11.6: Supporting Music
When children develop an awareness and knowledge of musical elements, children progress in their understanding and ability to control the elements for personal musical expression. Although early childhood music education is primarily about introducing the child to musical sounds and holistic experiences that are of the highest quality, enriched learning occurs when the child has an understanding of and ability to manipulate the music elements of rhythm, melody, form, loudness/softness, tempo, timbre, articulation, and style.
The foundations for Music include responding to music, develop musical skills, and being able to make music.
Music
1.0 Notice, Respond, and Engage
| At around 48 months of age | At around 60 months of age |
| 1.1 Sustain attention and begin to reflect verbally about music; demonstrate familiarity with words that describe music. | 1.1 Verbally reflect on music and describe music by using an expanded vocabulary. |
| 1.2 Recognize simple repeating melody and rhythm patterns. | 1.2 Demonstrate more complex repeating melody and rhythm patterns. |
| 1.3 Identify the sources of a limited variety of musical sounds. | 1.3 Identify the sources of a wider variety of music and music-like sounds. |
| 1.4 Use body movement freely to respond loosely to beat—loud versus quiet (dynamics)—and tempo. | 1.4 Use body movement freely and more accurately to respond to beat, dynamics, and tempo of music. |
2.0 Develop Skills in Music
| At around 48 months of age | At around 60 months of age |
| 2.1 Begin to discriminate between different voices and certain instrumental and environmental sounds. Follow words in a song. | 2.1 Become more able to discriminate between different voices and various instrumental and environmental sounds. Follow words in a song. |
| 2.2 Explore vocally; sing repetitive patterns and parts of songs alone and with others. | 2.2 Extend vocal exploration; sing repetitive patterns and entire songs alone with others in wider ranges of pitch. |
3.0 Create, Invent, and Express Through Music
| At around 48 months of age | At around 60 months of age |
| 3.1 Explore vocal and instrumental skills and use instruments to produce simple rhythms and tones. | 3.1 Continue to apply vocal and instrumental skills and use instruments to produce more complex rhythms, tones, melodies, and songs. |
| 3.2 Move or use body to demonstrate beat and tempo, often spontaneously. | 3.2 Move or use body to demonstrate beat, tempo, and style of music, often intentionally. |
| 3.3 Improvise vocally and instrumentally. | 3.3 Explore, improvise, and create brief melodies with voice or instrument. |
Teachers can support children’s development of the music foundations with the following:
- Find ways to expose children to music being conducted and performed.
- Provide music areas where children can experience instruments or musical activities as individuals or in a small group.
- Set up a “Science of Sound” area where children can explore an