DEVELOPING CREATIVITY

THROUGH MUSIC &

MOVEMENT
LEARNING TARGETS:
• Reason out why elementary teachers need to teach music and
movement to young children;
• Identify how to select and organize music and movement activities for
young children.
THE NEED TO TEACH MUSIC AND
MOVEMENT
“I always start a day with an action song,” says Irene , a teacher to
twelve active and energetic four-year-olds. “Even if the children are
busy doing something or are scattered around the room, when they
hear the music, they are drawn to it. Often times, they ask for more”
REASONS WHY MUSIC AND MOVEMENT
SHOULD BE TAUGHT:
• Music and movement are integral parts of our lives.
• Music and movement are means of communication.
• Music and movement help children grow.
• Music and movement lay the foundations for lifelong learning.
MUSIC & MOVEMENT AS INTEGRAL PART OF
OUR LIVES:
• Music is inside each of us. Where there is music, there is movement
too. Movement accompanies music.
• Music and movement are very much a part of our lives. Important
events and milestones in our lives will be incomplete without music.
• Ethnic beliefs and values often are passed on to new generations
during celebrations that are filled with songs, dances, and sounds of
musical instruments.
MUSIC & MOVEMENT AS MEANS OF
COMMUNICATION:
• Music is called the universal language because – even without words
– all types of music touch children’s ears, head, heart, and body, and
leaves them more alert for having responded.
• Movement is a natural partner for music. Movement is a nonverbal
response for children who do not yet have language ability.
MUSIC & MOVEMENT HELP CHILDREN
GROW:
• PHYSICALLY. As children listen and move to music they develop gross
and fine motor skills.
• SOCIALLY. As children participate in music and movement activities
they learn social skills like cooperation, teamwork, tolerance, and
respect for others.
• EMOTIONALLY. As children listen to different kinds of music, they use
their bodies to express different kinds of emotions.
• CREATIVELY. As children listen to music, they form images in their
minds. They use bodies to express or visualize these images.
• COGNITIVELY. As children are engaged in music and movement
activities, they learn how to solve problems, improve their reasoning
skills, and hone their communication skills.
MUSIC & MOVEMENT LAY THE FOUNDATION
OF LIFELONG LEARNING:
• Howard Gardner cites music as the first of the multiple intelligences
to become functional in a person.
• “The single most important thing in education is for each person to
find at least one thing that s/he connects to, gets excited by, and feels
motivated to spend more time with” (Gardner, 1992)
• When children sing or play music they become better readers,
thinkers, and learners.
• The more we discover about how the brain works, the more we
recognize how crucial music is to children’s learning. (Meyer, 1996)
• Various research show that the part of the ear related to balance and
movement must be activated for learning to take place. (Hannaford,
1995). Disturbance in the system may cause learning difficultiues.
• DEVELOPING SENSORY AWARENESS. Music and movement facilitate
learning especially when the activity involves the whole body
• MUSIC, MOVEMENT, & FITNESS. Music and movement activities
contribute to children’s fitness level. Research has shown that there is
dramatic increase in the number of children who are overweight and
a significant decline in children’s overall physical activity (Goran,
2001)
SELECTING & ORGANIZING
ACTIVITIES FOR MUSIC &
MOVEMENT
• Different children respond to music and movement activities in many
different ways. Their style depends, in large part on their interests,
temperament, and experiences. Teachers should provide variety of
activities to address the differing needs and abilities
1. LISTENING
• Provide children with various listening activities
• Expose them to different kinds of music
• With time, children get better at noticing variations in musical
selections, such as changes in tempo (fast-slow), pitch (high-low), and
volume (loud-soft)
2. SINGING
• Children love to sing.
• Although young children are able to sing with others, they are not
always in time or in tune.
• Eventually, they will learn to sing alone and in tune
3. MOVING TO MUSIC
• When children hear some music, they respond by moving.
5. PLAYING INSTRUMENTS
• Children learn to play instruments in stages.
• First, they manipulate and experiment with instruments. They
become aware of differences related to instrument families and learn
to recognize the sounds of each type.
• Second, children use instruments to accompany their movements
although they may not match the rhythm to their steps.
• At the end, children can play simple percussion or rhythm
instruments.
5. IMITATING/REPRESENTING MOVEMENT
• As children grow older, they become more aware of the things around
them.
• Gradually they develop the ability to imitate or represent the
movement of things, people, animals, and other objects in their
environment.
• That ability develops gradually, along with the ability to communicate
words or concepts through movement.
GROUP SINGING & MOVEMENT
ACTIVITIES
1. Simple songs with lots of repetition
2. Finger plays
3. Singing games and action songs
4. Song with funny sounds or silly lyrics
5. Songs and dances of different cultures
6. Movement games without music