Join in with a range of rhymes and songs from different genres, cultures and traditions, pitch-matching with greater accuracy within the toneset doh to soh, developing an awareness of posture, breath control and diction over time
Sing songs and rhymes with children regularly, using a variety of songs from different genres, cultures and traditions.
Teachers can collect a range of different songs known to the children from their homes and cultures.
When choosing songs for early years children to sing, consider the toneset (the number of different pitches). Songs that have a limited toneset are best to develop accurate pitching.
While providing a secure basis for learning about musical elements and language, nursery rhymes generally cover a larger toneset (number of pitches) than early years children are able to sing. Adults can sing nursery rhymes to early years children, but if the intention is that children match the pitch, then the song should cover a more limited toneset.
Pitch range is also important. Because young children have very short vocal folds, they can comfortably sing a limited pitch range of D to B. Teachers should consider the pitch of the starting note to ensure the whole song can be sung within the children’s pitch range.
Sing songs that use a variety of metres, including 3/4 and 6/8.
School staff may not be familiar with the term ‘metre’ or the concepts behind it, but they will learn songs from you and repeat them with children outside of your sessions. Thus including a variety of metres in your songs will increase the prevalence of different metres in the day-to-day repertoire of the school.
Where appropriate, introduce activities that help children to develop their understanding of how posture affects singing, e.g. being a puppet and flopping down then slowly uncurling; moving to recorded music in different ways (for example, moving to ‘The Queen of Sheba’ in a dignified way but not stiff like a soldier).
Similarly, activities that focus on breathing can be introduced, e.g. breathing deeply and imagining that you are blowing up a tyre around your middle, keeping shoulders relaxed.
This is not to say that you must always focus on posture and breathing in an early years context; children may be singing while playing, drawing, moving, lying down etc. and that freedom to sing spontaneously should be encouraged. The activities to support posture and breathing suggested here are simply about developing children’s awareness that the way you stand/sit and breathe can affect the way you sound.
Encourage children to explore diction through rhythmic chanting using different voices, e.g. asking ‘Have you brought your speaking voice?’ with children responding ‘Yes I’ve brought my speaking voice’. Repeat with others e.g. whispering, robot, witch’s etc. and remember to add a simple melody for singing voice.
Continue to provide opportunities for children to sing both individually and in a group.
Whenever possible, sing unaccompanied (rather than using backing tracks) to support accurate and independent singing.
Encourage children to sing songs from home.
Be ready with a response to any suggestions children may make that may not be suitable for sharing in the school context (e.g. in terms of inappropriate lyrics), without either endorsing the music or making a big thing of your disapproval, e.g. ‘That’s a good song for dancing, but those words are not okay for children to be singing.’
Explore the progression of this Learning Descriptor
