We think of rainbows and prisms, “Pop Goes the Weasel,” “Curious George,” “Caps for Sale,” and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee.” We recall the classics Ask Mr. Bear, Blueberries for Sale, Make Way for Ducklings, and Little Bear. You might locate the Folkways recording Songs of the Philippines and sing “Pounding Rice.” There are the sounds of nature: the music of birds, the wind in the trees, night sounds, and flowing water.
Many of us have known the following songs since childhood:
- “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe”
- “Sing a Song of Sixpence”
- “This Old Man”
- “Pop Goes the Weasel”
- “Eensy, Weensy Spider”
From the earliest stages, young children and adults count together and thrill to the mastery of numbers. Big, small, up, down, many, some, fat, thin, circle, square, nickel, dime—all follow a natural progression. Children quickly chant:
- “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe”
- “This Little Pig Went to Market”
- “Ten in a Bed”
- “Sing a Song of Sixpence”
Children gain a sense of power and feel a part of the adult world when they understand numbers. Music can be used to enhance children’s understanding of mathematical concepts and skills. According to Gardner (1993), this integration is especially effective with children who have a strong sense of hearing and musical intelligence. When children are engaged in music activities, they are also developing reasoning skills, which are crucial for later learning as they develop concepts in areas like proportional reasoning and geometry (Grandin, Peterson, & Shaw, 1998). It is important for teachers to remember that activities that integrate music and mathematics do not require any specialized musical training. All you need is a set of rhythm instruments, a tape player or CD player, an object that can serve as a baton, and musical recordings that have different beats and rhythms (Johnson & Edelson, 2003).
The omnipresence of numbers in daily life may surprise you. Children notice signs, billboards, and their messages. Perhaps as adults we block them out—but young children do not! Theirs is a world of number, color, and newness. Look for numbers in your world, and transfer them to the world of the child through music.
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