benefits of music Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Early Learning Childhood Education

05/04/201705/04/2017

Getting screen time right for young children in 2017

Sometimes it feels as though screens are all around us. From iPads and tablets to phones, television screens to computers. Children in particular are drawn to the glow of a screen – some children can become very attached to them.

While technology like these various devices can have some benefits, like facilitating certain learning experiences, the fact is we really don’t know what long term effects screen time will have on us.

What we’re seeing from screen time

What we do know is that screen time can get in the way of children going outside and playing in the real world. With 1 in 4 Australian children overweight or obese, movement needs to be a priority and screen time is usually not the best approach to getting active. On top of that, screen time while eating has been connected to mindless overeating, especially in children.

Researchers are seeing a link between screens and rest too, resulting in irritability and disrupted sleep. A sleep researcher from the University of Wollongong puts this down to three things:

-Content that is causing a hormonal and emotional responses e.g. releasing adrenalin;

-Time taken up by screen time delaying children’s rest time (and adults!);

-Light from screens disrupting circadian rhythms, causing too much alertness and suppressing the sleep hormone melatonin.

Guidelines to screen time for children

Recommendations made by scientists from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2015 advised that screens should be avoided for any children under 2.

The AAP created this handy infographic to visually explain the guidelines to screen time for children:

Consider adult screen time too

Another focus area to look at is the screen time children see adults partaking in. We can often become engrossed in our phones or computers and this results in similar negative behaviours as exhibited by children on devices. That is, ignoring the company around you, irritability, disrupted circadian rhythms and therefore sleep patterns.

Of course we lead busy lives but think about how urgent it is to read that email right now or check that Facebook notification. Lead by example by turning off the screens and picking up a book or heading outside for some fresh air and exercise. You’ll feel better for it and your notifications will still be on your device when you get back to it.

Get your screen time right

While there are high quality apps and media we can utilise to help children build skills and learn and give adults a break now and again, spending countless hours in front of screens is not doing anyone any good.

The first five years are a crucial period of brain development and no app is a substitute for the real world. Show children that there’s no on and off switch for life and that not everything will happen instantly at a swipe of their fingers. Minimise screen time and there’s no doubt that you’ll see the benefits for yourself and your children.

07/04/201607/04/2016

How a Child’s First Five Years Can Change Everything

The research is pretty conclusive – the first five years of a child’s life are the most important. This means early childhood education could be one of the most significant factors in life when it comes to determining a child’s future.

As National Youth Week approaches where we celebrate Australia’s youth aged 12-25 for a week-long initiative (April 8-17, 2016), it seems like a good time to consider the impact of those earlier years on how children will develop, and who they will become.

Laying Life’s Foundations

According to Goodstart Institute of Early Learning, 80 per cent of a child’s brain develops before they reach age 5, and the experiences they have during this time will shape the rest of their lives. With a child’s brain developing more rapidly from birth to 5-years old than any other time in their life, it is not surprising that, as Raising Children explains, this is when foundations for learning, health and behaviour throughout life are laid down.

During these first five years of life, various factors will influence a child’s development. Genetic factors, relationships, environmental elements… The latter two can both be impacted significantly by early childhood education, including both the educators themselves, the approach to learning and the facilities provided.

Holistic Approach – Teaching the Whole Child

With so many areas of a child’s development for parents and educators to nurture and optimise, it can seem almost impossible to support every area of learning for a child – let alone every day for those first five years! This is where music steps in. Countless studies show that partaking in musical activity in childhood helps to develop the whole brain – with amazing emotional, social and academic results (not to mention physical, through movement and dance!).

Music Every Day Made Simple

While many of the studies on the impact of creating music on the brain are based on learning an instrument in one or two lessons per week, it is clear that creating music with our voices and bodies via singing, clapping, clicking and stomping is closely related. I am dedicated to delivering a way that children can experience music activities from age two not only for 30 minutes twice a week, but every day.

The result of children’s involvement in making music is evident in their academic ability, behaviour and wellbeing. I see these outcomes on a daily basis, as do the educators at other centres implementing the Bonkers Beat music program across the country.

Find the Time to Enhance the First Five Years

Many educators feel that their days are just too busy to incorporate music into their daily routines, but these are just a few ideas of when you might use music. Here are some times when music can be slipped into the day with little to no effort to enhance children’s brains and learning:

-Smooth classical music – on arrival during family grouping time
-Transitional songs – during transition times
-Nursery songs and musical games – throughout the day
-Relaxation music – during rest time
-Classical music including Mozart – during art/craft sessions to stimulate creativity
-Yoga music – during stretching or yoga sessions
-Meditation music – during meditation, relaxation and breathing time
-Smooth classical music – on departure during family grouping time
-Multicultural and folk music – to encourage spontaneous dancing and bonding during family grouping time or community events

Make the Most of the First Five Years; Make Music

Incorporating music into early childhood can affect almost every aspect of children’s learning, from literacy and numeracy to coordination, wellbeing and everything in between. These benefits can last a lifetime. With the knowledge of just how incredibly important those first five years are, introducing singing and musical experiences designed to enhance children’s development is essential and will change a children’s lives for the better.

18/02/201618/02/2016

When 3 million Australians are living with depression or anxiety, wellbeing matters

You hear about wellbeing all the time and you know that it’s important, but if you’re wondering “what is wellbeing?”, you’re not alone!

Research indicates that wellbeing is “a state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy”. Collins English Dictionary defines wellbeing as “the condition of being contented, healthy, or successful; welfare“. According to the Macmillan Dictionary, wellbeing is “the satisfactory state that someone or something should be in, that involves such things as being happy, healthy, and safe”.

When we think of wellbeing we need to remember that it comprises all elements of wellness – that is good physical health and good mental health. These contribute to the bigger picture that is our overall state of wellbeing, which affects our day-to-day enjoyment and comfort.

The Bonkers Beat programs highlight music as a means to enhance learning but also to provide a pathway to improving the wellbeing of children and educators.

How Music Improves Wellbeing

PHYSICAL WELLBEING: Encourages physical activity; reduces muscle tension; stimulates feel-good hormones; boosts immunity
EMOTIONAL WELLBEING: Calming effect; reduces negative emotions; lyrics can function as positive affirmations; uplifts the spirit
SOCIAL WELLBEING: Facilitates teamwork; increases self-esteem; builds confidence; can embed social skills

Wellbeing Practices for Life

In addition to music and these amazing benefits noted above, the Bonkers Beat programs also focus on incorporating wellbeing practices every day. Wellbeing practices include: yoga, stretching, breathing exercises and meditation.

The positive results from these activities can often be noted immediately – and once again, they benefit educators as well children! The impact is both physical and emotional, from lowering cortisol (stress hormone) levels to increasing mobility and so much more.

Wellbeing Matters

These figures from beyondblue indicate why wellbeing matters for all of us, young and old:

3 million Australians are living with depression or anxiety
One in four young Australians currently has a mental health condition
One in 16 young Australians is currently experiencing depression
One in six young Australians is currently experiencing an anxiety condition
Suicide is the biggest killer of young Australians and accounts for the deaths of more young people than car accidents

Furthermore, 6-38% of family day care educators met criteria for depression according to the findings from the research project ‘Work and wellbeing in family day care’, by the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, Deakin University, RMIT and The Jack Brockhoff Child Health & Wellbeing Program.

Enhanced Wellbeing for Children and Educators

While our role and passion is to enhance the wellbeing of children in our care, at Bonkers Beat we feel it’s important to make note of the importance of educator’s wellbeing too.

If we are not feeling good within ourselves in an emotional, physical or social sense, then we need to be supported by our team to improve our wellbeing.

By bonding and enhancing that sense of teamwork in your centre, as well as incorporating music and wellbeing practices each day, educators will have the tools they need to do what they do best, and be the best they can beWhile our role and passion is to enhance the wellbeing of children in our care, at Bonkers Beat we feel it’s important to make note of the importance of educator’s wellbeing too.

If we are not feeling good within ourselves in an emotional, physical or social sense, then we need to be supported by our team to improve our wellbeing.

By bonding and enhancing that sense of teamwork in your centre, as well as incorporating music and wellbeing practices each day, educators will have the tools they need to do what they do best, and be the best they can be. And that’s why wellbeing is so important, not only to children but to early childhood education.

The upcoming Bonkers Beat Wellness Summits are committed to the wellbeing of educators and children. We aim to ensure each educator has the tools and support within their centre to do the best job possible with children in their care and enjoy each day with a sense of enhanced wellbeing. The exclusive Bonkers Beat Wellness Summits are run in Australian capital cities and are included for all educators from centres who are members of Bonkers Beat Music and/or Wellbeing programs. If you’d like to learn more, click here.

26/06/201526/06/2015

Teaching Children Through Music Today to Create a Better Tomorrow

There are many articles written about the subject of music. At our Bonkers Beat Music Kinder, we see daily how children, as young as 2yo, are developing by learning through music.

The Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland (ACA QLD) just published an article, written by Galina; which is very close to her heart.

When music and movement are taught, children benefit greatly in many areas of life. Literacy, memory skills, concentration, social interaction, fine motor skills, listening, problem solving, teamwork and coordination are all positively impacted. We have many parents coming and sharing with us their positive feedback about their children’s development and how music connects their family and becomes part of their daily lives.

For all educators attending the 2015 National Childcare Conference in Brisbane, the program is packed with an array of exceptional speakers and workshops dedicated for educators, early childhood professionals, and approved providers. The conference’s theme is ‘Don’t Stop Believing’. It’s clearly emphasises the importance and the passion for the role that we, early childhood educators play and continue to believe in the contribution we make to the lives of young children.

For more information about the conference, visit: www.childcareconference.com.au

Galina will be presenting on Saturday and would love to meet as many of you as possible. So please say ‘Hi’ or visit her presentation to learn more about teaching through music.

To read her full article, follow the link ‘Teaching Children Through Music Today to Create a Better Tomorrow’, or click on images below.

01/07/201401/07/2014

The Magic of Music

It’s no secret that the Bonkers Beat team is passionate about music and the magic it can bring to children’s lives, but our belief in music as a part of early childhood education is based on science just as much as it is on enjoyment.

There is a huge amount of studies that indicate the benefits of music – just last week researchers from Boston added to the list, concluding that music enhances the ability to generally manage in life. This isn’t surprising when you consider the fact that music connects with children on every level, from the physical to the emotional and intellectual, engaging the whole brain – now that’s impressive.

Many educational institutions include minimal music, if at all, but the research is strong – music needs to be on the agenda, specifically in early childhood education where the benefits can be particularly notable for children aged from one to five years.

Putting the pleasure of music aside, let’s take a look at some of the greatest benefits of music and its contribution to children’s development. Music Play For Life (http://www.musicplayforlife.org) refers to a 2001 study in Switzerland involving more than 1200 children, saying “when 3 other curriculum classes were replaced with music classes, young children made more rapid developments in speech and learned to read easier. They also learned to like each other more, were less stressed and enjoyed school more”.

It is clear from looking at a child’s response to music that they enjoy it – the emotional response to smile and sing along, combined with the physical response to move their bodies all demonstrate the connectedness children feel to music.

Early childhood educator April Kaiser from the USA compiled a wonderful list of the skills (http://www.niu.edu/ccc/resources/importanceofmusicandmovement.pdf) that music and movement can help to develop and many of them are absolutely crucial to overall development:

1. Participating in a group

2. Social skills

3. Express emotions

4. Enhance self?concept by sharing music and dance of each other’s culture

5. Refine listening skills?noticing changes in tempo or pitch

6. Awareness of movement and body positions

7. Creativity and imagination

8. Learn new words and concepts

9. Explore cause and effect

10. Develop large motor skills

11.Improve balance, coordination and rhythm through dance and movement activities

12. Improve small motor skills?learning finger plays and playing musical instruments.

(Sources: The Creative Curriculum for Preschool Children by Diane Trister Dodge and Laura J. Colker)

Got something to add? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the magic that music can bring to the lives of children on our Facebook page.