Single Session Whole Group Learning Experience

Date 08/05/15

Toddler Class

Music Focused: Playing on made-up musical instruments

Events of interest/Links to observations:

The children have been observed banging on various objects such as pots, pans, buckets and other interesting containers.
Context for Learning (Indoor/Outdoor):
Indoors or outdoors (depending on the weather)
Anticipated Outcomes:
1. For children to learn about music making
2. For children to extend their imagination and play skills
3. For children to be able to extend their fine motor and musical skills
4. For children to be able to engage in a fun and play-based learning activity
Time

Teacher-initiated

Child-initiated

Learning and Development

Areas

In the
morning.

1. I will get together various items to

The children will be able to interact

with the items that I have set up as
musical instruments and they will
be able to play them in any ways
they wish.

Building Waterfalls:

Pots

Exploring we create, represent

and communicate our
understanding in many ways the
visual and creative arts are
embedded within the living and
learning environment.

Pans

Chopsticks

Buckets

Boxes

Plastic containers

Shakers (hand-made and

other)

use as musical instruments and

perhaps even make my own to
bring in.

2. I will set these up for the children

to engage with.

3. I will encourage children to get

involved in the activity and play
along with them.

4. I will ask children questions about

the music they are making; can
you make it loud or soft? What
object are you using? What type
of noises can you hear when you
bang/shake
5.

I will join in with their music

making and we can create a
percussion piece together.

EYLF:
Outcome 4: Children are
confident and involved
learners
Children develop dispositions
for learning such as curiosity,
cooperation, confidence,
creativity,
commitment, enthusiasm,
persistence, imagination and
reflexivity

Resources

Small group possibilities

Assessment & monitoring opportunities

The activity will be done in small groups in order for children to

use more instruments and interact on a smaller scale with
other children. The whole group will be encouraged to get
involved, but I wont force any child who doesnt want to join
in.

This activity could assess childrens abilities to recognise sounds and different
types of music and musical instruments. It could also assess childrens creative,
interactive and play skills. Their fine motor development can also be looked at.

Self Reflections/Forward planning

Routines & transitions

The children learnt about musical instruments and about being able
to interact and play with them. They also learnt about imagination
and extended on their fine motor and musical skills. The children
also seemed to have lots of fun with this play-based activity. The
anticipated outcomes were achieved well, just like mentioned above.
Next we could create our own band with the made up musical
instruments. I learnt (like many other times), that children learn
through spontaneity when they are at such a young age. What
worked was being spontaneous with the shakers and Sara (the
group leader) playing music in the background. This worked
because it related to activities to do with music that the children have
previously done.
What didnt work was that there were only 3 shakers as more
children wanted to play at the same time. Next time I would make
more shakers. I learnt that as a teacher, you should be involved with
activities children do so that they become even more enthusiastic
about learning. From here, we could add extra musical instruments to
the mix and play along to music that is on the iPod. We could also
make more of our own instruments.

A transition for this activity could involve singing a song to the children or with
them. It could be any song, depending on the moods and interests of the
children at the time.

Real-life engagements
The children will be able to engage with real-life everyday objects that will act as
musical instruments for this activity. They will be able to see the different ways in
which objects can be used.

Play
Play is involved as the children will be able to express their creativity and
imaginary skills by coming up with their own pieces of music. The children will
also be learning social interaction skills which involve play too. Role-play could
even be included.

Differentiated teaching
I will make sure that each child has the opportunity to play an instrument if they
want to. I will not force anyone to join in and will try my best to make the activity
as exciting as possible for the children.

Host Teacher Feedback

The children seemed to enjoy Lorens shakers. To enhance this, I played some music on a speaker for the children to dance to whilst making sounds.
The children shook the shakers, danced and smiled with delight; a great experience!