The way you can measure a society's soul is by the way that it treats its children.
Nelson Mandela

Issue No. 1 - 30 May 2005

Welcome to the first edition of Kidz Newz.  This will be a regular newsletter with information and teaching tips for anyone involved with young children.  Please forward this to anyone you feel it may be of interest to.

Feedback is welcome.

"When you think you have bitten off more than you can chew, chew faster." Anon.

Ten Steps to Successful Music Teaching in The Early Childhood Classroom 
( Steps 1 through 4 )

Young children learn by doing, by being actively involved in their learning through exploring and experimenting, through copying and acting out. And so it is with learning music, the foundations for which are best learnt while developing primary language.  As such, a successful early childhood music program must incorporate movement and should quite naturally involve learning across the curriculum.  The music program, therefore, can form the basis for the whole curriculum.

 The next few issues will feature valuable steps to expanding your skills and enjoyment in teaching music.

1. Make it Fun. They are not in your class to learn music, but learning music is what happens while they're having fun. It it's not fun you've lost them.  Fun for them may not be fun for you.  If it's not fun for you, you'll NEVER be able to convince them that you're enjoying it.  You'll start using every excuse not to do the music session because you'll see it as a chore.  If, on the other hand, you have a song, a piece of music or an activity you think is really cool, you'll have no trouble engaging the kids as your enthusiasm will carry them through.  Sounds pretty logical, yet few class teachers conduct music lessons as part of the daily curriculum.  Find a resource that suits you and do something every day - even if for only  five minutes.
   
   
2. Establish clear rules from day one.  Without this your class will quickly disintegrate into a shambles.  They must stop when the music stops.  This encourages listening skills.  Listening is a skill that has to be learnt.  Hearing is a sense we are born with.  There's a huge difference.  If they can listen, they can respond, and they can learn.  Teach them about "space bubbles". Have them stand with arms outstretched and gently swing around.    No-one is allowed to go inside their space bubble.  Anyone who does must sit to the side.  They will not want to miss out on the fun so encourage them to join in for the next track of music or next activity.  Do not allow "time out" to be a preferred option.  Not every child will feel confident enough to participate fully but sitting out is not an option.
   
   
3. Young children learn by doing.  Get them actively involved.  Music at this age is music and movement.  This will incorporate story telling through use of percussion instruments or drama; it will involve dance and action songs and also singing.  It will also involve interpretive movement - play some gentle classical music and use scarves to stimulate the imagination.
   
   
4. Include motor co-ordination activities. This will stimulate and integrate right and left sides of the brain.  Musical instruments are played with both hands.  This subject is the topic of a great body of research.  Children today are generally not physically active enough to get sufficient stimulation to establish neural pathways. If you can do something daily in the way of motor skills, especially cross-patterning activities conducted to music, it will help enormously.  I will keep you posted on the latest research from "Move to Learn" in conjunction with University of Sydney.