Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) is the realization of potential through active and reactive participation in the environment, from birth. SECE is based on the premise that the potential of every child is unlimited. Every country’s most important resource is its children. Suzuki Early childhood educators work in partnership with parents to create a stimulating learning environment. “When the environment is rich and unpressured, a child not only learns a skill but also gains a sense of purpose in life, an understanding of discipline, and an appreciation of beauty.”

“Shinichi Suzuki called this ‘Talent Education.’ The word ‘education’ (kyoiku) in Japanese consists of the kanji Kyo (to teach) and iku (to foster). It means to teach and to foster until the material is absorbed so that it becomes inner ability. When there is inner ability as the foundation, the ability to think and organize develops. This enables children to spontaneously stretch towards higher levels. The skill of fostering that inner ability, I think, is the starting point of instruction. Dr. Suzuki explains in detail how to foster ability as well as how to train in a perfect score for everyone.”

Masayoshi Kataoka, Editor of Talent Education Journal, Spring 1989

Revision of Repertoire and Recordings

Starting in May 2021, there will be several opportunities for SECE teachers to take a SECE Curriculum Revision Course. The courses will be available to any SECE teachers who have previously registered a minimum of ECC and SECE Stage One training with the SAA. Revisions to the SECE curriculum have been underway since July 2020 with a focus on bringing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to the Suzuki Early Childhood Education Classroom. The SECE Curriculum Revision Courses will be taught in teams of two Teacher Trainers. Each online course will be 5 hours long, over one day, with a maximum of 30 participants. When SECE Stage Training resumes, only the Revised Curriculum will be used. All SECE classes should use the Revised Curriculum before or by January 1, 2022. The planning for a revised curriculum recording is underway.

Prerequisites

  • Completion and registration of Every Child Can or Filosofia.
  • SAA membership by the time of course start Join the SAA.
  • SECE candidates must be able to sing in tune, keep a steady beat, and must have studied the songs and rhymes of the original English language version of the SECE curriculum. Candidates must be prepared to perform the songs and rhymes during the SECE training and lead activities in the SECE demonstration classes.
  • SECE Stage Training is not offered online.

Prerequisite Reading

  • Nurtured By Love by Shinichi Suzuki
  • Ability Development from Age Zero by Shinichi Suzuki
  • Lullabies, Action Songs and Rhymes Handbook by Dorothy Jones

Downloadable Documents

Outcomes For SECE Teacher Participants

Teacher participants gain confidence in how to develop a Suzuki Early Childhood Education program.
Teacher Participants will discuss the following with the trainer:

  • How to set up:
    • Suzuki Baby/toddler classes with parental involvement
    • Short term prenatal classes
  • How to establish:
    • Team teaching
    • Parent education
  • How to implement successful ongoing documentation:
    • Weekly anecdotal reporting
    • Reporting to parents
  • How to help parents in their critical role:
    • As the first and most important teacher
    • As a role model
    • As an observer of their children
  • Teacher participants will be given examples of curriculum layering and booklists. The teacher participants will be directed to resources to assist in SECE teaching.

Prenatal Through Baby/Toddler Years

The Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) training courses are part of a comprehensive teacher training program approved by Dr. Suzuki and the International Suzuki Association. The courses will be registered with the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

The SECE Prenatal Through Baby/toddler years courses include:

  • The study of prenatal and postnatal learning environment
  • The Baby/Toddler class curriculum and goals
  • Music and equipment used in classes
  • Parent education

Course Set-Up and Requirements:

  • Minimum of 5 days, 30 hours in total, including one baby/toddler demonstration class per day.
  • Training should not exceed 6 hours per day.
  • Consultations are provided.
  • The 5 Stages of SECE training must be taken in order (Stage 1, Stage 2, …)
  • Before establishing an SECE class, teacher participants will take SECE Stage One training.
  • A period of 9 – 12 months is required before taking each next consecutive stage of training.
  • Each Stage is registered with the SAA when completed.

Each of the 5 stages of SECE training focuses on the common curriculum and a curriculum recording. Each stage of training will include performance of the repertoire, supervised observation, participation in the demonstration classes, discussion, and completion of assignments as given by the Teacher Trainer.

In addition to their focus on the SECE repertoire, each stage will also include additional topics as appropriate. These may include review and application of Suzuki philosophy, parent education, current and applicable research to SECE, and strategies for adjusting the SECE activities for all ages and developmental stages of babies and toddlers.

The following is a general overview for teacher participants of material that will be covered in five stages of SECE teacher training.

Stage 1

Stage one emphasizes the development of a child from birth through age three.

  • Discussion of the 7 SECE concepts and their importance in the weekly SECE classes.
  • The importance of the Suzuki approach to early education.
  • The prenatal and post-natal learning environment
  • The baby/toddler class curriculum
  • The equipment used in class
  • The team teaching approach
  • The sequence of the Baby/toddler class curriculum
  • Teaching strategies
  • Musical integrity
  • A brief introduction to prenatal music stimulation

Daily class assignments are given each teacher participant. Each participant will have an opportunity to lead an activity or assist in the daily baby/toddler class during the training week. (Practice of team teaching)

A brief consultation will be scheduled for each teacher participant during the training period.

Upon completion of Stage 1 training, teacher participants are encouraged to gain experience teaching a SECE class before pursuing Stage 2 training.

A period of 9 – 12 months is required before taking the next consecutive stage of training.

Revisiting SECE Stage One is now available. See course description document in Downloadable Documents, above.

Stage 2

Stage 2 delves more deeply into topics.

  • Study of the baby/toddler class curriculum and goals
  • The importance of the baby/toddler class sequence and key teaching strategies
  • Discussion of the skill level of babies and toddlers
  • An emphasis on parent education
  • An outline of a prenatal music stimulation program for expectant families
  • Guides to prenatal resources
  • Analysis of flow and balance of the curriculum

There is a minimum of one written assignment required during this week. Each teacher participant has an opportunity to lead an activity and assist in the daily class during the training week. (Practice of team teaching)

A brief consultation will be scheduled for each teacher participant during the training period.

Upon completion of Stage 2 training, teacher participants are required to teach a SECE class during the 9 -12-month period before pursuing Stage 3 training. If a teacher has not yet started a class, participants are encouraged to repeat Stage 1 or 2 training before pursuing Stage 3

A period of 9 – 12 months is required before taking the next consecutive stage of training.

Stage 3

This stage assumes teacher experience in the SECE baby/toddler classroom and addresses the development of new ideas.

  • Baby/Toddler class curriculum and goals including new “layers” for stimulating more excitement in classes
  • Discussion of strategies for the development of parents as excellent observers of not only their own child but the others in the class
  • Techniques for encouraging the celebration of each child’s smallest step through documentation and journaling.
  • Further investigation of current and applicable research as it applies to SECE
  • Teacher participants begin to develop their own collection of resources for SECE

There is a minimum of one written assignment required during this week. Each teacher participant has an opportunity to lead an activity and assist in the daily class during the training week. (Practice of team teaching)

A brief consultation will be scheduled for each teacher participant during the training period.

Upon completion of Stage 3 training, teacher participants are required to continue to teach a SECE class during the 9 -12-month period before pursuing Stage 4 training. Teacher participants are also encouraged to consider a SECE Practicum course or retake earlier stages of training.

A period of 9 – 12 months is required before taking the next consecutive stage of training.

Stage 4

  • Teacher participants will discuss at-home activities that encourage more parent/child interaction.
  • Further investigation of current and applicable research as it applies to prenatal stimulation and the SECE baby/toddler classes.
  • Teacher participants will analyze the SECE curriculum in multiple ways.
  • Further study of new “layers” to address the different ages and developmental stages of the children.
  • Literacy and the value of reading aloud to children from birth will be discussed.
  • Further study of teacher observation and the development of intuition
  • Review of teacher participant’s collection of SECE resources.

Teacher Participants continue to receive daily assignments for leading an activity or assisting in the live baby/toddler class. (Practice of team teaching) Teacher participants will also assist in the planning of and delivery of a parent session or a prenatal music stimulation information session.

A brief consultation will be scheduled for each teacher participant during the training period.

Upon completion of Stage 4 training, teacher participants are required to continue to teach a SECE class during the 9 -12-month period before pursuing Stage 5 training. Teacher participants are also encouraged to consider a SECE Practicum course or retake earlier stages of training.

A period of 9 – 12 months is required before taking the next consecutive stage of training.

Stage 5

In stage 5 training, teacher participants will review the Suzuki Concepts used to form the foundation of the parent education delivered during baby/toddler classes. Each participant will research quotes which best reflect each concept. This work will be added to each teacher participant’s collection of SECE resources.

  • Discussion of the ‘teach and then foster’ approach, leading to thorough mastery.
  • Updates on current and applicable research as it applies to SECE.
  • Musical integrity is revisited.
  • Teacher Participants will continue discussions on parent education and share ways they have utilized the 7 concepts in their own program.
  • Teacher Participants will work on their ‘reading aloud’ skills and will study resources promoting early reading.

Teacher Participants continue to receive daily assignments for leading an activity or assisting in the live baby/toddler class. (Practice of team teaching)

Stage 5 completes the course work. However, it is recommended that Teacher Participants consider SECE practicum sessions and retake earlier SECE teacher training.

A brief consultation will be scheduled for each teacher participant during the training period.

Space and Setup Requirements for All SAA SECE Teacher Training Courses

Each training class may have not more than 15 participants with one teacher trainer and a trained assistant for the daily baby/toddler demonstration class. (practice of team teaching)

The daily baby/toddler class should have a mix of ages from 0-3 years with a minimum of six children (each child accompanied by a parent) and a maximum of 10-12 children each with a parent.

SECE training courses are 5 days, six hours each day (30 hours total). A daily baby/toddler demonstration class is included in the six hour day.

The space requirement for observation of the daily baby/toddler class is a dedicated space large enough for the circle of babies/toddlers and their parents, two teachers, and three or four teacher participants who will all have an opportunity to lead one or two activities during the week. There will need to be enough chairs for teacher participants to sit outside of the circle to observe the baby/toddler class. The room will also need to be large enough to accommodate a large table to hold the instruments.

The basket of small books (used at the end of each day’s baby class) should hold approximately ten to fifteen small cloth books or board books without sound effects designed for children ages zero to three. These may be in the language of the country and teacher trainers may like to bring some of their own English language favorites.

The basket of books is used at the end of class while each parent is writing one positive observation about their child that they saw during class. Small notebooks or file cards and pens need to be supplied for this activity.

If the majority of participants are not fluent in English, an interpreter will be necessary.

Baby Class Equipment

Available: http://www.suzukiece.com/Pages/store.htm

  1. CD Player (or equivalent)
  2. CD’s (recordings)
    1. Mozart, Eine Kleine Nacht Musik (Gathering and ending music)
    2. Boccherini Minuet (scarf dance music)
    3. Skip To My Lou (Shaker dance music)
    4. Jones, Lullabies, Action Songs and Rhymes (Home Listening)
    5. Aaron Copeland, Hoedown (Special occasion music)
    6. Saint Saens, Carnival of the Animals (Aquarium) (Special occasion music)
  3. Lollipop drum and mallet (10 inch diameter recommended)
  4. Studio 49, Orff Schulwerk (or highest quality available)
    1. Alto Glockenspiel (1) plus 2 mallets –plastic head
    2. Alto Xylophone (1) plus 2 mallets – felt head (if more than 8 babies/toddlers in class, a 2nd Xylophone is recommended)
    3. Small table (1) for Glockenspiel
  5. Wood block (1) (plus wooden head mallet)
  6. Triangle (1) plus mallet
  7. Rain stick (1)
  8. Scarves (30) (bright colours, sheer material, washable)
  9. Shakers (30) brightly coloured washable plastic eggs
  10. Soft colourful ball
  11. Set of 15 drums (recycled restaurant supply – sour cream tubs)
  12. Soft mouse (1)
  13. Small soft dog
  14. Small child-sized chair and crown for “Pussy Cat”
  15. Duck Card – Laminated picture of 6 ducks for “Six Little Ducks”
  16. Laminated Curriculum order (2-sided) Side 1 – week #1 Side 2 – week #2
  17. Notebooks for weekly parent observations plus pencils/pens
  18. Books for baby class (In the basket—Board books without sound effects)
  19. Recommended books for reading aloud in class(usually provided by Teacher Trainer)
    1. Good Night Moon, Margaret Wise Brown, Harper, 1997
    2. The Very Busy Spider, Eric Carle, Philomel Books, New York, 1984
    3. Over in the Meadow, Siobhan Dodds, Walker Books, 1996
    4. The Carrot Seed, Ruth Kraus, Harper Collins, 1973
    5. Brown Bear, Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle, Holt & Co. New York, 1995
    6. Chica-chica ABC, Martin & Archambault, Simon & Schuster, 1989
    7. Hand Hand Fingers Thumb, Al Perkins, Random House New York, 1997
    8. Orange Pear Apple Bear, Emily Gravett, macMillan 2006
    9. Where is the Green Sheep? Mem Fox and Judy Horacek, Penguin 2004

Upcoming Courses

For a complete list of upcoming SECE courses, please visit our events page.