Music in the Montessori Classroom
Music at The Children’s House is part of our daily routine. Music is incorporated in the morning circle time, stories and movement.
Providing opportunity for musical exploration is essential to any early childhood program. Through music making, children are actively engaged with their senses: they listen to the complex sounds around them, move their bodies to the rhythms, and touch and feel the textures and shapes of the instruments. The inimitable strength of the Montessori classroom is the focus on child-centered learning. Music stimulates the senses, and guided by the teacher's direction, children begin taking ownership of their music making and, in turn, share their experiences with their peers.
The Montessori classroom is replete with opportunities for fostering musical growth. Montessori's methodology includes materials for aural training, singing, muscular development, memory retention, and musical notation. She developed and outlined techniques and exercises for engaging children in various musical activities. Montessori found that children responded to and were persuaded by music. They smiled, sang, skipped, walked, and, at times, simply listened in silence. These experiences were often unguided, driven primarily by the children's musical exploration and discovery. Montessori believed that music was a necessary part of a complete education, one that supported sensorial education and child-centered learning. Most importantly, it was her intense belief that all teachers can, and should, integrate music education into their classroom.
Musical experiences engage children's senses and support child-centered learning. Music is present throughout the classroom environment. Through cultural studies in geography, children learn about music around the world in a variety of cultures. Musical experiences also provide children with opportunities for collaboration and communication.