Music & Movement

It is well documented that learning is enhanced and deepened when it is multisensory. Children who are able to use their visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic senses in the classroom come away with a greater understanding of the concepts they are being taught.

Preschool children are made to move, and any teacher knows that asking young children to sit still for extended periods of time is an uphill battle. When preschoolers are asked to sit still for periods of direct instruction, their brains become so consumed with the physical task of sitting still that any instruction taking place has a hard time turning into actual learning.

I remember as a new teacher being amazed that kids who were asked to sit still and listen hardly seemed able to take anything in, while those who were up and moving, talking with classmates, and seemingly not “paying attention” came away with exactly what the activity was intending to teach. I was so caught up in the mindset of “preparing them for kindergarten”, where the norm had become sitting for longer periods of time, that I was failing to actually meet my students’ developmental need for movement.

My own son was a very busy preschooler and his teacher often commented that she had a hard time getting him to sit still at school….and yet, while he was being a “problem child” for his teacher, he was absorbing everything being taught because his mind could focus when his body was allowed to move.

Embracing a child’s need to move can be among the best changes a teacher can make in their preschool classroom, and one way to incorporate more movement is through music. Music can serve so many purposes in the classroom–it can encourage self-regulation, cooperation, rhythm, meditation and calmness, gross motor skills, and be an introduction to more structured activities like yoga. Preschool academic concepts, such as letter names and sounds, are learned more quickly and better retained when set to music. And most kids just love a good song to get up and move to! As an added bonus, when a child’s need to move is met, they are much less likely to display challenging behaviors.

While the list of resources is endless, here are 15 suggestions for specific songs that are on repeat in my own classroom (and they all come from albums full of other fantastic options). These are tried and true pieces of music that my students love and ask for over and over again!

Great for Self-Regulation

Silly Dance Contest
by Jim Gill

Party Freeze Dance
by The Kidboomers

Self-Control
by David Kisor

Great for Calming

Sandcastle Meditation
by Sada

Your Secret Treehouse
by New Horizon Holistic Centre

Scrunch & Let Go
by Kira Willey

Great for Motor Skills

Tooty Ta
by Dr. Jean

Shake Your Sillies Out
by The Learning Station

Ready, Set, Move
by Greg & Steve