under 2s

Teach Nursery 53

interactive music session to show parents how theycan replicate elements of itat home.

Singing to and withbabies is a vital part of thegroundwork process.Reading poems out loudprovides a starting point forrhythmical sound. Someparents/carers are timid

about singing and need reassurance that, atthis stage, no great talent is required! Familiartunes (Frère Jacques or London’s Burning,for example) can be used to improvise literallyanything that mum and baby are doingtogether. Dad doesn’t need to be Pavarotti;gentle, attentive singing is all it takes. Nurseryrhymes are good and folk songs will helpmake up a more interesting repertoire. Thereare plenty of ‘sing-a-long’ books and CDsavailable, but don’t just leave it to therecording; it’s the joining in that counts! Goodrecordings of classical orchestral and vocalworks will train and prepare the ear. But live,shared singing is a bonding, affirmativeexperience that will sow the seed for a love ofmusic, and confirm that music is somethingwe do, as part of our everyday lives.

To find out more about Suzuki musicteaching ideas visit britishsuzuki.org.uk

Sam Dixon is the creative force behindsongchest.com – a website packed with musicresources for the nursery age up. A range ofthemed action songs are available to downloadfor just 99p, or in a traditional songbook format.Why not try the Shape Songs songbook, whichbrings seven shapes to life through acombination of illustrations, music and dance.

Each tune’s time signaturereflects the number ofsides of a particular shape,and the collection has beenselected to support theearly learning goals.

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Music is allaround us: atthe gym, in the

shops, in the car, on theradio, on the television.Sometimes it is easy tosimply stop listening!And yet listening isessential in alleducation, particularly amusical education –even before birth. The Suzuki school of music believes that exposure to music in the womb can play a pivotal role in manyaspects of development. Its philosophy states the following:

■ every child can learn;■ ability develops early;■ environment nurtures growth;■ children learn from one another;■ success breeds success;■ parental involvement is critical;■ encouragement is essential.

A foetus can hear from six months-old,although the quality of the sound is obviouslyaffected by the surrounding amniotic fluid andthe mother’s heartbeat. Therefore, ‘mums tobe’ can be encouraged to choose a beautifulrecording (not a poorly played version) of apiece of music and listen to it once every daywhilst resting. It doesn’t matter how complexthe piece is – Bach, Vivaldi or Mozart areideal. It should be around five minutes inlength, with a speed roughly equivalent to aresting heartbeat (approximately 72 beats perminute). If the same piece is listened to duringlabour this can have a calming influence onboth mum and baby, and post-labour it willserve as a familiar, soothing aid to sleep.

Studies have shown that children whoexperience pre-natal listening can recognise

and remember the tune they heard. Theyoften show an enhanced sense of pitchand rhythm, and are capable of picking upnew tunes quickly. Some researchersbelieve that musical elements are assignificant in the development of languageas phonetics. Reports from the Suzukischool showed the “early development ofhighly organised and remarkably articulatespeech of those children who have beenexposed to prenatal music stimulation”.

Involving parentsBy involving parents and those carers whoare with the children in the earliest stages,the groundwork for future learning anddevelopment is laid. As early yearseducators, we are the first step on theeducational path, so we have a greatopportunity to spread the word aboutideas like those outlined above. Why notconsider handing out an information sheetabout pre-natal listening to pregnantmums who already have a child in thenursery, or displaying it on a notice board?

From birth up until two years of age,babies’ musical exposure and stimulationshould continue in music groups and athome. Interaction between parent andchild is the key to success, so perhapsyou could suggest local baby musicgroups or organise a pre-school

fromtheParents and carers have an instrumental

role to play in babies’ early musical learning,says Sam Dixon...

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