Are you an Early Childhood educator? Julie Wylie frequently teaches Professional Development sessions for Early Childhood Centres.
Read below about what a Julie Wylie Professional Development session involves.
Musical Play Professional Development & Support
Saturday afternoon’s workshop for Music Education Canterbury was a wonderful opportunity to share ideas about using Musical Play to arouse or calm children, while opening up an imaginative, magical world of possibilities.
Celia’s music room, at the Christchurch School of Music (CSM), was a beautiful space to work in and we had so much fun exploring the elements of music with pitch games, chime bars and a range of props – including the rainbow ring, scarves, bean bag frogs and bubbles.
We are so excited to be providing professional development workshops and ongoing support for early childhood centres and primary schools. Teachers enjoy our research based approach and the emphasis we place on reflective practice. Regular reflection enables teachers to notice changes in how children are using the elements of music in their own creative play, both inside and outside the classroom.
Musical Play Training Programme for James St. Pre School Children & Staff
We have been enjoying working with teachers and children from James St. Pre School in Redcliffs, Christchurch. They are participating in an eight-week programme which includes weekly Musical Play classes designed to suit the different ages and stages of development of their children from toddlers, middle years and older children about to transition to school.
The aims for this musical play programme are to:
enhance children’s natural musicality
use music for arousing or calming
develop a sense of music community
develop musical singing, saying, moving and playing
promote tuneful singing for children and staff alike, using scale songs in relation to counting and body awareness
promote Musical Play in all aspects of the curriculum and to help teachers feel confident and competent in singing instructional songs and using music throughout daily routines
reinforce and follow the children’s own music ideas in their own play, thus building self-esteem and communication
help establish rhythmical play, steady beat, understanding of weight, time, space and energy
use a range of props in group music sessions such as natural materials, poi, rakau, parachute, rainbow ring, maracas in ways that help children to listen, wait, take turns, follow sung instructions and enjoy musical play as a group
include a training Professional Development evening for teachers so that they learn how, why and what music does in relation to children’s emotional, physical, cognitive, social and psychological development
Reflective practice is a vital part of helping teachers to listen, watch, wait and understand how children naturally include the elements of music in their own play. Such Musical Play promotes brain growth and development, and joyful relationship-based music interactions.
Music can then underpin every aspect of the curriculum.
- Originally published by Julie Wylie, 6 May 2018