A Remembrance – Audrey Sillick – 1921-2014

Audrey Sillick was born in 1921, and was 92 years of age upon her death.  She had been ill for some time, but was able to live in her apartment in Toronto throughout the last years.  Friends accompanied and assisted her in the last days.

Audrey was born in England, and spent her childhood and youth in England, India and Switzerland.  Audrey’s years in India influenced her life greatly – learning to play by herself, outside in the wonderful world of nature; studying at a fine teacher’s college and meeting Maria Montessori during her time in India; spending countless hours observing, especially of the world of animals and children.

Audrey Sillick

After moving to Canada and spending years in the United States, Audrey joined the Montessori movement, becoming founder and director of the Toronto Montessori Teacher Training Institute in 1971.  Her particular areas of expertise concerned the role of movement in learning, the process of language acquisition and the understanding of the child in nature.  Audrey influenced innumerable Montessorians through the Institute, but also through speaking and teaching engagements throughout the Montessori Community. This included Renilda Montessori, granddaughter of Maria, who taught with Audrey and Lorna at the TMI.

Audrey’s teachings are central to Musikgarten, indeed her work has influenced countless early childhood music teachers and Montessori teachers. I met Audrey in the early 1980s. Having moved to Toronto after my recent marriage, I soon was asked to teach at the Toronto Montessori School and was sent to hear Audrey’s lectures at the Teacher Training Institute there, to become better acquainted with my new environment.

What a life-changing event that turned out to be!  Audrey’s lectures were fascinating, although at first, the approach was such a new world for me, I could hardly take notes fast enough!  From the beginning of our acquaintance Audrey’s message became a stronger and stronger component of my work in early childhood music.

For the authors, teacher trainers, and teachers in the Musikgarten community, our work is unthinkable without her.  She was the central influence that has made Musikgarten such a balanced curriculum.  Through Audrey we learned about the child, we learned about nature, we learned to observe, to include movement in all of our teaching … we learned to tell stories, to reintroduce poetry to young children …. We learned! 

Audrey believed in what she called ‘subversive’ education.  With that she meant was that you have the greatest influence, when you observe where your learner stands, and offer an environment of small steps to help the learner move forward.  I often tell the story of this ‘subversive’ effect on me.  In the 1980s I knew that what I learned from her was important –so I wrote it down and included the ‘Audrey speech’ in all of my workshops.  After a few years, while teaching in Panang in Malaysia, my husband was in the room for one of my speeches.  Afterwards he said to me, you are no longer talking about what Audrey says, it has so influenced you, the knowledge has become yours to also impart.  Audrey’s influence was slow and sure!

What are my favorite memories of Audrey?

  • That very first speech I invited her to give for the very first international meeting of early childhood music teachers which I held in 1984 in Toronto – the forerunner of the ECMMA! 
  • Working on our first publication in the late 1980s.  As Audrey always told the story, I stopped by her house one afternoon shortly after she had retired, and asked her to guide me ’a little’  That positive answer turned into a working gig = shared authorship –  which we enjoyed for over 20 years!  For the first publication we worked on a very early, very cranky computer!  But had much more fun training the blue jays to come to our window to get their supply of peanuts!
  • Celebrating Audrey’s 80th birthday together with the Musikgarten Teacher Trainers in Sedona, Arizona! 
  • Audrey’s young-child-in-a-snow-suit story, through which she had us laughing and crying at the New Jersey Convention in 1988.
  • Sitting on our deck in Greensboro, deciding what kind of sandwich we would each take along on our pretend picnic? And this was going to be in our new Musikgarten curriculum?

Audrey treasured the natural world and went to great lengths to help preserve it.  Audrey’s legacy is contained in the many teachers she trained, mentored, and through the Musikgarten curriculum.

Lorna Heyge, Musikgarten

Learning to Love Music as a Family – A Parent’s Guide

Music has the remarkable ability to enrich our lives, touch our emotions, and provide a source of joy and inspiration. But, how do you learn to love music as a family. For parents, introducing their children to the world of music at an early age can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. Not only does it foster cognitive growth and other developmental benefits, it also instills a lifelong appreciation for the arts. Here are just a few practical ways parents can actively participate in nurturing a love for music in their children, creating a foundation for a lifetime of musical enjoyment.

How Parents Can Encourage the Love of Music in their Kids

  1. Start Early with Musical Exposure – Begin by exposing your child to a variety of musical genres from a young age. Play different styles of music in the house, whether it’s classical, jazz, folk, gospel, or pop. This exposure helps children develop a broad musical palette and openness to diverse sounds.
  • Enroll in Music Classes – Many communities offer music classes for young children. These classes should incorporate singing, movement, drumming and the opportunity to play simple, age appropriate instruments. Parent participation in these classes is important for modeling and reinforcing the love of music.
Musikgarten Class - Children Taking Turns
Musikgarten Toddler Class
  • Provide Access to Instruments – Offer your child the opportunity to explore different musical instruments. Consider starting with simple, child-friendly instruments like maracas, sticks, or bells. Encourage creativity through musical play with your child, let them experiment with creating their own rhythms and melodies. This not only boosts creativity but also helps in developing a sense of musical expression.
  • Attend Live Performances – Take your child to live music performances, whether it’s a local school concert, a community band, or age-appropriate shows. Experiencing music in a live setting can be magical and captivating, sparking a deeper interest in the art form.
  • Become a Musical Advocate – Support music in your local school(s) and music organizations in your area, and have your child participate in volunteer events. Help music teachers with volunteer support and donations to help cover items not included in school budgets.

Nurturing a love for music in your child is a gift that lasts a lifetime. By incorporating music into their daily lives, providing hands-on experiences with instruments, and exposing them to a diverse range of musical styles, parents can cultivate a deep appreciation for the art form. Remember, the key is to participate to make the journey enjoyable and encourage your child to explore the vast and beautiful world of music.

Playing Music in the Dark – How Blind Musicians Learn and Thrive

When asked to name one famous visually impaired person, many of us will recall a musician. A lot of that is because musicians are in the public eye more than others, but it also points to the great success that many blind musicians have enjoyed. Visually impaired musicians such as Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Ronnie Milsap, and Doc Watson have had success across a variety of musical genres. Neuroscientists have long studied that which initially seems like a challenge to the visually impaired tends to grant an advantage in music. One determining factor is how their brains develop through the connection of music and movement.

 Brain Development in the Visually Impaired

Scientists have long known that hearing and touch are enhanced in the blind. The space in the brain dedicated to vision is made available to those senses, enhancing the capacity to hear music and touch instruments. Blind children pay much more attention to everyday sounds compared to those with full sight. One study that considered many different sources found that children who were blind at birth or an early age are 4,000 times more likely to have perfect pitch than their sighted peers.

But some kinesiologists have looked at how being blind may actually impair one’s ability to feel the beat due to lack of visual-spatial feedback. The visually impaired often move their heads or body in a different way than the rest of us in order to better access their surroundings. This movement is also a method used to trigger echolocation, just as they often use a stick to tap and listen for the sound bouncing off the ground or other objects. For blind musicians, this movement is then connected to the rhythm of the music to help them keep beat and time. Studies have also shown that individuals who were blind at birth or an early age develop greater vibrotactile abilities and have shown a higher ability to detect beat asynchrony than those with sight.

Teaching Music to Blind Children

There are still a lot of stereotypes about visually impaired children being harder for music teachers to teach. These tends to stem from the traditional method of teaching children through sheet music. But with a propensity for better pitch and beat detection, visually impaired children are likely to learn music at a greater rate with the right approach. Children’s music programs that emphasize music and movement at the earliest stages are better geared to teach blind children. The aural approach enables them to establish a foundation for playing by ear. Once that foundation is established, sheet music in braille is available for blind children and teachers.

Many visually impaired individuals have excelled in music and gone on to achieve some of the industry’s highest accolades. The part of the brain not dedicated to sight provides greater function to the other senses. Hearing and touch in blind individuals are enhanced to provide a better detection of both pitch and beat. Those abilities combine with movement to help the visually impaired better navigate the world and learn music.

How Music Helps to Achieve New Year’s Resolutions

It’s the new year, and with it comes all the reflection and hopes of a better year ahead. Many of us have set goals for 2024, whether they be physical, mental, financial, relationship, or work related. Unfortunately, statistics show an estimated 80% of new years resolutions are broken within the first few weeks. However, there is hope. There are many resources that provide helpful methods for staying within that elusive twenty percentile. Music has been shown, in several ways, as one such method to help achieve goals. For example, Improved fitness (48%) and improved mental health (36%) both ranked in the top five most common new year’s resolutions. Both of these goals have a heavy physiological element to them, and music has been shown to help.

Music Helps Kick Addiction

Addiction is when you have a strong physical or psychological urge or need to do something or use something. Goals regarding improved mental or physical health are often associated with some kind of addiction. The association between addiction and adverse physical and mental well-being is well documented. Whether the goal is it to stop drinking as a coping mechanism, give up sweets or excessive eating, cutting down screen time, or to quit smoking, the addiction typically influences the physical or mental ailment. Music has been shown to help with addiction in several ways, therefore helping to achieve physiological goals.

Music Soothes the Savage Beast

Music therapy and music-based interventions have been used for some time to treat all kinds of compulsive and addictive behavior. Music therapy treatments include music listening, songwriting, music assisted meditation/mediation, and active music making. Simply listening to music helps to open the mind to learn new useful insights through therapy. Furthermore, music has been shown to increase one’s tolerance for frustration, improve interpersonal communication and self-esteem. All of these benefits of music therapy help to calm those who may be having physical and mental withdrawals from impulsive actions or addictive behavior. The act of learning or practicing music also provides another benefit for those who are trying to reach new life goals.

Learning Music Helps to Keep and Redirect Focus

We are all familiar with the adage “idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” When we are striving to achieve new goals or keep resolutions, especially when it involves avoiding addictive behavior, it is often helpful to have something new on which to focus. This helps to keep our minds (and hands) away from the unwanted behavior we are trying to change. Learning a musical instrument is beneficial in many forms, including improved cognitive function, mindfulness, and discipline. Many addictions are physical as well as mental, often having tactile associations. Learning a musical instrument provides new tactile sensation and occupation. For example, the hand to mouth fixation of smoking or drinking can be purposefully interrupted and replaced by learning to play a keyboard. Finally, learning a musical instrument creates new pleasure associations that can replace addictive behaviors, while providing achievement that can be easily realized.

Music can be a catalyst to help those who have set new goals and resolutions for the new year. It provides a tangible and measurable example in which to see results and realize potential. It helps to calm and create an open mind, while providing a form of replacement for undesired behaviors. Learning music at an early age, such as engaging in early childhood music programs, prepares children to achieve their goals later in life. 

Goal Setting for Teachers in the Childhood Music Classroom

The annual turning of the calendar generates reflection of the year past as well as expectation for the year ahead. Whether we wish to or not, during this time we often go through a mental exercise of regrets and aspirations. When looking to improve our personal as well as professional lives in the new year, purposeful, formal, and written goal setting has been proven to be more effective in changing or improving behaviors.

A helpful way to accomplish this is by following the SMART goal acronym, reminding us that goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. For the early childhood music teacher, as with any educator, there are goals that will make the classroom more effective. But when that teacher is also the owner of a children’s music studio, there are also goals that regard the business. Each set of goals affects the other and combine to make a successful studio.

Goal Setting for Teachers (of any kind)

For educators, it’s important to always be learning and improving teaching practices. The tasks involved in this endeavor can be quite overwhelming. These simple recommendations may help to reach those goals without losing your mind in the process.

  • Get feedback from your students, parents, supervisors, and/or peers – Often times, what we perceive as needing improvement is unwarranted, while some other areas may not have even occurred to us.
  • Write your SMART goals and remind yourself every day – With the initial chaos that a new teaching period often brings, it’s easy to lose focus on things outside the classroom. Posting goals somewhere to be seen often helps keep you focused.

Goal Setting for the Children’s Music Studio (or any small business)

Managing a classroom is challenging enough without having to run and maintain a successful early childhood music studio. However, it’s important to put on your business owner’s hat and set goals for the studio as well.

  • Go through the same reflection and feedback process – While improvements to the classroom often coincide with business goals, other considerations such as cost or communication outside of the classroom should be considered.
  • Consider the functional areas of the business – As with any size organization, there are major functional areas that also affect small businesses – Management, Production/Operations, Finance/Accounting, and Marketing/Sales. There is a great deal of resources available to help understand and improve these areas.
  • Set growth goals and the marketing tactics to achieve them – Most business owners want to grow, but sustainable growth is paramount to success. Sell it first, then build it is an established business axiom. One shouldn’t hire new teachers without the students, or expand classroom space without the need.
  • Start small and build gradually – Many organizations try to go “too big, too fast,” which is why many small businesses fail within the first few years. Take a tip from the tortoise, slow and steady wins the race.

The new year brings new opportunities and hope for a brighter future. Focusing on fewer, yet specific, goals for the classroom and the early childhood music studio will help to ensure long term success.

Instilling a Sense of Giving in Children

Charitable giving plummeted 10.5% since 2021. While this decline was across the board with corporations and foundations, giving by individuals fell by an even steeper amount of 13.4%, adjusting for inflation. It’s important to note that Americans gave generously during the pandemic, with record-setting giving between 2019 and 2020, so non-profits and charitable organizations can only hope this recent decline is temporary. After all, Americans have a great history of charitable donations, and one which has been passed down from generation to generation. In this season of giving, it’s important to model and teach children about the importance of giving back to others.

Tips for Raising Generous Children

From early childhood children tend to be self-involved, making sure that their immediate needs are met by the caregivers surrounding them. But as they grow older, its important that those caregivers play an important role in helping kids develop generosity by encouragement and example. Here are some guiding principles in helping children develop a lifetime of charitable giving:

  • Encourage empathy – Helping children to imaging how others feel is the starting point of generosity. Parents should seek out opportunities to encourage empathy, from everyday situations such as a sibling squabble, or in more structured giving such as participating in a food or clothing drive.
  • Set an example – Kids look to parents and other caregivers for clues on how to behave. While encouragement is extremely important, modeling generous behavior such as visiting sick relatives, volunteering at a charitable organization, or even pitching in with household chores, shows children first-hand that you really mean what you say.
  • Select a Charity – Let your children experience first-hand what it feels like to give time to a cause. Encourage them help to select a charity that the entire family can participate in, ideally one benefitting children of their own ages. When kids give to those they closely relate with, their empathy grows even stronger.

Teaching Children Generosity in the Music Classroom

Children’s music programs offer a unique opportunity for kids to learn about giving and generosity. With encouragement and guidance from the early childhood music teacher, they can learn the gift of giving in the following ways:

Musikgarten Class - Children Taking Turns
Children taking turns in a Musikgarten class.

Teaching generosity to children is a gift that they will practice their entire lives, and which others will surely benefit. Through explaining empathy, modeling by example, and providing children opportunities to give to others, caregivers can ensure that their child will be a more thoughtful and generous member of society.

Have Schools Been Teaching Music All Wrong?

Even before the pandemic, music educators in schools had been lamenting about the budget cuts in the arts and how children’s music programs have suffered or even in some cases, disappeared. But the exodus and decline of music students in public education cannot be solely laid at the feet of budget cuts. For example, a seven-year study in Texas found an 80% drop out rate for band students, with the greatest attrition being between the first and second year of instruction.

Budget cuts notwithstanding, developing a love and knowledge of making music in children may have a larger systemic issue. Perhaps our approach to teaching music in schools is contributing to this decline. Have schools been teaching music all wrong?

Teaching Music to the test and not the student

In a series of New York Times articles, Grammy-award winning musician Sammy Miller argues that as with many other institutional education programs with standardized achievement testing, the same often applies to music programs.

Whether by choice or necessity, educators today often “teach to the test” so that achievement goals attached to funding can be reached. While the form of the achievement goal may be a bit different than in traditional classes, music instructors are often teaching to the Holiday Concert or Recital, where parents and administrators will see results. It is often said that music is a language, but many music programs are not teaching it that way. Much like language, music development should include listening, speaking (singing), reading, and writing. Emphasizing rigid reading and rote memorization misses the most important goal of a music program – to instill a lifelong love of music.

Teaching music like a language

It is not until pre-school age that many children are exposed to written language, although their vocabulary is already as many as a thousand words and phrases.

So how did they acquire this skill without formal instruction? By hearing language from their caregivers and siblings, repeating what they hear, and stumbling through ways to verbally (and physically) communicate. As their language develops, they begin to experience the joy of communication. It is not seen as a chore of rote memorization, but a feeling of community and connectiveness. Some early childhood music programs understand that teaching through musical communication establishes a foundation and understanding of the building blocks of music knowledge.

Many great pop music artists know that the secret of good music is simplicity in its foundation, with most chart-topping songs being a series of a few simple notes put together in a new and creative way. Approaching early childhood music education the same way we approach teaching language is a joyful way to instill a lifelong love and understanding of music.

What Makes a Good Early Childhood Music Program?

The very title of this topic may seem provocative, as many childhood music educators and researchers have varying opinions on what makes a truly great children’s music instruction. There are various established and differing music teaching methods such as The Suzuki Method and The Orff Approach, or The Kodaly and Dalcroze methods. While some of these methods are more focused on the learning of an instrument, they all tend to share a core set of teaching principles. This is not a competitive comparison of any program versus another, but an analysis of the shared beliefs upon which most all music teachers and educators agree.

Core Principles of Children’s Music Education

Here are several basic, yet important tenants to teaching early childhood music education that can be found in nearly all successful children’s music programs:

Focus on the Child – This may seem blatantly obvious, but it is important to emphasize for all childhood educators not to lose the “forest from the trees,” by making the teaching method the center of attention instead of the child themselves. Focusing on the child requires a respect of each student and their individual learning journey. This important approach also touches on “Follow the Child,” one of the central principles of the celebrated Montessori teaching method. 

Music and MovementResearch suggests that encouraging movement at an early age helps to improve all kinds of cognitive as well as physical development. The area of the brain associated with motor control, the cerebellum, is also largely responsible for our learning process. The connection of both music and movement release endorphins in the brain, which helps to maintain interest and energy in a subject. Finally, movement helps children with beat perception and the development of rhythm, timing, and the motor control that will assist in music comprehension and learning an instrument.

Parental/Caregiver Involvement in Children’s Music Education – One principle shared by nearly all successful early childhood music programs is the importance of parental participation. This is often graphically represented as a triangular relationship between child, teacher, and parent. As one would suspect, the importance of parental involvement is not only beneficial to music learning, but all kinds of learning and early childhood development. Research has shown that, just as with traditional academics, parental involvement is particularly beneficial in early children’s music programs through observation and mimicry, helping to develop a better understanding of cultural ties to music, musical concepts, group social interaction, and motor skills development through the use of musical instruments.

Musikgarten Class
Parents during a Musikgarten class.

The most successful children’s music programs share several core principles that can be applied to nearly all early childhood learning. A Focus on the Child ensures that the approach respects the individuality and pace of learning that each child possesses. Music Combined with Movement helps with not only the mechanics of rhythm and timing of music, but also with cognitive aspects that encourage learning. Finally, Parental/Caregiver Involvement creates a triangular bond between teacher, child and parent which reinforces mimicry and a lifetime love of learning. All of these core principles combined with a carefully designed curriculum and supporting materials, are key to success for early childhood learning programs.

Fall Checklist for Children’s Music Studios

With the turning leaves and cooling weather of fall, children start back to school. Teachers have had an all-important  break, and are refreshed and ready to face a new year and often times, a new set of students. Early childhood music studio owners and teachers often run classes year-round while teaching the same groups of children as they progress in music. However, Fall still presents an opportunity for educators to reinvigorate their children’s music programs. Four ways in which to do that include outbound marketing programs, refreshing teaching space, reviewing lesson plans, and stocking up on classroom materials.

Perform Outbound Marketing to Grow Your Studio

Children’s music studio owners know that in order to sustain and grow their business,

it’s important to feed new students into the program. The following outbound marketing programs can help grow the number of new music students, and in turn, revenues.

  • Referral Programs – Provide incentives for parents to invite other parents to join your studio.
  • Eblasts – Whether you are using your own internal email list, a purchased list based on your target demographics, or a list offered by local organizations, emails can be very effective.
  • Direct Mail – Postcards or letters with incentives towards targeted demographics or neighborhoods are most helpful when repeated periodically.
  • Organization/Group Opportunities – Organizations such as the PTA, Mommy’s Groups, Neighborhood Facebook pages, and other organizations for young parents offer sponsorship and outreach opportunities.
  • Social Media – A fairly inexpensive way to reach out to potential customers while sharing your brand and benefits.

Refresh Your Teaching Space

Creating a space that is conducive for learning is very important for students’ cognitive performance. Here are just a few ideas for making your teaching space new and inviting to students:

  • Provide ample space for each student – As your classes grow, so should your teaching space!
  • Get organized to reduce clutter – A clean classroom helps students focus on the lesson and the teacher, not distractions.
  • Add a splash of color – Having a colorful classroom, such as carpeting or wall hangings, adds excitement and gets kids excited to come to music class.

Review Lesson Plans

While many lesson plans are “tried and true,” reviewing and looking at them in a different way can be exciting for even the most experienced educators.

  • Think if new world examples to explain established concepts – Explaining concepts with something students can relate to makes a better connection to the subject matter.
  • Each review uncovers new revelations – We often read books and watch movies multiple times because of things we may have missed the last time around.
  • Review aids recall – Just as with studying any subject, review always helps to recall information. Thorough knowledge of material gives teachers confidence.

Stock Up on Classroom Materials

Children’s music classrooms often have many more tactile materials than traditional classrooms, so having an ample and operable supply on hand is very important:

  • Plan for growth – While you may be reluctant to carry inventory over your expected class size, you don’t want to turn a windfall of new students away because you don’t have the necessary materials.
  • Wear and tear – Many materials, especially musical instruments, can experience the same wear and tear as children’s toys. Proper sound and tone are also important when teaching musical concepts.
  • New edition – Written materials often go through various editions and may have subtle changes and corrected errors. Check with your publisher to make sure your materials are up to date.

The new school year presents a time for teachers and students to re-energize their love of learning. Taking some steps in the children’s music classroom can help create new growth in the program as well as nurture a positive learning environment.

Classroom Management in Early Childhood Music Education

Teachers understand that classroom management is extremely important to providing the best environment for education. Whether virtual or in-person, making sure that each participant has opportunity to learn is one of the biggest challenges for teachers, especially in the children’s classroom. Not only does classroom management make teaching more efficient and effective, it is essential to entice and motivate student learning.  

Classroom Management in Children’s Music Classes

For educators that are teaching in an early childhood music studio, the challenges of classroom management can be unique. Because children’s music instruction often includes physical activity in a group setting, it creates a fertile environment for disruptive behavior. Asking many children to verbalize or speak up in class is a particular challenge for any teacher, but asking a child to sing out loud in front of others can be even more challenging. Below are some classroom management tips and tricks that have been shared by children’s music teachers with decades of experience.

  • Set Expectations with both parents and students from the very beginning – Have an orientation for parents, explaining how the process will work, classroom policies, and what will be expected from both parent and child.
  • Remove any distractions from your teaching space – Only have the things that students will be using in the lesson in plain sight. Before each class, plan ahead on only what will be needed for that class.
  • Strategically position yourself in your classroom space – If this is a class with new students and parents, it may take some observation over a few class periods. If there are very active children, pairs, or groups that cut-up or pester each other, or even parents that tend to chat too much, position yourself in a way where you can intervene in a constructive and non-threatening way, such as positive reinforcement and body language.
  • Constantly observe your students – If children begin to become restless, be ready to engage in a way that allows them to be active and “get the wiggles out.”

Parents Role in Children’s Music Classroom Management

When setting expectations with caregivers at the beginning of a children’s music class, it is very important that they understand their role in helping to manage the classroom. This mainly regards management of their own child, whether through correction or modeling. The following are examples of times when a teacher should expect the parent to react:

  • The child is doing something dangerous to themselves or someone else in the classroom.
  • The child is doing something disruptive.
  • The child is carrying on at a level that is distracting or causing distress to others.

There are many things that can cause this kind of behavior in children, such as being tired and hungry, wanting attention, nervousness, or a child that has been pre-diagnosed with special needs. Some tips for teachers to deal with these behaviors, as well as helping parents to do so, are:

  • Remind parents that children do not understand contractions such as “don’t” or we “shouldn’t”. Direct language such as “do not” or “no (corrected action)” work better with children.
  • Remove the child from the classroom situation for a short period until they have reset.
  • Understand that sometimes it takes several classes for a child to get “into their comfort zone” when in a new environment such as a music class.
  • For children who do not want to participate, give them the choice of either doing so or sitting in a “quiet corner.” Empowering the child to make the decision often has positive results by them re-engaging.
  • For classes with older children when the parent is not always present, address ongoing behavior promptly and privately with the parent after class.
  • Manage transitions wisely in order to make them smooth for everyone.

These are just some of the techniques that teachers of early childhood music can use to manage their classrooms, parents, and students. Good educators understand that setting expectations early is pivotal in getting everyone on board for a fun and conducive learning environment.