Music Teachers’ Communication Ways Helping Preschool Children to Engage with Learning Objects and to Explore their Critical Aspects

This article aims to reveal the variation-theory-grounded ways that music teachers use to communicate with pre-school children and direct their attention to learning objects (sounds of music) and the critical aspects of learning objects (music sound qualities) while listening to music. Variation theory is a novel didactic approach in the musical education of pre-school children. A learning study based on the theory of variation as a phenomenographic approach and a strategy for a lesson study as a form of participatory action research were employed. While conducting the empirical research, attempts were made to identify the ways in which music teachers communicate with children, which are grounded in variation theory and direct children’s attention to learning objects and their critical aspects. The research distinguishes two groups of ways of music teacher communication that encourage children to listen to music: music teacher communication that directs children’s attention to feeling, understanding and discerning the learning object, i. e., sounds of music (group one) and the critical aspects of learning objects, e. g., pitch, duration of music (group two). These ways that apply variation theory are new and enrich the didactics of early music education.

Effects of Brief Physical Activity and Mindfulness on Elementary Students’ Attention

Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. Sustaining attention in today’s elementary classrooms is increasingly challenging for elementary-age students. Long sedentary instruction, a demanding curriculum, and reduction in recess time can negatively impact children’s attention. OT practitioners can combat these issues by providing brief and effective student-centered classroom breaks focusing on physical exercise and mindfulness. Primary Author and Speaker: Jessica Swanson

MENINGKATKAN KREATIVITAS ANAK USIA DINI MELALUI BUKU CERITA BERGAMBAR DI TAMAN KANAK-KANAK PEMBINA INDRALAYA

Early childhood education is held for children from birth to six years and is not a requirement to attend basic education. This study aims to determine whether children's creativity can be increased by using the picture story method. This study uses the type of CAR. Techniques to obtain data in this study are through observation, interviews and documentation. The data in this study were analyzed by descriptive qualitative flow model. This study shows that there is an increase in children's creativity using the picture story method, namely in Group B Kindergarten Pembina in pre-cycle showing 40%, creativity in the first cycle by 66.6% and increasing creativity in the second cycle reaching 86.6%. Supporting factors in increasing children's creativity using the picture story method have several indicators, namely creative reactions, children's attention, confidence in children, development of children's imagination, and increasing new vocabulary. The conclusion of this research is that students' creativity can be increased by using the storytelling method with visuals. This method can increase the creativity of students and is highly recommended to Kindergarten so that this method should be used once a week, once every 2 weeks or even once a month, because this method stimulates children to listen and respond spontaneously to what the teacher is telling.Keywords: Creativity, Early Childhood, Picture Stories.