黑料吃瓜

Ask someone to say the alphabet, and chances are somewhere between 鈥淐鈥� and 鈥淛鈥� the recitation will turn into an all-too familiar tune. That鈥檚 the way most people learned the 26-letter English alphabet, as well as many of the other building blocks of education. 黑料吃瓜 researchers have been studying how music might be used to teach more than just reading, writing and arithmetic.

By introducing songs about social and emotional behaviors and cognitive skills to children, researchers hope to demonstrate the power of music鈥攊f incorporated strategically鈥攊n all areas of education.

鈥淎 lot of research indicates the connection between music and math and science development,鈥� said Shulamit Ritblatt, chair of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 . 鈥淭he idea behind this project 鈥� is to develop songs that can help us teach these (other) types of skills.鈥�

鈥溾�淎s teachers we use a lot of tools to help (children) learn social behavior. This puts a new twist on things.鈥濃��

黑料吃瓜 Children鈥檚 Center as a partner

About the study

Children from the center鈥檚 preschool classes were assigned to one of two groups鈥攐ne that would have the music integrated into its daily curriculum, and one that would not. Then Balaban personally introduced the songs to children and teachers in the control group by leading classroom sessions, which were more akin to a Yanni concert than a lesson.

鈥淭o kick off this year鈥檚 research, I taught for a week in the classrooms and I sang to the kids,鈥� Balaban said. 鈥淭hat allowed me to figure out gestures and hand motions and a lot of new activities that could really enhance the program and bring it forward in a new, more positive way.鈥�

Behaviors taught with songs include: 鈥淩aise Your Hand,鈥� 鈥淭aking Turns,鈥� 鈥淜eep Your Hands to Yourself,鈥� 鈥淧inch Your Pencil鈥� and 鈥淲ash Your Hands.鈥� Songs are brief and lyrics are easy for children to remember.

鈥淎 lot of it is socialization,鈥� Balaban said. 鈥淭aking turns is an important thing. We have 鈥淐riss Cross Applesauce,鈥� which allows kids to know when it鈥檚 circle time. We have a sign-in song and a sign-out song so kids can adjust to the fact that they have to say goodbye to their mom.鈥�

Teachers at the Children鈥檚 Center play the songs a few times a day, and proactively look for opportunities to use the songs as teaching tools.

They just learn better

鈥淭hey just learn better when we sing things,鈥� said Michelle Alignay, a preschool teacher at the Children鈥檚 Center.  鈥淎nd now, since the kids know and love the songs so well, it just comes out in general conversation. Occasionally you鈥檒l catch a kid in the corner singing to themselves.鈥�

During the first phase of the 10-week study, Ritblatt said, 黑料吃瓜 students were in the classrooms, observing how the teachers used the music and what effects it was having on the children. They also met regularly with preschool staff. Teachers reflected on how they used the music and determined if new songs needed to be created.

In the beginning, and then again at the end, researchers assessed the children鈥檚 self-esteem, social and emotional development, levels of skills acquisition and level of parent involvement. A satisfaction scale for parents and teachers was also developed.

According to Ritblatt, the first phase of research was intended to determine best practices in a variety of areas using music. Researchers hope to eventually develop a program that can be applied to other areas, including working with families in which English is a second language.

鈥淎s teachers we use a lot of tools to help (children) learn social behavior,鈥� Alignay said. 鈥淭his puts a new twist on things.鈥�

Homepage, story and slideshow photos by Crissy Pasqual.