The benefits of involving children in musical activities are immense: from developing a love of music to promoting brain growth. Music is one of the few activities that use both sides of the brain, logical and creative, which in turn creates connections across the hemispheres. The more connections we have, the faster we are able to think. Most importantly, music is fun. If a child is having fun their brain is open to learning.
As well as developing musical abilities, a child's involvement in musical activities opens doors of other learning. Music can help children develop listening and concentration; control and coordination of large and small muscles; memory skills; an understanding of 3 dimensional space and an awareness and ability to control the movement of their body in that space; group social skills of appreciating the ideas of others, taking turns, and working in a circle with the subsequent self confidence that comes with this involvement; language is developed; plus we build a knowledge of other cultures and times, through their music, along the way.
The Willows State School provides an exciting opportunity for all students to be involved in music learning. The music classroom program is based on the Australian Curriculum Arts Syllabus – Music Strand. It provides opportunities for all children to perform, read, write and create music. They become actively engaged in music making and develop an enjoyment and love of music. The program is also designed to support the Australian Curriculum in literacy and numeracy. The instrumental program provides students to become intellectually challenged and facilitates personal confidence and social development.
All children deserve the enrichment musical experiences provide.
Music links
Literacy
- Knowing about and using specific letters of the alphabet and sounds in words.
- Focused listening of spoken and sung texts and text improvisation.
- Comprehending and composing meaningful texts.
- Creating spoken text.
- Finding interesting alternative words for song lyrics.
- Using framework of song books to write individual or class books.
Numeracy
- Counting in songs with cumulative actions to reinforce number concepts.
- Dividing rhythmic patterns into groups of beats.
- Identifying short repeated patterns within a longer pattern.
- Counting and experience with the concept of duration in sound.
- Number of beats and sounds in songs.
- Performing a variety of rhythms with correct timing on the beats.
Life skills
Personal development skills in identifying and developing talents
Recognising individual strengths
Developing aesthetic awareness and self confidence
Cooperating to successfully play games and work with partners
Enhance memory