By: Hillary Cook-Harris
We begin celebrating the Week of the Young Child with Music Monday and Summerdale Early Childhood Center. Summerdale is an exciting building where staff and children build supportive and nurturing relationships that foster an environment of learning and exploration. All staff are an integral part of the building and children and families feel welcome and supported.
The leaders of this building, principal Dr. Jennifer Lak-Keilman and assistant principal Matthew Zimmerman, along with the staff, understand the importance of including music in the day to day operations and interactions with the students and families. Mr. Zimmerman speaks to the importance of music in early childhood and at Summerdale, “We use music throughout our program at Summerdale. Teachers and staff sing with students during all the parts of the daily routine, during transitions, and clean-up time. We share videos with families explaining our academic and social-emotional materials monthly and at-times will incorporate music into them. Music is vital to young children’s development. Music increases children’s overall cognitive development, it supports language and communication development, it enhances social emotional development, and it fosters creativity. Most importantly, music brings joy and happiness to the lives of everyone who hears it and sings it!”
Each month, families receive information related to the curriculum and ways they can support their student’s learning at home. In January, families received resources and a video showing how to do a simple song at home. Click here to watch: Hickory Dickory Dock.
Staff at Summerdale understand the importance of including music throughout the daily routine and can be observed using instruments and music in a variety of ways. On a recent sunny day, the students in Kelli Girardin’s class took their instruments outside to play and march to “We Are The Dinosaurs: by Laurie Berkner-a favorite of the class.
Music is powerful, and it supports a child’s development throughout early childhood. As children explore music through play, they make discoveries about themselves and the world around them. They develop a larger vocabulary, pre-reading and math skills, and strengthen their social and emotional skills. But most importantly, music makes us happy!
Interested in learning more about the RPS205 Early Childhood opportunities for families with children birth-age 5? Visit https://www.rps205.com/o/rps/page/early-childhood or call the Early Childhood Screening and Placement Office at 815-229-2103.