Singapore University of Social Sciences

Musicking, Moving and Storying with Young Children

Musicking, Moving and Storying with Young Children (ECE372)

Synopsis

ECE372 Musicking, Moving and Storying with Young Children introduces students to the fundamentals of musicking (making music) and storying (making story or drama). Through child-led and adult-led musicking and storying, children build confidence and self-esteem, relationships, communities and cultures. They build social capital, learn to associate actions with words and sounds and develop skills and understandings that promote positive outcomes in later literacy, learning and life. The core focus of this course is how early childhood teachers in the Singapore context can support birth – 6 years old children to explore with their voices (songs and chants), create music with body percussion and rudimentary classroom instruments, understand these explorations and creations, move their bodies in response to music, and make and extend stories through dramatic play and process drama. The course is suitable for practising educators who wish to broaden their curricular knowledge and pedagogical skills.

Level: 3
Credit Units: 5
Presentation Pattern: Every July
E-Learning: BLENDED - Learning is done ENTIRELY online using interactive study materials in Canvas. Students receive guidance and support from online instructors via discussion forums and emails. There are no face-to-face sessions. If the course has an exam component, this will be administered on-campus.

Topics

  • The arts as symbol systems and contemporary perspectives on young children’s aesthetic and creative development
  • The arts and other domains of development
  • Musicking – Elemental concepts
  • Musical skills for teachers
  • Musicking (singing and playing) with infants and toddlers
  • Musicking (singing and playing) with preschoolers
  • Designing and managing movement activities
  • Storying – Elemental concepts
  • Drama skills for teachers
  • Supporting child-initiated dramatic play endeavours and balancing those with planned learning experiences
  • Process drama
  • Scaffolding children’s storying and drama creation

Learning Outcome

  • Demonstrate understanding of music and drama as symbol systems with which people make meaning
  • Examine the importance of musicking and storying for young children’s learning and development
  • Discuss young children’s development in music and drama
  • Demonstrate the ability to accurately sing, create and modify songs and chants
  • Demonstrate the ability to accurately perform basic rhythmic patterns
  • Analyse observational data to plan for children’s learning
  • Apply strategies learned to scaffold children’s developing understanding of musicking and storying
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