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

[Meredith Pizzi]

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

[Julia Park]

The takeaways from this week’s material is the concept of respecting each person’s unique timing in combination with the knowledge of developmentally appropriate practice. As a music therapist, I was trained to create and carry out personalized goals and results. This person centered approach theory allowed me to have flexibility but also uncertainty in not knowing what I am doing is really the right way to do it. I now have more confidence and clarity especially in working with these specific age groups (0-5 years old). Because music therapists have the background and training in tailoring to the clients’ needs, I think what we can bring to the clients are infinite.

[Nicole Drozd]

My take away this week was not only understanding the basics of each age group but also the importance of helping the parent understand what is normal in the child’s development. I am not a mom and I am sort of comfortable with children, so getting to learn more about each age group helps me feel more comfortable in working with groups of children but also provides me with information that is helpful to parents, even though I am not a parent myself.

[Susan Gannon]

I have been working with young children with developmental disabilities for years so I have much of the covered information. However, I liked the way it was presented in such a concise and organized manner. My most valuable takeaway from this week was that I can help parents understand what is typical and what is just part of the range of development that many children experience. I don’t generally see parents alongside the children, and that is something I would like to change as I develop my own practice, and move away from the clinic where I am working now.
You also asked what I would bring to the table in working with these young children in a music group run by a music therapist. I guess my therapy experience, my life experience (I am a grandmother), and my creativity. I love evaluating the children, and writing my own songs based on their needs.

[Anonymous]

Nicole although you do not have children, you still have expertise and a lot to offer families with your training as a music therapist. Kristina, our other moderator, has been a Sprouting Melodies Provider and MT for quite some time and does not have children and has helped numerous families with her background and training alone.

[Kristina Rio]

Yes, thank you Erika! I have been a provider for almost 4 years and at first I felt the same way! The more information I shared with families and the more I used the Sprouting Melodies sayings, the more I felt confident in being a strong resource for families. I noticed that parents and caregivers asked me more questions and really valued my expertise despite the fact that I am not a mom!

[Charniqua Snell]

My take away is that it is important to know these milestones not only to spot typically developing behavior but also when a child may be behind. Working with children with disabilities its important to not only know their physical age but also their developmental age. With this information I can make sure every child of any age is achieving their full potential!

[Kate Potrykus]

My biggest take away from this week is, like may others said, a greater understanding of the timing of developmental milestones. Parents are often asking for insight regarding their child’s development and whether they should be concerned. Having the language to express to them that these timelines are not set in stone – that all children develop at their own pace – gives me the confidence to address parent concerns.

I also thoroughly enjoyed making my own connections between these typical development milestones and the role music can play in fostering them. As a music therapist, figuring out how every aspect of a person’s functioning can relate to music is something I do automatically – even just for fun! So I am very much looking forward hearing and reading about the developmental stages from a musical perspective!

[Shelly Peterson]

My biggest takeaway was to experience being child-like.
I often find the most difficult part of teaching young children is getting the parents and teachers to be fully engaged. Some really understand that their full participation greatly benefits their child while others just sit there and watch, fully expecting their child to engage. Even after my encouragement, direction and rationale of modeling and being engaged with the children, they can get “lazy” very quickly. I like Elizabeth’s suggestion of being child-like and reminding myself as well to experience my classes as a child. I hope this spills over to playing with my children as well…I have two girls ages 6 & 9 years.
I think the approach of inviting parents and caregivers to be child-like during class will be well received.

[Marcie Hernandez]

My most valuable takeaway from this week’s content was having a clearer understanding of each developmental stage, while also being aware that each individual child’s process of development is unique. Like others have mentioned, having this knowledge now will be immensely helpful in building my own confidence for answering parent’s questions and concerns, and also noticing things myself that might be worth mentioning to parents. I also think it’s so important to encourage parents to be child-like and interact alongside their children.

[Elizabeth Carras]

I have really appreciated the ‘ages and stages’ type review of development. The last time I went over this information I was still in school, and looked at everything as facts and numbers to memorize. Now, reading/listening about each of the developmental stages I picture my clients and my niece. This week’s content really brought child development ‘to life.” and I’ve loved the music class tidbits thrown in – applying the knowledge as I take it in! Also really helpful to have suggestions of how to approach questions that parents frequently ask.

[Rebecca Woodruff]

I think one of the most valuable things I took away from this week, is knowing more about developmental red flags. Being a new parent is stressful and people worry so much about their kids being normal. It is nice to be able to know what is expected at these stages of development and to be able to calm parents with this knowledge. On the other hand, it is good to be able to catch red flags early on. Quick diagnosis leads to quicker treatment and better outcomes for children with disabilities.

[Nicole Drozd]

Thank you Erika! Your statement helps 🙂

[Julia Park]

I don’t think you have to be a parent to do these groups. If I had a choice, I would have taken this course BEFORE I had my first child so that I did not freak out so much when I actually became a parent. Being a parent is such a raw and emotional experience and I believe that it is different for everyone. There are common themes and questions such as “what is developmentally appropriate for this age?” and “is this normal that my child has not reached this developmental milestone?”. These are questions we as sprouting melodies can provide without being a parent. Most importantly, it is wonderful to be able to provide a space for the families to have fun and exchange support in a safe and supportive environment.

[Christina Bass]

I found the breakdown of each developmental stage in each domain and understanding that each individual will have a unique response the most valuable. I have gone over them in the past, but this more in depth review I found extremely helpful. Being knowledgeable about each stage will be extremely important to help guide parents while providing the best treatment for each individual. I also found the encouragement to picture having an infant with us extremely helpful in developing a better understanding.

[Anonymous]

I’m so glad you are each finding the information helpful and informative for your work.

[Alexis Ramagnano]

I had taken a class on childhood development years ago before becoming a mother. I think the takeaway I got from this weeks lesson was revisiting this info from the perspective of being a mother. I remember how unsure I felt as a parent and imagined how I would feel if a group leader took the time to let me know that it is OK to not have things go as planned. It was also helpful to hear about the possible red flags to look out for.

[Johanna Horn]

What was your most valuable take away from this week’s content?
Post to the board a personal reflection of what you personally will bring to early childhood music therapy based programs and how this information will support your work as a music therapist.

I found the breakdown of each stage a very helpful reminder of how children develop. I find there are so many times in music classes that the activities are not age/developmentally appropriate. There are so many times in my music classes that I create an activity that is not age appropriate and then other challenges arise.
Since becoming a parent, it has been eye-opening to create music activities that would be appropriate for my children. I feel since I have a personal understanding of birth-three, it is very helpful in my classes. However, all children are different and I do need the reminders.

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

Many of you wrote about the idea of getting parents and grownups involved in a child-like way. You might be interested in a Sprouting Melodies blog that I wrote a while back about the roles that grownups often assume within groups. You can find it here:

Enforcer? Eavesdropper? Equal Partner? What is Your Role in your Child’s Music Group?

[Shelly Peterson]

Can you please talk more about what you mean by horizontal and vertical development? Is it the difference between cognitive development and actual growth of the body?

[Anonymous]

Hi Shelly, I am forwarding your question to Elizabeth and she should respond shortly. Great question!

[Daniel Henry]

My most valuable take away from this week’s module is learning about the specific milestones in each stage of development and how to observe them in and out of music as well as what might be red flags that a child might have some delays. This information will allow me to help parents understand their child’s development and assist with developing strategies meet their child’s needs in music and at home.

[Flora Whitmore]

My takeaway from this week’s segment was a better understanding of each developmental stage- I especially found the inclusion of ‘red flags’ and the break down of developmental markers by domain very helpful. I have worked with children for a long time, and did take developmental psych in university, but this was the clearest breakdown I have encountered. I found myself applying the different stages in my head against the developmental functioning of some of my clients to test myself.

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