Music is the foundation of children’s learning

はじめまして。僕はニュージーランドで20年以上保育士をしてきました。その中で、特に音楽が子どもの成長にどれほど大きな影響を与えるかを日々実感しています。音楽を通じて、子どもたちがどのように学び、成長するかを学びながら、様々なアイデアを実践してきました。

このブログでは、私の経験や知識を通じて、音楽が子どもの発達にどのように役立つかを親御さんや保育士の皆さんにお伝えしていきます。子どもたちが楽しみながら成長できる環境づくりを、皆さんと一緒に考えていきたいと思います。

I have worked at childcare centres and kindergartens for nearly 20 years. During this time, I have developed and taught music activities to a large range of children.

This has led to my development of a special programme of music experiences that help to develop each child’s musical potential. At the same time, these activities help to increase their social and emotional competence.

In this proposal, I would like to outline my ideas for introducing this programme to your centre.

Apart from the benefits mentioned above, the Ministry of Education also states:

‘From their very early years, children’s involvement with music facilitates their intellectual, imaginative, and emotional growth, helps them to gain a positive self-image, and extends their awareness of cultural values’ (Ministry of Education, 1993).

In addition, according to Te Whāriki:

‘Music supports learning across all strands of Te Whāriki. In particular, children’s developing musicality is supported in the Communication strand, where they discover and develop different ways to be creative and expressive. They make music, sing songs − including songs of their own − and can keep a steady beat through speech, chants, dances and movement to rhythm. They discover that music, dance and drama can amuse, delight, comfort, illuminate, inform and excite’ (Ministry of Education, 2015).