Article - Music and Movement

Music is to be made, used and enjoyed.

As children sing and do finger plays, they use their imaginations and develop their coordination, language and listening skills. They also develop an appreciation for music and find a joy in participating and listening.

Music and movement games and activities help develop:

• Fine motor
• Eye hand coordination
• Listening skills
• Language skills
• Social skills
• Imagination
• Cognitive (intellectual) skills - by enabling them to express themselves creatively through movement.
• Ideas of sequence, rhythms and patterns.

Music and movement are not limited to singing and finger play. Music has many other developmental areas. Using music with children’s routines can be part of a daily activity e.g. when children move from place to place. Songs and chants can be used during daily activities, for example, "this is the way we wash our hands, pack up our blocks, go to sleep…"

Sounds in the environment that surround us every day are a good thing to encourage children to listen to:

• Birds
• Planes
• Sirens
• Doors opening and closing
• Running water
• Kitchen equipment e.g. microwave, frying pan.
• Telephone
• Television
• Radio
• C.D Player
• Washing machine
• Animal sounds
• Rain
• Wind
• Footsteps
• Sounds in the street
• And many more sounds that we hear every day that go unnoticed by us but are new, interesting and sometimes comforting to children.
  

Children enjoy music as a fun and personal activity. Music can also provide opportunities for children to participate in group environments developing many social and other skills simultaneously.
 

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