Musical Development Matters in the Early Years

Musical Development Matters is a guidance document with an accompanying online resource, created by Nicola Burke. You can download Musical Development Matters for FREE by visiting the Early Education website.

Download Musical Development Matters

Musical Development Matters forms part of the legacy of the Tri-Music Together project.

The overall purpose of Musical Development Matters is to support practitioners, teachers, musicians and parents to see the musical attributes of young children and to offer ideas as to how they can support and nurture children’s musical development by offering broad musical experiences.

For any enquiries regarding Musical Development Matters please contact: enquiries@musicaldevelopmentmatters.co.uk

Aspects of musical learning and development

Please click on each section to look into each of the musical aspects in more depth. These sections include video examples, points for reflection and further ideas.

Musical Development Matters

Hearing and Listening

Explore the importance of children’s music in early years settings. Find tips on enabling creative play, recognizing patterns in children’s music, and fostering a rich musical environment.

young girl with instruments in her hand smiling

Vocalising and Singing

Learn why vocal play and creative singing matter in early childhood, nurturing individual expression and musical growth.

Moving and Dancing

Discover how movement and music come together to inspire creativity and development in early years. Explore the connection between rhythm, instruments, and physical expression in young children.

Exploring and Playing

Explore the importance of children’s music in early years settings. Find tips on enabling creative play, recognizing patterns in children’s music, and fostering a rich musical environment.

Planning

Discover how to effectively integrate music into early years planning to support children's learning and development across all areas.

Names of Instruments

Explore a handy guide to musical instruments commonly used in early years settings, complete with names and descriptions.

Baby lying on a mat reaching up to grab a blue feather

Musical Terms

Unpack key musical terms like rhythm, pitch, dynamics, and tempo to better understand and support early years music-making

Books, websites and information

Explore a comprehensive collection of songbooks, websites, and resources handpicked by early years music educators to inspire musical play and development in young children.

child sat on a cushion playing with egg shakers and smiling

Characteristics of effective learning in music

Explore how children develop and learn in music with the Characteristics of Effective Learning framework. Discover practical guidance to nurture young children's music-making and development, adapted from the EYFS.

Developing your practice and provision

Practical tools and strategies to enhance early childhood music provision, boost staff confidence, and highlight the importance of music for children’s development.

An introduction to early years music-making

Discover the joy and benefits of music-making for young children in this introductory film created by the London Early Years Music Network (LEYMN).