How Music Can Benefit your Pre School Setting
Boogie Mites use original songs and creative workshops to offer a participative style of music making to parents, carers and practitioners supporting the development of young children. The quality of our resources for pre-school settings is reflected in the fact that we have partnered with prestigious national charities and organisations such as I Can, the National Literacy Trust, Education City and the British Council.
In this article we discuss the importance of music and give ideas, including links to free resources, for you to use in your pre-school setting or at home.
Why Music is Important
It is in the act of hands-on music making, especially with others, that we see the hot-wiring of children’s natural creative spirit with wider creative capacities and competencies. (DfES Music Manifesto)
Musical activities provide an inclusive environment in which children can express themselves whilst having fun and learning across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Well planned musical activities that require children to be active and involved help to promote confidence and enjoyment, extend language development, consolidate existing learning and most importantly, take into account the diverse needs of children, both developmentally and culturally.
Following EYFS guidelines, a musical activity also has the potential to create opportunities for unplanned learning, particularly when instruments and props are involved: children can develop their own ideas and make their own suggestions, thus taking responsibility for their own learning. Social skills, such as turn taking and teamwork can also be fostered through the use of musical activities.
How you Can Introduce Creative Music making into your Early Years Setting
With so many benefits to be gained from a comprehensive music provision in Early years settings, it is important for practitioners to take the time to review their music practices and to seek out innovative new resources. Most settings will include some singing into their daily routine and this provides a valuable opportunity for group bonding and self expression. But how else can you incorporate musical activities into your schedule? Here are some fun, low cost activities for you to try out.
- Shaker Fun
Ø Kids love making shakers out of old bottles or plastic containers and you can link this with a discussion about recycling. If you have clear containers collect a variety of shaker fillings that will provide visual as well as aural interest, for example coloured tissue paper, autumn leaves, differently shaped pasta. You could also try popcorn (the popped variety!) and lentils.Making shakers supports Knowledge and Understanding of the World Around Us.
For inspiration watch the Boogie Mites video about making shakers.
Ø Use your shakers to develop listening skills. Make sure everyone child has a shaker. Talk about what the shakers sound like: a stormy sea (shake loudly) a calm sea (shake quietly), the rustling of the leaves, the rain falling down etc. Really encourage the children to talk about the sounds they are making. For instance, is it a loud or quiet sound? What animals or minibeasts does your shaker sound like? How about a snake or a grasshopper. This exercise supports Communication, Language and Literacy , by encouraging listening and description.
View the a video of the Boogie Mites song Shakey Shakey and dance along at your nursery.
- Jungle Adventure
Ø Use a story book set in the jungle to encourage vocalization. Every time a jungle animal comes into the story, encourage the children to make the right animal sound.
Ø Use your shakers creatively to mimic the jungle animals: shake quietly for the snake and loudly for the lion.
Ø After the story has been told, finish off with a song about jungle animals and use your shakers to keep the beat. A well known song you could try is Down in the Jungle.
These activities supports Communication, Language and Literacy , by encouraging listening, using instruments to mimic sounds and encouraging vocalization.
Learn a new Jungle song by watching the animated video for the Boogie Mites song In the Jungles of Brazil.
- Tidy Up Tango
Children’s love of music can be used to make chores fun. This is what one practitioner said about the Boogie Mites song Tidy Up Tango:
"I use this in my nursery setting day in day out and now my 56 3 to 4 year olds know all the words to it! I no longer have to ask the children to tidy up, they just go ahead and do it as soon as the song is on! Very catchy"
Sign up to our newsletter and receive YOUR FREE CD of Tidy Up Tango and make tidying up fun!
Personal Social and Emotional Development. Music encourages social interaction, connects children to emotions and provides a means of expression. Music can alter mood and aid confidence and self-expression. Shared music sessions encourage taking turns, helping to distribute and pack away. Working as a group to produce a good sound and follow a conductor can be a very bonding and inclusive experience.
Communication, Language and Literacy. Music aids communication skills by encouraging confidence and self-expression, breaking down barriers of language. Music can aid speech and language skills and sound recognition. Music can extend vocabulary and support literacy skills through rhythm and rhyme and playing with words. Music can encourage use of expression in story telling through tempo, loud, soft, actions and mood influencing voice and expression.
Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy. Music is built from recurring mathematical patterns and sequences such as beat, tempo and rhythm. Children can develop mathematical thinking as they respond to this. Songs can cover counting, positional language, sequencing. Talking about size, shapes, positions and problems underpins oral development of mathematics and provides them with the language to think in.
Knowledge and understanding of the world. Through the use of sound, children can learn to interact with their environment. Music provides a learning style that may inspire children to learn about the themes covered in the songs.
Physical development. Music strengthens co-ordination by requiring children to use their minds, bodies and voices together. Music and movement encourages children to develop an awareness of space and positioning of themselves and others. Handling and playing instruments encourages fine motor control and co-ordination.
Creative development. Music offers the opportunity for children to express and communicate ideas. Music allows children to explore sound
(DfES 2008).
How Boogie Mites sessions link to EYFS
Boogie Mites Music songs have been written specifically to support early years development and our workshops have been compiled from experience working with children and parents to maximise these learning goals while having fun at the same time.
Each song has clear links to the six areas of learning. The EYFS (DfES 2008) believes the child to be an active learner and Boogie Mites music sessions are planned to encourage children to actively take part with instructions, actions and words to follow . The activities use many different resources (DfES 2008) from scarves, shakers, rhythm sticks and drums – all designed to keep the children involved in the learning process. The props and resources are included in the planning process, to enable the practitioner to prepare for the activity.
An example of Lesson Plan Links to The Six Areas of Learning
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Learn that they have similarities and differences that connect them to and distinguish them from others
- Have a sense of personal identity
Communication, Language and Literacy
- Listen to and enjoy rhymes and songs
- Can clap the rhythm of their name
- Recognise rhythm in spoken words
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
- Familiar with the regular routine
- Show an interest in the social life around them
Here is Me : listen to this song
Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
§ Have some understanding of 1 and 2, especially when the number is important
§ Are beginning to understand variations in size
§ Observe and use positional language
§ Use everyday language to describe position
Physical Development
- Move spontaneously within available space
- Respond to rhythm, music and story by means of gesture and movement
- Are able to stop
- Move with control and co-ordination
Clap, Clap, Clap: Watch a video of this song here
Creative Development
- Enjoy joining in and dancing and circle games
- Imitate and create movement in response to music
- Begin to move rhythmically
What Boogie Mites can offer You
- regular music sessions at your pre-school setting
- practitioner training in our programmes supporting Letters and Sounds Phase One, Healthy Living, Numeracy, Boogie Baby
- CDs for use in your setting or at home
- single song downloads
If you have any questions please contact us
