Music In Early Childhood Education

According to experts kids who grow listening to music in their young lives experience what they refer to as a rich sensory atmosphere. This meaning that these kids are exposed to a wide variety of colors, textures, smells, tastes, and sounds. Researchers maintain that this in turn creates more paths between cells and the kid’s brain. They have identified that music experience is a perfect way of increasing these pathways that they refer to as neural connections (Greata, 78). Studies conducted show that kids who are actively involved in music are usually better in mathematics and reading. The study further indicates that these kids are also in a better position to control their bodies and also focus. It’s clear that music in early childhood education is very important the following paper tries to emphasize on the same.

Researchers have insisted on music on early childhood education. They have based their arguments on very sound studies that have been conducted over the years. Research indicates that the kids who engage in music, it may be just dancing around or singing to the radio, reaps advantages thereafter. This is because these kids clearly indicate better reading capabilities in comparison to their peers not engaged on the same. This meaning that for these benefits to be realized across the divide music should be supported in early childhood education. Another advantage indicated in the research is that music increases the learning coordination, cooperation, goal setting and their concentration. Furthermore, the kids acquire higher self esteem and are able to get along with their peers this in comparison to the children who do not actively engage in music. The studies also indicate that these kids have a higher probability of going to college. One such study showed that when second grade kids are given training on keyboard while they were using mathematics software they score better in comparison to those who use this software only. Additionally, the students engaged in music programs score better grades in SATs as opposed to those who are not. This is a clear indication that music in childhood education may affect children lives positively hence should be encouraged.

Given the fact that music forms general communication of the emotion and senses which are very vital to the human experience music is very important part of every child’s education. Music has been identified as enabling the youngsters to foster understanding, awareness, and to value the ethic and cultural diversity (Gullo, 73). Furthermore, it enables them to record and reflect while it continues to issue understanding of their communities and the world at large. Music in early childhood education has also proved to develop the kids wholly. This is because music nurtures self awareness, problem solving, thinking creatively, thinking critically, and language. Through music kids are able to attain skills, knowledge, and also understanding what will assist them to get involved actively as members of societies, as individuals and at their place of work in the future. Music seems to start at very tender ages for this youngsters and all that is needed is just encouragement from the parents, teachers and the community at large. The kids start music from happy birthday songs to MacDonald. They will initially start with singing only small portions of their favorite songs but eventually will sing the entire song. Hence, the kids are able to appreciate the music at early age and the education could only be continuation of the music they already love.

There are various ways in which parents can improve their child’s musical ability and comprehension. This will go a long way in improving music in early childhood education. The most appropriate time to expose kids to all genres of music is in their early years of elementary. Most of these kids are at age of experiencing all the genres a condition that is most likely to end once they enter third grade (Walker et al, 19). At the time they are at third grade kids will most likely like the most popular music. Research has shown that kids tend to like music of higher tempo once they are in the fourth grade hence parents should ensure they have rock and roll music once the kids are in middle school. Various ways of assisting kids have been proposed by experts among them is that parents should place stereo that is small in size and also collections of CDs in their children’s room. Another way proven to be effective is placing a musical alarm to wake up the kid in the morning (Olson, 44). Certain songs could be sung by the parents as cues to the kids that it’s time to get ready for school. Encouragement from parents has been identified as a very effective way for kids to get interested in music. Lastly, it’s advised that parents should encourage their kids in order for music education to be more effective.

A research conducted indicated that kids who listened to Mozart did perform better in their exams. According to this study named ‘the Mozart effect’ the kids who listened to Mozart just before their exams performed better in the tests (Walker et al, 24). The secret to this was that this effect only lasted for around 20 minutes. The other researches carried out were twisted by economic differences between the kids who attend schools that have music programs as opposed to those who cannot have them. Robert Capanna insists that if the benefits of music are to be realized it should be learned and new skills acquired. In his statement, he maintains that those who play instruments and listen to music are better placed than those who just listen to it (Gullo, 88). In his arguments he compares the situation of a baseball player and the person who watches baseball. Also the kids who graduate from music schools will have far much lesser disciplinary cases and absenteeism in their later years, even after they stop their musical training. As a matter of fact a survey conducted by the University of Munster in Germany indicated that the brain is enlarged when children are actively involved in musical trainings. Lastly, early childhood education is closely related to the performance of the kids in the future.

The most exciting way of appreciating music is by the making of music using the musical instruments. In has been proven that children seem to be responsive to music when they use musical instruments (Harris, 78).Children love the experience of listening to different tones and sound qualities they can be from bells, drums or sticks. However, for youngsters to focus more on creative explorations more real musical instruments are proposed due to their provision of varied opportunities to the kids. There are very many instruments that they can play each one of them being different, easier to use and played in varying interesting ways. Though it’s important for the children to be allowed freedom in the usage of these instruments it’s also important that their teachers offer guidance on the same (Olson, 39). One of the things that the teachers must do is adoption of the notion or attitude that tuned and percussion instruments are real. Instruments such as the resonator bells that are tuned possess rich resonating tone qualities. Small children are more likely to model the behavior of their parents or teachers hence the way their teachers handle the instruments is very important to them. Consequently, teachers should develop a positive attitude towards the instruments for the benefit of the kids.

Teachers should introduce the instruments one at a time. By doing this teachers will have allowed the child to sensitivity to each and every musical in a gradual process. One the kids have experienced all the musical instruments they should be influenced to make rhythmic melodies. This respectful introduction of all musical instruments should be given to each and every youngster interested in the instruments (Greata, 89). This in turn will have opened a venue for their responding to melodies, rhythms, tones and harmonies. Even though the above presented ideas are good for the usage in a childhood class, teachers should also consider the usage of cassettes and compact disks for the same purposes. The most evident advantage of using cassettes and compact disks is that the music contained therein is grouped according to specified purposes. However, it’s good for the teachers to realize that it would be very difficult to provide them with a complete list of how to handle the early childhood education. It’s for this reason that teachers should identify useful ways to handle individual kids as different kids will definitely have different interests. They should also realize that early childhood education in music is a very vital part of the child’s education and that it should be nurtured right from a very tender age (Harris, 89).

Lastly, in the above paper it has been realized that music in early childhood education is very important. It has been positively identified as key to improve the performance of a kid at school and the kids’ relationship with the peers. Hence music in early childhood education should be encouraged and upheld. Parents have also been identified as playing a major role to improve music in their children. To this effect various ways in which parents can motivate their kids have been outlined. Also in this paper is how teachers can take part on this same endeavor and how they can improve their teaching of the subject. Hence this paper meets its objectives of outlining support for music education to children and ways to improve it.

Work cited

Greata, Joanne. .An introduction to music in early childhood education. Michigan: University of Michigan Publishers, 2010. Print.

Olson, Traci. Music and learning with students in early childhood special education in the kindergarten classroom. Minnesota: ProQuest Publishers, 2009.Print.

Walker and Andress, Barbara. Readings in early childhood music education. Michigan: University of Michigan, 2010. Print.

Harris, Maureen .Music and the young mind: enhancing brain development and engaging learning. San Francisco: R&L publishers, 2009. Print. Gullo, Dominic. Understanding assessment and evaluation in early childhood education. New York: Teachers College Publishers, 2005.Print.