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Winter 2001 Sing and Learn
Have
you ever watched a group of young children on the playground excitedly sing Ring
Around the Rosey? Or observed a pre-schooler who has just mastered her
ABCs, proudly singing them over and over? Maybe you’ve noticed your own child
singing along with the radio. It’s evident – all children love to sing! The
voice is every child’s natural instrument and, therefore, an important part
of learning and development. And many proponents of music education have long
agreed that children can, and should, learn to sing. Joyful
participation in singing with family, friends and classmates, and through
activities like Kindermusik, results in comprehending the beauty and
expressiveness of the human voice. Children develop the ability to use their
voice well in singing, chanting, reciting and reading aloud. It also
encourages a lifelong love of music. Singing
is part of every Kindermusik class – whether it’s babies responding to music
in Kindermusik Village® class or the pre-schooler learning
simple songs in the upcoming Kindermusik Imagine That!™ Singing, integrated with movement,
instrument play, literature, and pretend play, is a cornerstone of the
Kindermusik experience. The Young Singer
A
newborn’s first singing experiences are really ones of rapt listening. The
vocal chords are limited by lack of muscular development, but the ears
already can differentiate one sound from another. At about one month, babies
begin to enter the world of vocalization and take the first steps in learning
to make sound (differentiated from the reflexive sounds of crying). The
nurturing of a baby’s developing ability to produce sound, combined with
keeping his hearing world full of a wide range of musical sounds, gives the
foundation that assures the development of speaking, conversation and singing
ability. As a child
approaches the toddler years, he will present many varying levels of vocal
experience, development and confidence. Most children between 1 ½ to 3 years
of age are in the stage of vocal development that some music specialists
refer to as “approximation of singing.” First they will attempt to “imitate”
a word, phrase, rhythm pattern or vocal inflection. A child may begin to make
these imitative sounds out of context, singing or humming to himself while
playing alone using bits and pieces from the sounds they have heard in their
environment. Many
parents worry because their child isn’t “singing in Kindermusik class,” but
at home, he sings in the bathtub or playroom. Recognize the importance of
this “musical play” – it is by “playing”
that children master the muscular feel of producing a singing sound and come
to realize that they can produce the kinds of sounds which are different from
speech. Once a child
turns 3, his expressive language explodes. A 3- or 4-year-olds’s ability to
be expressive in language extends to exploration of his many voices, singing
songs in a limited range and emerging pitch accuracy. Singing helps with
memory and recall, with physical development, creativity and socialization. Learning to Sing
When
learning to sing, children are most successful when singing songs that have a
limited range, common rhythmic and melodic patterns, simple words and plenty
of repetition. They always sing best those songs with which they are
familiar. One goal of
Kindermusik is to provide joyful singing activities that guide children in
developing a “light head voice,” singing with greater pitch accuracy and
learning a repertoire of songs. Activities in the new Kindermusik Imagine
That! curriculum provide opportunities for 3- and 4-year-old children to
explore their many voices and to use a “singing voice.” Start Singing!
Singing
doesn’t have to be limited to Kindermusik class – you can help your child
learn to sing and develop a love of music at home. Kindermusik Home Activity
books provide lots of creative ideas for activities to do with your child
that incorporate singing. The whimsically illustrated Kindermusik literature
books invite vocal play
and singing and are sure to become story time favorites you’ll read again and
again! Singing can even serve as a
“tool” for you to shift from one activity to another with your child. The easiest way to help your child learn a song is to sing it through several times. Listen to your Kindermusik CDs while in the car or at home and watch how quickly your child will join in and sing along! |
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