What was your most valuable takeaway from this weeks’ content?

[Meredith Pizzi]

Please reflect on your takeaway from this week’s material.

[Ann Marie Raddell]

It was helpful to see each stage of development in one presentation. It really demonstrated how quickly children change, grow and develop. Although it is not necessarily new information for me, I always appreciate hearing it again, because I am able to catch information that stands out to me in different ways than the last time I learned this information. After listening to the presentation, one new consideration for me is the difference between early childhood classes that have parents and caregivers present versus my classes that only have a teacher in the classroom. Each class definitely has its own dynamic, and my role is slightly altered depending on those different situations. It was interesting for me to think about how each child’s developmental stage also plays an important part in those different types of groups.

[Kelsy Gati]

I found it fascinating to hear all of the details regarding childhood development and associating those details with children whom I currently work with. I work with kids who are in each age range covered in this weeks material (with the exception of 0-3 and 3-6 months). I found myself picturing specific faces and the milestones they are reaching and the milestones that are delayed.

Ann Marie– I totally agree with you about your comment regarding the differences in dynamic depending on setting and the caregivers present! I find that when working in classrooms with teachers the structure and feeling of the space is completely different from a group at a home or other facility where parents or main caregivers are present. Perhaps the expectation is different and the kids perceive those differences?

[Kristen McSorley]

One remark that struck me was that early childhood music programs can be a primary opportunity for caregivers to learn about healthy development. I don’t have children and have limited experience outside of music therapy interacting with young children, so the aforementioned fact empowered me to know I can still provide useful information about development! The video also helped me empathize with what it must be like to experience this rapid development in your child as a caregiver.

[Kristina Rowles]

One of the valuable take aways from this week was the vast amount of information provided for all the developmental stages. There are so many important things that happen during each part of a child development. My experience with very young children is limited but I am excited to begin using this knowledge to look for the different milestones that a child will achieve.

[Sarah Szymanowski]

I have not spent a significant amount of time reviewing development since school. In the past eight years since the classroom, I have worked almost exclusively with children of Kindergarten age through adults. This presentation was a great overview. I was able to relate development through 18 months to my son and his contemporaries, and look forward to the ages and stages to come. Besides the comprehensive overview, honestly the most significant takeaway is that I NEED to review material like this. I do not remember everything from school! This underscores the importance of CMTE’s and recertification.

[Stephanie Harris]

I found myself doing a checklist of when my 5 year old met certain milestones and where my 17 month old is with the milestones. What I took away that I think impacts my practice as a music therapist is that even my own two girls have been within the ranges, but my older daughter always excelled more in language, whereas my younger daughter has excelled in motor skills. They’re both on their own path with different strengths and needs, much like our clients. What a great refresher in and resource to look back at!

[Anonymous]

Ann Marie and Kelsy great awareness about they different dynamics in the classroom versus with the parents. Kelsey in my work I do see the children pick up on the differences. One significant difference is in the child’s behavior. It is common for children to exhibit more behaviors with parents as opposed to their classroom. Parents are home base and the safest place to exert
their independence. I consistently hear from parents, that their child’s teacher or child care provider reports the child is a “perfect angel” in school or the day care and then they have significant behavior challenges when they are home with their parents. I also find the classroom comes with significantly more structure which the children definitely respond to. Sarah, Beth has reminded me that development is so vast, it is almost impossible for any clinician to have everything “memorized.” She further explained that she wrote her book in a particular way so that it would be used on a regular basis for review.

[Kristina Rio]

I also have seen and hear about these differences in dynamics in the classroom versus at home with caregivers. It is so true that children are more comfortable exerting their independence in a safe environment such as home. I always tell my families to sing in class so they can then remember the songs and sing them at home. I also tell them that their children may respond differently to the music at home and start to participate more in class if they can practice more where they are comfortable! Not only is it great for their practice and trust of the music, but it’s a great tool for parents to use outside of class to promote positive behavior during those challenging times!

[Laetitia Brundage]

Every time I reread or otherwise re-inform myself of information about early development, I take something new with me. This time around I found myself both reminiscing about my son’s first year of life and how applicable this information is to my classes and sessions. Like many of you, being able to give caregivers information beyond the music is more than fantastic; I’ve found that it boosts participation (from caregivers, and in turn, the kiddos), and allows me to really modify in the moment to meet the kids where they are on any given day. I also love the notion that one must remember to genuinely “be childlike!” This reinforces my belief that being able to meet the kids at their level and really delve into their world helps us help them explore and learn something new.

[Meredith Pizzi]

I’m really enjoying reading all of your takeaways! This conversation also reminds me of the importance of understanding typical development in order to best serve our clients with developmental delays or other disabilities. When we have unrealistic expectations based on what we think development looks like, we limit our clients. Letting development develop, in relationships and in skill building, is a fascinating and exciting journey!

[Tracy Wanamaker]

The most important take away for me this week is the reminder that these are all “typical” milestones and that each child develops different skills at different times and not necessarily in the same order. As a parent, I remember being concerned that my child was behind in some areas (she was a very late walker), without really realizing that she was ahead in others (such as language). Being able to reassure parents that their child is developing normally, just at different rates of speed in different areas is important. This was such a good refresher – I had forgotten how quickly they learn and grow, especially in that first year!

[Belinda Adams]

I found it fascinating to see this information again and to perceive it from a new perspective. I am the mother of my first daughter who is 20 months. Seeing this information reminded me of all the things I wondered about even after being educated in early childhood in both undergraduate and graduate studies. I ‘knew’ all of this, and yet I didn’t see that my daughter had speech and language delays. I can’t imagine being a new mother/parent without this knowledge of early childhood. Everyone’s advice now is ‘they all will develop in good time’ or ‘they are delayed’ so it’s hard to know who to listen to and what is the right advice to take. It is helpful to have resources that are all in one place and organized in a way that makes looking quickly possible.

[Ashley Carroll]

I had a few “aha” moments going through the material. As my role as a professional has taken a back seat this past year, and the role of “mom” has taken over, my biggest takeaway, similarly to what others have stated, is that these are estimated timelines of milestones. It is important to be aware of the ranges, that way if there is a 9-month old with the motor skills of, say, a typical 3-month old, I will be able to notate that as well as look for other signs of delay. As a therapist I will then be able to address it with the parent, so they can give a fuller picture of the child’s overall development, and not just one skill. As others have said, children often excel in one area and are “late bloomers” in others. I know my own child has been hitting physical/motor milestones early, however she is a bit behind on the language timeline. It is also important to remember to be compassionate when addressing parents about possible deficits.

[Noelle Larson]

One concept that resonated with me from this week’s content is the validity and importance of young children’s experiences of their world and how vital it is for us as music therapists and caregivers to be aware of these experiences. For example, I appreciated Elizabeth’s encouragement to lay on the floor, sit up, jump up and down, and engage with our bodies and environment in the ways our children do. Seeing the world from their physical hight and with similar limitations is very humbling and a good reminder of many of the emotions, joys, and fears that accompany different stages of development. I related to Elizabeth’s story about asking children to jump up and down while only “pretend” jumping herself; I’ve done that, too! I applied the concept of childlikeness at work today and tried to jump the same distance as my 2.5-year-olds–I found it quite physically challenging! That experience of fatigue helps me to be more understanding when my students fatigue, as well.

[Noelle Larson]

I have another thought that I would like to add, as well. Physically holding the scarf baby was an unexpectedly emotional experience for me and I think offered some insight into many of the emotions that our children’s parents experience. When I cradled the scarf at the beginning, I was moved as I thought about holding my own baby in a few weeks. It was difficult to transition the next minute to having the scarf on my lap, and then beside me and out of sight. I think that many parents struggle with having conflicting feelings–wanting their children to grow, meet milestones, become more engaged in the world, etc., but yet wanting them to stay “little” and dependent. I think that it is important as music therapists providing services to young children and families to keep this in mind while providing services and support, especially to encourage parents who may be having mixed emotions about their child’s growing independence.

[Tiffany Lee]

I loved the layout of this class and getting to clearly see the developmental milestones listed and how they relate to our field when goal writing. Having a one year old and two year old right now, it was very “close to home” for me and reminded me how quickly children develop. It also was validation to me on how this program divides up their classes. I do believe that sets Sprouting Melodies apart from other programs. The most significant thing I took away were specific examples of developmental lags to look for in each age category. Many of them were things that I knew about in a general sense, but it was a great refresher. I appreciated the detail of categorizing the milestones into physical/ emotional/ language…etc. This class especially made me consider musical development stages in young children. I currently have an MT group with children pre-K through 3rd grade in a public school setting. The age span is the most challenging part of the group and this class helped me consider the range in development I am working with.

[Kristina Rio]

I am really enjoying reading all of your reflections! It’s definitely helpful to have examples of clients or children in your life that you can apply this knowledge to.

[Jennifer Whitlow]

Wow! A lot of information right from the start! Thank you! It has been a while since I have studied early childhood development. As a parent of an 8 month old, it was a great refresher that every child is different. I liked how Dr. Schwartz presented the information and only brought up key red flags. I think parents often compare their children to peers and it can cause a lot of confusion and unnecessary panic. This week’s information will be some I review often as I begin my journey in offering early childhood classes.

[Katy Hutchings]

While listening to all the different stages, I kept being struck with how much we expect of children. Although I don’t have children of my own yet, my peers who do have children are constantly worrying whether their children are doing what they are supposed to be doing at the right time. I just finished parent/teacher conferences for the 2.5 year olds that I work with and I made sure to start each conference off by stating “Your child is doing great and making all their developmentally appropriate milestones.” The look of relief on every parent’s face was clearly there!

One expectation that jumped out at me was the concept of sharing and I love how Beth suggested using the word “trade” instead of share. I always want to encourage my students to share when, in reality, they just won’t understand the concept yet, and probably shouldn’t. Two year olds are still in the ownership phase. Sometimes developmentally appropriate behavior is not “ideal” behavior and I need to remember that!

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

Thank you, Noelle, for reminding us of the emotional complexity of parenthood. My mother, who had eight (yes, 8) children says that when you give birth, you hug your new infant for the first time and then spend the rest of your life learning to let go.

[Vanessa Quirarte]

Due to the fact that I have been working mainly with adults for most of my career, I have not looked at much information about early childhood until now. I liked how the milestones were broken up and explained in the presentation. It was a very good refresher.<br />
My most valuable takeaway would be in recognizing the need to observe these quick changing developmental stages to better individualize interventions and meet the child at their needs. The age range is small but the level of changes in the first 5 years vary greatly.</p>
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