This article of mine originally appeared in Early Childhood News: ”Shake Up” Your Music Curriculum With Rhythm Instruments! By Abigail Connors As an early childhood professional, you’re well aware of the seemingly insatiable need of children to express themselves by making noise – a lot of noise! Rhythm instruments provide a uniquely effective way to […]
Author Archives: Abby Connors
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” – Albert Einstein Several music programs teach musical concepts in a very formal and rote manner. I believe that for young children, the emphasis should always be on the joy of singing, dancing, and making music with friends; the […]
Little White Duck Raffi – “Everything Grows” Available on iTunes “Little White Duck” is an all-time classic by the amazing Raffi, but I’ve found some younger teachers don’t know about it – and they should! Children can quack along with the duck, swim with the frog, crawl with the bug, and wiggle with the snake. […]
Old Makimba Had a Farm by Rachel Isadora It seems like all young children are familiar with Old MacDonald! In this version, set in Africa, preschoolers can learn about different kinds of animals, from cheetahs to baboons. Best of all, children can sing along on the “E-I- E-I-O” chorus, which keeps them actively engaged in […]
Five Little Chickadees Peter and Ellen Allard – “Sing It! Say It! Stamp It! Sway It” Vol. 2 Available on iTunes Usually I find the “countdown” kind of song (5.4.3.2.1) rather tedious, but children love them. Maybe it’s because they can predict what’s coming, and it’s empowering for them. Anyway, this song is special. […]
Way Up High in a Tall Green Tree by Jan Peck This story describes a little girl’s exploration of the rain forest and all its beautiful creatures. Children can have fun making the animals’ sounds and movements. Also, the first two lines of every two-page spread, “Way up high in a tall green tree, I saw […]
Music (and Science) For Young Children 