Knowing the Children We Teach

This book seeks to demonstrate music’s unique contribution to children’s well-being, self-enrichment, and fullness of life.

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The Children We Teach places children at the center of music learning and teaching. What we understand about children determines how we teach them: the music learning environments we provide and decisions we make about music content and skills. Unexpressed, but no less meaningful, is the interdependent relationship between music teacher and children. Recent trends in music education emphasize what children should know about music more than what music educators need to know about children. This book offers insight into the innate traits of children such as goodness, kindness, needs, spirituality, playfulness and wonder. Each essay is supported through research and features data from music teacher-participants. When we engage children musically, we have opportunities to nurture children’s hearts, minds and spirits as well as our own.