A new literacy intervention using music as a teaching aid has been trialled at Milne’s Primary School with “exciting results”.
Children have been taking part in a new programme designed to support and extend the development of early literacy skills.
The ‘Sounds and Symbols’ programme is based on mounting research evidence that suggested musical activities stimulate both sides of the brain, assist the learning process and more specifically language and reading.
Now the programme at Milne’s has been delivered to children aged between three and five years. Results from monitoring its effectiveness have shown that over a learning block of nine weeks, vital literacy skills were built.
These skills included identifying syllables, matching letters to sounds, maintaining a beat, clapping rhythms, paying close attention to sounds, co-ordination, recognition of letter sounds and many more.
Juli Harris, Head Teacher at Milne’s Primary school, said: “Staff at Milne’s Primary School Nursery have provided very positive feedback on the excellent Sounds and Symbols programme, developed and delivered by Maria Kay.
“The programme is aimed at supporting early literacy development using musical activities which introduce and reinforce skills and concepts such as pace, sequence, rhyme and rhythm and patterns.
“These are the foundation stones of literacy and communication – the children and staff love the activities and we are already planning input for the next sessions as well as raising staff awareness of the programme and offering a parent workshop, planned for in-service training in November.”
Sounds and Symbols programmes are now offered throughout Moray and are tailored to group needs.
Nurseries and any other pre-school provider wishing to add this to their curriculum can contact Sounds and Symbols via the website www.soundsandsymbols.co.uk. Questions can also be posed via email to enquiries@soundsandsymbols.co.uk.
Sounds and Symbols sessions are held weekly for children up to five-years old at Bishopmill Hall from 1pm to 2pm – all are welcome.
Sounds and Symbols also offers workshops to help early years providers to implement their own sessions and a Practitioner’s Resource Pack is under development.