Shake, rattle and roll - can music be used by parents and practitioners to support communication, language and literacy within a pre-school setting?

The aim of this small-scale study was to evaluate whether music could support communication, language and literacy development within a pre-school setting. The research focused on a music specialist who provided a range of musical activities that engaged both parents and children over a 20-week period. Initial interviews with parents indicated that music could be an important vehicle in developing children's social skills. Exit interviews identified that parents' views had changed with the primary benefits being identified as the development of children's musical skills, in particular singing, increased levels of concentration and an improvement in children's speaking and listening skills. Research findings also identified that effective adult-child interactions appeared to be key in fostering language development through music. This echoes findings from previous research which highlights that involving parents and children regularly in musical activities can impact upon children's learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]