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Ensure a strong bond between music in the classroom and music at home


children music lessonChildhood memories often include those times that music was involved.  Sing songs you learned in childhood to your students.  It’s often these traditional songs your students will ask to sing again and again.  Songs like “Playmate”, “Bicycle Built for Two”, and “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” evoke the importance of our musical heritage and generate a curiosity to learn more.  Anne E. Boyd says, “Ritualized singing at the beginning and end of play periods develops a meaningful bridge between the child’s home life and school life.”  Surveying classroom parents to ask about their favorite family songs is a way to ensure a sense of comfort and safety for your students.  Surveying your students for their favorite songs will help you select songs most familiar to all.  When students feel safe, optimal learning can take place.

Boyd, Anne E. “Music in Early Childhood.”  International Conference of Early       Education and Development, Hong Kong, July 1989.