Kidz-Fiz-Biz MULTICULTURAL
Reviewed by Loraine Corrie Phd (Uni. of London); Ma Psych of Ed; B.Ed (UWA). Dip.Tch (ECE).
Building on her earlier work – Kidz-Fiz-Biz - Marlene Rattigan has compiled this international collection of music and movement experiences for children aged 3 to 12 years. This valuable resource will help busy teachers, such as you, to include music from other countries and cultures in their programmes.
Why Music and Movement? It provides opportunities to soothe our soul, invigorate our senses, challenge our perceptions and enrich our understandings. Why an international collection? Music from other countries and cultures can form links that help bind us to the human family.
You can use this resource to stimulate a two-way flow between home and school as the music experiences are close to the hearts of families from many cultures. You will show that you value the families’ heritage and languages by including them in your programme and by encouraging families to contribute their own music, finger plays, rhymes and games to enrich the classroom.
You can help children to be playful with music from other cultures, recognise similarities between people and enjoy the differences they observe. So yes, children in Australia sing ‘Head, shoulders, knees and toes’ but children in Italy also sing it and it sounds like this… thus children broaden their knowledge of the world and develop positive attitudes.
You can use this resource to build on children’s interests and foster all areas of development as you integrate different learning areas into music and movement experiences. These experiences can help children listen carefully, communicate in many ways, refine perceptual and memory skills, and learn music concepts. Children don’t know they are doing all this of course – they are enjoying themselves and being active – a powerful way to learn!
I encourage you to play the CD in your car, as you cook dinner and as you clean the bathroom. Sing, sing, sing until you are familiar with the material and feel confident. Have fun, be playful, and take the plunge! The rewards will be great for you, the children you teach, their families and your community.
