Music and children

Children and music seem to go together. Life starts with being soothed by lullabies and continues with nursery rhymes, playful songs and the myriad of different types of music that we hear every day, at home and when out and about. Increasingly, in many twenty-first century societies, most of us are consumers of music rather than active music makers; however, participation in hands-on musical experiences brings both joy and benefits to young children. In this book there is information about the value of music in early childhood and many examples of how to integrate music making into childrenâs daily lives at home and in early childhood education and care settings. It covers: the elements of music; childrenâs musical development; the central role of singing in early music making; ways to develop musical skills; the developmental value of music for young children; how music can support implementation of the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standard and its relevance to the Childrenâs Services Competencies