Karen has been a regular driving force behind the provision of music in our school. Karen has single handily set up extra-curricular clubs for Music and Drama, Singing, Choir after school which have been both popular with both parents and the children alike. She has also started up the school choir during school and time worked with the children to develop their singing skills to a high level of ability. Karen has also given up her free time to enter the children into singing festivals and competitions.
In addition Karen has patiently supported other class teachers in the planning and teaching of class music across the breadth of the curriculum. Karen has a lively, dynamic personality in front of the class and the children always respond really positively towards her. She is both well organised and a gifted musician herself. Karen is a very friendly and helpful individual who is enthusiastic about whatever she does. She has certainly made a very positive difference to our school and we are certainly in her debt for that. I have no hesitation in recommending Karen for a musical position in any future venture working with schools.
"How to be Star taught at our nursery and the weekly half hour music sessions were much anticipated by both the staff and the children. The creativty, imagination and patience allowed for a magical experience that the children would often recall in great detail....a firm favourite being the Rainbow song. Upon request songs would often be linked and activities to our topics or themes such as "growing" or "autumn". The ability to combine music with other areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum provided all the children with opportunities to extend and develop their knowledge and understanding. How to be a Star inspired Staff to "GET CREATIVE" with instruments, songs and music, and support was always provided. How to be a Star sessions were not just about nursery rhymes, drums and shakers, they were about engaging the children in a way that allowed them to take part in an amazing magical journey."
"Having taught for my school for over three years on a weekly basis at our studios with children aged 9months to 4 years, then children 5years to 11year in our Summer Workshops. Our classes always included special needs children who followed the classes with ease and engaged interactively alongside the other children in the class. Always enthusiastic and able to come up with ideas and songs weekly, the children love them and the teaching style, always joining in and dancing. The unique How to be a Star songs that have been specially written are educational and very different from other music classes that are around - they work very well alongside the EYFS and KS1 & KS2 framework - children learn whilst they sing. Although we do enjoy traditional songs their faces would always light up when out comes the guitar and they start to learn a new song. The children have learnt all their colours, letters, numbers, seasons and have learnt about environmental issues and their responsibility to name but a few. How to be a Star ideas about music teaching to all children are unique and special."
"How to be a Star has run music club for two years in my school, group of 25 children (aged 4 to 7) during lunch hour. The children have been introduced to a variety of activities.
Appreciating and responding to music, singing and signing, movement, dance and roleplay. Basic Music theory, dynamics of music, developing singing skills, composition, instruments and music culture.
Always punctual and reliable the children clearly enjoy the sessions. The parents have been pleased to see the results with the mini concerts provided twice a year."
Our daughter grew up in England and spent 3 years in a CoE Primary School. Her speed of learning was slow as (1) she had a genetic disease that is known to cause developmental delay and (2) her parents spoke in Japanese at home so she had less exposure to English compared with other children. Despite all of these situations, she loved to be at school and communicated with her classmates very well. Of all the reasons that I could think of, one of the most positive impacts was the songs she frequently listened to – notably the ones within a CD created by Mrs. Karen Scott. Her songs were all enjoyable, easy to remember and above all, so uplifting for both parents and children. As the legendary Hungarian composer and teacher Zoltán Kodály rightly said, education through singing is the most powerful way toward success and both of her parents strongly recommend the music that Karen delivers.