Music curriculum aims to nurture preschoolers’ language skills
A Researchers
Maria Runfola and Elisabeth Etopio want to show how music can help preschoolers
learn language with an actual curriculum they will bring to 350 children
from the ages of 1 to 5 in
the city of Buffalo.
B Preschool
children are not getting music instruction that could make a real difference in
improving overall development, particularly their reading readiness,
according to the researchers. This is especially true of children labeled “at-risk.”
“This project has the potential for setting a national model on how music can
benefit overall development of children in preschool and help classroom
teachers guide music activities in preschool,” Runfola, associate professor of
music education in the Department of Learning and Instruction says.
C Their
work comes at a time when many school programs are cutting music from the
curriculum. Losing the opportunity for exposure to music at such a formative
age is bad enough, the two researchers say. But the deck is stacked against preschool children even more because
Runfola and Etopio’s research has shown how music can make young children more
ready to benefit from classroom instruction and become better readers.
D Runfola
and Etopio conducted a study of 165 preschoolers who participated in music
activities taught by 11 teachers with intensive training in musicianship skill
and teaching strategies for guiding young children’s music development. Now
they will practice it in broad range. Children and teachers will experience the
“magic of music in weekly music/movement sessions guided by “music teaching
artists.” The content of the curriculum includes songs and chants that enhance rhythm
and rhyme; opportunities for aural discrimination — listening skills — that
strengthen neural pathways for language learning; tonal-pattern and
rhythm-pattern dialogue for improvised musical conversations; movement
emphasizing flow, weight, space and time; playing and exploring simple
instruments.”
E
“This project not only guides children’s music learning,”
Runfola says, “but also the professional development of their teachers
so that future classes of children will benefit from something so powerful and
universal — music— something that students can learn to appreciate and
cultivate their whole lives.”
Adjusted to (1)
the deck is stacked – karta se obrací
proti
enhance – zdůraznit
1) Read the article and match each of the headings to
a paragraph.
1 The project educates also teachers
2 Children in Buffalo
will experience a music project
3 Music supports children’s development
4 Contents of music curriculum
5 Many schools are cutting music out of their
curriculum
2) Read the article and answer the questions.
1 What does Runfola say
about influence of music education on learning abilities?
2 What is the situation concerning music in the US like?
3 What kind of project did Runfola
and Etopio start? Who are they?
4 What skills will be practiced?
5 How will teachers benefit from this project?
3) Explain the following words and phrases.
1 curriculum
2 reading readiness
3 rhythm and rhyme
4 exploring simple instruments
5 professional development
4) Answer the following questions.
What are benefits of music education? How does
music influence children’s learning? Describe how to teach music to
preschoolers. What equipment might be used?
Video:
Tips, sources of information:
Source:
(1)
ANZALONE, Charles. Music curriculum aims to nurture
preschoolers' language skills. News Center University at Buffalo [online].
2014 [cit. 2015-09-21]. Available at: http://www.buffalo.edu/ news/releases/2014/07/041.html
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