Over my 20 years of teaching preschool children I have only come across a few kids who are curious about my blindness, probably because it is not something we talk about on a regular basis due to the fact that there is so much music to be learned.
On the few occasions that it was brought up though, their responses are very cute. One child thought that if I opened my eyes really really wide, I should be able to see things better. Another recommended I get glasses. Still others hold something they want you to look at about one centimeter from your face saying “Can you see it now?”
Some of my classes know I have a friend who drives me to and from the preschools. This fact sparked one of them to say, “Why do you have a driver? I replied that I don’t have a car, to which he responded, “Why not?” I told him that I could not drive, to which he stated with incredulity,
Well, we’re back into the autumn with all of its crispness and colour! I was teaching at Armbrae Academy this morning and, of course, the kids are well into the fall theme.
I wanted to share a song from my Musical Harvest CD, “Frappe des mains.” The object of the song/game is to learn 4 key French phrases – Frappe des mains, Tap des pieds, Claque la langue and Dis bonjour.
After they learn to recognize these phrases you could ask them to come to the head of the class, one by one, to say one of these phrases. Then the class must do the appropriate action – Frappe des mains, (clap your hands), tap des pieds (stomp your feet), and so on. They love doing this and learn oh so quickly!
Well, I dragged out all of the popsicle sticks I had for the kids the other day and they had fun learning the
Ta, Ta, Ti-ti Ta
rhythms. I find that is a great way to teach them the beginnings of notation. They each get about 10 to 15 sticks and start building combinations of the Ta’s and Ti-ti’s. Ta is one popsicle stick set vertically and the Ti-ti is made with two popsicle sticks set vertically with one across the top. You may ask each child to point and say their rhythm.
From time to time I am asked by parents and teachers to what degree music is important in the early years of a child’s life, at what age they should enroll their children in formal music classes, what instrument they should begin with, and how music can positively affect the development of their child’s brain.
At what age should I enroll my child in music classes?
This seems to be a question many parents are asking these days due to all of the options out there for enrolling children in instructional classes. There are a couple of ways to approach this matter.
1. If you wish to place your child in a class where they will learn one instrument such as the piano, the violin, the ukulele or the recorder, they will no doubt need to be able to sit and concentrate for a period of 15 to 20 minutes at least in order to learn the basics and technique for that instrument. This can often happen at the age of 4 or 5 years depending on the child’s interest in the instrument along with the teachers’ ability to make classes fun for the kids.
2. If you have the option in your area to enroll your child in a music and movement class where they are learning basic musical concepts such as keeping the beat, tempo, dynamics and pitch recognition, they may begin much earlier, as young as 18 months as the songs and games are simple and relatively short. Even babies from birth to 18 months are welcome in the class if they have an older sibling participating. The idea in these classes is to include everyone, even the youngest who, if they are too young to hold an instrument or play the games, may simply enjoy the music for its own sake, feeling its pulse, experiencing the music’s timbre, dynamics and so on.
Music is a language like any other and if children are exposed to it from birth they will learn it the same way they learn their native tongue. They will soak it up like the little sponges they are, and it will become a great creative outlet during their adolescent and adult lives.
