Pedagogical approaches/philosophy

My philosphy is to nurture children in a holistic manner paying attention to who they are and all that they can become with the support and guidance from professional educators. Allowing children many musical experiences that will increase their love of music and their own self-awareness and expression. I am an observer and guider. I will objectively observe the child through the experiences I provide and quietly guide and encourage the child's own natural desire to explore and learn. 'We need to be present so we can hear with our senses; we need to observe children and recall what is occurring so that we can reflect and we need to suspend our own judgements and develop a strong sense of justice (Macfalane and  Cartmel 2008, cited in Phillips 2013a).

 

The following activity is based on th Orff approach, 'this is a way of teaching children music that enages their mind and body through a mixture of singing, dancing, acting and the use of percussion instruments. Lessons are presented with an element of 'play' helping children learn at their own level of understanding' (Phillips, F, 2013b). The lessons will be taken throughout the term. Thiss first lesson will be looking only at our voices and then we will add percussion instruments later. Timbre (Tam-ber) will be taught initialy through using our voice with the following song. It will be connected to a discussion about our feelings and how how voice can change with relevant feelings! It will also based on other parts of the curriculum such as language and literacy development. I will be energetic in my approach, and be guided by the children with no 'fixed method, similar to the Orff approach. I will adapt it to the situation.      

 

Activity Title: 'If You're Happy and You Know It'

 

Aim : Learning of tone colour through performing and singing

 

Who: Group composition age(s):  Kindergarten 4-5 years old

 

Group size: large group 

 

When/ Time frame:   30 mins, this needs to flexible based on the childrens needs, concentration and interests.

 

Why: Objectives: the children will be developing in the following areas; artistic skills and knowledge - musical, movement and dramatic. This lesson is also connected to the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (2011) (EYLF) and its 5 learning outcomes (pp. 19-31). 

Socially - (interpersonal): sharing their own ideas with one another and working together to discuss feelings and emotions.

Emotionally - intrapersonal): developing confidence within their music making. This will be evident within and from their personal interactions with others and their body language, portraying happiness and an eagerness to participate.

Auditory perception skills - (musical): this will be evident aas they repeat and sing the song back.  

Cognitively - (cognitively): have the ability link mood/feelings with the song and play an instrument that expresses the mood being played.

Identity - interact with their peers and teachers in a range of contexts, make and share performing work that communicate observations and personal ideas.

Community - make music with others that express and communicate experiences, observations, ideas and feelings.

Wellbeing -  explore their emotions and identify the different ways in which people express and respond to emotions.

Following classroom rules and procedures and share eqiupment and space safely.

Learning -  use their imagination and curiousity to generate ideas. Children will begin to understand that listening to the responses of others can assist them to make sense of new experiences  and provide useful cues for learning.

Communication -  through singing songs, chants and rhymes, listen to songs and explore rhymes and word structure. Communicate feelings through facial expressions with this particular song, developing gesture and non-vocal language.

 

Where: Set up: this lesson will be conducted in our beautiful music arena. This area is visually pleasing with an array of musical instruments and posters of music elements, dance and movement posters, and an emotion/feeling poster.

These posters support early literacy development and also have pictures along side them.

 

What: Materials and resources: a video of the song will be played (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBuMCGlxJQE)

Singing voice and using their body as an instrument of expression, can tap their leg along with the song instead of clapping (adding muscial instruments in the next lesson if the children show an interest in doing this).

 

Procedure: Have the classs group sit in a circle, when they are sitting, ensure the children are focused. Discuss that we are going to first which is read a book about feelings! This activity links to other parts of the curriculum such as language and literacy. Picture books stimulate children's awareness and creative thinking. Ask the children about the illustrations in the book, do the children/pictures look happy or sad, what do they see in the picture?

This allows them to respond with creative descriptions. 'Development of language consists primarily of extending the child's speaking ability to include with written language. The subtle preparation for language is offered through a rich diet of songs and stories' (Harris 2009, p. 28).

 

After the story engage in a discussion asking a few children what are 'feelings'

What makes you happy or sad?

After you have read the book discuss and share what it was about.

Tell them you know about a song about feelings, can anyone guess what it is called? Engage the children and allow them time to respond.

 

With the children in a circle in the music arena discuss with them that just like musical instrument are different and can make different sounds, 'guess what, we too can with our voices!'

 The musical definition of this is timbre and  also known as tonal colour. Ask the children to repeat the words 'tam-ber'

Then show the children how you can use your voice in different ways.

 

The educator will then sing the song. Engage in the song as normal without changing the 'emotion' yet just leave it as 'happy'.

Then engage in conversation with the children, how does that song sound when we are 'happy?'

If we were to cange the word to sad, how may we feel then and how will it sound?

 

This sharing time may take some time but it is necessary to establish this fully first with the children. Refer the children to the 'emotion' poster.

Ask the children who can think of other feelings other than happy? Discuss.

If we are singing about being happy or sad or mad how may our voices change to fit the mood?

Allow children time to give plenty of examples. Angry, worried etc

 

Additionally, instruments can be added as a tool to explore further but for this lesson it will be our singing voices only. It will be intentionally taught but the children will steer the course of discussion. Discuss their voices (tone colour) and how it changes the sound of the song. 

Ask the children to sing the song in a singing voice. 

Performance is not the focus, the processing and creating through articulation 

 

What to say: the educator will ask the children to share ideas, discuss emotions, if we were happy what would we look like, if we were sad what would we look like. ‘Feelings are often conveyed in music, and very often young children are the first to pick up on the mood of a song and to respond to it. This ability seems to be due to the as-yet-undiminished sensitivity of the young child’s ear and to his or her as-yet-undiminished willingness to show a physical response’ (Pica 2010, p. 204).

Change the emotion with the change of voice and exploring their voices.  

 

Transition out: end the lesson with a quiet reflection time. Tell the children you have been rally pleased with their interactions with each other and their sharing of ideas.

Ask the children what they liked best about the class and what they did not or would change.

Ask them to tell you te meaning of timbre/tonal colour. 

What would they like to do in the next lesson? This allows them to be active particpants within their own learning. 

 

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

 

1. It may not be obvious until the end of the lesson what the children have learnt but I will assess them through their own reflections of the lesson and what they enjoyed most. This will be against either a rubric or a checklist of their comprehension of the elements including their views of their own learning. 'Through the arts, children can visualise as well as articulate; depict as well as desrcibe. We would be wise to nurture rather than suppress these propensities' (Wright 2012, p. 26).  

 

2. Are the children able to share with the class something they learnt in the session and participate postiviely? 

Their feedback gives me a better understanding of where they are at within their own development

 

3. Can the children show and explain tone colour to the group?

 

4. Can the children show different emotions connecting it to the feelings of the song, using their body/facial expressions. 

 

EVALUATION OF TEACHING/REFLECTIONS

The children are already familiar the song. As an extension to this lesson as I reflect, 'where to from here' the children will add musical perscussion as they know the lyrics. Some instruments for example may be drums, tamborines, clava sticks, bells. 

When the instruments are introduced to another lesson I will then begin talking about other elements such as rhythm or beat. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) 2011, Victorian early years learning and development framework DEECD, Melbourne, Victoria.

 

Harris, M 2009, MUSIC AND THE YOUNG MIND: ENHANCING BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND ENGAGING LEARNING, MENC: The National Association for Music Education, United States of America.

 

If you’re Happy and you Know It and More/100 minute Nursey Rhyme Compilation from Kidscamp, 2014, Kidscamp, retreived 27 January, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBuMCGlxJQE

 

Orff Instruments Story 2012, YouTube, Fiona Phillips, 18 July 2012, retreived 8 February 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHSW_VO_3nw

 

Phillips, F (ed) Deakin University, 2013a, A pedagogy of Listening, ECE440 resources Deakin University, retreived 9 February, 2016, clouddeakin materials.

 

Phillips, F (ed) Deakin University, 2013b, Music through Playing, ECE 440 resources Deakin University, retreived 10 February 2016, clouddeakin materials.

 

Pica, R 2010, Experiences in Movement & Music: Birth to Age 8, 4th edn, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, CA, USA.

 

Wright, S 2012, Children, Meaning-Making and the Arts, Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest NSW.