Development of the Creative Arts: Birth to Age Three
Music
Music, in the Montessori view, is like language; it is an aspect of human expression that is integrated into daily life. From birth, children delight in and respond to music. Often this delight is expressed through movement. The exercises of practical life build foundation skills in whole-body and fine motor control of movement and hand-eye coordination children can use to participate more effectively in musical activities and exercises.
In Infant Communities music and movement are integrated in activities that include:
listening activities in which children move to music
playing simple percussion instruments
sense exercises in auditory discrimination
games involving singing and movement.
Jump to section:
0.CA.010 Music: auditory discrimination
0.CA.020 Music: timbre
0.CA.030 Music: self- expression
Music: auditory discrimination 0.CA.010
Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
Typically, children will:
01. Listen to the sounds of objects
02. Identify objects by sound
03. Experience timbre, rhythm and beat
＋ Materials and Activity
Activities include:
- singing
- identifying different voices.
Resources include:
- rattles
- balls with a rattle inside
- percussion instruments
- sounds in the environment.
Music: timbre 0.CA.020
Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
Typically, children will:
01. Listen to and play simple instruments
Resources include:
- a range of percussion instruments.
Music: self-expression 0.CA.030
Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
Typically, children will:
01. Develop the skills to express themselves
＋ Materials and Activity
Activities involving self-expression in music, movement and drama, including:
- singing
- movement and dancing
- playing percussion instruments
- movement games
- finger plays.
Movement and Dance
The development and refinement of movement is an integral part of the child’s development from birth to six years of age. The ability to appreciate dance and to be able to move one’s body as a form of expression is an important facet of children’s development.
The focus on specific movements can assist children’s development in many other areas, for example whole-body coordination. Dance is also an important aspect of health and physical exercise. Young children have a natural sense of rhythm and often lack inhibition, so dance comes naturally and spontaneously to them.
In Infant Communities movement is one of the most critical components of the environment. Dance is experienced through movement and music activities.
Visual Arts
Artistic expression was considered by Dr Montessori to be one of the fundamental needs of humans. In particular, she encouraged children to draw. She felt that if children have fine motor control of the hand, learned through the exercises of practical life, combined with trained skills in perception, learned through the exercises of the senses, they would be able to create visual art works of a high quality.
In Infant Communities art activities include sewing, cutting, painting, gluing, drawing, working with clay and flower arranging.