Learning & Development: Music - Natural rhythm

The importance of music to young children’s learning, development and well-being has long been recognised, from the pioneering first Froebelian kindergartens with their Mother Songs to the contemporary research of Professor Colwyn Trevarthen, who argues that ‘we are certainly born musical’. Yet many early years practitioners lack confidence in supporting more structured music sessions with young children and, more significantly, often fail to recognise and respond to children’s spontaneous – self-initiated – music-making.

Mary Fawcett, formerly the director of early childhood studies at the University of Bristol, has suggested that music lags behind other early years creative expression. She argues, ‘Many children miss out on creative musical opportunities that have potential for their development and well-being when adults are unaware of children’s spontaneous songs, rhythmic expressions and sound investigations.’

One setting trying to address how practitioners support children’s innate musicality, and their communication and language development in particular, is Dorothy Gardner Nursery School and Children’s Centre in Westminster.

It is currently rolling out a bespoke version of Music for Change, delivered by Creative Futures. Set up in 2011 in the Queen’s Park ward of Westminster, Creative Futures targets children in the early years, children with Special Educational Needs in primary and secondary schools, and looked-after children. Mary Paterson Nursery School, also in Westminster, is likewise delivering a bespoke version of the programme.

Dorothy Gardner is a setting for two- to four-year-olds, with a unit for children on the autistic spectrum. Every Tuesday, Salima Gowani, an accomplished musician specifically trained to work with young children, spends the day at the setting. It is a day that both children and staff are familiar with and look forward to. The main emphasis of the programme is supporting speech and language development through the use of music. The musicians involved with the project engage with speech and language therapists in order to inform continually their work and assess its impact.

The staff decided that the project should be an opportunity open to all children in the nursery, so Ms Gowani works with as many as possible. Those children for whom it may be considered specifically beneficial are included in the programme, but not to the exclusion of others. All children from the nursery floor and the children from Blue room (the designated area for children on the autistic spectrum) participate equally.

IN ACTION

The programme is delivered twice in the day – once in the morning for the younger children, and again in the afternoon for the older ones. I was lucky enough to be present at one of the afternoon sessions.

Free play

At 1pm, Ms Gowani wandered onto the nursery floor and quietly approached children, joining them in what they were doing. This is the free-play part of the programme.

She held an ‘ocean drum’ – a versatile percussion instrument that recreates the sounds of waves by means of small pellets rolling across the drum head.

Charlotte was playing when Ms Gowani arrived, and they began to chat companionably. Ms Gowani, after a couple of spoken interactions, then sang a reply to her. It was done unobtrusively and in a very subtle manner: the transition into song seemed to be received by Charlotte as very natural.

After talking further, Charlotte moved on to being interested in the ocean drum. Ms Gowani and Charlotte played with this together, exploring its different sounds. Ms Gowani’s engagement with Charlotte and the drum was through her harmonious and vocal communications.

Something of a Pied Piper effect then began to happen – another child arrived and paid attention to what was going on. Ms Gowani pursued this with them, starting out with their comments and points of interest, reiterating them by repeating the sounds, exploring the variety of tempos, and so on.

What happened next was particularly interesting. Ms Gowani moved on and joined Hayley, who was busy writing. She explained to Salima what she was doing and invited her to join in. After a minute or so of collaboration in her writing, Hayley started to make a rhythm on the desk using the pencils. Hayley, it seemed, took the initiative to bring music to what she was doing.

Ms Gowani accompanied her in this and their spoken words became complemented by the rhythm of the pencils. Hayley had been writing her name, Ms Gowani wrote hers and this was tapped out on the table and sang along with. It was so fluid.

What was striking about this free-play element of the day was that it all happened very comfortably and in the most unimposing way: there wasn’t, as perhaps I had imagined, a sudden outburst of music and song throughout the nursery, but rather a gradual and gentle transition to musicality that started very much with the children’s interest, working at their pace.

Structured session

At 1.30pm, Angela Springer, the member of staff participating in the project, got together a group of ten children to go off to the library area for the more structured element of the music session. As soon as the children, accompanied by Ms Springer, encountered Ms Gowani in the new space, all vocal communication was through song – instructions, expectations, limits and conversations.

All children chose an instrument from a large range – claves, scrapers, a rainstick, an ocean drum, a lollipop drum, shakers, chime bars, cabasas, maracas, bells, tambourine, octachimes, mini cymbals, triangles – and the room became filled with a range of sounds and rhythms.

Initially, Ms Gowani let the children play freely with their instruments. She then slowly intervened and led a particular rhythm that the children then joined in with – they weren’t asked to do this, but just did. A cacophony was transformed into an orchestra. The children were quite suddenly playing their instruments as a team.

Following this was a selection of song- and story-based activities that the children had clearly become familiar with. These involved the children both singing together and making their unique contributions.

Ms Springer noticed a little boy’s contribution: ‘He is so quiet and inhibited on the nursery floor – here he takes his time but joins in as much as any of them now. He really enjoys it, and it seems to be doing his self-esteem the world of good.’

As well as the focus of speech and language through song and melodiousness throughout the afternoon, there was a strong emphasis on social development. All aspects of the session involve collaboration, team work, turn-taking, following each other’s lead and listening to each other’s contributions – invaluable experiences for young children.

This collaboration is through the group songs using words and actions, the sharing of instruments, the playing of games requiring attentiveness to each other’s vocal and musical contributions and the transitions between activities which require the children to respond to Ms Gowani’s lead.

‘The less extroverted children seem to really gain in confidence. During the structured session in the enclosed space separate to the rest of the nursery, the children seem to feel safe to contribute. The emphasis on each child being given an equal opportunity to be vocal and be listened to seems to help them to come out of themselves,’ says Ms Springer.

The final activity is storytime. Each week Ms Gowani takes different children, accompanied by their key person. This allows her expertise to be disseminated among the staff. The story is brought alive through song, movement, props and interaction. It is a simple and relatively quiet time to end the day, but not without creativity, verve and engagement.

UP TO THE CHALLENGE

With the current pressure on funding, cover can be an issue at Dorothy Gardner – freeing up Ms Springer to be in the group and attend workshops can be a struggle. The workshops are, however, highly beneficial, offering ideas of how to be musical with little expense – the last one included learning many ways of using a paper bag!

Having the time and opportunity to disseminate the work to staff can be a challenge, but one Dorothy Gardner is trying to take on. Ms Springer feeds back ideas from the sessions to the rest of the staff. Once Music for Change has ended, she hopes to run a group based on all that has been learnt.

Children’s names have been changed.

MORE INFORMATION

‘Music matters in early years settings’ by Mary Fawcett is available online from the Association for Professional Development in Early Years (TACTYC) at: www.tactyc.org.uk/pdfs/Reflection-Fawcett.pdf

Creative Futures and Music for Change, www.creativefuturesuk.com/early-years

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