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The Music, Movement and Learning ConnectionBy Hap Palmer "Ricky stay in your seat." "Stop wiggling and pay attention Betty." "You can't run out the door, Howard. Get back in the room and sit down!" This was me thirty years ago in my first teaching job. I'm sitting there, strumming a guitar wondering why "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" is not engaging the children's interest. I'm about ready to write a song called "Where is all this squirming energy coming from?" In the midst of total frustration, a sudden insight -- Is this battle really necessary? Why not work with children's natural desire to move and be actively involved? This is when I started combining music and movement and writing songs that invite children to get out of their seats and experience the world through active engagement. Parents as well as teachers can use many of the following ideas. Choose songs which encourage active involvement A subsequent encounter adds another ingredient to the equation. Music plus movement equals learning. I was teaching at a school for what was then called "the trainable mentally retarded," which was also a place of last resort for children with emotional, social, and language problems. One day, Charles walked up to me on the playground. He stood quietly by my side and I hardly noticed him until he suddenly turned and said, "This is a school for dumb children." Momentarily paralyzed in alert attention, I listened as he asked, "Why do you like to work at a place for dumb children?" Later, in the classroom, he pointed to a dusty globe on top of the shelves. "I want to learn about that." Although we were told to teach only "self-help skills," many of the other children also wanted to learn about numbers and letters and do school work like their brothers and sisters. Responding to the needs and interests of these special children, I started writing songs that use music and movement to expand vocabulary and teach basic skills such as recognition of numbers, letters, and colors. Listen to children and include their ideas and interests Here's another situation in which music and movement play big roles. Picture a class of active 4- and 5-year-old children solving problems and creating movement as they dance and find ways to form their bodies into different letter shapes. Learn the ABC's with ease While getting fit and having fun. Alphabetize your exercise And do your moves one by one. A, arch B, bend C, clap D, droop... As the children move from shape to shape they develop balance, co-ordination, strength and endurance. They gain a sense of mastery of their bodies and of spatial relationships. At the same time, they connect letter symbols and sounds. They are also learning the elements of movement and increasing vocabulary. They learn to work cooperatively in a group, and to share space without interfering with the movement of others. They develop confidence and self-esteem because their ideas and creative expressions are valued. Many dimensions of each child's development are touched: physical, intellectual, social, and emotional -- in other words, the whole child. Music and movement is a way to recognize the whole child Children love music and movement for its own sake, and activities need not be centered around a specific concept or skill. Parents, however, may wonder what is the value of singing nonsense songs and just plain acting silly? This is the first verse of the children's favorite song at my 4-year-old daughter's day care center: What shall we do with a broken clock? Stuff it in the closet! What shall we do with a rusty lock? Stuff it in the closet! What shall we do with a leaky pail? Stuff it in the closet! What shall we do with a bent up nail? Stuff it in the closet! Now open the door just once more ... (CRASH) Oh no, everything fell on the floor! The children sing the "instant sing line," Stuff it in the closet! after each question. At the end of each verse, they clap their hands quickly and loudly or play rhythm instruments to make the sound of things falling on the floor. One day as they were singing the repeated phrase Stuff it in the closet! they started doing pushing gestures as they sang and this has become a part of the activity. While having fun, important learning is taking place. Musical elements are introduced, and the rhymes, rhythms and repetition sensitize children to the sounds of language (phonemes) which has been shown to be an important predictor of later success in phonics recognition and reading. After introducing the song, caregivers can encourage verbalization, creativity and self-expression by asking the child questions such as: Can you think of other things people might stuff in a closet? Can you think of better ways to get rid of these things? Which things could you recycle? Have children make their own list of things people might stuff in a closet, and sing the song again using the children's ideas. Music and movement sessions are a collaboration with the children. A vital part of the music, movement, and learning connection is the realization that we are all songwriters. Young children begin by chanting syllables, words, and then narratives and imaginative stories. They enjoy substituting new words in familiar songs. Start with a favorite such as "Old MacDonald's Farm." Stimulate creativity with follow up questions such as: What other animals might live on a farm? Can you name other places where animals might be found? Do you have a pet? Where does it stay? What kind of sound does it make? Have children create their own verses using their names and the animals they have at home. The recorded version of a song is just the beginning After raising three children to adulthood, today, I find myself in the unusual situation of having a five-year-old daughter and two granddaughters ages three and one. So, after years of working with school-age children, I find myself back in the world of infants and toddlers. Revisiting this age is even more fascinating in the light of current brain research. I return to a wealth of classic songs, such as "Isty Bitsy Spider" and "Wheels on the Bus," and am reminded of their timeless value in connecting music, movement and learning. Using the traditional songs as a starting point, care givers and children can create additional verses. For example, after singing the traditional song "Ring Around the Rosy," we also jump, run, and tiptoe around the rosy. This is a verse we add to the traditional favorite "I'm A Little Teapot:" I'm a little teapot dancing at the party See my handle rock up and down. My lid is slippy swirlin' spout is tippy twirlin' See my bottom swivel around All the little teacups love to see me wiggle They giggle in their saucers with glee I'm a rock and rollin' rolly polly soul now Won't you come and dance with me? A vital part of the music and movement experience is an exploration of the elements of movement. With young children, identifying body parts is a good place to begin. For example: I have hands watch me clap I have feet watch me stamp Oh what a miracle am I Music and movement activities can evolve with the developmental level and interests of the children. My older daughter teaches second grade, and we introduced a call and response song to her class about ways to say hello in fifteen different languages. Hola, hola, says hello in Spanish Hejsan, hejsan, that's the word in Swedish Jambo, jambo, says it in Swahili 'Round and 'round the world we go with ways to say hello As a parent volunteer at my younger daughter's preschool, I am struck by the variety of responses from the children each time I sing. Paolo listens in stillness with a seemingly blank response. (Later, his mother tells me how excitedly he talks about "the man with the guitar" when he gets home.) Megan listens with fascination then spontaneously stands and claps her hands. Nina and William jump up and bounce and wiggle in an expression of uncontainable energy. Although the responses vary, it's obvious that valuable neural connections are being reinforced, enhancing the development of language, music and movement skills. I now know the answer to the question that bewildered me during my early years as a music teacher. Where does all this squirming energy come from? From billions of active neurons hungry for stimulation and experience. I have come to appreciate the marvelous opportunities music and movement offer children in their rich and varied learning experiences. Examples of Songs Which Introduce the Elements of Movement and Music "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" "If You're Happy and You Know It" "I'm A Little Teapot" "Itsy Bitsy Spider" "Looby Lou" "Open Shut Them" "Pat-A-Cake" "Ring Around the Rosy" "The Bean Bag" "Wheels on The Bus" Hap Palmer pioneered the integration of music and movement in the area of early childhood education. He has made more than 30 recordings and videos for children, including "Baby Songs," a live-action music video series for young children, which has sold over 2 million units. Palmer's latest collection is "Two Little Sounds" (Hap-Pal Music, www.happalmer.com). He is the father of four and a grandfather of two. |
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