April 2009

Music Takes Commitment

I visited a two-year-old classroom on several occasions and observed that this was not a happy classroom. This was not a fun classroom. It was time to get these children singing and laughing. I sat with the children on the floor and in a bright happy voice and introduced them to a cute little Hello Song [...]

Music is like Magic

In early childhood work, music takes on a magical quality. Music can magically change the experience and atmosphere of your classroom. If you are thinking, “I can’t sing and I don’t know any songs so music just isn’t for me.” Let me encourage you to think again. It isn’t how many songs you currently know [...]

Fingerplays Take Practice

In order to be effective in the use of fingerplays, the teacher must first select a fingerplay that relates to current learning and then practice, practice, and practice. The more familiar and skilled the teacher is in reciting and acting out the fingerplay, the more effective the teacher will be in using and/or presenting the [...]