Director's Column: "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Invitations to our holiday sing-along were decorated and sent home this week. We have been practicing our holiday songs, both in the classroom and with Steve. Our children love to sing and perform, so you are in for a real treat on Wednesday!

Music is an important part of our preschool day. In 3-Day, music plays throughout the morning, and it is used to signal transitions. In 5-Day, children learn songs that not only are fun to sing, but help to enhance and expand upon the theme they are learning. In Pre-K, many of the songs incorporate movement to keep the children engaged and active. You can often hear the children (and teachers) singing up and down the hallways.

Music isn’t just fun and enjoyable, it is also an important part of helping children learn and develop all kinds of skills. Songs can help develop listening skills and language skills by introducing new vocabulary, teaching phonetic awareness, and helping children with alliteration. Many songs and fingerplays encourage movement, helping children to practice both gross motor and fine motor skills. Music also helps children develop social skills: cooperating with others when singing together, having the self-confidence to perform in front of a group, and learning that together they can make something that is more than the sum of its parts.

Songs also help children remember important concepts. Ask a child what letter comes after “R”, and chances are they will sing the alphabet song to figure it out. Our teachers have used songs to help children remember each other’s names, the days of the week, the months of the year, parts of their bodies, class routines, and many other things.

We look forward to singing with you next week!

Best, Nina