“…success [in music education] is bound up with the need for the production of plenty of music around the child, so that there is set up an environment calculated to develop musical sense and intelligence.” Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child
Tomorrow is World Music Day! Music – including music appreciation – is an important part of Montessori education. You’ll find some Montessori thoughts about young children and music in this article by Mario Montessori, Maria Montessori’s son: Man’s Spiritual Expressions: Language and Music, 1956. Music: an Integral Part of the Montessori Curriculum from North American Montessori Center also tells more about Montessori music education.
Although young children enjoy simple rhythmic activities and many kinds of musical expression, I want to focus on music appreciation today because of a special printable offered for a dime for World Music Day. I also want to provide some musical appreciation materials for families studying instruments in various parts of the world during a world travel unit study or while using Montessori continent boxes this summer.
While many aspects of music can be taught from a young age, children can enjoy classical music – along with many other types of music – when they’re exposed to it early. Here are some printables and Montessori-inspired activities that can help your child and/or students develop an appreciation of music.
Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation Printables
Free Instrument Nomenclature Cards from Counting Coconuts
Free Instruments Nomenclature Cards from The Helpful Garden
Free World Instrument Cards (9 cards) from Montessori Materials
Musical Composers 3-Part Cards and Control Chart from Montessori Print Shop
Music Materials available for purchase from Montessori Print Shop
Music Materials available for purchase from Montessori for Everyone
Free educational materials from Maestro Classics (Maestro Classics offers classical music for children that fits well with Montessori education, and their educational materials give extension activities for specific classical pieces.)
Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation Activities
Montessori-Inspired Music Unit Studies
Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: Peter and the Wolf, Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: Swan Lake, Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: Carnival of the Animals, Montessori-Inspired Activities for the Tortoise and the Hare, Montessori-Inspired Activities for Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Montessori-Inspired Activities for Casey at the Bat, Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: My Name is Handel, Montessori-Inspired Music Unit Studies, Free Nutcracker Printables and Montessori-Inspired Nutcracker Activities, Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Early Explorers Activities – Music, Montessori-Inspired Music Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers, Making Music Activities from Montessori By Mom, Montessori-Inspired Music Appreciation: Juanita the Spanish Lobster (Juanita la langosta española) Activities, Free Bell Printables and Montessori-Inspired Bell Activities, Fun with Cleaning, Movement, and Music Appreciation, How to Have Fun with Classical Music for Toddlers and Preschoolers, Kids’ Music Activities Pinterest Board (my other music appreciation posts and Pinterest Board)
Lots of Montessori music appreciation activities from Magical Movement Company
Music Series Round-Up, including Musical Instruments & the Symphony Orchestra from Montessori for Everyone
Age 3-6+ – Montessori Music from Michael Olaf
Music and Art Shelves (Photo from Counting Coconuts)
Music and Art Shelves from Counting Coconuts
Montessori music posts, including Music Listening from What DID We Do All Day?
Say ‘Cello’ and Visions of Sugarplums (The Nutcracker) from To the Lesson!
Introduction to Music for Preschoolers from Carrots Are Orange
Music Lessons from Just Montessori
Music posts from The Adventures of Bear
Composers, Instruments of the Orchestra, and Who Am I? Cards and Composers Definition Stages from Montessori By Hand
Music History Lesson from Montessori Mom
Composer Posters (Photo from The Homeschool Den)
Composer Posters and Picture Cards from The Homeschool Den
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy! I’m also one of the coauthors of the book Learn with Play – 150+ Activities for Year-round Fun & Learning!The Montessori at Home! eBook and Montessori at Home! eBook and Materials Bundle are AMAZING resources! You can learn more about them here. Buy them in the Living Montessori Now shop.If this is your first time visiting Living Montessori Now, welcome! If you haven’t already, please join us on our Living Montessori Now Facebook pagewhere you’ll find a Free Printable of the Day and lots of inspiration and ideas for parenting and teaching! And please follow me on Pinterest (lots of Montessori-, holiday-, and theme-related boards), Twitter (blog posts by me and others along with the Parent/Teacher Daily and other interesting information), and Google+ (post updates and Montessori Community). You can find me on bloglovin’, Instagram, and YouTube now, too.And don’t forget one of the best ways to follow me by signing up for my weekly newsletter. You’ll get two awesome freebies (and a monthly subscriber freebie) in the process!
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You know my little guy is hugely passionate about music. It seems to truly be a part of his soul. I think we will definitely have to do something special for International Music Day.
That’s wonderful, Kate! I’ll love to hear what you do for World Music Day! 🙂
You always have such great resources!! Not sure if you saw this or not, but wanted to share my {free} Music Lapbook with you (http://www.livinglifeintentionally.blogspot.com/2012/05/kids-learn-music-free-lapbook.html) It includes resources for learning about music & instruments =-)
Beth
Thanks so much for letting me know, Beth … I hadn’t seen it. It became my Free Printable for the Day at the Living Montessori Now Facebook page! 🙂
These resources are great!
It is also “Pollinator Week” which ties in with Biology, but we’ll have to do something with music today too!
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Jessica! It’s great that it’s “Pollinator Week,” too! I love lessons that can tie in with the calendar … calendar observances always seem to add spice to learning activities! 🙂
Hi Deb,
I love, love the instrument cards and what a steal for a dime! I downloaded them already! 🙂
I’m happy to hear that Marnie … it’s definitely a great deal! 🙂
Oh thanks for sharing the music links! My husband is a (former) music teacher and he will love this.
My pleasure, Becca … thanks for your comment! I’m so glad my post is helpful! 🙂
Cool! I can really use this! I have had literally no music history/appreciation education in my life, so it has always been a tough subject for me. This is a great selection of resources, thanks!
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Maureen! Music was my main extracurricular activity in high school, so I always enjoy having a chance to focus on it. 🙂
Thanks for sharing all of these great music resources!
Thanks, Tonya! It’s my pleasure … I really enjoyed searching for them online! 🙂
What a wonderful collection of music resources. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Crystal! I’m a definite music lover, so I had a lot of fun with this! 🙂
Thanks for sharing an amazing list of resources.
Thanks so much, Ali! Isn’t it awesome that so many great resources are available?! 🙂
these music resources are fabulous!!!!!!
Thanks, Tricia! I think they’re great, too! 🙂
Your round ups are awlays so helpful. Thank you! I haven’t introduced enoguh music appreciation to my son. This has inspired me.
Thanks so much, Ness! It’s great to hear that my roundups are helpful! I hope you have fun introducing music appreciation … I always loved doing those sorts of activities with my kids! 🙂
Thanks for this post! I’ve been looking for more ways to teach classical music and these are perfect resources! Printed a few things from Counting Coconuts. We also watch a few things on starfall.com about a few composers. 🙂 Her fav is Tchaikovsky.
It’s great that you’re introducing classical music already! I’m glad this is helpful for you! 🙂
Wowza! What a bunch of great ideas! I especially love the composer cards! Thanks so much for sharing on this week’s Kids Co-Op link up!
Thanks so much for your kind comment! I’m glad you found some ideas you can use! 🙂
Thanks for hosting the link up! I couldn’t find a comment section on that post. Sorry!
You have an awesome site!
Please come check out ours as well.
http://www.SweepstakesMama.com
Candy-
SweepstakesMama Team
Thanks for your kind comment, Candy … and thanks for linking up! It’s true that there isn’t a comment section on the giveaway linky page. You have some great giveaways at your site, too! 🙂
Hi Deb, what a great round up of musical activities. As a musician, teaching children early is close to my heart. I’m pinning this. Thanks for sharing with The Sunday Showcase!
Thanks for your kind words and for pinning my post! I appreciate it! 🙂
thank you as always for taking the time to share your fabulous montessori round-ups on the Sunday Showcase! I have pinned this to our board.
Thanks so much, Bern! I appreciate your pinning my post … and I always love the Sunday Showcase! 🙂