April 2021

Music and Understanding the World
in the early years: past and present
Raising children involves sharing our everyday experiences with them. We gradually introduce
them to situations which they may face one day, providing them with skills for independent,
successful lives. By relating to children’s everyday experiences, it is possible to broadly cover
the goals of history, geography and science, even in the early years. Howard Gardner’s theory on
multiple intelligences (1983) indicates that presenting information in different ways creates more
opportunity for children to learn successfully. He suggested that people learn in different ways, and
may even have a preferred learning style. His later research confirms that this does not mean we
should be taught exclusively in one way, and external research agrees with this: we learn better
when information is presented in multiple ways.
Gardner originally described seven
types of intelligence, and 20 years later,
identified another two (Gardner, 2003).
Briefly, these are
• Verbal-linguistic intelligence:
well-developed verbal skills especially
in sounds, meanings and rhythms in
words
Skills: listening, speaking, writing,
teaching
• Mathematical-logical intelligence:
thinking conceptually and abstractly,
finding logical and numerical patterns
Skills: problem-solving, performing
experiments
• Visual-spatial intelligence:
thinking in images and pictures,
visualising accurately and abstractly
Skills: puzzle building, painting,
constructing, fixing, designing
• Bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence:
control body movements accurately,
handling objects skilfully
Skills: dancing, sports, practical
experiments, acting
• Interpersonal intelligence:
detecting and responding to others’
moods, motivations and desires
accurately
Skills: seeing other perspectives,
empathy, counselling, co-operating
• Intrapersonal intelligence:
self-aware and in-tune with inner
feelings, values, beliefs and thoughts
Skills: self-worth, reflective, aware of
inner feelings
• Naturalist intelligence:
recognise and categorise plants,
animals and natural objects
Skills: recognise connection to nature,
apply scientific theory to life
• Existential intelligence:
sensitivity and ability to consider
questions on human existence, e.g.
meaning of life, why we die, why we
are here
Skills: reflective deep thinking, design
abstract theories
• Musical intelligence:
produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch,
timbre (instrumental voice)
Skills: sing, play instruments,
compose music
All of these intelligences and skills can
be seen in the development of the Early
Learning Goals (‘Early Years Foundation
Stage Profile - 2021 Handbook’, 2020), with
various recommended approaches as to
how these may be achieved. Developing
an awareness of past and present
through a musical approach provides an
enjoyable, inclusive way to explore these
new ideas.
Early Learning Goal: past and
present
Talking about people in children’s lives
and the jobs they do gives children
opportunities to explore new interests.
Recognising differences between past and
present helps children to recognise the
process of change within the world. Stories
about people in the past help children to
become aware of the effects that change
has on individuals, and the power that
individuals have to create change. With
many potential songs that could be used
here, we have chosen a selection of
familiar and unfamiliar folk songs.
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full
One for the master and one for the dame
And one for the little boy who lives down
the lane
This old favourite originally ended with
“one for the master, two for the dame,
none for the little boy who lives down the
lane”. This suggests that it developed
in the 1500s during the time of the old
English Wool Tax, paying the owners, but
not the shepherd doing the work. This
songs presents an opportunity to discuss
how farming has changed over time.
Mummy Loves
Mummy loves and daddy loves
And everybody loves little baby
Grandma loves and grandad loves
And everybody loves little baby
This lovely Russian lullaby is about
generations within families. It can be used
to rock little ones, either in your arms or
in a blanket between two adults. Older
children may like to rock a toy in blanket.
Cobbler Cobbler
Cobbler, cobbler mend my shoe
Get it done by half past two
Half past two is much too late
Get it done by half past eight
This chant-type song is an opportunity to
talk about old trades and ways of life. It is a
great song to develop rhythm, as children
can tap one person on the knee while
being tapped on the knee. This allows them
to feel the beat and also tap the beat at the
same time, perfecting their timing.
How Many Miles To Babylon?
How many miles to Babylon?
Three score and ten
Will I get back before you do?
Yes, and back again
Open the gates and let us through
Not without a beck and bow
Here’s a beck, here’s a bow
Open the gates and let us through
This call-and-response song uses old
language, like “score” for 20 and “beck”
for curtsey. It is played by both people/
groups standing opposite each other and
swapping sides by going through “gates”
– either raised hands or crawling through
legs (like “stuck in the mud” game).
Creating new opportunities in safe spaces
allows children to explore and play in
ways that they may not usually feel free
to do. Games provide a way to explore
characters and feeling, and once they
have ended, return to friends and daily
routines. Music holds a unique ability
in effortlessly attracting and holding
attention in an enjoyable way. Using these
three ingredients creates an opportunity
to develop a lifelong love for learning,
preparing children for school and beyond.
All songs can be found on Musicaliti’s
account on Soundcloud, and YouTube
as part of the Learning With Music series.
References:
• Early years foundation stage profile -
2021 handbook. (2020). Department
for Education, 27.
• Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind:
The theory of multiple intelligences.
Basic Books.
• Gardner, H. (2003). Multiple
intelligences after twenty years.
American Educational Research
Association, Chicago, Illinois, 21. http://
www.kvccdocs.com/FYE125/lessonresources/Gardiner-MI-Article.pdf
Frances Turnbull
Musician, researcher and author,
Frances Turnbull, is a self-taught guitarist
who has played contemporary and
community music from the age of 12. She
delivers music sessions to the early years
and KS1. Trained in the music education
techniques of Kodály (specialist singing),
Dalcroze (specialist movement) and Orff
(specialist percussion instruments), she
has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology
(Open University) and a Master’s degree
in Education (University of Cambridge).
She runs a local community choir, the
Bolton Warblers, and delivers the Sound
Sense initiative “A choir in every care
home” within local care and residential
homes, supporting health and wellbeing
through her community interest
company.
She has represented the early years
music community at the House of
Commons, advocating for recognition
for early years music educators, and her
table of progressive music skills for under
7s features in her curriculum books.
Frances is the author of “Learning with
Music: Games and activities for the early
years“, published by Routledge, August
2017.
www.musicaliti.co.uk
34 April 2021 | parenta.com
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