At Alice Smith, we’re firm believers in the benefits of incorporating music into Early Years education. Music engages not just the creative side of the brain, but the logical side, helping to encourage the body and the brain to function as a team.
Children are naturally curious, so music and dance come easily to them. Whether they’re humming a tune, smiling or moving, it’s a way to discover the world around them (and often create their own).
Learning to use their voice is the first way a child engages with music-making. From gurgles to giggles, they’re learning about pitch. Add an instrument to their early education, and they also learn about tuned and untuned music and how to respond with their bodies. In turn, this helps to strengthen their motor skills.
What are the benefits of learning music in Early Years?
There are so many benefits to children learning music in their early education; these include:
- Strengthening aural skills
- Aiding movement
- Learning about pulse and rhythm
- Engaging focus and memory
- Strengthening core skills like numeracy when they count to the beat
- Improving motor skills by finger-playing instruments
- Actively listening to songs
- Encouraging creativity and the need to explore and improvise
- Social skills when working as a band.
We use our YouTube channel to showcase how we incorporate music and creative activities into our curriculum or follow our Instagram account.
You can also download our eBook,filled with activities, ideas for home play and insights into setting your child up for future success.
Early Years at Alice Smith
Our Early Years curriculum has been created by expert staff to engage and inspire young students. It’s built around teaching methods praised for understanding how children learn best at a young age; these approaches come from influential names such as Reggio Emilia, Anna Ephgrave, Maria Montessori and Alistair Bryce-Clegg.
Our teachers encourage Early Years students to learn through play, helping to keep them engaged. We focus on the individual child and their learning needs. This tailored environment ensures that each student is flourishing, meeting their personal goals and is set up to enter primary learning.
We believe the environment is just as important as the teaching method, which is why we aim for our schools to feel welcoming. We want each student to feel comfortable to support their emotional well being as they settle into the rhythm of school life. Our school environments provoke interest, learning and – most of all – fun, to ensure each child gets the most out of their Early Years educational journey.
