MUSIC AND WORD IN KINDERGARTEN: LEARNING BY SINGING STORIES

Abstract

The project Music and Word in Kindergarten: Learning by Singing Stories was developed in the context of the Pedagogical Intervention of the Master's Degree in Pre-school Education in Portugal, in a four-year-old kindergarten class, and came from the interest of the group of children in music and listening to stories. The main objective of the project was centred on the development of activities related to music and stories in order to promote skills in the areas of music and language. As regards the methodological options, action research was essentially used. The instruments for gathering information focused mainly on observation, field notes, photographic, audio and audiovisual recordings. During the activities, the group was always very committed and motivated to the construction of new learning, both in terms of vocabulary, language development, imagination and creativity, and in terms of cognitive, affective and psychomotor development, showing a genuine interest in stories and music. This intervention promoted co-operation between the Kindergarten and the family, with the active participation of the parents being truly fundamental. Throughout the project, the theme provided a rich sharing of experiences and discoveries for all involved.