Has your perception and priorities with regards to lesson planning and the inclusion of music (and the arts) throughout your teaching and learning in the foundation phase changed? Please motivate your answer.

I have always believed in art and play in the class, however my perception of art has changed. Whenever I used to think of art, it leaned towards, "arts and craft" making items and paint or just being a glitter bug

It never really acknowledged music and drama and dance as an art for a class. Always assumed more of an extra curricular activity. My religion - Islam doesn't approve of dance or musical instruments as mentioned in one of my earlier posts. I will gladly incorporate what I learnt from here, into my future multicultural class. But for now, I really can not think of a way to incorporate these concepts as I teach in a religious Islamic school. I do respect everyone's culture and belief, but personally I don't like music. I am a bookworm and I can't unwind with sounds. 

I really believe though, that teachers need to learn which religions do not accept music and respect those children that will not participate in class. And as an educator, I will do the same. I will respect that music is a big part of many cultures and religions and i will not shun it.

I watched a lovely video on espresso (SABC 3 tv show) about a teacher teaching maths through music and his students were picking up the mathematical concepts faster than previously. So I can fully appreciate that music can have a positive impact on education. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBTUqBxITTc

 

What is your opinion about the value of utilising arts integration and play in foundation phase lessons?

I am a firm believer of teaching through play. Many concepts can be taught creatively. I include multiple lessons through play daily in my class. ( My montessori re-opened last week). We learnt shapes by building with blocks. We learnt our alphabets by singing songs with actions. We did a science experiment.

This upcoming week we will be learning about healthy eating. Fruit salad will be one of the life skills/math lesson. Students will use various materials of their choice to make a healthy plate (paper plate and they can make paper fruit and vegetables, faux salad, paint an egg on the plate, whatever they like really- the point is to be creative).

Drama can be nerve wrecking for shy students, but a stress reliever to those that watch performing art. Students can act out mini plays for language lessons. Example: Instead of learning about nouns and adjectives in the plain old chalk and talk method, students can use new and exciting words in a mini drama.

Songs can be incorporated in math, language and life skill lessons.

In your opinion, reflecting on and synthesising all that you learnt in LSKM 221, what are the most important aspects to keep in mind when planning foundation phase lessons?

It is vital for educators to given students multiple opportunities to play, listen, actively participate in lessons. For students in the foundation phase to develop gross motor skills, they need to move about. Performing arts like drama and dance will allow for gross development. It will also allow for social skills to develop as well as emotional skills.

We want to create learners that a curious in nature. That seek out why and how something works. That search for answers.

It is of paramount importance that foundation phase educators strive to be compassionate teachers. I am not implying baby the learners, but rather treat them with love and respect that they deserve. They are little people that we are moulding for tomorrow. As we human, as an educator, we are bound to make a mistake at some point in the class. It will not be the end of the world to apologize to our learners. We will not loose their respect but rather gain their admiration for owning up.

Provide suggestions on how Visual Arts and Life Skills can be utilised to support musical goals by giving examples of music activities which include elements of Visual Arts and Life Skills.

Through art, students are free to be creative and express themselves. 

Art is linked to improving academic results. Students have shown better performance in mathematics and English after spending more time in art. 

Grade R students can learn colours and shapes through visual art.

Students that learn how to play instruments have higher confidence levels and can add to their skill developments.

Teach music by doing. Instruments should not be learnt only through books and pictures.

Students can use a laptop to create beats (composition).

Artists like to play music to get into a certain mood for painting. That can be applied in the class also.

Music requires patience and perseverance. Learning an instrument does not happen in the first lesson. Students will learn that the more your practice something, the better you get over time. 

As mentioned in an earlier blog post, teachers can use music to calm students, Like so, adults can use music to calm down. This is especially essential in today's society when tempers fly high at a drop of a hat

Think of activities where you can use music to facilitate goals in other subjects and write your ideas down (try to include as many as possible of the integration types defined by Van Vreden

1) During life skills and public holidays, students can be taught through music. Example heritage day and all the different cultures in South Africa.

2) Students can hear a song and draw a picture that represents the song.

3) Learners can choreograph dance with a song they hear.

4) Learners can rap or sing songs related to the theme of the week. They can write a song and perform.

 

Think of other ways in which music can be utilised during daily routines and write them down

1) When students are getting irritable or tired during the day, break into a song to rejuvenate them.

2) To calm children down, for quiet time, play soothing nature tunes.

3) Teach certain concepts through songs such as washing hands, or a greeting as a song.

4) Students can clap out syllables in words (languages).

5) Students can use songs to learn mathematical symbols and counting.

6) Learning a new language through music makes vocabulary easier to learn.

7) Students can listen to a song, and pick out the instruments.

8) Music in free play promotes movement and body dancing.

9) Music and body percussions.

10) Learning musical concepts

 

YouTube video: learning odd and even numbers through music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kHtGbnYKGc

 

What is my opinion of the value of integrating music and arts as an integral part of my teaching strategy? 

As a student, I was never exposed to this sort of art. For us, art was painting on a page or colouring even at intermediate levels. As a parent, I can see that my children are not exposed to art and it does have its drawbacks. However, as an educator in a montessori, I have incorporated drama and nursery rhymes and songs (minus instruments) into my teaching. Art can be incorporated into language activities for example draw a picture on a story told in class. Or music and maths work so well together. Songs about numbers are very catchy and learners do not even realise that they are learning. ( for example: 1 2 3 4 5 once I caught a fish alive)

 

Provide suggestions for how to include play in the foundation phase.

Clapping:

Students can play this game to match the tempo of their friends.

Puppets:

Students can use puppets to act out a story. Example the 3 little pigs as puppets to retell the story. Songs can also be incorporated into the story.

Blocks:

Build a house (maths)

Matching games:

Match lower and uppercase letters.

Match Number names and numerals.

Match animals to their habitats.

Art:

Can be incorporated to learn Maths and English.

Using different types of materials:

Keys to count.

I spy:

Alphabets and phonics

Cars:

Use for number games or learn phonics.

Board games:

teaches strategies and maths skills (monopoly).

Playing shop:

teaches about money. Communication skills can improve. Importance for all types of jobs.

Play contributes to emotional well being of children. 

 

Motivate the importance of including elements of play in as many teaching and learning activities as possible in the foundation phase.

As I previously mentioned that I 100% agree with play in the classroom. Play involves music and story and fun unplanned and planned activities. Teachers can plan using play in multiple ways.

Play in The foundation phase can be as follows:

Grade R:

Learning alphabets through songs and actions as seen in Jolly phonics or Letter land.

Numbers can be taught through nursery rhymes.

Story telling assist learners building imagery in their minds and they can then in turn act out the story.

Grade 1-3:

Students can clap out phonemes in a word. They can use play to develop language.

Play can be used in mathematics. Children can learn how to measure ingredients out to make play dough. They can then indirectly learn cause and effect. Example, to much water will make the dough sticky while to little flour will not hold the dough. 

Play develops thinking skills.  It makes the learner creative.

Another example is in art.

The learners are required to paint a picture. should they hang up a wet picture, they will learn that the paint drips. When the paint drips, it can mix with other colours and new colours will form. 

What is important, is the process of learning and not the end product. Children learn new skills and thoughts through the entire learning through play process.

Most importantly, play teaches students how to negotiate and take turns. It has has a profound effect right through adulthood.

 

So I am highly late for my blogs. Trying to see to a family, and loss of income has really put me on the back foot to survive this year. 

Give your opinion about the value of play for the holistic development and learning in the foundation phase

Play is exceptionally important for holistic development.

Children only understand life through play. It is the best form of education and empowering them.

At my school, I used to only teach Montessori through play and discovery. Science experiments were not necessary a science lesson, more of a discovery lesson. It was all about fascination. 

Maths is best learnt through play. Instead of teaching a lesson "Right class, let us learn about shapes." Then the teacher takes out a chart and point out the shapes and hand over a worksheet.

However play in math feels like on big party adventure. Showing the students different shapes and allowing them to build high towers that may collapse will obviously get a loud giggle from them. But you will also find that they will want to rebuild to see what they can change that will hold the shape.  The student does not realise they are learning through playing. They will recall that lesson faster and easier.

Play also foster communication among children. They discuss games to play. Creativity is involved.

Movement in play such as skipping and jumping is essential for physical development. 

Playing with puzzles help with fine motor skills.

Games with rules allow for cognitive development.

 

My favourite topic. PLAY.

Play is exceptionally important element in teaching in the foundation phase. We all can easily recall details when we relax and have fun. Years will go by, and those details stick out like it happened yesterday. So play in the foundation phase gets the thumbs up from me. That is how children learn.

Elements of play and music is very strong in Africa and African cultures. There are three types of play. 

1. Tradition: it is type of play that has rules.
2. Open: there are rules involved, however it is tweaked to suit the child and the nature of the game.
3. Original: the child uses his or her imagination. It is a creative process and is accompanied by sound effects and action (usually I would think, when a child is jumping on the bed, making a racket by fighting imaginary dragons)

In the foundation phase, we as educators need to use three types of play to allow freedom of choice. This also empowers students to make decisions and realise the consequences of thsoe decisions. We need rules during play. Obviously hitting and fighting over items are not allowed, but it needs to be told to the students. If "this" happens, then this will be the consequence. 

Free play is when students get to their preference in material and type of play.

Guided play is when students are given certain material and they need to discover what they can do wit it.

Directed play is more when children are given distinct instructions and is told what is needed from them. Example to create a puppet show.