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    • 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

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 the Stage One course 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 or take a Revisiting Stage One course before pursuing Stage 2 training.

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