Music for Intellectual Development

All of us have experienced days when we are completely stressed out- we feel our heartbeat rise, jaws clench and forehead pucker up. Now imagine yourself getting into the car feeling angry or upset and driving back home while listening to some soft, soothing music. Within a few minutes you will feel your shoulders relaxing and the frown lines on your forehead easing out. That is the incredible, mood altering power of music.

Given the importance of music for our personal social and emotional well being, it is vital that children should be introduced to music through fun filled, engaging activities from early years. Experts in developmental psychology and learning vouch for the fact that musical activities help children develop different skills that will continue to be useful throughout their lives.  Many studies conducted on influence of music in early years have concluded that it has a engaging children in musical activities has a positive impact on brain growth and memory. Integrating musical activities in preschool curriculum can also enhance:

• Motor coordination and balance
• Ability to concentrate and respond
• Cognitive skills such as recognising and extending patterns
• Language skills such as listening, learning of new words et cetera
• Aesthetic awareness
• Their willingness to recognize that different people have different preferences -different likes and dislikes.

Howard Gardner in his theory of Multiple Intelligences suggests that musical intelligence is a unique intelligence that can be enhanced through age appropriate instruction and experience.

Therefore, music should be an essential component of preschool curriculum. In early years music should be included in the daily time table through a variety of activities such as singing, dancing, creating music and playing with different musical toys.

Teachers and preschool owners must make sure that apart from puzzles, beads, soft toys and lacing boards preschool classes are stocked with different musical toys such as tambourines, shakers, xylophones et cetera. Children should be encouraged to explore these musical toys and teachers should reinforce this experience by talking about quality of sound (loud-soft; fast-slow et cetera). Teachers should also try to associate emotions with music and talk about the feelings that different sounds elicit.

Such planned experiences, supported by the right environment, equipped with age appropriate musical toys, will help children develop their musical intelligence.

Play - An Innovative Approach To Learning

Work is what you are obliged to do, play is what you're not obliged to do.

                                                                                                                        –Mark Twain

Ruhi is playing with blocks. She is stacking the blocks one on top of the other. ‘I am making a Qutub Minar,’ she says, recalling the recent visit to the monument.

As she stacks the fifth block the tower wobbles. She quickly removes all the blocks and replaces the lowest block with a larger one. As she stacks five more blocks on this bigger base block, the tower appears steady. “Look Ma’am! Look at my Qutub Minar,” she says excitedly.

By playing with blocks Ruhi recalled her visit to the monument. She remembered its name and physical structure. She learnt that by putting a bigger block at the bottom she can build a stable tower. She developed self confidence and learnt that if things do not work out the first time she needs to try again.

This brings us to the importance of play. Most teachers and parents realize that play is important to keep children happy and engaged. However research has proved that play with the right kind of toys and teaching learning material can enhance development and learning in children. Smart educators know that toys can be used to make children work in guise of play.

WHY IS PLAY IMPORTANT?

Play helps children develop balance, co-ordination and dexterity: Physical play that involves running, jumping, kicking, throwing improves strength, stamina, muscle co-ordination and balance. Playing with blocks puzzles and beads can help improve eye hand co-ordination.

Play helps language and cognitive development: Play helps children learn new words and practice them in the right context. They learn names of play materials (hoopla, slide trampoline), action words (throw, give), descriptive words (full, empty) as they participate in play activities.

Play also helps in concept formation. For example, while playing with sand children learn what "full" or "empty" means. They learn that sand is coarse, dry sand can be poured but cannot be moulded whereas wet sand can be moulded into different shapes.

Play helps children acquire skills Children at play learn to pay attention and concentrate on a task.  They learn to solve problems by trying out alternatives. Children develop their imagination when they play. They learn to follow directions. All these skills will be important when children turn into grown-ups.

Play helps children learn about rules of social behavior: While playing, children learn to take turns and share. They express emotions in socially acceptable modes, listen and talk to playmates, and follow rules.

Play supports creativity and self expression: Play activities that involve music, construction drawing et cetera encourage self-expression. Children learn to enjoy the beauty of colours, the rhythm of a melody, or the action of games. Children act out their hopes and fears in creative play. When children are encouraged to tell their own stories, paint their own picture, act out their own feelings, or build their own pretend world, they learn to be creative.

Play helps children develop a positive self concept.

Children enjoy play and they learn new skills and concepts that they can use in other situations. Like adults children learn better when they are relaxed. Even when play is hard, children are excited when they discover that they can control their bodies and actions. The sense of achievement that follows —"I did it!" is translated into positive self concept.

HOW TEACHERS AND PARENTS HELP CHILDREN PLAY?

Create a welcoming play environment where children can make choices. There should be a variety of play material in sufficient quantity so that children do not have to tolerate long waits.

Provide the right toys and activities at the right stage of development.

Participate in the play activity with enthusiasm. Play time for children is not time for you to plan for the next activity or just take it easy.

Ensure safety. Check toys and creative materials for safety and control angry, destructive behaviour.

Ensure variety. Provide chances for indoor and outdoor play. Provide material for active and quiet play; group and individual players.

Importance of Teaching Learning Material In Play Way Approach

‘Play way’ and ‘holistic personality development’ are the two key phrases used by many preschools to communicate their approach to teaching and learning. Yet when you peep into most classrooms you will see children sitting in their places completing worksheets, reciting poems or colouring pictures. This is play-way, say the teachers- after all we are not forcing children to memorise. There is no pressure on children and we motivate them by giving each child a star for completing the task.  

Fred Froebel, the originator of the Kindergarten system and the play way system of learning said that ‘play is the work of children. The … aim of these plays [games] … is to exercise and develop the child’s power of independent movement. They are journeys of discovery. They are plays which enrich the child with perceptions and experiences.’

To encourage children to play Froebel designed playthings he called ‘gifts’. The purpose of providing children with these ‘gifts’ was to encourage them to play and thereby discover underlying concepts represented by the object.   

The importance of the right ‘gifts’ or teaching learning material cannot therefore be overemphasised in the play way approach. A progressive school with committed teachers and concerned promoters therefore have to ensure that the preschool provides age appropriate, interesting, safe and attractive teaching learning material for both indoors and outdoors. Children will learn language, understand concepts and develop skills by interacting with the right kind of teaching leaning material. The teacher can thereby assume the true role of a facilitator.  

The first step to providing quality preschool education is ensuring that they have access to toys and play materials that stimulate curiosity, encourage discovery and provide challenge as well opportunities to experience success.