Maryann “Mar.” Harman BA Music/MA Ed
Founder of Music with Mar., Inc.
The cerebellum
is larger in musicians by up to about 5%. This suggests that finger
exercise (as used in fingerplays for younger children / instrument lessons in
older children) may prompt additional nerve growth. Schlaug et al 1998
Last week, I busted out my Lady Bug Rap. The children (and the parents) started bopping along. Then, they started asking for some of the other fingerplays. Seeing the one, reminded them of how much they enjoyed them. It reminded me, too.
Why are finger plays
and finger puppets so important for children? Besides the fact that they
are fun and very engaging, they get the whole brain involved. Any time we
move, we activate the motor cortex which is in the cerebellum. This is the same
part of the brain that processes learning. Add to it the benefits of
singing (tongue hitting the roof of your mouth stimulates the inner ear), and
you’ve got a powerful tool for engaging the whole brain.
The area of the
brain most associated with motor control is the cerebellum. It takes up
nearly one half of the brain’s neurons. Ivry & Fiez, 2000
It is fun to act out the fingerplays. And, that is something the children enjoy as well. Don't be a puppet hog! Let the children lead the songs. Much is happening in tiny nano seconds as
children themselves manipulate the puppets. Their brains are processing
"Which finger do I move with which word?", "When do I take that
finger down and put the next up?" and "Should I wiggle this finger or
bend it up and down?". WOW!!! This
teaches motor control, self-control, language and is also a child directed
activity.
Music is
children’s first patterning experience and helps engage them in mathematics
even when they don’t recognize the activities as mathematics.
Geist,
Geist & Kuznik, ’12
There are finger plays that
invite children to make a sound for each animal displayed. Each time another animal is added the child
realizes it is taking longer to make the sounds. That translates into five is larger than
one. A simple math concept taught
without any need for discussion. Using fingers
that go away introduces subtraction.
Counting forward wires the brain for addition. Counting backwards wires the brain for
subtraction. This is why it is important
to do both.
It takes a pre-operational
child 1200 times before a concept becomes concrete. That is a lot of repetition. As an adult, we may get bored repeating the
same thing 1200 times; a child wouldn’t.
This is another thing that is great about finger plays. Many of them are teaching the same
concept. We could get to 1200 times and
use almost that many different fingerplays!
When an adult sits down
with a child / children with finger puppets, the children immediately give you
their attention. Introduce the song and puppets. Know that you will
do it more than once. Then allow opportunity for the children to work
with them. It's also wonderful to have the 4 year olds perform the plays for
the 2 yr olds. What self-esteem and confidence building! That also works
on the ability to speak in front of others (a skill often not mentioned in
standards but very useful in life.)Research has been done (and has proven) the myriad benefits of finger plays. This link, Discovering the Educational Benefits of Finger Plays, has additional information on the topic. Mary Jo Huff has always been a favorite of mine in the art of storytelling and use of finger plays. You can also visit Music with Mar. and see our line of finger puppets and songs. Take children to shows / classes where finger plays are used. Bring some of these tools into your home / classrooms. And, remember, the first tool we all learn to use is our own fingers. They don't need to have little puppets on them to engage a child. The connection with you is beneficial in itself.
I've been looking for classroom enrichment tools and had completely forgotten finger puppets!
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