One of the most exciting developments of recent years has been the rapid increase in our understanding of just how capable very young babies are.
With that has come a greater understanding of how to 'read' what babies are showing us they can do and a greater awareness of their capabilities. So, how does this deeper understanding affect the way we use music with young children?
Research
First, it is important to distinguish between the hype about how music can benefit a child's development and the research evidence.
Real evidence from research on music and the baby brain is limited. Most of the ideas we hear about babies and music are based on big jumps from work with adults into assumptions about music with babies. In fact, there is no reliable scientific evidence on the effect of music on infant brain development and subsequent success of children at school.
What is clear, however, is that babies are very, and innately, musical.
Clever testing methods have found that they are highly perceptive listeners and quickly absorb an understanding of how music from their culture sounds.
And research has shown that babies absorb music even before they are born.
The other interesting area of research has been into adult-baby interactions. Adults instinctively 'converse' with babies using a kind of baby 'dialect', a sing-song style with short, repetitive phrases, leaving long pauses for the baby to respond. And the baby responds with eye contact, movements and facial expressions.
To describe this 'dialect' as musical is a good way to explain its characteristics of rhythm, timing and rising and falling pitch. Indeed, if you strip music down to bare basics, these are its main elements. That the qualities for relating well to babies and toddlers should also be the basis of music surely makes sense - fundamentally music is a means for bringing people together.
Relating well to babies by interacting in well-tuned and well-timed ways is important to their all-round development and well-being. We know, for example, that mothers who are depressed or having difficulty relating to their babies can be helped if encouraged to sing and play musical games with their children. The singing somehow provides a framework to support how they interact with their baby.
Another convincing source of evidence is the finding that fragile newborns whose parents sing and gently stroke can leave hospital a little earlier than those who don't receive this attention. Take this with the caution we should approach any research findings. However, if singing and stroking are about providing human contact, and it is beneficial to premature babies, it's only a small step to suppose that it may benefit the all-round health and emotional well-being of all babies and toddlers.
Starting points
I'm always concerned that as soon as things become formalised, in printed documentation and articles such as this, that adding to the burdens of 'ought to do' things becomes counterproductive. What is important, in my view, is to be good at seeing and valuing what parents and carers are already doing musically with their babies and using this as the starting points for moving on.
Take the example of Jo, a keyworker, who takes eight-month-old Sam from his mother and holds him on her hip while his mother gets ready to leave. Sam stiffens and fusses a little and so Jo rocks gently side to side and quietly hums a phrase over and over to him. Sam calms, looks up at her face and Jo talks reassuringly to him.
Such a little incident is over in a moment, yet here is singing and movement to calm, reassure and distract woven into the ordinary, everyday fabric of looking after babies sensitively. Most carers do these small things intuitively. Developing music with babies and toddlers isn't about providing elaborate equipment, or leading singing circle times in complex ways or bringing in outside musicians to give special sessions, but about developing and building on these small-scale, ordinary moments. So what might everyday music look like?
Everyday music
The following singing and rhythmic movements are the easiest and most appropriate musical activities to develop with babies who are up to 18 months old:
* Lullabies - lulling a baby to sleep or soothing a fretful toddler with singing is an age-old part of childcare in all cultures. What song is sung matters less than how it is sung - gently, slowly, quietly, often with a line or two repeated over and over and with rocking or stroking movements.
Carers have told us that they feel the singing is good for them too - looking after babies is demanding, and a relaxing 'time-out' to sit quietly and sing can have benefits for both carer and baby.
* One-to-one playsongs - in contrast to lullabies, playsongs entertain and delight and are more appropriate for older babies and toddlers. They are sung and played on laps - and often include actions such as tweaking, tickling, knee-joggling and surprise dips and spills. They are rich mini-dramas, full of excitement, anticipation, language, drama and rhythmic movement. And they require no special equipment except an adult who is ready to play and a firm knee.
I sense there is sometimes reluctance to play one-to-one in quite such an intense way in early childhood settings. Perhaps the concern is with giving equal attention to all, perhaps it is about over-exciting children.
* Songs for outdoor play - songs go well with outdoor play - either made- up songs or songs for circle-games and more active movement games.
As an example, two quite mobile toddlers are being helped to jump and bounce on a small outdoor trampoline. One half-sings a little snatch of 'hop little bunnies' and a member of staff recognises her singing and incorporates it into a singing and jumping game on the trampoline.
* Songs as part of care routines - songs can usefully support regular tasks and routines - such as washing hands, changing clothes and mealtime routines.
Perhaps in a setting, Maureen knows that 14-month-old Ben finds it stressful having his nappy changed - and that he likes football - so she sings a football song she knows he enjoys to entertain and relax him.
* Songs to have fun, create pleasure and closeness - singing to create a relaxed atmosphere, a strong sense of the group and to bring everyone together is usually an important reason for including singing in circle times, but this can spill over into everyday activity.
As an example, it is free-play time. Sophie enjoys a song about going out to play which Maureen often sings to her - and she likes to sit and bounce on a soft cushion as Maureen sings for her. Today Maureen links in Sophie's name, her own and Sophie's family members into the song words.
Song-rich environment
Most of us pick up songs to use from one another, or incorporate pop songs or old childhood songs we remember. But if your song collection is getting a bit tired or is limited, refresh it, perhaps by:
* collecting a repertoire of songs from staff members
* inviting parents to contribute songs
* researching and collecting songs from the local community
* making up new songs from things the children say or sing - or converting known songs into versions for this setting
* inviting someone with expertise to suggest and teach some new songs
* learning new children's songs from commercial CDs. NW
Dr Susan Young is a lecturer specialising in early childhood and arts and creativity at the School of Education and Lifelong Learning, Exeter University. She formerly lectured in music education at the University of Surrey Roehampton
RESOURCES
Resources that I have found useful include:
* Playsongs - a book of 70 songs and rhymes traditional and new, well presented with useful advice and a well performed CD (Playsongs Publications, Pounds 12.99, tel: 01799 599 054, e-mail: info@playsongs.co.uk)
* What will we play today? Drama, Movement and Music Games for Children Aged 0 - 5 Years by Veronica Larkin and Louie Suthers is full of good ideas for songs, activities and games (Brilliant Publications, 12.95, tel.
01525 222 844, e-mail: sales@brilliant publications.co.uk).
* Peers Early Education Partnership publishes a range of song books and tapes for babies up to pre-school. Tel: 01865 779779, e-mail: info@peep.
org.uk or visit www.peep.org.uk.
* Chanting Rhymes by John Foster and Carol Thompson (Oxford University Press, 4.99) is one of a series of rhyme books for young children.
The series has well chosen rhymes and attractive illustrations, which are invaluable for shared reading and singing.
* The charity Youth Music, through its First Steps funding scheme, has now generated a lot of activity in early years music. Funds to set up musical activities are available for early years organisations. For details of its First Steps projects that may be taking place near you, or to find out how to set up your own projects, tel: 0207 902 1086 or visit its website www.youthmusic.co.uk.
