Music and sound have always had a great importance in the growth and development of children beginning in early childhood. In fact, already in the womb, children begin their journey, being able to hear sounds, noises, and melodies that come from the outside world. They are able to perceive the voice of their parents, and all the other people around them.
Since the very first weeks of school, the song “La Tartaruga” and accompanying book have been a favorite of the Piccoli Verdi San Francisco Preschool class.
At the same time, the class also began to show an interest in the world of water and sea creatures. The teachers conducted a deeper research into this unique animal – the turtle. After watching a video of sea turtles swimming, the students shared their observations, noticing qualities of the turtles and the natural environment.
Following this, the teachers curated Reggio-style provocations in which the students brought to life their observations through many different expressive languages. In the spirit of the Hundred Languages of the Child, through this research, they explored clay, loose parts, paints and graphic instruments, dramatic play, water, natural materials, and more.
These provocations created a space for the children to build connections between the song and story and their experiences, to foster those connections and further personalize this beloved story, as the teachers documented the experiences and incorporated them into an illustrated sing-along booklet that was shared with the families. In the students’ version of “La Tartaruga,” the learning was visible in every page, and it offered a chance to reflect on their experiences in connection to this story they love so much.
For this reason, music and singing are two elements that are always present in our daily preschool routines, because we recognize the importance they have in the development of the child. Music has several benefits, including helping children develop language, socio-emotional skills, memory skills, and creativity.
In this particular preschool story, listening to the song, actively singing and reproducing gestures was carried out with the aid of a visual medium, namely an Italian book titled “La Tartaruga” (“The Turtle”). This allowed the students to increase their understanding of Italian and increase their motivation toward active learning of the song and language.
The Benefits of Music and Song in Early Childhood
Brain Development
- Memory development: children who sing make the brain perform multiple tasks simultaneously, helping the development of memory by remembering words, melody, and gestures
- The opposites: children who sing will learn to distinguish between opposites – fast and slow, noisy and silent.
- Concentration: children who sing learn to focus on a task
- Development of imagination and creativity
Language Development
- Vocal imitation
- Self-confidence: singing helps the child to communicate with others
- Speaking: singing helps the child to speak more clearly and to obtain a greater variety of words
- Rhythm: a signing child learns to keep the rhythm and to rhyme words
- Listening: children who sing learn the importance of listening in order to learn their favorite songs
Singing in a Second Language
- Teaching children a foreign language with musical activities stimulates actual language learning. Whichever language you choose, nursery rhymes and songs help develop communications skills, social skills, and new words
- Singing to – and later with – a child is a very powerful way to help them to communicate
- Children learn through musical games, songs, nursery rhymes, and even motor activities, therefore the words and phrases that are conveyed by the music are learned by the child more easily and at the same time remain etched in the memory – thanks to the repetition and to the rhythmic structure in which they are inserted
Written by Piccoli Verdi teachers – Michelle Ciccotelli, Patrizia Gallo, Paola Quarto, and Camilla Zorzi
**********
Founded in 2002, La Scuola International School – the only Reggio Emilia inspired, International Baccalaureate (IB) and Italian language immersion school in the world – is serving the Bay Area with two San Francisco campuses (Preschool – Grade 8), and one new campus in Silicon Valley (Preschool – Elementary). Our mission is to inspire brave learners to shape the future. Every day, it’s the students at La Scuola who ask challenging questions and lead their learning across languages, across cultures, and across subjects.
Our motto is Nothing Without Joy so our spaces are designed to inspire creativity and curiosity. Our multicultural faculty and families are the foundation of our school experience. Children learn in English, Spanish and Italian, because we know that being multilingual has a significant impact on educational success, attention, decision-making, and overall happiness. Many families don’t speak Italian or Spanish at home; it does not stop their children from becoming fluent. To learn more about La Scuola International School, or to make an inquiry for a tour, please visit our website.
We look forward to sharing more of the magic of La Scuola with you!
Share this Post