The Importance of Singing in the Early Years Classroom

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Mini Essay 1 – The Importance of Singing in the Early Years Classroom In the same way that the human body marries together different physiological processes to produce vocal sound, singing also fuses together different forms of education. This creates a unique outcome. Singing can cut across the curriculum and provide an educational bridge to other areas of learning that a child may not necessarily enjoy participating in. Pugh and Pugh state that: As we sing, we are directly involved in a complex process of coordination, involving the brain, the ears, the lungs, the diaphragm, the vocal chords, the lips, the teeth. Our bodies become instruments. (Pugh and Pugh, 1998, p. 29) Music is embedded within the Northern Ireland curriculum. This encourages pupils to create sound, perform with basic instruments, sing, listen and respond to solo and peer compositions. (The Northern Ireland curriculum, Primary, 2007) The prominence of music within the Northern Ireland curriculum allows children to enlarge a range of skills regardless of their musical ability. Whilst singing is often regarded as a single course of action, there are in fact several crucial elements that come together to produce the singing experience. These elements can be transplanted across the curriculum and be applied in varying contexts. Jones and Robson note that: Listening is the foundation of successful vocalising and singing. (Jones and Robson, 2008, p.36) One of the most tangible means of absorbing information that a child has is listening to conversations around him/her. This same principle carries across to a musical perspective. Children from a young age interact with music and this comes through aural interaction. One of the building blocks of singing is aural attentiveness. As a child sings they must listen carefully to the voices of others and the music which is accompanying them. Listening

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