The Experts View of Music, Singing & Movement Activity Classes

Dr Alexandra Lamont, Lecturer in Psychology of Music at Keele University

Click on the link to read the full article:
http://www.open2.net/healthliving/family_childdevelopment/2005/significance_music.html

Extracts from Ofsted Report 2.11.07 on Jo Jingles, South Worcestershire

“The quality and standards of the nursery education are outstanding.”

”Young children develop excellent communication skills. They have great fun as they take part in a ‘Jo Jingles’ music session. They join in the words and actions of favourite songs such as ‘My head, my shoulders, my knees, my toes’ with great enthusiasm. They identify pictures of animals and learn what noises they make and split into groups representing each animal. Staff maintain children’s attention well with use of a puppet for each group to represent their animal. Children sing the ‘Ride in the country’ song and join in with the animal noises for their own group.”

Zoltan Kodaly

"There is no complete person without music".

Plato

"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and charm and gaiety to life and to everything".

Dr Agnes Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong

"Dr Chan was reported in the Daily Mail on July 28th under the headline Musical pupils top of the class. She has found that learning to play an instrument is like fitness training for the brain. The better youngsters become at music, the better they perform in the classroom".

Professor John Sloboda, Keele University

"Singing songs to your child widens their vocabulary and improves listening skills, both of which make learning to read easier"

Dr Miriam Stoppard, Child Psychologist

"A child is more confident, usually speaks early and gains an early grasp of the rules of communication if started early in clapping games, group activities and musical games"

Dr Kathy Sylva, Educational Psychologist, Oxford University Daily Mail 4.1.2001

"Children who learn to sing and play together are more likely to lead successful lives than those who receive a more disciplined education"

Professor Gordon Shaw, University of California, Irvine

"Music helps children to learn maths. When children learn rhythm, they are learning ratios, fractions and proportions"

Beverley Hughes, Minister for Families & Children

"Some parents already know that reading and singing nursery rhymes with their young children will get them off to a flying start "

Website links on "Why music is beneficial to children"?

www.bbc.co.uk/music/parents/yourchild/18mnths_3years/discover.shtml

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article2045319.ece

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