Young children and spirituality: understanding children's connectedness in a group music class

In a fast-paced materialistic world, it is important to create opportunities for spirituality in early childhood music education, a developmental element often neglected in the scholarly literature. The purpose of the present hermeneutic phenomenological study is to understand the meanings that chil...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of children's spirituality 2016-01, Vol.21 (1), p.3-18
Main Authors: Nortjé, Elsabe, van der Merwe, Liesl
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Children & youth
Children's spirituality
connectedness
Dalcroze
Early childhood education
early childhood music education
lived relationality
Music education
Spirituality
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Summary:In a fast-paced materialistic world, it is important to create opportunities for spirituality in early childhood music education, a developmental element often neglected in the scholarly literature. The purpose of the present hermeneutic phenomenological study is to understand the meanings that children ascribe to their experiences of connectedness in a group music class for 15 children, aged 4-5 years, at a nursery school in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Data were collected by means of interviews, close observations, diaries and drawings. In a qualitative data analysis, the following themes emerged regarding the children's experiences in the music class: Music is the best; My body dances; Music takes me places; We can play together; You and me; I feel better and You can have mine. Music group classes in early childhood education could be useful in creating opportunities for spiritual experiences, promoting connectedness and consequently fostering children's spiritual well-being.
ISSN:1364-436X
1469-8455
DOI:10.1080/1364436X.2016.1138932