Mood:  a-ok

Last year we got to review a fantastic online piano program for Joshua called Kinderbach. Joshua loved it! So, when the opportunity came up to review it once again, we were on pins and needles hoping that we would be one of the ones chosen. When Joshua heard that we were, he was thrilled!

Kinderbach is made for pre-schoolers to get a fun introduction to the piano or keyboard. In fact all you need is a small keyboard or piano to be able to use this great program. We found, however, that this easy approach was perfect for our Joshua, who is in second grade this year but has aspergers syndrome. Since this is a very gentle approach, it is perfect for kids who may have trouble learning piano in a traditional way. Joshua has a tendency to get frustrated very easily. With this program, you can move at your own pace. If Joshua is having a good day, he can easily do one, two, three or even a whole week of lessons in one day. That may not be advisable for younger children, but since Joshua can handle more on good days then that's what we have done. On the other hand, if Joshua becomes frustrated we can simply turn it off and try again later or, even watch the same lesson over again. That is the beauty of Kinderbach! Work at your own pace.

Kinderbach is divided into six levels and each level has 10 weeks of lessons in it. So, this program can easily go for well over a year or more if you choose to repeat lessons. Each level has an accompanying downloadable workbook for your child to work in. They will use it during the lessons, so have it handy. Each week has four lessons in it, so if you miss a day there is no problem - you won't get behind. Of course, as I said before, there is no time limit. You don't have to do a lesson on a particular day. It is at your own pace.

Joshua loves the lessons. Karrie, your teacher, is in every level, but each level also introduces some colorful cartoon characters that help miss Karrie teach the lessons. A young boy named Frisco and a donkey called Dodi are introduced in the first few lessons, but along the way you will also meet Carla the Caterpillar, Edward the Eagle, Felicity the Frog, Gracie the Gorilla, Alan the Alligator and Bob the Bear. They are so famous that they each have their own web page!

The lessons start off very easily by learning such things as high and low and learning about the keys on the piano. Soon, however, you child will be learning about notes, rhythm, rests, beats, spaces, lines, proper finger placement and even Crescendo and Fortissimo! And it's all done with fun games and activities that you either play along with the video or do in your workbook.

Since last year there have been many changes to the website as well. There are is a new section with added fun worksheets if you want to print them out, and a fun song section and game section are going to be added in the near future.

This was once again a hit for Joshua and is definitely a keeper for us. How much does all of this cost? If you purchase an online membership for a whole year at once, it's just $7.99 per month. If you would rather buy it on a month to month basis, the cost is still very reasonable at $19.99. They also have physical CD's and DVD's that you can purchase. Check out the website by clicking here or on any one of the links above for bundle pricing for there physical products or to become a member online. They are also selling themed products this year like a Patriotic Songbook and a Christmas Bundle. As always, you can check out what other TOS Crew members had to say about Kinderbach by clicking here. Happy Home Educating!

As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I was given a free limited time membership to Kinderbach's online program to try out and review on my blog.

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