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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