Young children and music: Participatory learning and intentional teaching

This paper reports on a research project focussing on a children¿s chorus in an early learning centre. The participants in the research were 187 three-to-five year olds and the adults consisted of generalist and specialist teachers and an external researcher who was a participant observer. Data was collected through direct observation and recorded on video, photographs, children¿s drawings and field notes. The research design was qualitative, interpretive and consisted of cycles of planning after each event so it was therefore action research and contained elements of teachers researching their own practice. The children have been able to gain skills, an understanding of some music concepts, been introduced to different roles, for example, audience, performer, conductor, choreographer, orchestra member and collaborative decision maker around repertoire and the nature of performance. The aspect of experience discussed in this article is on principles of participatory learning and the relationship to the adults¿ role, which was one of intentional teaching and how this enhanced the children¿s musical explorations.