MUSIC EXPRESS FOUNDATION STAGE

Introduction

Music Express Foundation Stage has been written to support the QCA Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage in England. The guidance is divided into six areas of learning, which are common to the Foundation Stages in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Music, being a fundamental part of the human condition, enters into all areas of learning. Reflecting this, Music Express Foundation Stage is divided into six sections - each focussing on one of the six areas of learning in the QCA Curriculum Guidance:

• Special People (Personal, social and emotional development)
• Going Places (Communication, language and literacy)
• Moving patterns (Mathematical development)
• Working world (Knowledge and understanding of the world)
• Growth and change (Physical development)
• Our senses (Creative development)
  

Foundation Stage Profile

This record of children's progress, which has been prepared by the QCA for settings in England -

"is a way of summing up each child's progress and learning needs at the end of the Foundation Stage. Profiles must be completed in any government-funded setting in which children complete the Foundation Stage. The Foundation Stage Profile is based on practitioners' ongoing observations and assessments in all six areas of learning set out in Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. Each child's typical developments and achievements will be recorded on assessment scales derived from the stepping stones and the early learning goals." QCA 2003

How Music Express Foundation Stage relates to the Profile

The Music Express Foudation Stage activities support holistic learning and are divided into the six areas defined in the Guidance. In the course of using the activities, practitioners can feel confident that they are providing learning opportunities across the curriculum.

The sections are not watertight - musical activities may provide opportunities for learning in two or more areas at the same time, eg taking part in a simple number song with actions will involve a child in.

Maintaining attention and concentration (PSED); joining in with rhyming and rhythmic activities (Communication, language and literacy); uses numbers for labelling and for counting (Mathematical development); showing appropriate control in large- and small-scale movements (Physical development); singing a simple song from memory (Creative development).

While practitioners completing individual Foundation Stage Profiles for their children are encouraged to keep in mind the broad cross-curricular nature of music making, they will find that musical activities will be particularly helpful for observing the development given as these numbered points in the Profile:

Personal, social and emotional development

• Dispositions and attitudes
  1 Shows an interest in classroom activities through observation or participation
  8 Maintains attention and concentrates
  
  
• Social development
  3 Takes turns and shares with adult support
  4 Works as part of a group or class, taking turns and sharing fairly
  
  
• Emotional development
  6 Has a developing respect for own culture and beliefs and those of other people

Communication, language and literacy

• Language for communication and thinking
  4 Listens with enjoyment to stories, songs, rhymes and poems, sustains attentive listening and responds with relevant comments, questions or actions.
  
  
• Linking sounds and letters
  1 Joins in with rhyming and rhythmic activities.
  2 Shows an awareness of rhyme and alliteration.

Mathematical development

• Numbers as labels and for counting
  
  
• Calculating
  
  
• Shape, space and measures

(The Moving Patterns section of Music Express Foundation Stage includes activities with specific mathematical content relevant to the numbered points in these three areas)

Knowledge and understanding of the world

(A range of activities contained in the Working World section of Music Express Foundation Stage involve development in this area)

Physical development

1 Moves spontaneously, showing some control and coordination.
2 Moves with confidence in a variety of ways, showing some awareness of space
3 Usually shows appropriate control in large- and small-scale movements
4 Moves with confidence, imagination and in safety ...
5 Demonstrates fine motor control and coordination
6 Uses small and large equipment (applies to musical instruments), showing a range of basic skills

Creative development

4 Sings simple songs from memory
6 Recognises and explores how sounds can be changed. Recognises repeated sounds and sound patterns and matches movements to music
7 Uses imagination in ... music ...
8 Expresses and communicates ideas, thoughts and feelings using ... a variety of songs and musical instruments
9 Expresses feelings and preferences in response to ... music