It Takes a Village to Raise an Early Childhood Music Teacher

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-35
Author(s):  
Lisa Huisman Koops
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Support Staff ◽  
Music Teacher ◽  
Classroom Teachers ◽  
Music Educator ◽  
Early Childhood Music ◽  
Parents And Caregivers

In this column, I consider the important supporting players for an early childhood music educator: classroom teachers, administrators, support staff, parents and caregivers, and children. I argue that it is vital for early childhood music educators to view these individuals as part of their “village” and reach out to make connections with other early childhood music educators as well.

Characteristics of Early Childhood and Elementary General Music Methods Coursework for Preservice Music Teachers

2021 ◽  
pp. 105708372110245
Author(s):  
Karen Salvador ◽  
Mara E. Culp
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Music Teachers ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Music Teacher ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
General Music ◽  
Music Teacher Education ◽  
Music Methods ◽  
Elementary General Music

Although many music teacher candidates begin university studies planning to teach secondary ensembles, most will ultimately be certified to teach younger children and may be called to do so. The purpose of this study was to examine how music teacher education programs prepare preservice music educators to teach music to children from birth through elementary school through coursework. We emailed survey invitations to representatives from 512 institutions accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music to prepare music educators. We received 134 usable responses (response rate = 26%). Nearly all respondents offered elementary general music methods (EGMM), and over three quarters required EGMM for all students in initial licensure programs. Only about one in ten responding institutions offered early childhood music methods (ECMM). We describe findings on EGMM and ECMM course structures, content, and materials as well as the employment status, degree background, and other qualifications of the person who typically taught this coursework

Sensitive periods for music training from a cognitive neuroscience perspective: A review of the literature with implications for teaching practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun Cho
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Onset ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Musical Training ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Music Training ◽  
Early Childhood Music ◽  
Sensitive Periods ◽  
The Brain

This study addresses the issue of sensitive periods – a developmental window when experience or stimulation has unusually strong and long-lasting impacts on certain areas of brain development and thus behaviour (Bailey and Penhune 2012) – for music training from a neurological perspective. Are there really sensitive periods in which early musical training has greater effects on the brain and behaviour than training later in life? Many neuroscience studies support the idea that beginning music training before the age of 7 is advantageous in many developmental aspects, based on their findings that early onset of music training is closely associated with enhanced structural and functional plasticity in visual-, auditory-, somatosensory- and motor-related regions of the brain. Although these studies help early childhood music educators expand understanding of the potential benefits of early music training, they often mislead us to believe that early onset is simply better. Careful consideration on details of these research studies should be given when we apply these research findings into practice. In this regard, this study provides a review of neuroscience studies related to the issue of sensitive periods for childhood music training and discusses how early childhood music educators could properly apply these findings to their music teaching practice.

Early childhood fieldwork for music education majors

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christa R. Kuebel
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Education Majors ◽  
Musical Settings ◽  
Pedagogical Content ◽  
Early Childhood Music ◽  
Music Education Majors ◽  
Preparedness To Teach

Fieldwork experiences for undergraduate music education majors provide opportunities to gain pedagogical content knowledge as well as a deeper understanding of child development and musical behaviour. Early childhood music fieldwork experiences are vital to preservice music educators in order to gain insight into the specific needs of young learners and increase preparedness to teach in a variety of musical settings. Critical examination of the fieldwork opportunities provided to undergraduate music education majors in the early childhood music setting could benefit all preservice music educators. This article will describe one early childhood fieldwork placement and its impacts on the preparation of three undergraduate music education majors. Implications related to the importance of early childhood music education fieldwork experiences for preservice music educators are discussed.

‘Something is better than nothing’: Early childhood caregiver–child music classes taught remotely in the time of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Huisman Koops ◽  
Samantha C. Webber
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Music Teachers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Early Childhood Music ◽  
Music Class ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Parents And Caregivers

Many early childhood music teachers suddenly shifted to remote teaching in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to gather information about parents’ and caregivers’ perspectives on and reactions to remote teaching of caregiver–child early childhood music classes. The participant families were enrolled in an on-site music class when the switch in format happened due to COVID-19 and were given the option of continuing with instruction via Zoom or receiving a refund for the remainder of the semester. All families were invited to complete a survey with questions about their decision to participate or not and suggestions for ongoing remote programming. Families who chose to participate in synchronous online classes were invited to complete interviews. Eleven adults, representing nine enrolled children, offered their perceptions of the affordances and constraints of the remote caregiver–child music class and suggestions for improvement of remote teaching. Four themes arose in the interviews: (1) the centrality of interaction, (2) the need to support families, (3) the kids & screens paradox and (4) something is better than nothing. Families who chose not to do remote classes in the spring reported they were not interested in trying Zoom classes in the fall either. The main reason families gave for not wanting to participate was concerns about children and screen time. We share implications for teaching and suggestions for future research.

Community Partners and Early Childhood Music

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-37
Author(s):  
Lisa Huisman Koops
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Community Partnerships ◽  
Culturally Sensitive ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Community Partners ◽  
Early Childhood Music ◽  
Outreach Services

In this column, I share the experience of learning about community partnerships in early childhood in my region and consider how music educators might play a role in a range of outreach services to children in the area. I encourage readers to reach beyond their current settings to engage in culturally sensitive service learning and community engagement.

Integrating Cantonese Nursery Rhymes Into Early Childhood Music Classrooms: A Lesson for Learning Music, Language, and Culture

2021 ◽  
pp. 104837132110262
Author(s):  
Yingying Pan
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Lesson Plan ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
World Music ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Early Childhood Music ◽  
Chinese Music ◽  
Music Classrooms

As cultural diversity is increasingly celebrated in classrooms, multicultural learning in music education has become more essential and meaningful. Therefore, this article emphasizes the integration of Cantonese nursery rhymes into early childhood music classrooms by providing a detailed lesson plan and some teaching suggestions. This effort aims to enhance students’ cultural awareness and knowledge of world music by integrating Chinese music elements into general music learning. It also serves to provide inspiration and suggests possibilities for music educators who wish to incorporate multicultural elements in music education.

scholarly journals Tidying Up Your Early Childhood Repertoire List

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-46
Author(s):  
Lisa Huisman Koops
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Music Teacher ◽  
Early Childhood Music ◽  
Popular Book ◽  
Criteria For Selection

Using the popular book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, I propose several steps an early childhood music teacher can undertake in “tidying up” one’s repertoire list. These include considering the criteria for selection, determining the number of selections necessary for one’s main collection, checking one’s current repertoire list against the criteria, and looking for selections to cull, adding new selections, and considering how to store or display the repertoire. Throughout I provide examples from my own setting in the hopes that readers will transfer the ideas to their settings.

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