音乐理论的基础知识，并被鼓励将创造力应用在音乐和艺术活动当中。这些技能为他们今后学习乐器、唱歌或任何其他类型的音乐活动提供了坚实的基础和框架。
从4岁开始的课程，在教学方式上与3岁之前的会有所不同了。4岁起，孩子们可以独立完成课堂内容，家长们将不再和孩子一起上课。老师在课堂上通过故事引出的游戏来提高儿童的精细运动。通过对基础音乐概念的教学，如音高、节拍、韵律、音量和速度，和乐器演奏，培养孩子们的四大认知能力，即专注力、记忆力、洞察力、和认知灵活性。同时引导孩子们增强社交能力，一段时间的学习之后，他们的注意力、持久力和自信心都会有显著提升。孩子们在整节课堂上始终沉浸在各种音乐元素之中，比如唱歌、跳舞、聆听、演奏乐器以及多种艺术活动形式，这种授课方式是Smart Start专家团队为这个阶段孩子们量身定制的。科学研究证据表明，单纯听音乐对大脑的影响可以说是微乎其微。所以我们不用已经预录好的音乐在课堂上播放，而且全程由老师演唱或演奏，最大限度的带领孩子们全情的投入，从而达到开发智力的目的。
在这一年的课程中，孩子们通过学习节奏和旋律符号初步了解音乐的基本理论。也就是从这一年的课程开始，我们会逐渐过度到RCM皇家音乐学院的正式音乐理论教学体系中。
5 years
Around the five-year mark, children make huge developmental leaps and begin to actively create with what they’ve learned.
Exploring musical concepts through singing, movement, and playing instruments is a central aspect of this class.
Teachers guide the class using teaching methods aimed at enhancing children’s sense of rhythm, meter, melody, pitch, timbre, and the basics of harmony. They introduce basic melodic phrasing and rhythmic notation, helping students develop a strong foundational grasp of musical structure.
At the age of five, children have a vivid inner mental world, and Smart Start music classes are designed to support and build upon their growing cognitive abilities. These classes concentrate on musical skills that make use of these newfound abilities, such as audiation (mental hearing of music), understanding musical forms, and engaging in beat and rhythm activities. With their improving communication skills, teachers in these classes also emphasize teaching musical terminology to help children express their musical knowledge.
In this course, students will establish a sturdy musical foundation to assist their future musical pursuits and explorations. By the end of the course, children will be able to identify, repeat, and even write down basic rhythmic and melodic notations—skills that are valuable for their future formal training at The Royal Conservatory.
在五岁左右，儿童会取得巨大的发展跃进，开始积极的用所学到的知识创造他们自己的世界。
5岁的孩子们，他们拥有丰富的内心世界，Smart Start音乐课程帮助他们更好的建立四大认知能力，即专注力、记忆力、洞察力、和认知灵活性。课程侧重于运用孩子们已经掌握的音乐技能最大限度的发掘他们的想象力、创造力、以及更多精细运动要求下的乐器演奏。通过音乐表演的形式，将节奏节拍、韵律、音高等音乐知识与四大认知技能深度连接。不断的增强孩子们的洞察力和认知灵活性。于此同时孩子们的沟通能力在与老师和同伴之间的互动，也在潜移默化中提升。通过不同形式的演唱、演奏，合作意识逐渐在孩子们心中建立起来。
老师在课堂上通过故事、游戏、歌曲、乐器演奏等方式提高儿童的节奏感、节拍、旋律、音高、音色和初步的和声感。基本的旋律构思和节奏符号将包含在这一年的学习中，孩子们从而建立坚实的音乐理论基础。这门课程，老师还会介绍一些规范的音乐术语，帮助孩子们正确表达自己的音乐知识，为将来的学习做知识储备。在学期结束时，孩子们将能够识别、书写基本的节奏型和听写简单的旋律，这些是他们未来正式进入RCM皇家音乐学院体系的宝贵技能。
6 years
Children who are six continue to learn best through play-based explorations of the elements of music, using movement, singing, instruments and listening.
At six years old, kids are prepared for more intricate group singing games and creative movements inspired by their listening experiences. This helps nurture essential social and spatial skills along with critical thinking. Singing longer songs alone or in a group is an exciting part of every class, often involving the new skill of singing from standard notation.
By the time they’re 6, children have developed an enhanced ability to focus on tasks and remember important information. They’re better at planning for the long term and understanding symbolism. These abilities are beneficial for both academic and musical accomplishments. In this class, we emphasize the principles of music theory and musical literacy. Children also get more exposure to various instruments and learn to use their singing voices effectively. These boosted cognitive skills open up more opportunities for creative musical expression. Kids in this class are encouraged to contribute through musical improvisation, composition, and play.
Exploring and creating music through playing, composing, or improvising is a thrilling focus for this stage. As children develop fine motor control and the capability to handle complex patterns, it becomes an engaging endeavor. Musical skills and theoretical learning create a strong foundation for, or an impressive complement to, formal training at The Royal Conservatory.
Music education is a fantastic way to support children’s growth. It encourages their creativity, stimulates their minds, and fosters connections with fellow students and teachers. We firmly believe that music has the power to unlock a child’s full potential. Thanks for watching.
六岁的儿童继续通过基于游戏的音乐元素探索式的学习，他们的歌唱能力、乐器演奏能力、音乐基础知识等方面将会有质的飞跃。
到了6岁，孩子们已经具备了更强的专注力和记住重要信息的能力。他们更擅长长期规划，并逐渐开始理解抽象概念。这些能力对于他们日后的学术成就和音乐成就都将有极大的帮助。在这门课程中，以规范的音乐理论知识和培养音乐素养的前提，孩子们进一步的接触各种乐器，建立音色、音高、速度与情感之间的联系。他们的歌唱能力也会有显著提升，对音准、节奏的把握也更加准确。在课堂上，老师引导并鼓励孩子们将已经掌握的知识运用在即兴演唱、演奏和作曲等方面。六岁的孩子们已经准备好进行更复杂的团体演唱游戏和创意活动了，课程着重培养孩子们的团体协作能力、空间技能、以及批判性思维。独唱独奏以及合唱小型室内乐演奏将会包含在每节课的内容中。
在这个阶段，玩耍、创作或即兴演奏，将是一个个令人兴奋的闪光点。孩子们发展了精细的肌肉控制力和处理复杂模式的能力。音乐技能和四大认知能力即专注力、记忆力、洞察力、和认知灵活性都将会有显著的提升。同时孩子们掌握的基础的音乐理论知识，已经可以非常顺利的过度到RCM皇家音乐学院正式的音乐体系当中。
音乐教育可以成为帮助儿童发展的绝妙工具。通过创造性的参与，激发他们的创造力。在智力上给予他们挑战，并建立与其他学生和教师牢固的关系。我们相信，通过音乐可以挖掘出儿童的无限潜力。
YouTube introduction
