Rhyme and Reason

by Hannah Mortimer, Educational and Child Psychologist

A music session is an ideal opportunity for including children of every age and stage in a group activity.
Getting together for a regular music circle can be easily organised in pre-school groups and in-house groups by parents and carers.
Research is now showing just how important early lap play and nursery songs and rhymes are to the developing child's two way communication, language and even later reading skills.
Practise your singing. Even if you sing out of tune, learn to do it with confidence and style! It is your enthusiasm rather than your proficiency which will encourage your children to join in.
Use a familiar song to signal that music time has begun and make sure that you welcome each child by name and a smile.
Build in very simple action rhymes with familiar refrains or endings such 'all fall down'. Very young children will be able to join in with this.
Musical instruments can be used to train coordination skills from the earliest level.
When you decide to start a music group, you will need to start collecting musical instruments. You can help the children to make a range of percussion and shaking instruments by collecting tins to beat with wooden spoons, saucepan lids to clash together and jars containing pasta or pulses to shake.
You will also need some musical accompaniment - perhaps you could harness some local musical talent and encourage a friend or neighbour to play the piano, a guitar or keyboard. If not, a cassette player can work well.

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