Singing as A Teaching Technique for Children

Singing as A Teaching Technique for Children

Introduction

Multiple teaching techniques can be used by the teachers to enhance learning in childcare centers. One of the analytical methods that can be used is singing (Fink and Marxer, 2019). Singing is the act of performing music by making a sound. The act of singing serves a significant role in developing emotional as well as impacting particular knowhow to the children below two years of age. Singing should be used in childcare centers to educate the children on how to speak. Songs are also used to calm the children. Different songs are used depending on a particular time, for example, during Storytime, pick-up time, or nap time. Another strategy that teachers use is encouraging the children to do better. Staffs allow the children to handle some challenging activities through verbal encouragement, non-verbal help, and praising (“Praise, encouragement, and rewards,” 2017). Children are encouraged to improve in certain areas. Thus, making them do better in the future. Singing, encouragement, helping, and praising are some of the important learning practices in childcare centers that many teachers use.

Singing

As a teaching technique, singing for, or with children, allows teachers to enhance their learning in multiple development areas (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009). The act plays a significant role in the emotional development and building of unique skills and knowledge for children aged between zero and two years. These promote healthy growth. Firstly, when adults sing, babies learn words, language, and communication styles (Fink & Marxer, 2019). Singing does not only improve a child’s understanding of the language but also helps it play with words and develop a sense of humor (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009). Secondly, singing is an effective way for kids to understand the concept of music. With time, children become familiar with different melodies, rhymes, rhythms, pitches, and tones according to Fink and Marxer, (2019). Thirdly, singing can make daily life more pleasurable. It is not only a fun way to communicate with babies but also a good family activity.

Moreover, it can also provide a smoother transition between activities, such as pick-up time, storytime, or nap time (Hendrick and Weissman, 2007). Children between the ages of zero to two gain more attention during singing than speaking. MacNaughton and Williams (2009) argue that simple and soft songs calm children down and help staff.As a teacher, when we are singing to or with children, we have to include three characteristics: flexible, diversified, and respect for differences. Working with babies involves lots of daily care routines, and one can sing songs to the children occasionally. Even some “made up” songs can help children feel cared. According to an interview with children’s musician Ella Jenkins, music is the right way for kids to try out other languages (Friedman, 2014). Teachers can share music from different countries to make children discover the diversity of cultures and hold positive attitudes towards others. Moreover, staffs can purposefully choose songs about respect for people of varying abilities. Music can be used to encourage and influence children to listen and develop empathy (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009).

Babies can respond to different kinds of music, and they can be calmed, excited, or distressed by music. The goal of every teacher should be to use singing to soothe the babies and make them feel cared during the daily care routines, such as nap time, lunchtime, and diaper change time. In general, babies under two years tend to find quiet and calm in songs. Therefore, one should choose gentle and melodic songs to suit their routines. However, it is also essential to communicate with teachers from that childcare center to ensure they have some songs from various methods. Then, when it is time for some “happy music,” a teacher can accompany it with dance since children like a lot.

Encouraging, Praising, and Helping

Promoting as a teaching technique means that staff supports and reassure children to attempting new or challenging activities through verbal encouragement, praise, or non-verbal help (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009). Recognition is when the teacher tells children what she likes about them or their behavior while help is to provide physical support and aid to what children are doing (“Praise, encouragement, and rewards,” 2017). We can cultivate children’s self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-awareness by praising and encouraging them.       There are many moments during children’s day that can become more enjoyable and satisfying by a little encouragement and help from adults. Less confident children need more support than others. For children under the age of two, holding their hands in a fearful situation is a better way to help them practice new movements and skills (“Praise, encouragement, and rewards,” 2017). Verbal encouragement such as responding to babies with similar sound whenever they produce them encourages them to repeat the sounds hence making them more confident in speaking (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009).

Teachers need to balance praise and help because too much praising lowers independently thinking (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009). To avoid this situation, Teachers need to praise students at the right time like when they make new achievements. Teachers also have to find a balance between allowing students to solve some problems by themselves and helping them to do so. The second characteristic is to use more verbal encouragement for children under the age of two. Frank, Stolarski, and Scher (2006), found that toddlers cried less when there is more staff interacting with them. Therefore, staff should respond to similar sounds when babies are babbling and give them encouragement and praise (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009). The third point is to provide equity consideration to children from different backgrounds.

The goal I set for myself is to give children the right verbal encouragement at the right moment during the professional experience at the center. This can be done by asking other teachers in their spare time to share some examples of how to encourage children verbally and study how to support children under the age of two properly.

Conclusion

Singing is a valuable learning technique that should be adopted by many teachers in childcare centers. The reason behind this is that through singing, children can understand different languages quickly. Research shows that most of the children’s attention is rapidly drawn through the use of songs. Repeating what some children sing helps them to improve in speaking. Each song should be used during its particular time with the intended purpose. For instance, there are specific songs that are used to calm the babies and others aimed at educating them. Verbal encouragement motivates the children towards solving some of their challenging activities. Teachers should not praise the children too much to avoid self-confidence. Children in childcare centers should be helped equally irrespective of where they come.