1. Some people might say that arts integration is a waste of time in Foundation Phase education. Please explain how you would respond to such a statement by explaining your view on arts integration in the Foundation Phase.

Art integration is giving the learners an opportunity to take what they have learned or understood from the content and express it in an artistic way. This can be done through music, dance, or art. That music is not only utilised in a manner that keeps children entertained, but music also has many positives, music offers holistic development, which would mean that integrating music into the foundation, will increase their ability to comprehend and to respond to that specific topic. Arts integration has been proven to contribute towards higher motivation levels among learners and supports academic achievement and socialisation among learners. Art promotes various skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, experimental learning, and learning how to work together with their peers. Art helps to engage the learners and capture their attention as the lessons become fun and arent taught in a traditional structured boring way.  The benefits of art include: Reading and language development, Mathematics, Cognitive skills, Improved social behavior and Positive school environment. The benefits prove the importance of integrating art and should be a non-negotiable factor. Schools that encourage teachers to apply arts integration strategies in their teaching have shown improved results with regards to learners’ mathematic performance as well as decreased disciplinary challenges.

My observation is I have noticed that children in the foundation phase often have problems with memorization, the integration of music can aid in efficient memory stimulation. When learners are encouraged to demonstrate their understanding through the arts, we create teaching and learning environments in which individual learning needs and abilities are met. Through the application of arts integration teaching strategies, we design teaching and learning activities which are inclusive and provide multiple means of engaging with and internalising new knowledge and skills (accommodate various learning styles and preferences. Integrating music into specific lesson, can make the lesson much more enjoyable and in turn, finding an easier and more effective ways to reach lesson goals and objectives for both the teacher and learner.

2. Which aspects of study unit 4 did you find the most interesting and challenging?  Please use the following prompts to reflect on your experience:

• What did you find interesting? Please explain why.

The aspects that I found most interesting, was the creative ways in which music can be integrated into subjects.

• I loved the activities that were provided by our lecturer, but this also drove be to do my own research on how I could integrate music into my very own classroom in the near future.
• I also found the different strategies that can be implemented very interesting. In fact, I found every aspect of study unity 4 absolutely, informative.
• I also enjoyed the various YouTube videos that were provided, in study unit 4, being a distance student has many advantages and few disadvantages, for example distant students don’t have the opportunity, to attend physical lecturers, and have one-on-one contact, but I honestly felt that the YouTube videos, enabled us to have a glimpse of what actually goes on a classroom, and prepares us for our educational journey as teachers.
• I enjoyed watching the Videos and learning how music can be effectively integrated into a math lesson. It felt as if I was in the classroom observing the lesson rather than reading about ideas on integrating music. It really helped to put it into perspective.
• To be honest, I underestimated the benefits of art and learned how important and beneficial it is to the learners. I will definitely incorporate these ideas and strategies into my future classroom

• What did you find challenging? Please explain why.

The challenges I found was the development through teaching and learning. I found it confusing and didn't really see a difference between the ways that music can be used in the classroom also the theoretical framework aspect, had me quite lost. I found it a bit complex to understand what the aspect of the theoretical aspect meant, but after doing in-depth study I can officially say that I have a sound understanding of the theoretical framework.