Montessori classroom music and movement
Incorporating these principles into a program of music and movement for preschoolers can have some wonderful benefits for youngsters. It can be especially helpful when you allow them the opportunity to express themselves through movement, in whatever direction the music might take them. There are literally endless musical themes to choose from which can provide the basis for self-expression in young people, and the combination of the two can act as powerful stimulants to their developing imagination and creativity.A typical preschool day can be enormously enhanced by the coupling of music and movement, in several different ways. One classic Montessori exercise is 'walking the line', wherein children perfect their sense of balance and movement by walking along a line or ellipse taped to the floor, while moving to music. At a time when youngsters are working to master movements in general, this can be a priceless assist.
Learning about dance is another way that music and movement can liven up a preschool day and create a fascinating activity that children will love to come back to, day after day. The Montessori program also encourages the use of muscular gymnastics so children can improve on skills they need for daily activities, such as dressing and undressing, buttoning clothes, lacing their shoes, and carrying objects. These are movements not ordinarily cultivated in traditional gym classes, but by featuring similar movements to music, children's early skills learning can be reinforced dramatically.
