her class gave two selective mutes the power of song.
For Michelle Moss, music used to be something she says she would 'do anything in my power to avoid'. The early years leader for Central Primary School in Watford says she is 'not musically talented' and was consequently very apprehensive at the prospect of a music course. But the school wanted to develop its music provision, and so it invested in The Voices Foundation programme for early years staff.
The programme is aligned with the early learning goals, and can run over one year or two with sessions every term, although it can also be tailored to fit different needs and budgets. 'Now we do music every day. I've gone from avoiding it to absolutely loving it,' says Ms Moss.
Katie Neilson, of The Voices Foundation, says, 'The research shows it's better to have a nursery teacher with training teaching music than it is to have a music specialist coming in because it's all about the relationship with the children.
'This way, it can become part of the day, rather than a one-off, half-hour session.' It also helps to inform practice, because 'if the nursery practitioner knows what to listen for they are going to make much better observations of the children'.
Training is both off-site and in-lesson to ensure that practitioners are passing on the benefit to the children. Each course attendee also receives a copy of the resource book Inside Music: early years together with planning guides, which have songs, dances and games, including listening tracks and activities for introducing instruments. 'It's not just about singing a song but learning a song that will help learning,' says Ms Neilson.
Ms Moss says that, in class, the boost to children's confidence has been 'incredible'. 'Two children were selective mute at nursery and one hadn't really spoken at home. But because the singing was repetitive their confidence really built up,' she says. 'Some of the songs we do are games where a child sits in the middle of a circle. These two little girls wouldn't speak to anybody but they put their hands up for a turn and they sang in front of everybody. I nearly cried.'
- www.voices.org.uk/courses.
