Music-reading readiness SOMETIMES EARLY childhood teachers assume that if the child has not made progress in reading words, he is not yet ready to start reading music. This assumption should not be entertained, since it is possible that music reading may provide a path to word reading for some slow learners. We ought to be aware that there is much overlapping between the different areas of learning which can be helpful in the child's development. The teacher should avoid teaching music literacy by using dull theory or music in abstract form. In the past music was seen as an equivalent of various story books without any graded reading scheme. Since no "reading readiness" whether for words or music will be likely to manifest itself without help from the teacher, the teacher should ensure the following: Create an atmosphere whereby children are able to see and hear. To encourage checks on "Sight and Hearing" in the classroom, a good audio-metrist, who is capable of testing all the children in a class. Children with poor sight or a hearing loss may still wish to make music. According to Iain Kendell in his Source Book for Teachers: "a child who was rated as deaf still took part in musical activities - playing percussion instruments." Concepts and vocabulary should be covered during the early years of learning. They will only be ready to do more organised music if this basic work is done. Rupert Thackray, educator, in his work with young children concludes that "10-11 year-olds have still to gain clear knowledge of all basic music concepts." Teachers should use the story concept to provide interest and in the meantime, concepts could be experienced in practical ways through creative work. The development of rhythmic skills is of paramount importance. It should be borne in mind that most children between age 4-5 are aware of steady pulse. This can be encouraged by allowing them to use mouth sounds, hand or arm movement and walking in time. The classroom teacher can also encourage children to count sounds and commit to memory and this should be repeated. These and other activities can be used to achieve the desired objective. It should also be borne in mind that some children have difficulty in counting quickly enough for music purposes. Important method Another important method to enhance music-reading readiness is by allowing children to echo-patterns in rhythms or pitch. Children should always be encouraged to remember sounds in the correct order. Pitch skills and aural discrimination can be tested by the use of percussion instruments - glockenspiel and xylophone in order to build pitch concepts. This should be through the use of pitched percussion instruments before any reading of music begins. The use of up to five notes in their proper places on the instrument, playing simple patterns or accompaniment by rote will assist the child to be sufficiently familiar with the layout of the instrument and ready to read music with difficulty in finding notes needed. It is always advisable to teach visual discrimination of music symbols. However, musicians and different schools of thought feel sound must be introduced before symbols. Research has revealed that, even when given time to make a comparison, about 50 per cent of children observed are unable to discriminate pitch symbols visually, unless given specific training.
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