Creative Music and Movement in the Early Childhood Classroom (ECE380)

ECE380 Creative Music and Movement in the Early Childhood Classroom aims to support teachers’ use of open-ended and playful creative music and movement in preschool settings. This is a highly participative course which requires participants to move and make music every session. Through a combination of theory and practical application, participants will learn to design and implement developmentally appropriate activities that promote children’s active engagement and interconnected areas of early development including motor-coordination, social and self-awareness, creativity and executive functioning skills.

• Children’s development of creativity, self-regulation and executive functioning skills
• Constructivist approaches in music and movement education
• The basics of creative music education
• The basics of creative movement education
• Percussion instruments and props
• Developmentally appropriate songs and music
• Principles of design and pedagogical decision making
• Activity design and considerations for early years (18 months to 3 years)
• Activity design and considerations for kindergarten (4 to 6 years)
• Facilitation skills for infants and toddlers in a group setting
• Facilitation skills for preschoolers in a group setting
• Music and movement in everyday routines to support executive functioning skills

• Examine how music and movement experiences can support creativity, social skills, self regulation and executive functioning skills.
• Discuss the modalities and components in planned music and movement experiences.
• Critique the appropriateness of strategies used to conduct music and movement activities with young children.
• Apply the elements of music and movement in designing music and movement experiences for young children.
• Plan and implement developmentally appropriate creative music and movement experiences.
• Demonstrate the ability to execute, scaffold and reflect on process-based music and movement experiences.