Teaching Early-Childhood Music Education

Transcription

1 Teaching Early-Childhood Music Education Simply Music Under License. All rights reserved.

2 Contents Section 1 - Music Education for Babies and Toddlers Page 3 Section 2 - The Purpose of Musical Activities in Classes Page 5 Section 3 -Tips for Parents Page 7 Section 4 - Music Education for Ages Three to Six Page 9 Section 5 - Orff Instruments Page 12 Simply Music Rhapsody: Benefits of Early Childhood Music Simply Music Under License. All rights reserved. Page 2 of 11

3 Teaching Early Childhood Music Music For Babies And Toddlers Research has shown that babies, from developing fetus to toddler, respond instinctively to music and benefit from it. They are born with a musical readiness that includes a basic sense of timing, beat and rhythm. According to one report, Babies are born to dance! As they naturally respond to music, infants and toddlers who are exposed regularly to music are shown to concentrate and learn more quickly. They demonstrate advanced verbal skills, increased vocabulary and better coordination than those children without music. Research has also shown that music for very young children facilitates the growth of neural connections, enhancing higher brain functions that enable a child to reason in many subjects other than music. The impulse to move, speak, sing and play rhythmically is a natural and vital part of being human. Early exposure to rhymes, tickle games, songs and instruments reinforces core first-year developmental milestones such as eye contact, object permanence and bonding with parent or caregiver. Through music and repetition of music and activities, babies become aware of their environment. This visual and aural stimulation aid in language emergence and the ability of the eyes to focus. Floor activities and group dances help to naturally develop babies core strength and social skills and stimulates the vestibular system. Making music by singing, moving and instrument playing results in the child becoming a better musician, one who will be more successful in future musical pursuits. We also know, that: The richer the music environment a child inhabits, the richer the brain network. Music, at a very young age, has a dramatic impact on a child s language and vocabulary development. Timing activities develop motor skills and coordination. Listening, comparing, and responding to a variety of music develops thinking skills. Songs, rhymes, and finger games strengthen memory. Repeating patterns and counting beats develop vocabulary and sequencing skills. Participating in group dances and musical games builds social skills and enhances self esteem Simply Music Rhapsody: Benefits of Early Childhood Music Simply Music Under License. All rights reserved. Page 3 of 11

4 Teaching Early Childhood Music, Cont. Music For Babies And Toddlers And the Experts Say: Music is a powerful sources of interaction that develops the baby and tot emotionally, cognitively, socially and physically. Positive and supportive interaction contributes to the attachment and bonding we want between parents and children. Research shows the early years are the most significant time in a human life. Donna Brink Fox, PhD, Eastman School of Music Early wiring of the brain shapes the way a child thinks, learns, and behaves the rest of his life. It is this: Parents can make a significant impact upon the permanent musical impressions and development of their children. They need only express pleasure and communication when music is being performed; they need only to join the dance, sing the song, and play along. When the real joy and pleasure is shared with Mom and Dad, that musical experience becomes extremely memorable and associative. Cecelia Riddell, PhD Emeritus, California State University, DH Babies Are Born to Dance, Research Show Science Daily, March 16, 2010 Researchers have discovered that infants respond to the rhythm and tempo of music and find it more engaging than speech. Research shows babies may be born with a predisposition to move rhythmically in response to music. We found that the more the children were able to synchronize their movements with the music, the more they smiled. Simply Music Rhapsody: Benefits of Early Childhood Music Simply Music Under License. All rights reserved. Page 4 of 11

5 2 The Purpose of Musical Activities in Classes Massage Rhymes Physical touch is the primary learning mode for babies. Parents and children interact in a physical way that brings them together in a positive way. Aid language development (beginning to learn the words for body parts such as nose and toes, and concepts such as up and down). Aids in emotional development, specifically the ability to face and communicate with adults. When the child looks at the parent and watches and listens and responds, she learns to communicate. Action Rhymes: Parents and children make a musical demonstration of the content in the rhyme. For instance, Up so High has children being lifted high by the parent. Older children lift their arms up to follow the words and the melody). The steady beat, or pulse, learned through rhythmic speech is a precursor for singing songs and enhancing language development. Action rhymes develop the use of pitch through speech (highs, lows and different voices). Rhyming words help learning language and sounds. Later, these experiences will assist with reading and spelling. Floor and Chair Games Spatial orientation, such as up and down, and moving through the planes help to orient children in space. This stimulation of the vestibular system is one of the most critical developments in infants and toddlers. Steady beat (pulse) is reinforced through movements. Beat Keeping Coordination improves as child and parent move to the pulse (tap the beat or pulse, not the rhythm). Rock, sway, and alternate arms or legs to the beat. The feeling of beat will help with the other skills later such as marching, skipping, galloping and performance in sports. Studies indicate that keeping the steady beat also helps with fluid reading. The most important aspect of a musical sense of rhythm is the ability to maintain a strong beat (pulse). Everyone is born with an innate sense of rhythm, beginning with the sensation of the heart beating in the womb. Group Dancing Dancing (or being held while a parent dances) stimulates the vestibular system. Group dancing develops a sense of community and social awareness. Children experience phrasing, form, melodic and rhythmic changes. Simply Music Rhapsody: Benefits of Early Childhood Music Simply Music Under License. All rights reserved. Page 5 of 11

6 2 The Purpose of Musical Activities in Classes, Cont. Instrument Playing In initial stages, we use just one instrument at a time. It is better for babies to listen to one sound rather than having to sort through many sounds. Around three months of age, babies will make their first reaching attempts. Babies will reach for an instrument or a scarf when offered percent of people are right handed. This is often demonstrated by seven months of age. Babies will grip longer and tighter when an object or instrument is placed in their right hand rather than their left. Lullabies Lullabies provide a cross-cultural music experience. We share traditional lullabies as well as those from other cultures. Provide human contact, bonding and emotional development. Gentle rocking to the beat brings the benefits of moving to the beat. Rocking stimulates the vestibular system. Repetition Repeated sequences are important for the development of the memory of language. Repeated activities build anticipation. Babies and toddlers look forward to the movement or tickle and develop memory skills. Children learn from example and through imitation. The parent must be the performer in the music class. The child will learn from the parent s participation. This is very important in the early years of music classes. By birth, babies have about twelve weeks worth of actual listening experience. Mother s voice tops the chart, especially her high voice, for baby s favorite music. While pregnant, mother s voice is actually louder to the fetus s ears than to outside listeners. Womb Sounds by Dr. Sheila Woodward (CD). The ability to discriminate sounds in a noisy setting is poor for infants and young children. This improves greatly during the first two years of life but is not fully mature until about the age of 10. Simply Music Rhapsody: Benefits of Early Childhood Music Simply Music Under License. All rights reserved. Page 6 of 11

7 3 Tips For Parents Singing With Your Baby or Toddler Listen to your infant, baby or toddler and repeat the sounds back at their pitch. Babies will sing before speaking if encouraged! Explain to the baby that you re singing together! Singing is natural and instinctive at this age but if not encouraged, the child will not develop to his potential and can even lose his ability to sing. Sing to and with the child at times of personal interaction such as during bathing, dressing and eating. Listen to their pitch when they join in and sing back to them. Use singing to make daily tasks more enjoyable and take the edge off of stressful times. Singing will calm the fussy baby, make car rides more enjoyable (especially if you have your instrument kit and CD), and make cleaning up easier. Encourage your child to sing. Help them to copy your starting pitches and play echo games. Try always to sing where your baby is singing (on the same pitch) when baby initiates singing. Usually your child s voice is higher than yours because of their short vocal chords. Encourage dad to use his falsetto (high) voice when singing with the baby. You must sing in class! Children will notice your participation and imitate your example. Do not worry about how well you sing; what matters is that you do sing. Even in speech, babies respond to higher pitched voices. Choose simple songs with a four to five note range and do a lot of repetition. When you sing, you are teaching both melodies and vocabulary. What your child hears will be stored in his memory until singing and speaking begin. Singing is taught just like speaking. You must take the time to teach singing just as you teach speaking (by speaking!), throwing a ball or brushing teeth. Be patient and wait for your baby to respond rather than giving them the answer immediately. Babies nervous systems process auditory information at least twice as slowly as adults. Sing pitches such as, sol-mi and wait for baby to echo. Let baby sing the last word of the phrase. Give it time! Repeat the pitch matching games and activities learned in class at home. Repetition brings accuracy. Simply Music Rhapsody: Benefits of Early Childhood Music Simply Music Under License. All rights reserved. Page 7 of 11

8 3 Tips For Parents, Cont. Singing With Your Baby or Toddler Listening Listen to your child s singing. Provide excellent music listening by playing classical music of the highest quality. Choose a wide variety of genres of music for your child to listen to. We love what we know. By repeating music, your child will become more and more comfortable with that style of music. For example, people who have never heard opera as a child will often not enjoy opera as an adult. Bring your child to live music events and expose your child to many instrumental sounds and styles of music. Promote discriminate listening by calling attention to particulars in a recording or song i.e. ask, is it fast or slow, high or low, do you hear drums, do you hear the piano, etc. Auditory discrimination is enhances as the child learns about these concepts. Simply Music Rhapsody: Benefits of Early Childhood Music Simply Music Under License. All rights reserved. Page 8 of 11

9 4 Music Education For Ages Three To Six As a child gets older, the number of activities, songs, and rhymes in the lesson plan decreases. Often one story, song or activity becomes the focus of the lesson. It is this piece or story from which the solo singing, movement, instrument playing, exploration and creativity are inspired. The following areas are developed in the music curriculum for three to six year olds. Singing The children learn a variety of songs. Songs are based on themes such as the ocean, the rain forest, animal songs, seasonal and holiday songs, singing games and children s folk songs. Children become aware of different vocal qualities in the lesson such as high-low, head and chest voice, singing, talking and whispering voices. They learn to use their voices expressively. May opportunities for solo singing are presented in the lessons. There are also opportunities for free, improvised singing and vocal play. Children are encouraged to make up their own verses to songs and their own melodies to sing. The songs are short and repetitive with an easy range of pitches so the children can quickly have ownership of the song. The children can easily accompany these songs, themselves. Pentatonic songs are especially easy for children to accompany using the I or V of the scale. For example, in C Pentatonic, on the barred instruments the F and B bars are removed and the C and G are used to keep the beat or to accompany. By the end of the preschool years, the children should be able to sing in tune, sing without your help and have a repertoire of songs they can sing alone. If the children always sing together, their singing will not improve. Always include solo singing activities for pitch matching and listening skills. Beat And Rhythm Children practice matching an external beat using a single motion per beat. We often patsch the beat on our legs and then practice playing the beat on the xylophone or drums. Rhythms to words are not played on the instruments until the student has mastered the beat. The best way to help children with the feeling of beat or pulse is to physically tap on them or move with them, such as back and forth for songs like, Row, Row, Row Your Boat or Hickory Dickory Dock. Simply Music Rhapsody: Benefits of Early Childhood Music Simply Music Under License. All rights reserved. Page 9 of 11

10 4 Music Education For Ages Three To Six, Cont. Visual Work Just as children learn to speak before they learn to read, preschool students must experience and learn to make music before they learn to read music. If the child cannot match pitch, keep a beat, feel phrasing, or demonstrate and understanding of other musical concepts, there are many musical experiences that would be much more appropriate than introducing music notation. Though written music is not presented, melodic direction using pictures or felts are sometimes used. Felts are a favorite for children and assist with counting, reading from left to right, remembering words and encouraging participation. Instruments Why Orff and percussion and not violin and piano? If the child cannot match pitch, keep a beat on the xylophone or drum, demonstrate and understanding of form, phrasing and other musical concepts, there are many playing experiences that would be much more appropriate than the fine motor skills, attention and focus needed for a specific instrument. Orff instruments are easier for children to play and they get pitches that are in tune and playing that is JOYFUL and SUCCESSFUL! Children learn the names and categories of the percussion instruments (skins, metals, shakers and woods) as well as the Orff barred instruments (xylophones, glockenspiels and metallophones). Students begin to improvise, create their own melodies, and orchestrate rhymes, poetry and stories. There are opportunities for both timed and free playing in the lesson. The instruments are used to reinforce the music concepts taught such as fast and slow, high and low, long and short. Standard music vocabulary is used such as piano and forte, tempo, accent, staccato, legato and tremolo. Working With Orff Instruments Exaggerate care of the instruments through your actions. Demonstrate how to put one hand on each end of a bar (on the barred instruments) and pull straight up. Teach manners, respect, and care of the instruments. Do not stack the instruments. Keep them clean and in good condition and repair. Children should come with clean hands and be reminded that we do not touch the bars with our hands. Teach the positions for playing: stand, bottoms up, bottoms down, and remind them hard banging is for a hammer, wood and nails! Have opportunities for free play. Have a little practice until you hear the cue (perhaps the strum of a guitar or a roll on the triangle). Let a child be the one to set the tempo for the group. The sopranino is a valuable tool for teaching. It s high notes easily lead the group in improvisation without connecting them to the rhythm of the words. It tells them when to start and stop playing while giving the form of the song. The children are anxious to just play the instruments and using the sopranino provides the B section, intro or cod to bring structure to this opportunity. Simply Music Rhapsody: Benefits of Early Childhood Music Simply Music Under License. All rights reserved. Page 10 of 11

11 4 Music Education For Ages Three To Six, Cont. Movement Creative movement is used with a poem, rhyme or story. Imagery is used to create situations where the children move like something or as if they were something, such as a cat, tree, bear, etc. Some beginning folk dances are taught as well as activities to move together to a common beat. Remind the children that there are not bumps or touches during the movement activities. Listening Experiences train the ear to be more sensitive and hear with a high level of discrimination, making music more enjoyable. Music from a variety of styles, cultures and time periods is introduced. Composers are also introduced. Listening is taught through active listening with movement and/or instrument playing. Singing the melody before being introduced to the piece is also fun. Getting to know fewer pieces well is preferable. Remember, repetition is key because we love what we know. Simply Music Rhapsody: Benefits of Early Childhood Music Simply Music Under License. All rights reserved. Page 11 of 11

12 5 Orff Instruments The Rules For Children Before students ever use the Orff instruments, be sure to lay the foundation. Tell them how special and valuable the instruments are and what great sounds they make. Here s an idea from Lynn: Have you ever had to save up for a long time to buy something or had to wait until Christmas or your birthday to get something you really wanted? That s how these instruments are for me. They are very valuable instruments. Before I share my instruments with you, you need to know how special they are and how to take care of them. Orff Rules for Children The following rules should be taught and repeated. You will hear Lynn explain these rules in the videos. Walk Around: Walk around all instruments, even the smallest ones so you don t hurt yourself or the instrument. Leave the Bars as They Are! The teacher prepares the bars ahead of time. If the children are with you when you set up the bars, always use two hands, one on each end of the bar and pull straight up. You can explain to the children that you are doing this so the nails or pegs won t end. No Mallets in the Holes. Do not let children put the mallets in any holes on the Orff instruments. Mallets can crack the delicate soundboards. Mallets can rest on top of the bars. Bottoms Up! For the bigger instruments, we need to stand up on our knees. Use a vocal glissando and point up to remind children of bottoms up. Based on the age and size of the children, discuss the best way to position at the instruments so the handle of the mallet does not string the end of the bar. Instead, the ball of the mallet should hit the middle of the bar for the best tone. Butterflies, not Elephants! Never pound! If the bars are coming off you are hitting too hard. You are playing too loudly if you cannot hear the other players. Butterflies bring their wings up fast. Encourage students to get the sound up and out of the bar like butterflies quickly picking up their wings, not elephants that will make a thud and trap the sound inside the bar. Holding Mallets and Teaching Where to Hit. Pinch and wrap seems to help the pointer fingers from being held straight out. Encourage playing in the middle of the bar so students are producing the best possible sounds. Shoulder Holders. When not playing, children should rest the mallets on their shoulders. Younger children are told, Shoulder Holders. Older children can be asked to simply, Rest your mallets. Lay the Mallets to Rest. Before you move to another instrument, lay your mallets to rest with their heads together. This relates to the finger cymbal signal to put the heads together (kiss) and lay them on the instruments with heads and feet together (referring to the yarn balls and handles of the mallets) so they can rest before being played again. As students gain experience using the instruments, you can give more information. Suggest holding the mallets like riding your bike. For the best sound, aim to play with the ball of the mallet in the middle of the bar. We bounce the mallets as if they were balls. Do not trap the sound inside the bar by keeping the mallet on the bar. Instead, pull the sound out of the bar by moving the mallets up. Simply Music Rhapsody: Benefits of Early Childhood Music Simply Music Under License. All rights reserved. Page 12 of 11