Singing Outside Adventures!
This is a drawing that a child made after we sang and acted out songs about hiking and exploring the outside. When musical activity is integrated with movement, children will remember and are then more easily able to relate to their own play. Please remember to incorporate song and silly in to your family travels this summer and enjoy!
Music and cognitive learning!
Last month I read an article from the Harvard gazette about new research that 'proved' that young children's intelligence is not improved with music learning. It was entitled: 'Muting the Mozart Effect', with headline: 'Contrary to popular opinion, research finds no cognitive benefits to musical training.' I searched the link, and when opened, was able to see the researchers guiding a group of young children, with their parents.
(http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/12/muting-the-mozart-effect/)
What struck me immediately, was that their activity was adult directed vs. child-centered, and the children's verbal interactions, or questions, were quickly squelched in lieu of continuing with what was planned by the instructor/researcher. Hmmm. Guess this grad student doesn't realize that children learn when they are able to add their ideas, thoughts, and then construct meaning that scaffolds what they already are familiar with! Please see notes (fan mail?) I received recently from a few 4 year old students who wrote about, drew pictures about their experience with me in a music class. I really like the little hand (we clapped!) and the effort to write the word: 'RHYTHM', a word I used when singing with the children and playing small instruments. Clearly the children took ownership of their individual experiences and signed their names.Oh! Almost forgot to note that, I did receive over 20 of these precious thoughts!
Notes on welcoming a new learning year!
As each new year presents, I look forward to what I will learn with, and from the children that will help me to be a better teacher. Just yesterday I received an email from a pal, who was encouraging me to research opportunities to utilize MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) to teach young children. Hmmmm...not really knowing too much about the topic, I thought I would go ahead and do some online studying.
Well, not too much outside of the realm of university and college courses is out there, but I did find a very interesting quote from a NYTimes article response that I happen to agree with. Why? Well, I feel that 'play' is my key ingredient when working with young children - it's interactive! How would I engage, validate children's questions and ideas (at least thus far in the digital age)?
What do you think? Here's the quote:
"Education is not simply the delivery of information but a flowing transaction in which students and teachers grow in reaction to one another, collaboratively creating something new and unforseen!"
~ Penny Prince, professor of music @ Lehman College, CUNY~
Music as Learning Muse!
As Louis Malaguzzi, Founder of the Reggio-Emilia teaching method said:
a hundred worlds to discover
a hundred worlds to invent
a hundred worlds to dream....
Children discover, invent, dream and connect music to all areas of their lives. This is how they learn. Many times they will extend music experiences with art and literacy. Here are 2 examples that were given to me as end of year gifts, from children who remembered our time together this year:
A child who loves to dance, discovered joy in Bringing her own guitar to school one day,
her interpretation of a dancing horse after our this child played along with me for her class!
'Farm Animals' music class!
Literacy Week in Schools!
"I believe in kindness. Also in mischief. Also in singing, especially when singing is not necessarily prescribed." Mary Oliver
We will "sing a book" in class and bring 'Pete the Cat - I Love My White Shoes',
by Eric Litwin, to life. We will act out the main character, Pete the Cat, as we sing. He is a cat who discovers that everyday life changes and with humor, we realize that it's 'all good' and there is no reason to get upset or 'cry' - everything just really does work out just fine. An adventure story that promotes self discovery, emotional education and group sharing - it is silly fun with lots of room for teachers to extend the story with children's ideas too.
(For the FREE Pete the Cat song and story download visit: www.harpercollinschildrens.com/petethecat)
A sweet story!
Recently, I was in a classroom with some three year old children to have a music class. One of the boys was crying big tears, missing his mom that morning. His teacher held him lovingly and rocked him. As I waited to begin, older chiildren from another class came into the room with a small rocking chair, that they thought their younger friends might like - they did! One by one, each took a turn rocking, as I played the guitar and sang to them. (What happened to what I had planned?!) Soon, they wanted to rock sitting on the floor and next, holding hands with a friend. What song did I sing? I made it up and was sure to include every child's name in a verse. Children will always let us know what they need and swaying and rocking to music is a great soother. It's the waltz tempo of 1,2,3,1,2,3!
"In music, one must think with his heart and feel with his brain." Confusious
Carly makes art that 'says': "I love music" Children rock and sway holding onto a 'friendship circle'
Time for music!
"Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education." Plato
Robert's mom documents his words: "Thank you for playing music for me!"
Children heard us all wishing each other a "happy new 2013 year!" What do those words really mean for a child? Some things will never change; like young children's conception of time. They are aware of only the present moment and what is important to them at that time. Time is mathematical, as is music. We introduce concepts of time in a play based format with music activity that is fun and involves children's ideas. Here are just a few examples:
Nature: When does it snow?
We use hand held wands for children to dance and 'be' the snowflakes. How many
snowflakes fall from the sky?
Play: Was it dark outside or was the sun still shining when we played in the snow?
When we sing the 'Chubby Snowman' by Hugh Hanley (www.hughhanley.com), we count the number of snowballs we need to build him with a song. We play.
Movement: How long will it take us to march around the room?
We feel the beat in our bodies and keep 'time' to march and drum! Moving to words that rhyme with 'The Ants Go Marching", we learn that we might march fast or maybe slow.
Happy Holidays to all!
Sing! Dance and be merry! Is there a better time to celebrate music with your family?This is the time of year when excitement abounds and families find themselves traveling to visit relatives. Take advantage of some great children's music...I love Laurie Berkner (www.laurieberkner.com), who kids and grown-ups alike can jam to.
Please don't forget to introduce children to holiday classics as well!
"Of all created things, the loveliest and most divine are children."
~William Canton~
Celebrations!
The other day I received a text, after lessons with two sisters, who were on their way to their grandmother's home. Their mother texted to say; "The girls have been singing the songs the whole way to Nonni's. I love it!!:-)" Ahhh...music to my ears! Children understand celebration in terms of what is important to them. A trip to see their grandmother has meaning for them and hopefully their Nonni was treated to their cabaret upon arrival. Woody Guthrie wrote a tribute to preparation with his little tune
"Pretty and Shiny'O", that we sing every year when holiday time arrives. Children recognize that homes are being cleaned, things are being washed and baked.....something special is going to happen! I have them use little hand mops to pretend to wash, dust to"make things pretty n shiny'o" as we sing. It is a restful melody for a busy and sometimes overwhelming time for young children as adults bussle around getting all ready.
*See the Westport-Weston Cooperative Nursery School (www.westportwestoncoop.org)
Director's blog of 11/22/2012 to learn more about children's understanding of holidays, celebrations.
Music captures the memories of all that we celebrate. Look at the pictures that the 5 and 6 year old children made, in their afterschool program at Cheshire Nursery School(www.cheshirenurseryschool.com). They celebrated their time together in our music class with each child's drawing of us gathered around as a community!
A very special present that hangs on the studio wall to share with all.
We sing nature's harvest!
There is always lots going on in children's classrooms about all that nature provides: pumpkin carving, seed and corn counting and baking. I like to add to what children are learning about with music that contributes another layer to that learning. We sing about how a pumpkin grows - first a seed, greeen leaves, a yellow flower, maybe a BIG BLACK SPIDER crawling on the vine, until finally a pumpkin grows. Music making is a process much like nature. Verses make sense to children especially when introduced in a story-like genre. When we sing about the colors of the leaves that are falling, we move like the leaves and twirl and float down to the ground as the wind blows. We talk about the colors of the leaves and children are able to choose which colored scarf they would like to 'be' the leaf. Most times, children will ask to 'do it again'....I think it's the measure when the wind starts to blow, which offers opportunity to spin and really move around! They seem to enjoy floating to the ground 'silently......silently.....'..can you imagine how adorable a room of children 'floating' to the ground is?
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