An Exploration of Preschool Children's Spontaneous Songs and Chants

Abstract

An Exploration of Preschool Children's Spontaneous Songs and Chants explores the spontaneous, or improvised, songs and chants of preschool children. This study focused on: a) the environmental conditions that exist when young children spontaneously sing or chant, b) how young children manipulate musical elements when spontaneously singing or chanting, and c) their ability to verbalize a purpose for spontaneously singing and chanting. Four preschool children (two boys and two girls), enrolled in early childhood music, participated in the study. Spontaneous singing and chanting was observed and audiotaped within the home context. Questionnaire data were collected regarding the environment in which the singing or chanting occurred, and for the children's verbalizations. Audio-recordings were analyzed by two independent judges in the form of a specimen description. Questionnaire data were analyzed by content analysis. The results of this study are inconclusive due to the small sample size. However, it appears that young children's spontaneous songs and chants may be a reflection of how they organize musical information received from their environments. Further examination of the spontaneous singing and chanting of children may lead to a deeper understanding of what factors contribute to young children's musical development. Suggestions for future research are provided.

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