The power of singing with young children: teacher skill and confidence

Singing is a natural form of communication and self-expression for young children. They sing as they play, make up songs with nonsense words, create repetitive chants as they sit in the sandpit or run around outside. Babies are soothed by a lullaby, they hear their mother’s voice as music with its sing-song quality, and they respond to singing by moving and imitating (1). For the adult, however, singing can be daunting. A lack of confidence and a sense that they ‘can’t sing’ inhibits them, and yet singing with young children is a powerful tool that encourages a sense of belonging and wellbeing, and contributes to enhanced learning outcomes across a range of domains.