Early childhood education is one of the most talked about topics in parent and teacher circles today. Psychological and behavioural sciences have established the fact that a child’s personality is formed between the ages of 0-7 years. As such, children belonging to this age group are the most vulnerable, physically, mentally and emotionally. Hence, teachers for pre-schoolers should have the necessary traits and training to deal with the issues arising out of the day-to-day handling of children belonging to this age group. Pre-school teachers should have a clear knowledge of the developmental milestones for the children between 0-7 years of age and should also be clear about the areas of development and the types of intelligences. All this is made possible by providing formal training to the pre-school teachers, both pre-service and in-service.

The Pumpkin Patch Training Academy (PPTA) has been functional since 2010. Currently, it has a strength of 14 learners who are undergoing rigorous training to assist them in starting a career in EYCE. They have got hands-on experience at every level, increasing their professional competencies. They have been enthusiastically participating in all school events like the Funfair, Annual concert, Sports and various event celebrations. They are also required to go through an internship program in the school.

The learners have been conducting lessons, games, physical and sensory activities, science experiments and much more. They also participated in field trips and visit to places of relevance to early childhood education. All this has given a boost to their confidence and the vast knowledge they have gathered under the supervision of Asmita Tr. has made them ready to enter the field of formal early childhood education.

Singing and music play an important role in our culture. You’ll find music present in many aspects of our lives: theatre, television, movies, worship, holidays, celebrations, and government and military ceremonies. But none is as important as how we use music with our children.
From birth, parents instinctively use music to calm and soothe children, to express their love and joy, and to engage and interact. Parents can build on these natural instincts by learning how music can impact child development, improve social skills, and benefit kids of all ages.
Children’s Music and Social Learning
For toddlers and preschoolers, music making can be a dynamic social learning experience. Making music together, children learn to work as a team while they each contribute to the song in their own way. At the same time, music helps children learn that together they can make something larger than the sum of its parts.
More benefits of music for children include learning cooperation, sharing, compromise, creativity, and concentration – skills that become invaluable as they enter school, face new challenges, and begin to form new friendships and develop social skills.
Children of all ages express themselves through music. Playing music for infants proves that, even at an early age, children sway, bounce, or move their hands in response to music they hear. Many preschoolers make up songs and, with no self-consciousness, sing to themselves as they play. Children in elementary school learn to sing together as a group and possibly learn to play a musical instrument. Older children dance to the music of their favourite rock bands and use music to form friendships and share feelings.

• Infants and Music. Infants recognize the melody of a song long before they understand the words. They often try to mimic sounds and start moving to the music as soon as they are physically able. Quiet, background music can be soothing for infants, especially at sleep time. Loud background music may over stimulate an infant by raising the noise level of the room. Sing simple, short songs to infants in a high, soft voice. Try making up one or two lines about bathing, dressing, or eating to sing to them while you do these activities.
• Toddlers and Music. Toddlers love to dance and move to music. The key to toddler music is the repetition of songs which encourages the use of words and memorization. Silly songs make them laugh. Try singing a familiar song and inserting a silly word in the place of the correct word, like “Mary had a little spider” instead of lamb. Let them reproduce rhythms by clapping or tapping objects.
• Preschoolers and Music. Preschoolers enjoy singing just to be singing. They aren’t self-conscious about their ability and most are eager to let their voices roar. They like childrens’ songs that repeat words and melodies, rhythms with a definite beat, and words that ask them to do things. Preschool children enjoy nursery rhymes and songs about familiar things like toys, animals, play activities, and people. They also like finger plays and nonsense rhymes with or without musical accompaniment.
• Primary School Children and Music. Most primary school children are intrigued by songs that involve counting, spelling, or remembering a sequence of events. Songs and musical activities with other school subjects also are effective during this child developmental stage. School-age children begin expressing their likes and dislikes of different types of music. They may express an interest in taking musical lessons.
• There is no downside to bringing children and music together. From the pure pleasure of listening to soothing sounds and rhythmic harmonies, to gaining new language and social skills, whatever the setting – a quiet room at home with mom and dad, a large grassy field filled with people, or a busy classroom – music can enliven and enrich the lives of children and the people who care for them.