Music corner

Singing about feelings

Jenny Mosley ('Response time', Nursery World, 23.02.06) wrote of the importance of acknowledging strong expressions of emotion, listening to what children are saying about their feelings and reflecting back. Songs, like stories, can help children explore the emotional skills they need to be fulfilled and expressive communicating individuals.

We can help children's social and emotional development by using songs and music play where they find the words and sounds to make sense of their thoughts and fears, or feelings like timidity or excitement.

The nature of music itself can be helpful. I will give the example of Kieran, aged two and a half, in a family centre. He takes two saucepans and the lids, sets up his 'drumkit', finds a beater and plays energetically and continuously for over ten minutes, to the surprise of his key worker. She explains that he has just started attending the nursery for longer periods, staying after lunch, and she thinks he might be 'working something out' in this way.