Whether or not you eventually encourage your child to take music lessons on an instrument, it is good for all children to have some musical training as they will all hear music, if not play it. This is fairly easy to provide without worrying about buying a curriculum. Training children's ears to appreciate good music is vital in this day of pop-music, which bombards our ears everywhere we go. They say that if your ears are used to good music, you will not find pop music attractive. The battle is on! Start early. Start a new habit of playing classical music in your home, if you don't already. There is always Radio 3 or Classic FM if you don't have any yet.
Music can be a contentious subject for Christians. Here I will suffice to say that if you currently think pop-music is neutral - either good nor bad, or that it is OK, please read this article or this article. There are many good books on the subject too. Sadly, pop-music pervades our churches - beautiful music with good harmony is seen as 'old-fashioned' and unattractive to the world - it doesn't draw the crowds to our 'worship' service. All music carries a message. Our boy's elderly Christian music teacher used to say, 'You can't put bad (i.e. pop) music and good (i.e. Christian) words together. The message of the music always wins.' In a nutshell the message of pop/rock-music is sex, drugs and rebellion (do a quick Google search and you will soon see the roots of 'pop-music). Bear that in mind next time you hear some, and ask yourself if it fits with the Gospel and our Lord's exhortment to be seperate from the world - regardless of how many Christian bands you enjoy listening to. Pop music - be it so called Christian with Christian lyrics, or worldly will have their own culture: their own way of dressing and living. We must evaluate our behaviour in all things, including the music we listen to, against the God of the Bible and not follow a god of our own imagination. This is something that as Christians we often do not realise we are doing - but we are just as capable of doing such a thing as a non-Christian when we put our Bibles to one side and do not read what is written in them, but rather follow the crowd. Guard your children's hearts. This is one area that many Christian parents are being decieved about. Teaching music to ages: 0-5 Making/hearing sounds!
Young children love music usually, so here are some ideas to get you going! Avoid if you can, the tinny electrical sounds from plastic toys, that do not really encourage brain development for all they say on the packet! Use natural resources as far as possible.
Drums/banging: Babies especially love hitting things. Make use of this. If you have toy drums, then encourage them to hit them in a controlled way, but if you haven't then many things make a lovely sound - empty cake tins hit with a spoon, empty cartons - e.g. cocoa cartons, with card and a tin bottom; turn them upside down and tap them. Try different spoons: wooden/metal/large/small. Hit one carton after another - make music! With older children compare the sounds - higher and lower. Put them in order. Of course, here we are into simple science too. No subject is discrete and young children do not need subjects split up.... everything fits together as a whole. Four/five year olds can try gently tapping glass jars/glasses filled with different amounts of water (under supervision of course!). Can they hear the difference? Can they order them low to high? Shakers: Find a small, strong cardboard box. Put a small object (like a small rubber ball, clip, milk bottle top) inside it and seal it well. Other boxes can have other items (e.g. lentils/seeds/beans to give a contrast of sound). Now shake them. Shake them as you sing nursery rhymes, shake them as you listen to music. Do not leave young children unattended with such 'instruments'; always take them away when the session has finished. Four/five year olds can make their own shakers. Disposable plastic cups, filled and taped together are good, or boxes as before. They can be decorated too! Other sounds: If you can cut a coconut shell in half, this makes a wonderful 'clip-clop' sound like a horse. Drink the 'water' and use the flesh to cook with. Keep your 'instruments' in a 'music box' to bring out in a dull moment, or on a rainy day! There are instruments you can buy, but they are not necessary.
Singing nursery rhymes not only helps with children's musical development, but speech and language too. These can be sung to baby from birth onwards, and as the child learns to speak, he/she can gradually join in.
Simple Bible choruses can also be introduced. Listening games; Place four or five objects that make a sound on the floor in front of you and your child. Ask them to shut their eyes. Pick up an object and make it make its sound. Place it back down. Can your child open his/her eyes and tell you which object you played? (bells, kazoos, tins to hit, boxes to shake) Teaching music to ages 6-12
If you and your child so desire, more formal music lessons can be started around now. A good way to find music teachers is by word of mouth. If this is not posssible, this is a good site: www.musicteachers.co.uk/. Try and find one that is happy not to give your child modern music (i.e. pop-music/jazz) to play, to keep their ears pure.
If your child wants formal music lessons or not, music education/exposure chouls continue in the home. Here are some excellent, easy to read introductions to the Great Composers. Maybe take one a term and listen to as much music by each composer as you can. Or better still, as you study a period in history, see which composers were alive then. You Tube is often helpful for hearing pieces of music if you don't have any. If like us you do the Robinson Curriculum, then maybe set apart a short time once a week to listen to music, and use the books as a read aloud, once formal lessons are over for the day. Above all enjoy your music listening experiences as a family. Singing together is a great activity and can be encouraged from the minute children can speak. Once they can read, hymn singing as part of your family Bible-time helps to familiarise your children with the hymns they will be singing in church as well as introducing them to the great wealth of Christian hymns qavailable to us, which are much richer in doctrine than most of todays 'songs' and which have stood the test of time. Encourage them to sing during the service as well.
These biographies cover the life history of many of the great composers. These books are not a dry list of dates and accomplishments but an entertaining narrative written especially for children. The books were written 1930s and 40s, so the style is a wholesome and quaint. Study guides and companion CDs have also been produced to accompany the original books. Highly recommended. Only a selection shown. available from conquest books.
www.conquestbooks.co.uk/christian_books.php?menu_page=162
|
|
|
|
These Michael Aaron books (below) contain classical pieces or otherwise non-pop pieces. We used them after the third book above.
|
|
|
|
|
These books (below) have been recommended by a home-edding piano teacher:
I'd recommend them for children aged 5-8. Both the piano books and the theory ones are full colour and have lots of stickers for the children to stick in, which younger children seem to really enjoy.
|
|
|
Recommended theory books for children over the age of 8.
|
|
|
|
|
Welcome!
After studying for an Early Years Specialism degree (B.Ed. Hons), and teaching in mainstream education, I home-educated my own children, after my husband and I were persuaded of the need to take responsibility for bringing up our children 'in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.' (Ephesians 6:4)
Our children are now grown and I help home-educating parents teach reading and writing, especially to those with special needs. Please contact me if you think I might be able to help you.
In addition I help my son to write the Nature Observations magazines and helping Chris Eastwood with her FREE Christian Home Education daily lessons.
This costs the purchaser nothing extra.
In this way I can continue to provide free resources.
Thank you for your support.
Here's one I heartlily reccomend for ages 10 +.
Search
All
Art
Computers
Coping With Pushback
Covid 19 Home Learning
Curriculums
Daily Routines
Educating Teens
English KS1
Exams
Extra Curricular
Geography
Godly Living
Handwriting
History
Home Educating On A Budget
Information
KS1 Reading
Maths
Music
Nature Study
P.E.
Phonics
Poetry
Primary Education
Reading
Robinson Curriculum
Science
Seasonal Activities
Secondary Education
Socialisation
Special Needs
Technology
Writing
See here
See here
See here