One of the things that we’re really passionate about is using music as a catalyst for learning.
Because of the effect that music has on the growing brain, it is such a powerful tool for education. We certainly witness this effect in our classes each week.
This term, our oldest groups (5-6 years) are learning about “Musical Ubuntu” – exploring the concept of “I am, because we are”. We use music to encourage the children to think about their uniqueness, and how that makes them even stronger as a collective, when they work together.
But, as we all know, as soon as we work together, there’s potential for conflict. For young children, this often manifests in struggling to compromise or share. This causes them to feel sad or angry … and in turn, can lead to an aggressive or anti-social response.
So, we introduce our very own ROCKY the RHINO to the children. ROCKY uses his horn to charge at other animals when he’s feeling cross or threatened.
We encourage the children to think of other ways to respond to these emotions – ways that equip them to deal with these emotions, without damaging relationships or lashing out in aggression. [Psychologists call this EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE – the ability to identify and regulate our own emotions … (https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/emotional-intelligence).]
Let’s face it, this is really hard to do … even as adults … but it’s one of the keys to being able to function well in our relationships, so we need to learn and practice it.
That’s where ROCKY the RHINO comes in! We need all the help we can get, because … we definitely don’t want to charge … like a Rhino!
Listen to a clip of the song here … which will be featured on our brand new, upcoming CD release – BUSH BABIES – out on 9th October 2017.
