Sometimes small things make a big difference. In the case of ten nursery and Reception class children with special needs at Booker Park School in Buckinghamshire, a ten-week music project helped them make small physical reactions that represented developmental leaps.
Charity Soundabout began the project in summer 2018 by providing a half-day of training to all staff, followed by more intensive training for teacher Clare Perry (pictured) and a colleague. This prepared them for ten weeks of hour-long, weekly music sessions with children and parents.
The approach measures children’s musical development by how they engage with sound reactively (listening and responding to music), proactively (making music alone) and interactively (engaging in music-making with others). ‘We did a baseline of the children’s ability at the beginning,’ says Ms Perry. ‘Many at 20 months were operating at a level of zero to 11 months.’
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
