Curriculum and

Program Planning

IV: Music

Session 3

Cindy Kwan

Mothercraft College

AGENDA

Why Music?

• Setting the Foundation: 0 – 6 years

• Importance of Child Development and objective observations to form music LOs

• Key components of a meaningful musical experience

• When can music be used?

• Review: Music LO Resource File assignment

• Assign: Small Group Presentation assignment

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Before leaving today,

please make sure to

clean up!

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Why Music? Why

Music?

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Recap:

PT: Music is SO MUCH MORE

• Each learning opportunity can support skills in different areas of development

• Knowledge of child development allows you to plan appropriately for children. Consider:

– pace of your songs

– length of books

– images (books, props): realistic vs. abstract

– number of props

– size of props

– questions vs. statements

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Setting the foundation: 0 – 6 years

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Consider…

• Early Learning and Care Assessment

for Quality Improvement

• http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contento

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Q: Why is knowledge of Child

Development important in creating

music LOs?

Q: Why are objective observations

needed to form music LOs?

• Strength based approach to learning

Image from: www.nuage-software.com

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Making Observations

Q: How?

• Look at what the children are doing: focus on

what you see, hear, smell, touch, taste; NOT

what you ‘think’ you see them doing

• Look: what skills do you see? Are they

emerging? Are they being practiced? Are

they mastered?

Image from: megalytic.com

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Would you rather…

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Would you rather…

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The to Objective Observations

AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID: • Commenting on how you think children feel

E.g. “Oliver hates books.” “Damon loves cars.”

• Commenting on how good/bad a child is (e.g “Jane has difficulty putting on her shoes.”) – as a student, you don’t yet know the children well enough to comment on the child’s strengths, etc.

• What you actually see children doing (5 senses)

• Child Development Image from: commons.wikimedia.org

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• Be concrete: focus on what you see child ‘doing’, what toys/materials are they ‘using’

• Answer: who/what/when/where/why when you’re communicating with children

• Developmentally appropriate: how old is the child you are talking to?

ECEs ‘speak’ with intent

• Avoid subjective words: words that imply an opinion about the child or on behalf of the child

• Allow span and time for children to respond

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A video

• Watch the following video, take

‘objective’ notes

• Q: what music learning opportunity

would you plan? What 6 ‘songs’

would you choose?

Making Objective Observations

Image from: megalytic.com

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Q: What makes a meaningful musical experience?

• ≠ music “circle”

• ≠ identical every day

• ≠ highlight of the day

• based on your observations

• utilizes knowledge of child development (infants vs. preschoolers)

• 50% familiar, 50% new

• is at children’s level and pace – eye contact, matching facial expressions and body language

• focus on the children and the feedback they give you (e.g. be flexible to change what you are singing)

• meaningful variety: songs,fingerplays,active/slow,props

Image from: everystepmatters.blogspot.com

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Planning a Meaningful Musical Experience

• Have opening song (same each time)

• Have middle (combination of familiar and new songs – ie. scaffolding)

• Have closing song (same each time)

• Choose props wisely: story (verbal or book), puppets, finger puppets, representations of song

• Have variety of pace and repetition (fast, slow, action)

• Include finger plays, oral stories, actions

• Have a transition/flow in between each song/circle item – e.g. brief conversation/sentence, a pause, an ‘oh oh!’ moment to allow children to catch up

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When Can Music Be Used?

• Designated times (e.g. ‘circle’ time)

• During transitions (e.g. bathroom, time to

eat, get dressed to go outside)

• Tough situations – drop off time, getting to

know a new child, when child has an ‘off’

day

• Indoors and outdoors

• Any time during the day (bonding through

music – attachment)

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How will you

READ the book?

• Never just read the text

• Add life to the text with your voice, body language, and facial expressions

• Add suspense by changing the pace of your voice

• Change your tone of voice for different characters

• Add pauses while you read ‘important’ moment in the story

• Add props

• Do the story verbally with large actions (e.g. outdoors)

• Include the children, “What do you think will happen next?” (add answer for infants/toddlers or ‘Let’s see what happens next!”)

Image from: www.booktrust.org.uk

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Assign: Small Group Music Presentation

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Expectations for Group work Goals:

• To strengthen student’s ability to work with others/to

collaborate and strive toward a common goal

• To enhance negotiation skills

• To hone problem solving skills

• To master time management skills

Expectations:

• Collaborate respectfully, positively despite professional

differences that may occur

• Problem solve as a group, seek Course Instructor’s

support as needed image from; www.uclan.ac.uk

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Assign: Small Group Music

Presentation • Due: October 5, 1pm

• Worth: 25%

• Small group: maximum 5 (can be same group as popcorn music assignment and/or Group Art presentation).

• To do: complete a music LO sheet. Then, demonstrate all 6 ‘songs’ to the class. Class will actively participate.

• The group decides: how to divide the songs (some can be done in group, some can have 1 person lead) but tasks should be divided evenly.

• Demonstrate a seamless flow between songs with transitions so class can follow along.

• Complete group contract, submit Session 4

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Small Group Presentation: cont’d

Each group will:

• Include 6 “songs”: songs/rhymes/finger plays:

– include the use of at least 1 of the following

– Remember: involve the class in your music LO

– Time: 10 minutes approx. per group

Musical instruments Felt board

Puppets Finger puppets

Visual props Book

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NOTE: This is a group assignment and a group mark will be assigned. However, if group participation is NOT demonstrated, the Course Instructor will assign individual grades accordingly.

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Group Music

Presentation

written

component:

format is

similar to

earlier

assignment

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Note: 4 new questions for this assignment

• Reflection: briefly explain how all group members participated in this group assignment.

• Reflection: briefly explain how your group provided a seamless flow between songs with transitions so your peers could follow along.

• Reflection: briefly explain the areas of bias demonstrated and the methods used. Provide concrete details.

• Reflection: Today’s presentation took place within a large group setting amongst your peers. How would you modify your presentation for use with the age group you’ve specified in your LO? How would you change it to make it suitable for other age groups? Provide concrete details.

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Assign: Small Group Music

Presentation

REMEMBER:

Complete group contract,

submit Session 4