Modern parents have many requirements for very young children. Sometimes a child has just been born, and mothers and fathers are trying to try out new and fashionable developing techniques on the baby.
Many of them sometimes give mixed results; others turn out to be completely useless or even harmful. But there is one direction, which in any case will be useful for any baby. This is the Zheleznov method “Music with Mom”.
About Authors
The authors of the unique activities are dad and daughter. Produced discs with their developing musical activities are immense success not only in Russia but also abroad.
Dad - Sergey Stanislavovich. He has a higher musical education and, like no one, knows all the subtleties of the musical rhythm and the impact of music on a little man. He has extensive experience working with children in a music school, as well as managing a development center in his own way.
Daughter - Ekaterina Sergeevna. Also has a higher education, specialty - music teacher. Ekaterina Zheleznova works according to her unique technique and constantly improves her skills.
How it all began
At first, the Zheleznovs, working with children, tested the techniques that were already available at that time for the development of the musicality of babies. Gradually, they developed their ideas and put them into practice. Experience was being accumulated, everything successful acquired more clear-cut outlines. Thus, an integral system of preparing children for entering a music school was taking shape.
But all the developments that existed were suitable for kids from 3 years old. But for the smallest material was missing. Therefore,
Catherine and Sergey began to come up with materials for the kids themselves. According to Zheleznova, the technique is suitable for any child. It does not matter whether he will continue to play music or not, the foundations laid in his childhood will help in further development.
E. Zheleznova. Methodology and its essence
The methodology is based on the nursery rhymes loved by all kids, songs and the movements corresponding to them. The authors took as a basis folk tricks, and also composed small songs.
Based on the fact that the baby’s life is unthinkable without movement, all the songs are played out. In addition, the nursery rhymes are light, often repeated words that a small child soon begins to repeat himself.
It is important for young children that an adult show and perform all movements with them. So the Zheleznov methodology “Music with Mom” appeared. Jumping and dancing with the baby, parents give their child many joyful minutes. And the teacher who is present at the lesson leads and directs.
Goals and objectives of music lessons
Of course, all classes with kids are only in a playful way. The child is not forced to do anything. The teacher and mother show movements, and the child responds - at will - performs.
The result is a fun and developing game with a child, which allows you to solve problems such as:
- The development of musical hearing and rhythm.
- The formation of speech, as a result of repeated repetition of words - onomatopoeia.
- The development of motorboats as a result of interaction with various objects, both musical and ordinary. Wooden spoons and sonorous bells are very well received by children.
- Close emotional contact with mom, as a result of a fun time together.
- Auditory and tactile sensations and perception of information through music.
- Strengthening general health as a result of active physical activity.
- Music relaxes, it is indicated for various children's neurological disorders, and is also a powerful prevention of neurosis in babies.
- Developing the ability to communicate in a team and interact with other kids.
It is noted that kids, from an early age involved in music, are smarter than their peers. This is connected with the same work of the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
Methodology Basics
- Ekaterina Zheleznova, whose methodology is aimed at the early development of the musical abilities of children, recommends a very close participation of her mother in classes. Thus, an important contact of the baby and the parent is achieved, which is important to maintain for full development.
- Often you can see how a child, having heard the music, begins to dance. After all, the baby perceives music through movements. Therefore, classes according to the method of Zheleznov are always held with games, dances and playing music. Only in this way will the child understand and feel the music.
- The songs themselves must be either Russian folk, that is, classical nursery rhymes and songs, or you can use modern, but dance and really high-quality. Zheleznovy Sergey and Ekaterina wrote a lot of good children's songs and arranged old Russian nursery rhymes.
- The teacher, using the Zheleznov methodology, must play a real musical instrument. But you can’t do without the use of phonograms. Only in this way can a teacher help children and their mothers, actively participate in dances and games.
- In the classroom, it is proposed to introduce children to the keyboard from the age of 2-3 years. This technique is very interesting for kids. And children after 3 years old themselves can play the simplest verse and sing a song.
When can I start?
The development technique of Zheleznov is suitable for very young children. Children who have just begun to sit on their own are brought to classes. As a rule, babies are offered comfortable pillows on which they wave their arms and legs to the beat of the music. Older children are already in full swing around the entire perimeter of the room.
But even if the baby is still very small, mom can always start playing with him. Yes, yes, just to play. After all, this cannot be called an occupation. Although the benefits of music games are many.
All games fit perfectly into the daily life of the baby. Here mom carries the child to wash and sings: "Vodichka-vodichka, wash my face ...". Or, bending and unbending the legs of the baby, he says: “Bear is clubfoot ...”. And the well-known "Magpie-crow"? All this is the initial stage of familiarizing the child with a sense of rhythm and musicality.
Are there any flaws in the technique?
If you strictly follow the methodology and engage directly in discs or in an early development studio, then there will certainly be no harm. Joint pastime, dancing, games and funny songs will set any kid in a positive way.
But if you nevertheless take a closer look, you can identify some points that can be called rather small nuances rather than shortcomings.
The kid is invited to clearly follow the proposed action plan. The right to choose and independently invent movements is not given.
There are many complex repetitions and poems that little children do not immediately begin to absorb.
Ekaterina Zheleznova, whose technique is used in many development centers, together with her father composed many copyright songs. But basically they are of the same type. Often the same words are repeated, such as: bunny or bear, their actions, sleep, walk.
Although for very young children, just such a repetition of the same type of words is preferable.
For homework
When there is no possibility or desire to go to developmental classes according to the Zheleznov method, you can purchase discs with records of songs and finished classes.
Disks can be found for both very small and for older children.
In the classroom, usually after the teacher sings the songs, the children are invited to repeat. On the disks also after the music with the words, there is just music, for independent singing of the mother with the baby.
Disks can conditionally be divided into categories.
Lullabies
Here are the original Russian lullabies that our grandmothers and mothers sang to their children. Songs sound in their traditional performance. Ekaterina Zheleznova herself sings many lullabies. An additional bonus is the sounds of nature, tuning in a lyrical manner.
Nursery rhymes
Nursery rhymes have long been used by moms to entertain their little ones. They contribute to the versatile development of the child and help in establishing emotional contact. Everyone remembers “there is a horned goat” and “little ladies-ladies” from childhood and give minutes of joy to their children now.
Finger games
It has long been proven that speech directly depends on the development of fine motor skills. And this is facilitated by the so-called finger games. And if you perform them to music, then the benefits are enormous, and the baby happily performs everything.
In addition to the main ones, there are also discs with physical education, outdoor games, noisy tales, aerobics and even game massage. Zheleznovy Sergey and Ekaterina wrote songs for different ages and came up with simple movements for them, following which the child learns the world.
Any parent, even without a musical education and understanding of musical literacy, can, based on the methodology, comprehensively develop his baby and instill in him a good musical taste.