Music and movement are believed to play an integral part in the growth and development of children from birth to advance stages of childhood. Many people believe that young children tend to enjoy music at a very early age, an aspect that helps in guiding them through mastery of concepts and overall growth. Later on in their lives, children’s continued participation in music and movement enables them develop great skills such as small motor skills. Moreover, music and movement ensure faster learning in children. This paper keeps focusing on the suggestions of an expert on music and movement. The look of Harman (2009) on music and movement are key in making certain decisions in planning and helping young children around in growth.
The article, “Music and Movement- Instrumental in Language Development” outlines the positive role of music and movement in language development for children. Specifically, the article outlines research findings on the brain, analyzing how music and movement can help to enhance memory skills. According to Harman (2009), teachers of young children use music to teach various concepts to students, suggesting that different music components impact differently on the brain during learning. The concept of language begins at an early age of child development, even before the child is born ( Chen-Hafteck & Mang, 2018 ). The fetus has the ability to feel sound at 23 days and hearing ability at four months.
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Music helps in inflicting the mind to remember. For example, if one gets to hear a song with emotional memory, they get to remember the emotional feeling because of the fact that they remember the melodies. There is a given window period when children can learn about sounds, words, and language. At a young age, children can easily learn a foreign language because of their sharp memory. Just like everybody gets something that connects them to education, children, get connected to education through music.
While keeping a steady beat is said to be effective in language development, it is higher in adults, yet it is very low among children. Harman (2009) cites a study by Phylis Weikert, who suggested that only 1 percent of all children succeed in keeping a steady beat. Additionally, children struggle with music rhythm and tend to pronounce music terms with wrong pronunciations. Nevertheless, the learning ability of the child is proven when they get to hear a correct pronunciation of the word or rhythm. The article identifies the kazoo as an effective music tool for use among children. The kazoo is credited to be good in children’s language development, specifically helping children in developing self-esteem, and activation of their vestibular system. In addition to that, the article notes a couple of recommended sounds and groups of learning that should be used for children to help develop their language.
Movement in music among children is defined by the non-verbal response to music, typically by children (Harman, 2009). Apparently, the tendency by children to engage in various activities accompanied by music, which includes dancing and having fun, increases their skills in language (Pogue, 2018). Indeed, movement, as cited by Harman in the article, is necessary among young children because it ensures a constant supply of oxygen to the brain. The article also notes the importance of other senses as used by children in promoting their development of language. For example, the sense of seeing and feeling helps in expounding the conceptualization of language as things because children use other senses to identify them. The article also notes the importance of art, including music. Additionally, reference is made to the idea if Mozart. Harman (2009) notes the importance of repetition in learning. Mozart melodies make children become more and more.
How Harman’s article could be used in planning and implementing Music and Movement activities among toddlers
Large Groups
Information from the article is very much resourceful and can be used in planning and implementing music and movement. The kazoo is one instrumental tool for music outlined by Harman, and such which I can use in my plans for music and movement on a large group. Playing kazoo among children is said in the article to help in relieving children of stress. Moreover, children can play the instruments as they learn how to perfect in the art from other students. Therefore, using the kazoo would be helpful among the children, help them have fun, internalize rhythms. Apart from that, going through rhythms as outlined by the article are also important in planning music and movement. With this method, I would let every kid recite the lyrics, while I a sound of straight rhythm. Helping a group of children through the mastery of rhythm is much easier because the children can also learn from one another. Letting children move to the music through dancing and other forms of having fun. With the freedom to play and have fun, something that can help boost their respective energy to help provide the brain with adequate oxygen.
Small groups
For small groups, reciting letters of the alphabet can be effectively useful in planning and implementing music and movement among 3-year toddlers. When teachers engage the young kids in reciting the letters of the alphabet, their brains get energized for learning. This tool is also important in boosting the child’s self-esteem and thus empowering them to learn. Moreover, this tool is good for enabling students to learn various musical sounds.
One-on-one
While working with an individual 3-year old kid on a one-on-one basis, one can be speaking out key song rhythms can be very much helpful to young children. Notably, children at this age master song rhythm, yet they never master the correct wording. Teachers and parents can speak out the correct words of songs to kids to help them grasp the words well.
Conclusion
In summary, music and movement are true, important in the development of language. Just like as assumed by the article, music is the only way that connects young children to education. Different tools can be applicable to large groups, smaller groups, and individual toddlers, especially at 3-year-old.
References
Chen-Hafteck, L., & Mang, E. (2018). Music and language in early childhood development and learning. Music learning and teaching in infancy, childhood, and adolescence: An Oxford handbook of music education , 2 , 40.
Harman, M. (2009). Music and movement-instrumental in language development. Early Childhood News. Retrieved September , 28 , 2009.
Pogue, B. J. (2018). Using Music and Movement to Enhance Cognitive Development.
