Early Childhood
The goal of music in Early Childhood is to provide the children with many opportunities to experience music making as individuals and as members of a group. Games, songs and activities are designed to enable the children to discover their own singing voice, to develop a sense of beat and beginning control over fundamental rhythms, to explore a variety of instruments, and learn a core repertoire of songs and games that are the foundation of later music making in Kindergarten and beyond.
I always look forward to my weekly visits to the farmhouse. When I come the children are excited, experiencing songs and games designed to help them get to know one another, me, and certain fundamentals of music. Music-time usually starts with a name-game, and a song about what they are wearing or other self-awareness elements. They all love Teddy Tunes, the bear puppet who can’t sing words, but can sing melodies. Teddy helps the children focus on melody, which is a new concept rather than on words which they’ve been working on for most of their lives. Early on they should to begin discovering that most music has a resting tone, one pitch that everything returns to (older students recognize it as the key note). Once they can hear that resting tone as the center of a piece, they can begin to sing it in tune. Plenty of focus is given to large motor motion including running & walking, Hopping and twisting, jumping and skating, and so on in a number of games that become favorites. There is usually a picture song book included in each lesson to inspire reading readiness. Down the line they’ll meet Ralph the Rhythm Frog. A puppet who will prompt rhythm play. Rhyming play and word play in songs will also be featured. Play is the operative word here.
"Since the beginning of time, children have not liked to study. They would much rather play, and if you have their interests at heart, you will let them learn while they play; they will find that what they have mastered is child's play."
Carl Orff
The goal of music in Early Childhood is to provide the children with many opportunities to experience music making as individuals and as members of a group. Games, songs and activities are designed to enable the children to discover their own singing voice, to develop a sense of beat and beginning control over fundamental rhythms, to explore a variety of instruments, and learn a core repertoire of songs and games that are the foundation of later music making in Kindergarten and beyond.
I always look forward to my weekly visits to the farmhouse. When I come the children are excited, experiencing songs and games designed to help them get to know one another, me, and certain fundamentals of music. Music-time usually starts with a name-game, and a song about what they are wearing or other self-awareness elements. They all love Teddy Tunes, the bear puppet who can’t sing words, but can sing melodies. Teddy helps the children focus on melody, which is a new concept rather than on words which they’ve been working on for most of their lives. Early on they should to begin discovering that most music has a resting tone, one pitch that everything returns to (older students recognize it as the key note). Once they can hear that resting tone as the center of a piece, they can begin to sing it in tune. Plenty of focus is given to large motor motion including running & walking, Hopping and twisting, jumping and skating, and so on in a number of games that become favorites. There is usually a picture song book included in each lesson to inspire reading readiness. Down the line they’ll meet Ralph the Rhythm Frog. A puppet who will prompt rhythm play. Rhyming play and word play in songs will also be featured. Play is the operative word here.
"Since the beginning of time, children have not liked to study. They would much rather play, and if you have their interests at heart, you will let them learn while they play; they will find that what they have mastered is child's play."
Carl Orff