My Best course - Music to their ears

Since attending the interative music-making course in January last year, early years practitioner Tina Carter is continuing to build on the techniques and approach, and says it is hugely rewarding to see how children benefit from music making in her setting.

Based at the Pound Park Nursery School and Children's Centre in Greenwich, Ms Carter says the seven-week course was challenging for her personally - particularly when it came to the written assignments.

'I chose to do the course because I've always really enjoyed music and can play the guitar,' she says. 'I'd used this with the children but wanted to find out how I could develop it further and create more structured sessions.'

Delivered by organisation Music as Therapy, the programme includes tutorials and workshops over a 13-week period, with self-directed study and a concluding written assignment, which can count towards a university degree.

The teaching components cover child development, attachment theory, child-centred play, how interactive music-making facilitates early child development and developing relationships through music making.

'There is a really good depth of insight to be gained from the course,' Ms Carter says. 'While I had carried out music sessions in the past, the training helped me to gain an understanding of what individual children were actually doing, in terms of behaviour and development. I began to understand, for example, what one little boy was expressing when he was banging the drums loudly.'

Ms Carter has set up Friday music-making sessions which all the children really look forward to. 'I run three 20-minute sessions in the morning and three in the afternoon. These groups tend to be targeted at children who may need additional help with listening skills or language.' The children's progress is nothing short of 'amazing'.

Further information

Contact shannonperkins@musicastherapy.org

www.interactivemusicmaking.org