Frequently Asked Questions
Why should children participate in the arts?
Research shows that kids who are actively involved in music (who play it or sing it regularly):
- Do better in reading
- Learn coordination, goal-setting, concentration, and cooperation
- More likely to do better in math and science because music helps build reasoning skills and cognitive development, which are important to both
- Get along better with their peers and have higher self-esteem
- More likely to go to college
Children with autism in particular, experience impairments in social relationships and social interactions as well as verbal and nonverbal communication. They often exhibit restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. Then why use music to stimulate children with autism? Children on the autism spectrum show a preference for musical stimuli and find the repetitive elements appealing. Music fosters creativity and self-expression and affects the whole person (cognitive, physical, neurological, & emotional).
The non-musical goals we will accomplish with our program are: Cognitive, Academic, Motor, Emotional, Social and Leisure.
The musical and theatrical goals we will strive for with children with autism help to increase tolerance of stimuli, promote verbal/non-verbal dialogues, increase self-expression, develop spontaneity and flexibility, decrease obsessive behaviors and increase awareness of others.
How does this promote my child’s Early Childhood Education?
- Promote a child’s intellectual development by showing and encouraging your child to think about the world around them through creative play that helps develop literacy (alphabet and beginning reading skills), counting and number awareness, problem-solving, creativity, and imagination.
- Ensure opportunities to develop social skills through playgroups or more formal preschool activities such as music class.
- Encourage behaviors that demonstrate respect, courtesy, and sharing (taking turns).
- Encourage children to accept responsibility and build independence through simple chores such as putting the musical instruments and craft items away at the end of class.
- In order to promote phonological awareness and improve their child’s readiness to read: Read nursery rhymes, sing songs, and clap along with the rhythm.
How does Musical Theater help children prepare for school?
- Connecting story and titles by predicting the story from the title.
- Making predictions about stories and following simple plots by asking questions while reading (“What’s going to happen now?”) and allowing children to retell stories
- Communicating feelings and ideas by allowing children to talk and tell stories even when they do not appear to make much sense.