,LSP1501 Assignment 8 (Portfolio) | Due 5
September 2025
Activity 1: Music
1.1 How Toddlers Develop Musical Skills (2 marks)
Researchers emphasise that musical development in toddlers
begins naturally and is closely linked to their overall cognitive,
social, and emotional growth. Two key ways include:
1. Listening and Imitation
o Toddlers are highly responsive to the sounds and
music they hear in their environment.
o They imitate songs sung by adults, mimic melodies,
and try to copy rhythms.
o This builds auditory discrimination skills (the ability
to differentiate between sounds), which are also
essential for later reading and language learning.
o Example: A toddler might hum or sing fragments of a
lullaby they often hear from a parent.
2. Movement and Play
o Toddlers explore music through active play—
clapping, drumming, stomping, or dancing.
o These actions help them discover rhythm, beat, and
pitch in an enjoyable way.
, o Play-based engagement makes musical learning
natural and developmental rather than forced.
o Example: A toddler may bang on pots and pans,
experimenting with loud/soft sounds and fast/slow
beats.
Why this is important: These early interactions lay the
foundation for rhythm, coordination, memory, and even
phonemic awareness (recognising sound units in words).
1.2 Evaluation of Music in the Foundation Phase (6 marks)
Music is not only an art form but also a pedagogical tool that
supports key learning areas such as numeracy, literacy, and
social-emotional development.
A. Support for Numeracy
Patterns and Sequencing: Songs follow repetitive patterns
(e.g., chorus, verse), teaching learners to recognise order.
Counting Skills: Songs such as Five Little Ducks or One,
Two, Buckle My Shoe reinforce counting forwards and
backwards.
Mathematical Concepts: Rhythm and beat encourage an
understanding of spacing, timing, and one-to-one
correspondence.
September 2025
Activity 1: Music
1.1 How Toddlers Develop Musical Skills (2 marks)
Researchers emphasise that musical development in toddlers
begins naturally and is closely linked to their overall cognitive,
social, and emotional growth. Two key ways include:
1. Listening and Imitation
o Toddlers are highly responsive to the sounds and
music they hear in their environment.
o They imitate songs sung by adults, mimic melodies,
and try to copy rhythms.
o This builds auditory discrimination skills (the ability
to differentiate between sounds), which are also
essential for later reading and language learning.
o Example: A toddler might hum or sing fragments of a
lullaby they often hear from a parent.
2. Movement and Play
o Toddlers explore music through active play—
clapping, drumming, stomping, or dancing.
o These actions help them discover rhythm, beat, and
pitch in an enjoyable way.
, o Play-based engagement makes musical learning
natural and developmental rather than forced.
o Example: A toddler may bang on pots and pans,
experimenting with loud/soft sounds and fast/slow
beats.
Why this is important: These early interactions lay the
foundation for rhythm, coordination, memory, and even
phonemic awareness (recognising sound units in words).
1.2 Evaluation of Music in the Foundation Phase (6 marks)
Music is not only an art form but also a pedagogical tool that
supports key learning areas such as numeracy, literacy, and
social-emotional development.
A. Support for Numeracy
Patterns and Sequencing: Songs follow repetitive patterns
(e.g., chorus, verse), teaching learners to recognise order.
Counting Skills: Songs such as Five Little Ducks or One,
Two, Buckle My Shoe reinforce counting forwards and
backwards.
Mathematical Concepts: Rhythm and beat encourage an
understanding of spacing, timing, and one-to-one
correspondence.
