This March, we explore the Arts in early childhood education with Anne Belcher, a music educator with 20+ years of experience who founded Branch into Music near Ballarat after discovering music's soothing power on her own baby.
Anne explains that every child is born musical and shares her "musical tree" framework with five essential branches: keeping the beat, singing, playing instruments, movement, and listening. She offers simple, accessible strategies for educators of all skill levels to incorporate music throughout the day, emphasising that you don't need to be a professional musician to enrich children's lives.
Music develops cognitive skills across multiple domains—steady beats support early literacy and reading skills, nursery rhymes build vocabulary and memory, and activities like using Frisbees as instruments develop mathematical concepts through patterns and sequencing. Music naturally integrates numeracy through counting beats, making learning feel like play rather than formal instruction.
At Federation University, Anne teaches pre-service teachers that "making music makes us happy," creating a foundation for learning and meaningful relationships. During COVID lockdowns, she adapted to online teaching, reaching more educators and children than ever.
Anne shares that children respond to sounds from 16 weeks of gestation, with their mother's heartbeat being their first musical experience—an innate musicality that any educator can nurture, regardless of perceived musical ability.
Join host Lili-Ann Kriegler for this uplifting conversation that will put a spring in your step and music in your heart!
Anne’s contacts and a generous free resource:
Special Offer – FREE MASTERCLASS for “For Your Ears” Listeners: “Boom! Crash! Bang! Using musical instruments most effectively with our early learners”: https://www.branchintomusic.online/offers/269ZigAP
Website: https://www.branchintomusic.online/
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/@BranchIntoMusic
Join host Lili-Ann Kriegler for this uplifting conversation that will put a spring in your step and music in your heart!
#EarlyChildhoodEducation #MusicEducation #EarlyYears #ChildDevelopment #TeacherResources #ECE #PreschoolMusic #MusicalLearning #EarlyLiteracy #EarlyMaths #ChildhoodArts #PlayBasedLearning #EarlyLearning #TeacherPD #NurseryRhymes
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For more information about Lili-Ann Kriegler, go to:
Kriegler-Education
https://www.kriegler-education.com
+61438489032
Follow Lili-Ann
I respect the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land of the Kulin Nation groups, the Boonwurrung and Bunurong people, where I live, learn, and work.
Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is an award-winning author and Melbourne-based education consultant. Her books are 'The Power of Play' for educators and 'Roots and Wings' for parents. Lili-Ann’ is a leader in early childhood education (birth to years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. She runs her consultancy, Kriegler-Education. She is passionate about the early childhood sector and believes in the transformational power of education.
Find out more at https://www.kriegler-education.co
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