Early Childhood PDLCs

About Early Childhood PDLCs

The purpose of the Early Childhood Music Certification program is to help teachers recognize the importance of early childhood music, to discover how very young children learn to understand music, how to provide opportunities for guiding very young children to learn about music, and to learn how very young children might best be taught music. 

Children learn music best if they are exposed to it informally, much as they are exposed to their native language. In other words, music learning begins long before traditional formal music lessons should begin. Music development, like language development, is a process, not a product. The process of music development must be fostered as early as possible and allowed to unfold naturally among children.

Courses

Early Childhood Level 1

Click here to learn more about this course. 

Early Childhood Level 2

Click here to learn more about this course. 

Early Childhood Faculty

Jennifer Bailey

FARMINGTON MI PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Dr. Beth Bolton

TEMPLE UNIVERSITY

Holley Haynes

HILTON NY CENTRAL SCHOOLS

Heather Kirby

DEDHAM MA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Dr. Herbert Marshall

kent state university

Carin McEvoy

MICHIGan state university

Anna Preston

haddonfield ny public schools

Dr. Alison Reynolds

TEMPLE UNIVERSITY

Natasha Sigmund

cinnaminson township NJ public schools

Dr. Cynthia Taggart

Michigan state University

Dr. Wendy Valerio

university of south carolina

Early Childhood, Level 1

Course Description

Based on an extensive body of research and practical experience, this course offers an in-depth opportunity to learn how to create playful, developmentally appropriate, responsive music learning environments for young children through moving, singing, chanting, and listening. During the course, participants will have opportunities to observe children in music settings as well as to engage children musically with the guidance of GIML faculty. These interactions with children will help to illuminate Edwin Gordon’s theory of preparatory audiation as well as help participants learn to respond to and guide the development of newborn and young children’s innate musical capacities. Participants will deepen their theoretical knowledge as well as the musicianship and teaching skills that will prepare them to be playful, creative, responsive musical guides for young children. 

Course Outcomes

Participants will:

  • deepen their understanding of how young children learn music.
  • develop their own tonal, rhythmic, and movement skills.
  • learn how to observe and interpret the musical behaviors of children, as well as how to adapt their musical interactions based upon their interpretations of those behaviors.
  • learn to sing and compose songs in a variety of tonalities and meters.
  • learn to chant and compose chants in a variety of meters.
  • learn how to model, create, and engage children in developmentally appropriate movement.
  • learn how to structure a developmentally appropriate, rich, responsive music learning environment for young children.

Course Content

  • Theory and Practical Application
  • Types and Stages of Preparatory Audiation
  • Immersion in and experience with a rich variety of tonalities and meters
  • Topics include (a) song and chant immersion and exploration for young children, (b) tonal pattern and rhythm pattern instruction for young children, (c) music teaching as improvisation, and music engagement as a social endeavor, (d) developmentally appropriate movement for young children, (e) interpreting and responding to children’s music behaviors, (f) preparing rich music environments for children, (g) assessment of children’s music development.

Required Materials

  • Gordon, E. E. (2013). Music Learning Theory for Newborn and Young Children. Chicago: GIA.
  • Valerio, W. H., Reynolds, A. M., Bolton, B. M., Taggart, C. C., & Gordon, E. E. (1998). Music Play: Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Caregivers. Chicago: GIA.
  • Bolton, B. M. (2019). Learning the Language of Music: Musicianship, Songs in Varied Tonalities and Meters. Bluebell, PA: Bestbael Publications.

OR

  • Gordon, E. E., Bolton, B. M., Hicks, W. K., & Taggart, C. C. (1993). The Early Childhood Music Curriculum: Experimental Songs and Chants Book One. Chicago: GIA.
  • Soprano recorder
  • Internet access

Pre-Requisites

Participants should be familiar performing songs and chants in variety of tonalities and meters.  (Music Play, The Early Childhood Music Curriculum: Experimental Song and Chants Book One, and Learning the Language of Music: Musicianship, Songs in Varied Tonalities and Meters are good sources to explore when learning repertoire in a variety of tonalities and meters.) For the richest experience, they also should read Music Learning Theory for Newborn and Young Children before the start of the workshop.

Early Childhood, Level 2

Course Description

Based on an extensive body of research and practical experience, this course offers participants who have completed Early Childhood, Level 1 and been accepted to Early Childhood, Level 2 (see requirements below) an increased opportunity to deepen and expand playful, developmentally appropriate, responsive music learning environments for young children through moving, singing, chanting, and listening. During the course, participants will have opportunities to observe children in music settings, musically children with the guidance of GIML faculty, and lead their peers social music interactions. These interactions will continue to illuminate Edwin Gordon’s theory of preparatory audiation as well as help participants hone their skills regarding respond to and guiding the development of newborn and young children’s innate musical capacities. Participants will deepen their theoretical knowledge as well as the musicianship and teaching skills that allow them to be playful, creative, responsive musical guides for young children. 

Course Outcomes

Participants will:

  • Expand their deepening understanding of how young children learn music.
  • Continue to develop their own tonal, rhythmic, and movement skills.
  • Increase their observation and interpretation of children’s the musical behaviors.
  • Develop their music interaction skills based on the improvisatory nature of social music interaction.
  • Improvise and compose songs in a variety of tonalities and meters.
  • Improvise and compose rhythm chants in a variety of meters.
  • Increase their movement skills and developmentally appropriate movement leadership skills.
  • Demonstrate how to structure a developmentally appropriate, rich, responsive music learning environment for young children.

Course Content

  • Theory and Practical Application
  • Types and Stages of Preparatory Audiation with Emphasis on Stages 4-7
  • Immersion in and experience with a rich variety of tonalities and meters
  • Topics include (a) song and chant immersion and exploration for young children, (b) tonal pattern and rhythm pattern instruction for young children, (c) music teaching as improvisation, and music engagement as a social endeavor, (d) developmentally appropriate movement for young children, (e) interpreting and responding to children’s music behaviors, (f) preparing rich, safe, and inclusive music environments for all children, and their families, (h) assessment of children’s music development.

Required Materials

  • Gordon, E. E. (2013). Music Learning Theory for Newborn and Young Children. Chicago: GIA.
  • Valerio, W. H., Reynolds, A. M., Bolton, B. M., Taggart, C. C., & Gordon, E. E. (1998). Music Play: Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Caregivers. Chicago: GIA.
  • Bolton, B. M. (2019). Learning the Language of Music: Musicianship, Songs in Varied Tonalities and Meters. Bluebell, PA: Bestbael Publications.

OR

  • Gordon, E. E., Bolton, B. M., Hicks, W. K., & Taggart, C. C. (1993). The Early Childhood Music Curriculum: Experimental Songs and Chants Book One. Chicago: GIA.
  • Soprano recorder
  • Internet access

Pre-Requisites

Early Childhood, Level 2 applicants must complete Early Childhood, Level 1 prior to applying to take Early Childhood, Level 2. When desiring to complete Early Childhood Level 2, applicants must register for the PDLC and send the following directly to the PDLC site manager when registering. The GIML EC PDLC faculty will review the application materials and contact the applicant regarding acceptance into the Early Childhood, Level 2 PDLC.

Early Childhood, Level 2 Required Application Materials

  • Link to an unlisted 15-minute video-recording of the applicant teaching children between the ages of birth through five in stages 1-5 of preparatory audiation is required. These will be reviewed with regard to the applicant’s music engagement leadership. The video-recording should include the following:
  • Songs in Mixolydian and Dorian tonalities
  • Rhythm Chants
  • Unusual paired and unpaired meters
  • Movement with flow
  • Singing and chanting with appropriate pattern instruction
  • A one-page reflective statement about the candidate’s development as a practitioner using Music Learning Theory with young children.
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