Hi there friends & colleagues! And happy November!
As I have traveled around to different schools and different conferences this fall, I have been struck by two things –
1 – How incredible, creative, and resourceful early childhood educators are. No matter what is thrown your way, you figure out a way to make it work and in such a way that benefits your students. I have seen it in every classroom I’ve visited and I have heard it in every PD session I’ve given. I am now a firm believer that if preschool teachers ruled the world, we’d all be in great shape.
2 – Our COVID-19 babies entering school this year bring with them a host of challenges, primarily around self-regulation, communication and social-emotional skills.
Below are some ways that using developmentally appropriate music can help support building capacity in these critical areas.
Musical Learning in Morning Circle Time
Start your day with music that energizes and focuses your students without overstimulating them. Here’s a great fingerplay for this time of year that supports mathematical skills, early literacy skills, fine motor development, and fosters communication skills and self-regulation.Teacher Hand Drum for Transitions
Do you have a hand drum you can use to support keeping children engaged throughout transitions? If not, here’s the one I use and love, with a few quick demonstrations!
Educator Tip
Three Tips for Cleanup Time
- Avoid repeated verbal directions and reminders. For clean up time, simply tell the children that when they hear you play the drum, it’s time to start cleaning up and join you on the rug. They will naturally react to the drum beat and want to be a part of it!
- Children might start patting their laps, dancing or clapping their hands once they have joined you on the rug. If this happens, give them the challenge of “freezing” when you stop playing and moving to the beat when you play.
- When it’s time to sit down on the rug, flutter your fingers on the drum to signal that it’s time to sit down on the floor and relax.
With a simple instrument, you can turn a challenging moment into an impromptu musical listening dance party, supporting self-regulation, fostering engagement, and building community!
Keeping a Steady Beat
For young children, keeping a steady beat to music is a powerful brain-building activity that not only supports self-regulation and motor skills, but also early literacy skills! When you pat your lap to the steady beat in music, you might think, “This is so simple!” But now think about how much self-regulation is required for you to keep your physical movement perfectly aligned with the tempo of the music. Your hands hit your lap at just the right moment, lift up, and do it again.
Educator Tip
Need some music ideas? Check out our Music for Transitions Playlist on Spotify!
Using Music & Movement to Send Signals to their Brains About What is Coming Next
As teachers, we often reach for music to match our students’ energy level. They come in off the playground and we think, “oh, they are wound up and need to release more energy!” So we choose music that is fast and loud, hoping that they will get that last little bit of energy out and then calm down. But what we’ve actually done is give their brains and bodies another dose of sugar. We’ve potentially made the problem worse. Instead, choose music that sends the signal to their brain that it is time to feel calm, still and focused in our bodies. Here’s how!
- Turn the lights down low
- Have each child lay down on their back with their hand on their belly
- Play a beautiful, calming piece of music that will naturally encourage deep breathing and will calm the nervous system.
Educator Tip
Give children something to focus on during this time with prompts like:
- Count how many times you inhale while we listen to music.
- Silently count how many rectangles are on the ceiling.
- Rub the thumb on your right hand, now rub your pointer finger, etc.
- Can you touch your eyebrows? Blink your eyes three times? Wiggle your nose?
Need some music ideas? Check out our Music for Mindfulness Playlist on Spotify!
Gratitude & Special Offer
The My Music Starts Here team is deeply grateful for each and every one of you, certainly for being a part of our network, but most importantly for the way you show up every day for your students, no matter what is thrown your way. Our promise to you is to be a constant source of high-quality resources that are relevant and meaningful and will make your job easier and more joy-filled.
With that in mind, we want to invite you to join your fellow teachers and administrators around the country who are enhancing their literacy curriculums, fostering social-emotional development and helping their students thrive with our Classroom Program! If you are open to exploring our new supplemental programs for the 2025-26 school year, let’s connect!
And when you’re ready to jump in, please use the code NAEYC24 for a special 20% off of our Classroom Program.
As always, thank you for being here and thank you for being a musical light in the life of a child.