“Keys to Music: Making Music with Deaf Children in Early Years” has been in use in schools and homes across the country for three months now. The feedback from Early Years professionals and parents has been really positive.

 

The project began in Calderdale, at the invitation of the Sensory Support Service and we are delighted that we are continuing to work with the youngest deaf children in that area. Linda Parrish, the Head of the Service reviewed the project as follows—”Danny has developed a bank of materials and activities that relate well with pre-school children. This has been laid down in the ‘Keys to Music’ Early Years guides which give parents and settings ideas and activities that can target a multi-sensory audience of children. I feel the fact that it targets all the children’s senses makes it a wonderful resource for all children, deaf and hearing alike. Parents report that they have been reluctant to use music with their deaf child but these sessions and the bank of materials have given them confidence and reassurance to bring songs and rhymes to their children at an appropriate level.”

 

We are extremely proud of our work with deaf children in Early Years which will be receiving further nationwide publicity in the new year. The BBC2 programme See Hear will be broadcasting one of our workshops in the new year and the well-respected Nursery World magazine will be running a major feature on “Keys to Music” in January. We welcomed their photographer to our last workshop this year and we are really looking forward to seeing the magazine—as are the young people. This workshop was also attended by an Auditor of Early Years provision and the Calderdale Sensory Support Service was proud to show their partnership with MatD and demonstrate how our workshops benefit young deaf children in Calderdale. This same benefit is made available to other hearing-impaired services and schools—just contact Music and the Deaf for more details.

Danny will also be out and about in the new year training Early Years leaders to include deaf children in their music-making. Our project has shown how vital it is that hearing-impaired children are involved in music from the earliest opportunities. The photo shows Danny with Fern and Aneeka in Halifax, with their support worker. Fern’s Mum said “The children really enjoy playing the different instruments and joining in all the activities – there is a lot of giggling and smiling. But they also really concentrate and follow Danny’s lead, performing different actions when the different instruments are played and playing and clapping in time. The music sessions have really helped our daughter to focus and get involved. The children love the music and the attention they receive. The workshops have also helped our daughter with her social skills as most of the children in the sessions are profoundly deaf and she appreciates that she is not the only deaf child and has made good friends with the others who attend the music sessions.”

MatD has joined the Early Years Creativity Hub for the Yorkshire region. Sue attended the first meeting and met up with Early Years practitioners and other professionals working with young deaf children. Danny will be making a presentation to the Hub members in January about our work.