Our tiered certification pathway grows from the individual teacher to the entire school system. Each level demonstrates a deeper commitment to high-quality, brain-based, playful learning.
Tier 1: Teacher Certified
Teachers use the My Musical Classroom curriculum resources daily to integrate musical learning into circle time, early literacy, math, STEM, SEL, and transitions. Professional development includes workshops (in-person and virtual), self-paced modules, short quizzes and reflections, and ongoing support. After one year, teachers have a robust Resource Notebook and earn the Certified Educator credential, a professional distinction they can carry forward and a tool for stronger classroom outcomes.
Tier 2: School Certified
When all eligible teachers (3s, 4s, 5s, and ECSE) at a school are Certified Educators, the school earns the Certified School designation. Schools may display the certification badge across admissions materials, websites, and parent communications, signaling to families that music integration is a core driver of whole-child development.
Tier 3: Administrator Certified
School leaders can complete a short leadership track to become Certified Administrators. This equips them with tools to communicate the impact of music on learning outcomes to parents, boards, and accrediting bodies while strengthening their own leadership profile.
Tier 4: District Certified
Districts with multiple Certified Schools can achieve District Certification, supported by a dedicated My Music Starts Here liaison. This recognition strengthens strategic plans, grant applications, and public trust.
Proven Outcomes: Decades of research show how early musical learning drives literacy, math readiness, language, SEL, and classroom inclusion.
Whole-Child Focus: Certification signals that your teachers and schools are committed to research-informed early childhood brain development.
Not a Music Class: This is curriculum support designed to align with state standards or standards set by private, charter, or homeschool programs.
A Marketing Edge: Certification provides a clear, research-backed differentiator for parents, boards, and accrediting bodies.
My Music Starts Here Certification strengthens your teachers’ capacity, supports student success with proven resources, and positions your program as a leader in research-based early childhood education.
Certification is designed for public, private, Head Start, charter, homeschool, and special education preschool classrooms.
Early childhood educators are asked to do more than ever – strengthen literacy, build language readiness, support social-emotional growth, and create inclusive classrooms where every child thrives. My Music Starts Here offers schools, teachers, and administrators a proven, practical way to meet these demands while setting their programs apart.
Grounded in decades of early childhood brain research, our certification pathway trains teachers to integrate musical learning and play into daily routines as a proven foundation for healthy brain development, positive teacher-student interactions, and regulated, engaged children.
This is not a “nice-to-have.” Music integration is an essential pathway designed for public, private, Head Start, charter, homeschool, and special education settings, that differentiates schools and ensures every child has the opportunity to thrive in their school environment. This approach doesn’t just support learning – it transforms it.