I describe many of the benefits of introducing young children to music, and some cautions and suggestions when using tablet devices with littlies. 

IMPORTANT UPDATE: After downloading music apps onto the device, put the iPad or tablet into FLIGHT MODE before handing it to a child. None of these apps require an internet connection to function and putting the device in flight mode prevents the child from being exposed to wireless radiation unnecessarily.

In this text lecture, I include some links which explain, step-by-step, the process for setting the parental controls on your iPad or Android tablet.

In this lecture, I present the pluses and minuses of free and paid versions of apps.

How do you choose the best apps for your child or children?

In this lecture, I talk about the Common Sense Media organisation website, the multiple intelligences theory, and give some suggestions about how to choose the first or first few music apps for your kids.

In the resource section, I have included a rubric for evaluating the usefulness of apps, as well as some materials for anyone wanting to learn more about the principles of learning and teaching, lesson planning, and assessment. These skills are just as useful for parents as for teachers, because everything you do and say is teaching your children something!

In this text-only lecture, I explain step-by-step with pictures how to download apps from the App Store (for iOS) and the Google Play Store (for Android).

In this lecture, I talk about the importance of teaching children good posture with tablet devices from the very beginning, and mention some of the most common positions for using tablets.

This PowerPoint presentation with audio shows examples of tablet set-ups for a group and different positions in which children can sit and lay down to use tablet devices. I also introduce general guidelines and 10 specific principles for using music apps effectively with children (in groups or one-on-one), as well as a list of key tablet-related vocabulary to introduce when using apps with kids.

Note: If you decide to make your own tablet stands, please combine this with a shock-proof protective cover in case it gets dropped!

Introduction to what you will learn in this section: 

- How to put children's music on your laptop from CDs and the internet and how to transfer the music collection on your computer to your iPad or Android tablet.

- Get to know the 'Children Songs' and 'Kids Songs' apps for Android and 'Kids Song Collection' for iPad, hear some samples and learn how to use these apps with kids.

- Learn about the musical concept of melody and song structure and how to identify different sections in a song.

- Learn about the guitar and other stringed instruments with frets (the metal bars on the fingerboard), with recommendations for children interested in this instrument.

Learn how to create a 'Children's Music' playlist on iTunes and Windows Media Player by importing/ripping CDs from your kids collection, downloading free mp3s from children's song websites, and saving the audio from YouTube videos.

Once you've compiled your children's music playlist on your laptop, watch this lecture to learn how to transfer your playlist to your iPad and Android tablet via the USB charger.

In this lecture, I give you an introduction to two children's songs apps for Android devices.

Watch a demonstration of the Kids Song Collection app for iOS and learn some tips for using the app to teach children about visualising lyrics as they sing.

Learn the most common musical structures for tunes and songs, and how to identify and teach them with children's music.

For the optional task, you will need the following Dropbox link:

 https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f1hyn7gbfj39933/AACCwAIQgdPX6ouz1a0aPrFSa?dl=0

An introduction to the guitar and other stringed instruments with frets. Learn about the benefits of playing guitar and consider some tips and recommendations for children wanting to learn guitar.

Introduction to the topics taught in this section. The apps taught in Lectures 20 and 21 come with lesson plan ideas as an attached resource. These editable documents can also be found and downloaded along with lesson ideas for other apps at the following link:

‘Lesson ideas’ folder on Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ibmog2c38ydkvzo/AAA-9V6T0E20iIyv5mi36IrTa?dl=0

Tongo Music is a delightful app in which an animated character introduces children to orchestral instruments and classical music through animals in a make-believe world. This app is perfect for story time or you-and-me reading time. Complement use of the Tongo Music app with other real-world exposure to instruments and classical music performances.

This interactive book-style app introduces children to different contexts in which we hear classical music, as well as the instruments of the orchestra and famous composers. The text in the app is read aloud when tapped. They can listen to excerpts of well-known classical works and answer interactive quiz questions. As with Tongo Music, real-world exposure to instruments, composers and orchestras will help children make more connections when they use the app. 

An introduction to the musical concepts of dynamics (soft and loud) and articulation (how a note is played). Learn some fun ways to teach children about dynamics and articulation through movement and singing.

Learn about the violin and other instruments in the bowed string family, including some tips for children and families who are considering the violin as a first instrument.

Introduction to the topics covered in Section 6.

Learn about high low, melody shapes and the notes in Western music, and how to start introducing these concepts to children through singing.

For the optional task given in this lecture, you will need the link to the Dropbox 'Song Examples' folder:

 https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f1hyn7gbfj39933/AACCwAIQgdPX6ouz1a0aPrFSa?dl=0

Children can play a variety of common and unusual instruments (including milk bottles!) in this app, as well as hear familiar nursery rhymes being played in unexpected musical styles. They can add and subtract musicians in the band to make their own arrangement, as well as playing along. It's best if children learn to sing the nursery rhymes before interacting with them on the app.

Children can practise rhythm, pitch and composition using common nursery rhymes in this app, and can make the characters dance along to the music.

Develop memory and keyboard skills by learning nursery rhymes in small chunks. The 'keys' are animated characters that move, sing and express the notes as 'Do, Re, Mi', '1, 2, 3', colours of the rainbow, and sound effects.

Introduction to the flute and woodwind instruments, and an explanation of benefits and recommendations for learning the flute.

Introduction to the topics covered in Section 7.

What is tone colour? Learn about differences between the sounds of instruments, how each instrument family in the orchestra and world music make sound, and how to describe the sound of specific instruments.

With our first musical instrument app, teach children about the names, shape and sounds of musical instruments in their families. This app includes an interactive xylophone, piano, drum kit, saxophone, guitar, harp and set of bells.

Music Sparkles - Musical Instruments presents a range of high-quality sounding instruments to play on screen with backing track loops.

Introduce children to 25 common musical instruments in alphabetical order, with their names, a photo and a real-life sample of what the instrument sounds like.

This app has an extensive alphabetical listing of orchestral and world instruments - each one with videos and fun facts. Children can practise their letters while being exposed to a wide range of instruments and styles of music from around the world.

Introduction to the trumpet and brass instruments, and an explanation of benefits and recommendations for learning brass.

Here, I summarise the apps covered in the section and recommendations for teaching instrument recognition to young children.

Introduction to the topics covered in Section 8.

Introduction to the piano and keyboard instruments, types of pianos, and an explanation of benefits and recommendations for learning the piano.

The is the simplest of the keyboard-based apps. It has five notes each of piano, guitar and drum sounds, represented by different colours and shades of colour and is perfect for small children.

This is the most basic virtual xylophone with realistic sounds and the possibility of playing more than one bar at a time. Explore colour, length, pitch and note names with children when using this app.

My Baby Piano is a colourful, 2-octave keyboard with note names and musical symbols. Play along with nursery rhymes and backing beats while learning about pitch and rhythm.

Glow piano uses a one-octave keyboard with black and white notes, and the keys glow in different colours when tapped. Children can compose short tunes and play them back, changing instrument sounds and playing along with their own tunes. Teach pitch, instrument sounds and composition with this app.

Children can play on a keyboard with a range of different instruments sounds and sound effects. They can also listen to nursery rhymes. Teach pitch and instrument sounds with Little Piano.

This app is similar to Little Piano, but has added educational sections for learning the alphabet, numbers, colours and countries in English and Spanish, and includes a wide range of animal noises and sound effects for aural recognition.

Introduction to the topics covered in Section 10.

Introduction to the drums and percussion instruments, percussion from around the world, and a description of benefits and recommendations for learning percussion.

Learn about beat, metre, tempo and rhythm, and how to start to teach these concepts to young children through song.

Teach children the drums in the drum kit with their names and sounds. They can practise playing the drums in time with nursery rhymes and develop coordination playing two or more drums at once.

Children can play drums and keyboard (with different sounds) and hear a jungle animal play it back to them. They can also create their own compositions and watch the jungle animals play their song for them. Use this app to teach children rhythm, pitch, instrument names and sounds, and creativity to compose their own songs.

Imagine rhythm and pitch as a circle rather than a line. In Loopseque Kids, children can create rhythm loops with up to four layers, and play on a round keyboard to understand rhythm and pitch as repeating patterns.