On the morning of 24th February, eight Ofsted-registered childminders in Sutton brought over 20 of their charges to the Cognus offices to participate in Mini Melody Makers, a series of three music sessions for children under five. This project is a collaboration between Sutton Music Service and Tania Long in the Early Years team. Mini Melody Makers is an exciting opportunity for Sutton Music Service to bring music-making to younger children, starting their musical journeys as early as possible.
Led by Claire Cossins, the inaugural session had lots of singing and music-making, with traditional nursery rhymes and specially composed songs that support a child’s natural development. Studies have shown that live music-making can benefit children before they walk or talk; the songs and actions in the session help the child in several ways:
- Shaking musical instruments and action songs help with developing fine and gross motor skills.
- Singing to children prepares their ears, voice and brain for language.
- Dancing or marching to the music teaches balance and coordination.
- Songs with a little surprise or ‘jump’ teach waiting and anticipation.
- Peekaboo/hiding songs help with learning object permeance.
As it was raining heavily that morning, there were rain-themed songs, which the childminders could then ‘take home’ with them and continue to sing. No music session would be complete without bubbles, and the bubble session proved very popular! Again, popping bubbles contributes to the development of those all-important motor skills.
The first session proved very popular with the childminders, with one saying: “We all really enjoyed it, thank you”.
The following two sessions occured at our Cantium House offices on the 10th and 24th March. You can find out more about the benefits of making music with younger children here:
- Science Daily Study: Music Lessons and Babies
- The Guardian: Singing to Children May Help Development of Language Skills
- Psychology Today: The Science Behind Infant-Directed Singing
