AUTHOR Music for Preschool
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 060 948 PS 005 475 AUTHOR Adkins Dorothy C.; And Others TITLE Music for Preschool: Accompanied byS ngbook. INSTITUTION Hawaii Univ., Honolulu. SPONS AGENCY Office of Economic Opportunity,Washington, D.C. PUB DATE Sep 71 NOTE 175p. EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$6.58 DESCRIPTORS Audiovisual Aids; *Curriculum Design; Educational Objectives; Guides; *Instructional Materials; Learning Activities; Lesson Plans; *MusicEducation; Planning; *Preschool Children; Scheduling;Tape Recordings; *Teaching Techniques; Textbooks ABSTRACT A curriculum for preschoolers in musiceducation is presented. It consists of three sections:Introduction, General Teaching Suggestions, and Materials andActivities. The Introduction outlines the objectives of theprogram and presents ideas relating to scheduling, planning and selection of materials,as well as the use of music in fostering general preschoolaims. Section II clarifies overall techniques in teaching musictO children. Materials and Activities contains suggestedsongs, recordings, and activities that the teacher should select when planningthe program.(Author/CK) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEACTI-1. EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO- DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIG- INATING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPIN- IONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDU- CATION POSITION OR POLICY MUSIC FOR PRESCHOOL Accompanied by SONGBOOK Dorothy C. Adkins, Professor and Research-- Marvin Greenberg, Associate Professor and Music Consultant Annette Okimoto, Junior Researcher Betty Elrod, Assistant in Research Patricia MacDonald, Assistant in Resear h The research reported herein was performed pursuantto Grant Number 9929 with the United States Office of Economic Opportunity. Contractors undertaking such projects under Government sponsorship are encouraged to expressfreely their professional judgment on the conduct of the project. Points of view or opinions stated do not, therefore,necessarily represent official position or policy ofthe Office of Economic Opportunity. Center for Research in Early ChildhoodEducation Dorothy C. AdkinsDirector Education Research and Development Center David G. Ryans, Director University of Hawaii September 1971 FOREWORD In the summer of 1969, the University of Hawaii Center for Research in Early Childhood Education worked with Dr. arvtn Greenberg, Associate Professor in the College of Education and a specialist in the teaching of music, in assembling a preliminary form of a music curriculum, consist- ing of a Tea he G-ide a Sonobook, and some tapes containing excerpts of musical selections. Work on the project was discontinued for the year 1969-70 because Dr. Greenberg WS onleave from the university. With his active involvement aa Consultant to the Center,the work was resumed in the year 1970-71, during which the curriculum wasmodified to exclude some of the songs; for which permission to use. could not be obtained and to omit the tapes because of formidable problemsrelated to copyrights. The original plan, when this project was undertaken, wasthat the feasibility of suCh a nus-ic curriculum and of telated teacher-traioing techniques would be tested in 1970-71 and that the curriculumTould than be revised, applied more wid_ y, and core extensivelyevaluated In 1971-72 and later years. This plan WAS abandoned when the Office of Economic Opportunity decided not to renew support forthis project beyond the year 1970-71. Hence a manualMusic for Preschool, together with the accompanying gcmg12-9.21., while containing some revisionsreflect- ingexperience with the limited feasibility study, is. notpresented as a final product of extensive tryout andevaluation. Nevertheless, very favorable comments of the four teachers gho have usedit and of a music professor who has reviewed the materials intensivelyindicate that in its present form the curriculum and the Songbookshould prove useful to teachers who wish to teach music to preschool children. Center staff members who have worked closely with Dr. Greenberg in the development, app/ication, and preliminary evaluation of the curriculum include Annette Okimoto, Betty Elrod, and Patricia MacDonald. Assistance in the general direction of the project has been provi_ d by Dr, Renato Espinosa, formerly Assistant Director of the Center, and more recently by Dr. Michael J. O'Malley, currently theAssistant Director. Coordination -ith other currieula developed by the Center, particularly Laneueee for Preschool and Mathematics forPre_chool, was effectuated primarily through Hannah Herman, formerly Assistant Director of the Center, Doris C. Crowell, Assistant Researcher, Phyllis Loveless, Junior ResearCher, and Gloria DaleyJunior Researcher, all with the Center staff. Grateful appreciation Is expressed to the teachers who usedthe curriculum in their classes and provided valuable feedback: Carol Hochfelson, Marshann Snyder, Helen Okuno, and Anita Trubitt. Special thanks are also extended to Dr. Ouida Fay Paul for permission toinclude in, this curriculum "Music Fundamentals for Teadhers" and toDr. Allen R. Trubitt, Chairman of the Department of MuSicof the University of Hawaii, for a thorough review of all of the materials. FEEFACE This Music for_Preschool curriculum consists of three main sections: Introduction II. General Teaching Suggestions III. Materials and Activities First, the teacher should become acquainted with Section I--/NTRODUCTION-- in order to understand the objectives of the program and obtain ideas relating to scheduling, planning, the selection of materials, and the use of music in fostering general preschool aims. Following thls, the teadher should read Section II--GENERAL TEACHING SUGGESTIONS--so that overall techniqnes in teaching music to children may be clarified. This section is an important reference, and should be referred to frequently as the teacher plans her day-to-day activity. Section IIIMATERIALS AND ACTIVITIES--contains suggested songs, record- ings, and activities that the teacher should select when planning the program. This section should be referred to on a _daily basis. Although the teacher should concentrate on this section, she should refer back to Sections I and II for general guidance in planning and teaching techniques. Ideas for planning the program are given on pp. 8-10. Samples of lesson and weekly plans are provided on pp. 91-97 and should serve as models for the teacher. The day-to-day planning can evolve from the teacher's own experiences, and should utilize only those materials and activities with which the teacher feels comfortable. It is recognizedthat the musical background of teachers will vary. The teacher with a "strong" mmsic background may feel more comfortable with some of the suggestions nevertheless, it is felt thatALL teachers can use most of the material in this guide to develop each child's potential to respond musically. Aworking acquaintance with, and application of the approaches suggested in Sections II and III should insure this for all the children. Teachers with a limited background in music will find it helpful to refer to the various texts on music listed in Appendix B, p. 146, as well as the outline on music fundamentals for the teacher, found in Appendix C, p. 148. iv Although mus c is almost universally used in programs for culturally di ad- vantaged and preschool-level students, little in the way of planned, sequential music programs has resulted. Music is often used as "frosting on the cake," as a reward after more strenuous activities, or as a diver- sionary tactic to "soothe the restless souls" of the learners. The poten- tial of music as a valuable means of communication, as an aesthetic experience necessary to meaning and quality in life, and as a possible aid to achieving overall aims of educational programs for the culturally dis- advantaged and the preschooler has generally been overlooked. Music educators must Share the blame in not providing direction for music programs for the disadvantaged, and specifically for Head Start programs. The philosophical concern of the music education profession for "music for every child and every child for music" has not yet taken shape in actual practice. The writings and research in music education have focused on elementary through adult education, with little concern for the general student, especially at the preschool level. In the words of one music educator: "Music training and education of the preschool child has tradi- tionally been virtually ignored by parents and by music educators as well" (35). Educators who consider music at all in preschool programs give sparse attention to planned, sequential musical experiences for the pre- schooler. The professional training of both prospective music teachers and nursery school teachers encompasses minimal attention to the earliest musical development of the child. Only within the lastfew years have sessions on music for the preschooler been scheduled at the annual Music Educators National Conference meetings. Still less attention has been given to music for the culturally disadvantaged by professional educators. There seems to be almost unanimous agreement among educators as to the importance of music in the preschool education program, although little has been done in the area. There have been no significant attempts to determine what musical responses first emerge or the nature of these early responses. Investigators have been concerned primarily with the rhythmic or singing development of very young children,