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The final evaluation of a the Sound Playground early years project, supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Lancashire County Council, in association with the Chai Centre and Ightenhill Children's Centre and the Lancashire Sinfonetta.
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The Sound Playground:
End Evaluation Report
Author: Jenny Mulloy
September 2011
Supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Lancashire County Council
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AcknowledgementsThank you to the families that provided feedback about the Sound Playground project. Thank you to the staff from the Chai Childrenʼs Centre and Ightenhill Childrenʼs Centre for supporting the project and also the music practitioners from the Lancashire Sinfonietta for their reflective and positive delivery of the project.
ContentsSummary of the evaluation Page 3
Introduction Page 4
About the Sound Playground Page 6
Evaluation methods Page 8
Outcomes Page 11
- Attendance Page 12
- Expectations and baseline Page 15
- Mini-Mozart Page 16
- Tunes for Tots Page 19
- Case Studies Page 22
Views from Practitioners Page 26
Conclusion from project Page 29
Appendices Page 30
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Summary of Sound Playground Evaluation:The Sound Playground has been a successful 2-year community based music programme aimed at early years. Delivered through two childrenʼs centres in Burnley, this unique project has delivered more than 218 sessions with 1943 attendances.
Children attending the sessions have gained significant learning and developmental outcomes. Parents/carers have benefitted through gaining confidence and bonding with their children and spoke about how the project has changed aspects of their lives.
The project has significantly raised the profile of classical music within the Burnley community with concerts reaching parts of the community that previously had not engaged with the structured sessions.
The project has been successful due to the strong partnership working with Lancashire Sinfonietta, Childrenʼs Centres and Arts Council England. The dedication of musicians and staff supporting families has resulted in providing pre-school children in Burnley with a unique and special experience of classical music.
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IntroductionThis report will provide summative findings from evaluation work carried out during the life of the Sound Playground project.
How it started:
The Sound Playground is an early years community based music project devised and delivered by the Lancashire Sinfonietta. The project has been devised for families with pre-school children. The sessions are delivered by classically trained musicians working on behalf of the Lancashire Sinfonietta.
In 2009 funding from The Arts Council England and Lancashire County Council enabled the project to be delivered across Childrenʼs Centres in Burnley, Lancashire. The centres taking part in the project were the Chai Centre and Ightenhill Childrenʼs Centre. Funding was secured to deliver the project for 24 months.
About Children’s CentresChildrenʼs Centres are a government initiative aimed at improving outcomes for children under 5 years old. Every community is now served by a local Childrenʼs Centre offering a range of universal and targeted services to meet the local needs of families and children under the age of 5. Childrenʼs Centres bring together health, education and family support services under one roof. Childrenʼs Centres offer a range of services and activities to meet the Every Child Matters outcomes which are:
• Be Healthy
• Stay Safe
• Enjoy and Achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic well-being
Many of the services and activities provided by Childrenʼs Centres are run in partnership with other agencies and organisations.
During the planning stages of the project, Childrenʼs Centres were identified as an ideal community setting for delivery of the Sound Playground. This was due to the project reflecting many of the aims of Childrenʼs Centres and working with the target group of pre-school children.
The role of Childrenʼs Centre staff was to support the recruitment of families onto the sessions and support families within the sessions. The role of staff was also to work in partnership with the Sinfonietta by monitoring and supporting evaluation work for the project. This was important in achieving the successful delivery of the programme.
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About Lancashire SinfoniettaLancashire Sinfonietta was established by Lancashire County Council in 1996 to celebrate musical talent within Lancashire. The aim of Lancashire Sinfonietta was to entertain, educate and inspire local communities within Lancashire. This mission is still true today with it being an exceptional chamber orchestra of around 80 Lancashire musicians. The orchestra defines itself as a “community resource” which happens to be an orchestra.
As part of its community remit, the orchestra have established a Learning and Participation programme involving work in communities and schools across the county. In recent years the Sinfonietta has widened its educational remit by establishing programmes for the early years. This was inspired by parents taking babies to public recitals and the babies becoming mesmerised by the music.
The Sound Playground project was devised for 0-5 year olds and their parents/carers as an educational programme to be delivered within communities. The initial success of Mini Mozart concerts for babies and pre-school children led to a structured programme of sessions aimed at introducing children and parents/carers to a range of musical experiences.
The Sound Playground has provided a strong foundation for a continuing core strand of their work and this project has added considerable expertise and capacity to the orchestra, enabling them to engage with more people and have a deep impact on one of their communities.
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About the Sound PlaygroundThe aims of the Sound Playground are to:
• Introduce preschool children to a unique musical experience to help their educational, social and emotional development
• Lancashire Sinfonietta to work in partnership with Burnley Children’s Centres to increase the wider community awareness and enjoyment of classical music
The programme includes 5 week structured projects with workshop sessions lasting 50 minutes, each targeted at different age groups. These are:
Mini-MozartThese projects introduce babies (0-18 months) and their parents/carers to a range of music from diverse cultures within songs, rhymes and activities. Sessions include the introduction of simple instruments, sound makers and sensory props to babies. The interactive music-making sessions provide babies and their parents/carers with a wide range of sensory experiences. Mini-Mozart is led by 2 classical music practitioners for the first 3 weeks, then 4 musicians in the 3rd & 4th weeks.
Tunes for TotsThese projects are planned for children aged 18 to 36 months and sessions are themed on dinosaurs and animals. The sessions include introducing children to new songs, rhymes and suggest books and recordings for further reading/ listening. The sessions feature children taking part in music making in a variety of ways, such as physical movement, singing and making sounds. Sessions encourage children to choose activities and take turns in playing different instruments. The direction of each session is flexible due to the preferences children make. These projects involve 2 music practitioners for the first 3 weeks then 4 musicians in the final 2 weeks.
All About Me All About Me are projects aimed at children aged over 36 months and explore a range of skills which help children prepare for their transition to school. The sessionʼs activities are a progression from Dinosaur Roar, developing childrenʼs experience of music through listening, playing and musical movement. Through the use of illustrative stories, the musicians help children explore a wide range of emotions and responses, using role-play activities to learn more about themselves and the world around them. These projects involve 2 music practitioners for the first 3 weeks then leader plus string quartet or wind quartet in the final 2 weeks.
Mini-Mozart, Tunes for Tots and All About Me are planned within the four themes of Early Years Foundation Stage. These are:
• A unique child
• Positive relationships
• Enabling environments (emotional environment)
• Learning and development
Sessions include activities and music relating to different childrenʼs cultures. Full session plans are devised with planned outcomes relating to the six areas of learning.
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The first sessions began in September 2009 and were forecast to run until April 2011. Due to additional funding being available the project was able to continue until July 2011.
The projects have been repeated in other childrenʼs centres and community venues around Lancashire in their single workshop versions.
The materials created have been written into 3 resources for families and early years practitioners to use either at home or in a care setting. Each project has a book and CD with music and stories from the projects, which includes craft activities and more information about the benefits of music in early years development.
NB These resources will be available in March 2012.
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Evaluation MethodsEvaluation work for the project has been given high priority by everyone involved in the project. A range of evaluation methods have been used. These have been used throughout the life of the project (formative evaluation) and used for improving and adjusting the delivery of the project. End evaluation methods have been used (summative evaluation) to assess the worth of the project and the outcomes achieved.
Evaluation comments from families attending the sessions have been gained throughout the duration of the project. Comments have been gained alongside observations of children. The reflective ethos of practitioners has resulted in a wealth of evidence to measure the success of the project. Methods have included:
1. Visual posters (based on participatory appraisal methods)
2. Children / baby feedback forms
3. Review meetings
4. Case studies
5. Inclusive evaluation
6. Reflective practitioners summaries
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1. Visual posters (based on participatory appraisal methods)
These were designed to gain baseline information on level of knowledge that parents/carers had regarding classical music.
A hopes and fears poster was used within the initial sessions in order for the group leaders to measure expectations and any worries that families had.
A mix of different posters were used to gain comments from parents and carers. The visual nature of the evaluation encouraged everyone to participate in providing feedback.
Musicians and staff received special training to ensure these and other methods were correctly used and the highest quality data was gathered.
2. Children / baby feedback formsOther methods were used to measure outcomes achieved by the children. This was done by working with parents/carers to record the achievements of their children by observing their children within the sessions. In addition to this, childrenʼs centre outreach workers also carried out observations and took photographs of the sessions linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage. See Appendix D
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3. Reflective practitioners summaries
At the end of each session the music practitioners carried out reflective evaluation summaries. These were used to identify what was going particularly well in sessions, reflecting on parentsʼ comments during the session and observations of childrenʼs participation. From these summaries, aspects of the sessions could be improved and adjusted for the subsequent sessions See Appendix D.
4. Case studies
At the end of the project 4 randomly selected parents attending the sessions were asked to become case studies for the evaluation work. These provided more in-depth feedback about the project. Each interview lasted approximately 30 minutes and after meeting the parents face to face the actual interview was carried out by telephone in the evening to best fit bed time routines for their children. See Page 22
5. Inclusive evaluationAll families attending the programme were invited to take part in the evaluation work by giving views through visual posters, observing their children and providing comments on children / baby feedback forms. The Childrenʼs Centres also provided other ways to support families to provide feedback about the project, such as comments books, approachable staff and bi-lingual workers to translate with parents/carers from Asian heritage backgrounds.
6. Review meetings
Throughout the life of the project, regular review meetings with attendance from music practitioners and Childrenʼs Centre staff at the Chai Centre and Ightenhill have provided a reflective focus on the project. There were three review meetings, one at the start of the project, the second after 3 months and third at the end of the project.
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Outcomes of the ProjectThis section of the report will present outcomes from the project under the sections of:
• Attendance levels
• Expectations and baselines
• Observations of outcomes for babies
• Parents comments (Mini-Mozart)
• Observations of outcomes for children
• Parents comments (Tunes for Tots)
• Case studies
• Views from the project Practitioners
• Summary and next steps
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Attendance Data Sound Playground
Data Source: CCMIS Mini-MozartSept 2009
to July 2011
Tunes for TotsOct 2009 to July 2011
All About MeJune 2010 to
May 2011
Totals
No. of Sessions
ChaiIghtenhillBoth
494089
504090
201939
11999218
No. of attendances for children
ChaiIghtenhillBoth
265211476
147202349
15895253
5705081078
No. of attendances for parents/carers
ChaiIghtenhillBoth
232212444
135162297
4876124
415450865
Total of people @ChaiTotal of people @IghtenhillTotal of people @both
497423920
282364646
206171377
9859581943
No. of attendances from BME background
ChaiIghtenhill
215 (43.25%)7 (1.65%)
83 (29.43%)5 (1.37%)
131 (63.59%)4 (2.34%)
429 (43.5%)16 (1.7%)
No. of attendances for dads
ChaiIghtenhillBoth
325
2810
224
71219
Summary: Attendance Data• Attendance data has been recorded through the Children’s Centre Management
Information System
• During the life of the project, 218 sessions were delivered through the Chai and Ightenhill Children’s Centre
• There have been a total of 1943 attendances of which 1078 are children and 865 are parents/carers
• A further 1,576 people were engaged through a community programme in local venues.
• Attendances at the Chai Centre from BME groups present 43.5% of all attendances
• Dad’s attendances to the sessions at both centres were low with only 19 in total.
• Weekly attendances to the sessions were variable. Attendance charts demonstrate the inconsistent nature of attendances to both the Mini-Mozart and Dinosaur Roar sessions within both Children’s Centres.
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Chart showing attendance levels to Mini-Mozart: Chai
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Chart showing attendance levels to Tunes for Tots: Chai
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Chart showing attendance levels to Mini-Mozart: Ightenhill
Chart showing attendance levels to Tunes for Tots: Ightenhill
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Expectations of parents and carers:Parents / carers attending their first session at Chai Childrenʼs Centre and Ightenhill Childrenʼs Centre were asked about their hopes and fears of coming to the Sound Playground. This provided music practitioners and staff from the childrenʼs centre with information on the expectations of parents coming along and any worries they had.
The main expectations by parents/carers centred on:
• Parents/carers wanting to learn more about classical music
• For their children to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of different types of music
• For their children to join in and integrate with other children
• For their children to learn to listen and concentrate
The main worry raised was around parents feeling silly when singing and worries about children not settling and being disruptive within the sessions.
Many parents noted that they had previously been to the childrenʼs centre and felt at ease within the centre.
Baseline knowledge of parents/carers and exposure of music to children:The majority of parents and carers noted that they had little experience of classical music. A small number told us they had significant knowledge and exposure to classical music. When prompted about the music played to their children parents had used lullaby CDʼs and played different types of music in the car. "
“We have the Fisher Price classical lullabies CD and the Disney theme tunes at home”
“When I was a little girl my dad would play classical music at home"
"I have never really had experience of classical music other than hearing bits on TV and radio”
“We listen to music all the time at home and in the car, we listen to Hayley Western and Celine Dion songs. I'm always singing along”
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Mini-Mozart for babies aged 0-18 monthsObservations of 48 babies have shown babies developing skills and abilities.
Summary of Outcomes:All babies attending Mini-Mozart sessions increased their development and learning.
All babies showed increased responses to music and sounds by laughter and smiling. The babies showed development in communication skills by making noises in response to music and sounds.
The majority of babies were able to differentiate different lullabies and responded to certain music by becoming more calm.
Other learning outcomes such as clapping to music was less observed in young babies (less than 6 months) however it was noted that they became excited through clenching and moving fists.
Other developmental achievements were observed by parents/carers such as sitting and increased attention span.
Babies were observed holding and playing the shakers and demonstrated they had learnt routines and actions to music and songs through anticipating their parents/carers actions.
!
Chart to demonstrate outcomes for babies
Table of data available in Appendix A
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Comments made by families: All comments have been collated over the life of the project and can be found in Appendix B. Here is a selection that reflects the views of parents/carers.
What families enjoyed within the project:“Learning new songs and hearing different instruments and seeing my daughter’s reaction to them. The crocodile and the bubbles”
“Arts and crafts, learning new songs, hearing live music. Having patient and friendly musicians”
“Joining in with actions to all of the songs and watching all the children play along each in their own different ways”
“Seeing how my son reacts to different musical instruments and props. Watching their faces is so funny to watch”
“Playing with the different instruments. Experiencing lots of different sounds and songs”
“All of it was fun and the different instruments really get the babies attention”
“Me and Jenson really enjoyed this experience, something new and exciting. Thank you!”
What difference the project has made to families:“Mummy sings lots of songs to me now”
“I have learnt to listen to music”
“I have more musical knowledge”
“We now sing lots at home and dance and do actions- thank you”
“The music calms my baby. We listen to it at bed times”
“Very welcome group. They are friendly and we have made lots of new friends”
“Experienced music we haven’t heard of and wouldn’t have chosen.”
“Gained confidence and new parenting skills”
“Making friends”
“Lots of fun. Singing and music has a calming effect on my baby. It’s nice to see other parents from the same area”
“Gets child to meet and interact with other children”
“Being a first time mum I didn’t know many songs to sing with my baby. This helped as Jasmine loves music”
“Playing together with others. We now love listening to music!”
“Made new friends”
“Enjoy singing along and much more at home now”
“Even greater love of music, a really great group”
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“Increased appreciation of music”
Areas for improvement:“Disruption of one other parents/carers joining the session late”
“Course too short, long waiting list for next course, maybe have more availability”
“Would be nice if room was open 10 minutes after the session to chat with other mums”
“The time of the group- wish there were more sessions”
“Baby gets hungry at the end...usually her lunch time!”
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Tunes for Tots for children aged 12 months to 36 months:Observations of 46 children have shown children developing skills and abilities in:
Summary of Outcomes:All children attending the Tunes for Tots sessions increased their development and learning.
The majority of children were observed achieving nearly all of the learning goals. The only significantly less observed areas of learning was children being able to remember and sing along to counting songs such as five enormous dinosaurs.
!Table of observations can be seen in Appendix A
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Comments made by families: All comments have been collated over the life of the project and can be found in Appendix C. Here is a selection that reflect the views of parents/carers.
What families enjoyed within the project:“Using the big drum, Oliver loved it!”
“Playing the big drum, learning new songs and actions. My son really loved the dinosaur sock puppet”
“Hearing live music”
“Classical music is very soothing, relaxing and I like it because it puts baby to sleep and relaxes him”
“I really felt the music piece. I learnt a lot today, very useful. My children enjoyed that”
“Learn about listening and watching”
“Difference in music. The rhythm picked up from here. Used to routine”
“Good- other children sitting out of nursery environment”
“Encouraging my child to sing more at home and is remembering the songs. Enjoys exploring different musical instruments”
“We really enjoy the music sessions and how they are very interactive”
“Interacting with other children. Different sounds and instruments”
“Been able as a parent to get to play in groups with child to see how they behave”
“Like it- useful in nursery”
“”Making sounds and actions”
Changes to my life:“More music in my life”
“I can now help my mummy at home to tidy up and I am learning to help myself get ready in the morning”
“Increased appreciation of music”
“More confident”
“Helps with bedtime routines”
“I have gained confidence with my baby”
“Listening to calm music helps me relax”
“More aware of different sounds. Having rhythm and kicking my legs and feet when I hear it anywhere”
“Explaining different sounds and using different things to make them”
“Mummy knows more songs and rhymes to play and sing”
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“Using singing to help settle Charlotte at home”
“I love music- especially classical and listen to it at bedtime”
“Recognise music, learn clapping and using musical instruments”
Comments were provided on what they didn’t enjoy. Comments include:
At the beginning of the project, several negative comments were received by parent regarding the first session - prop making. This session was consequently adapted to address parentsʼ views.
“The slow songs without instruments”
“Not being contacted for the first 2 weeks”
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Case studies
Case Study 1: Lynda, aged 29 has one little girl called Jasmine who is 14 months old. Lynda lives with her partner and works as a residential support worker for children with Autism. Jasmine was born 10 weeks premature and due to her on-going health needs Lynda found it hard to get out. Jasmine is currently being weaned off oxygen and has regular blood transfusions.
Lynda heard about the Sound Playground through her health visitor who gave her a leaflet.
“I thought the group would be good for us both”
Outcomes:Jasmine has made good progress since attending the sessions at the Chai Centre. These include clapping, interacting with other children, making new friends and becoming more alert through listening more.
“I’ve seen Jasmine make progress”
Lynda now plays more music at home and in the car. Her partner is also learning the rhymes.
“Activities within the sessions have provided ideas for us to use at home, we got some instruments for Christmas”
“The best memory of the sessions was watching the music being played live, and watching the children clap and stomp to the music. Jasmine absolutely loves it.”
Lynda feels her family has enough support through the Childrenʼs Centre and also attends a Tiny Tots group on Friday.
Links to ECM outcomes: Be Healthy, Enjoy and Achieve, Make a Positive Contribution.
Case Study 2:Lisa, aged 27 years lives with her partner James and their son Evan aged 13 months in Burnley. Lisa found out about the Children’s Centre through her health visitor. Lisa found out about the Sound Playground through attending groups at the Chai Centre.
“I thought it would not be my sort of thing, but Evan would enjoy it”
Outcomes:After coming along Lisa enjoyed the sessions and has felt it has made a difference to Evan by:
- Recognising music and sounds- Mixing and interacting with other children- Settling well- Moving and clapping to sounds- Listening to music at home and in the car
Mixing with other children was particularly important to Lisa as Evan doesnʼt go to nursery and wanted to help him prepare for this transition.
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“Evan gets so excited and comes alive when he gets here”.
Evanʼs mum and dad have also benefited by coming to the sessions by gaining increased confidence and making new friends.
“I have more confidence in singing and as a mum, being around children, me and his dad sing and dance with Evan and we even sing around Tesco”
Both Evan and his mum have enjoyed the sessions:
“There’s no other group like it, children get to see the instrument being played and the sound it makes”
Links to ECM outcomes: Be Healthy, Enjoy and Achieve, Make a Positive Contribution.
Case Study 3:Stephanie is 28 years old and lives with her partner. Joshie aged 9 months is her first child and Stephanie is currently on maternity leave as a financial advisor.
Stephanie found out about the Sound Playground through an advert displayed when she went to see her health visitor.
“I couldn’t sing and thought we would see if Joshie liked it, I have always liked all types of music and had studied it at college, I wanted Joshie to grow up with music”
Outcomes:The sessions have provided stimulating activities for Joshie and these are also now continued at home.
“The group has helped with developing my son’s clapping. He opens his hands rather than clenching his fists”.
Activities and ideas from the project have impacted on bedtime routines. Lullaby songs and Baby Massage (also learnt through centre) have improved bedtime and Joshie sleeps better than previously.
The impacts of live musicians at the centre have enabled Joshie to develop concentration skills.
“Joshie likes watching the musicians play and keeps eye contact, he concentrates on them”
Through the sessions Joshie and his mum have learnt new songs and the ideas have continued at home with Dad also learning the songs.
“Joshie is getting a music set for his 1st birthday”
For Stephanie the sessions have provided quality and relaxing time with her baby. Throughout the sessions Joshie became more settled. As a new mum Stephanie feels it has helped her to feel less isolated as she has met other parents and made new friends that offer support and advice.
“My best memory was when the babies were given bells, they used them to join in with the music. As a mum I felt happy”
Links to ECM outcomes: Be Healthy, Enjoy and Achieve, Make a Positive Contribution.
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Case Study 4:Katie aged 29 years and William aged 7 months attend the Chai Centre. Katie lives with her partner and is currently on maternity leave. Katie attended the centreʼs baby massage group and attends the health visitorʼs clinic with William.
“I was recommended to come along to the group by a friend. It sounded really good!”
Outcomes:The project has helped increase Williamʼs concentration levels. He has become more focused on activities such as clapping and Katie uses singing to help him calm down ready for feeding.
“William would find feeding upsetting he has a short fuse. When I sing he concentrates on what he is doing”.
Ideas from the project has made impacts on Williamʼs life. Singing is used at feeding routines, bedtime and nappy time. William finds the lullabies relaxing and becomes cuddly when his mum and dad sing them. Katieʼs views on classical music have changed since coming to the sessions.
“The musicians have so much talent, it’s like we are having a private concert! It’s very atmospheric and not an experience we would get as I didn’t play any instruments.”
Since going to the sessions Katie now sings at home and has gained confidence in her singing.
“I hated singing and it’s given me confidence and I feel better singing in front of my partner.”
Williamʼs dad has learnt songs and attends the sessions when he is not working. The calming effects of the music has helped upset babies stop crying.
“A baby was screaming and Naomi (the musician) told the mum not to worry. Soon after playing music, the baby had calmed down”.
The project based in the centre helped provide a relaxing environment to help bonding.
“It was nice having peaceful bonding time, at home it’s more difficult”.
Links to ECM outcomes: Be Healthy, Enjoy and Achieve, Make a Positive Contribution
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Summary from Case Studies:The case studies highlight that the project was well advertised throughout the Childrenʼs Centres and their partners such as Health Visitors. Parents attending the sessions soon became advocates for the project and would recommend others.
The venue of the Childrenʼs Centre was also a welcoming and familiar space for families. Health needs of children could be met to enable all children to participate. The music practitioners and Childrenʼs Centre staff were friendly and approachable and put anxious parents at ease. This was also demonstrated during times when children became very upset.
By families taking ideas and activities home, the Sound Playground has made significant impacts on children through improving routines such as bedtime, bath time and feeding. Parents report children with improved sleep and becoming less upset around feeding time.
The project has made impacts on the emotional health of children, babies and parents/carers through improving bonding, confidence and relaxation. Parents spoke warmly about the time they shared with their child. Parents spoke about the project helping build their own confidence in parenting.
Parents felt the task of listening to different tones and pitches of music increased their childʼs concentration levels. Parents said babies listened and responded to music and sat attentively. Babies and children actively took part in the activities and enjoyed the sessions very much.
The long term impacts of the sessions are difficult to measure, however parents have commented on the many positive ways in which the project has changed their lives and for many, it has brought classical music into their home and gave them greater appreciation of different types of music.
One highlighted aspect of the project was the unique and special time families gained from having live classical musicians playing to them.
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Views from the Project PractitionersThroughout the project reflective evaluation work from the Music Practitioners and supporting staff at the Childrenʼs Centres have shaped the sessions. Focus groups have been attended by staff from the Childrenʼs Centre alongside the music practitioners and manager from Lancashire Sinfonietta.
The mid-term evaluation focus meeting highlighted a range of issues and actions which were implemented. These included:
• Producing booklets for parents with words and craft-making ideas to take home
• Making parents/carers aware of guidelines for sessions to run smoothly. Issues such as helpful tips encouraged parents to switch of mobile phones, listen, participate and take responsibility for their children.
• Session 1 ‘Making Session’ was replaced by a music session to meet expectations of families. Durable props were sourced to replace ones that would be made.
• Clarification of evaluation tools used to collate comments to overcome duplication.
Final evaluation focus group meetingThe final group meeting was an opportunity for staff involved in the delivery of the Sound Playground to summarise their observations and reflect on their experiences of delivering the project. Full notes are available in Appendix D.
The group discussed outcomes relating to:
• Children
• Parents/carers
• Wider community
• Children’s Centres and Lancashire Sinfonietta
• The future
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Summary outcomes
Outcomes for babies/children Outcomes for parents/carers
Advanced ability in using music - helping transition for school/readiness for school
Unique experience and positive experience of listening to classical musicians
Children paying attention with concentration levels increased
Perspective of music changed, parents more likely to listen to different types of music and enjoy listening to classical. Learnt appreciation
Children’s participation in activities Opportunities to engage through local community events – especially particular communities within Burnley that would not typically go to musical concert held at a music hall venue
Communication with parents (confidence building) through voice, body language
Relationship with children - increase their confidence in playing with their child. Increase their bond with their child.
Developed social skills – sharing and being part of a group with other children/babies
Gained ideas to take home to encourage their child’s learning and development
Developed confidence through participation, becoming less shy
Appreciation of music – smiling, laughing and physically enjoying themselves to the music
100 children took part in workshops and carried out a professional recording with members of the orchestra
Produced a professional session
Unique experiences
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Outcomes for the community Outcomes for Children’s Centres/ Lancashire Sinfonietta
Provided opportunity to gain experiences of music
Added value to current services
The project has hit a huge part of the community with the project engaging with extended families through community events
Specialised project that wouldn’t have been able to be delivered without Sinfonietta
Making music accessible Children’s Centre value the impact of the project and want to continue the project
Christmas concert helped create community spirit within BME groups
Chai links with the Little Acorns nursery who came into the group
Dad’s event – targeted event to involve dads with the project
Ightenhill embedded music session into their programme
Barriers / areas to improveBarriers such as language were overcome with bilingual workers within the centre. Evaluation information from the practitionerʼs reviews after sessions noted that some sessions were not well attended but may be due to bad weather and family circumstances.
Within Ightenhill, there was discussion about parents grouping together into ʻcliquesʼ which was noticed in some of the sessions but did not seem to impact negatively on attendance levels. A mix up between the centre and Lancashire Sinfonietta regarding time of group for one session occurred which was consequently resolved.
Childrenʼs Centre staff actively improved attendance levels by contacting families and offering support for families to attend. This contact time is crucial in encouraging families to engage with the project.
The FutureThe group discussed the positive impacts of the project and want the Sound Playground to continue. Aspects of the Sound Playground are already embedded within other groups within Chai and Ightenhill. Chai Centre also wish to look into introducing classical music to parents expecting a baby and linking with the From Bump to Birth and Beyond antenatal classes.
The project outcomes were discussed in relation to school readiness and early intervention which are high on Childrenʼs Centres agendas. There is recognition of the issues around current funding and the group discussed different avenues where funding may be sought.
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ConclusionThe evaluation for the Sound Playground has been carried out in partnership with families, music practitioners, Chai and Ightenhill Childrenʼs Centres and the Lancashire Sinfonietta.
The evidence of outcomes has been collected from a variety of areas including observations of babies and childrenʼs achievements, parent/carer feedback and through regular reflective practice of staff/practitioners facilitating the sessions. The range of methods used to evaluate the project has produced a rich bank of evidence.
Attendance to the sessions has been a challenging aspect of the project. The consistent approach by centres to recruit families has maintained the overall viability of the project. The project reached a significant number of families from BME backgrounds (at the Chai Centre) however did not successfully engage with Dadʼs within the sessions. The community based sessions such as Christmas Concert and Dadʼs event proved more effective in reaching sectors of the community not previously reached, including families from the Stoneyholme area of Burnley.
There is strong evidence showing significant learning outcomes. 94 babies/children achieved the targeted learning and development goals within the sessions. Parents noted additional outcomes such as increased concentration levels and increased knowledge of music generally. Many noted the beneficial preparation for their children attending nursery. At home they noted use of music to help establishing routines such as bedtime.
The project also impacted on parents and carers. Generally their perceptions of classical music has positively changed and they have increased their own knowledge of music. Many parents/carers felt they had gained confidence through meeting new friends and participating in the group activities- such as singing. Many felt more confident at parenting through positive interactions with their child during the group and gaining ideas to use at home.
The Chai Centre and Ightenhill Childrenʼs Centre value the impact of the project and the Chai Centre wish to continue the Sound Playground within the centre. Further funding will determine the extent of continuation.
The Sound Playground has been a significant project for the Lancashire Sinfonietta. The Sound Playground is a unique project which over the last 2 years has been continually developed through reflective practice. Challenges throughout the two years have been overcome with the continual commitment from the musicians which has been excellent.
The success of the project has been due to the effective partnerships with the Burnley community, Childrenʼs Centres, Arts Council and Lancashire Sinfonietta.
The long term outcomes from the project are currently difficult to assess however it may be possible for the Childrenʼs Centres to track the progress of children through links to primary schools.
The Sound Playground has provided the Burnley community with a unique and special opportunity to enjoy live classical music from talented professional musicians.
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Appendices
Appendix A Observations of babies and children
Appendix B Comments from families – Mini-Mozart
Appendix C Comments from families – Tunes for Tots
Appendix D Observation proforma
Appendix E Review meetings
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Appendix A
Table showing observations of 48 babies:
Learning / developmental goal Number of babies
Recognise different lullabies and songs 41
Clap to music 27
Move my body to sounds and lullabies 38
Laugh and smile to different sounds 48
Join in with play with others 17
Listening to different musical sounds 24
Making noises such as gargling and babbling 25
More calm to certain music 13
Respond to activities including what I smell, hear, see and touch
19
Table showing observations of 46 children:
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Other achievements observed by parents/carers:
Shake bells
Holding shakers
Sitting for longer periods of time
Gaining more confidence with children
Recognising the actions to songs esp. cross/cross
Anticipating
Bouncing
Hold items and shake an egg
Engage and listen when music is played
Socialise with others and interacting and feeling more confident around others
Other achievements observed by parents/carers:
Using gestures to request songs
Bouncing and dancing
Learning / developmental goal Number of children
Recognise different songs 37
Clap to music 39
Move my body to sounds. Make gestures and movements to different sounds
41
Laugh and smile to different sounds and music 40
Join in with play with others 38
Taking turns in playing instruments 35
Create sounds by banging, shaking, tapping and blowing
36
Use different musical instruments 40
Increased control of holding and playing with music shakers
46
Respond to activities including what I smell, hear, see and touch
29
Talking and singing to your favourite songs 37
Able to remember and sing along to counting songs such as five enormous dinosaurs
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Appendix B:
Parents comments for Mini-MozartParents commented on what their babies enjoyed most. Comments include:
“Irish jigs and lullabies”
“All the different instruments and learning different songs”
“The musicians and the musical instruments”
“Listening to the different instruments and being able to interact with them”
“My baby looking at the different musical instruments and showing interest in music”
“Learning new songs and hearing different instruments and seeing my daughter’s reaction to them. The crocodile and the bubbles”
“Arts and crafts, learning new songs, hearing live music. Having patient and friendly musicians”
“Playing the instruments, the bubbles and the peekaboo song”
“Billy really seems to enjoy the crocodile puppet hiding in the box. We loved everything!”
“Tickling songs and Irish jig, bouncing jigs”
“Irish jigs, bouncing along. Learning new music and rhymes”
“Dancing and bouncing and bubbles”
“Joining in with actions to all of the songs and watching all the children play along each in their own different ways”
“Seeing how my son reacts to different musical instruments and props. Watching their faces is so funny to watch”
“Playing with the different instruments. Experiencing lots of different sounds and songs”
“The different instruments. Learning new songs. Enjoyed every session! Thank you”
“All of it was fun and the different instruments really gets the babies attention”
“Playing instruments- learning new songs and hearing live music”
“Experiencing lots of different sounds and songs”
“Mummy sings lots of songs to me now”
“I have learnt to listen to music”
“I have more musical knowledge”
“We now sing lots at home and dance and do actions- thank you”
“The music calms my baby. We listen to it at bedtimes”
“Increased appreciation of music”
“Experienced music we haven’t heard of and wouldn’t have chosen.”
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“Gained confidence and new parenting skills”
“Making friends”
“I’ve only been for one week but very enjoyable! Good atmosphere”
“Lots of fun. Singing and music has a calming effect on my baby. It’s nice to see other parents from the same area”
“Gets child to meet and interact with other children”
“Very welcome group. They are friendly and we have made lots of new friends”
Comments were provided on what they didn’t enjoy. Comments include:
“When the musicians weren’t playing”
“My baby getting hungry at the end when it’s usually our lunchtime”
“Not using some of the things we made such as the leaf prop”
“Heat of the room”
“Disruption of one other parents/carers joining the session late”
“Course too short, long waiting list for next course, maybe have more availability”
“Would be nice if room was open 10 minutes after the session to chat with other mums”
“The time of the group- wish there were more sessions”
How the sessions have changed their lives, comments include:
“Its introduced different songs and actions in usual activities”
“Billy loves some of the new things we have learned – for example the cross, cross, line rhyme”
“Mummy sings lots of songs to me now”
“My son is learning about sitting quietly and about listening and responding to music”
“Hearing lots of different types of music, I (parent) have learnt to listen to music”
“More aware of musical instruments and different tunes”
“I have loved the music – thank you”
“We now listen to more classical music”
“Introduced new lullabies to our routines and have more musical knowledge”
“We now sing a lot more at home and dance and add actions to songs – thank you!”
“Learning how to bring music into home life and the effects of different sounds have on me. Thank you to everyone”
“Listen to music more at home as it calms my baby. Listen to it at bedtime perhaps. Thanks for your time and effort”
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“We sing the songs we learnt at home. He really enjoys it!”
“Calms the baby”
“Definitely more mini-Mozart helps baby to improve his language development especially because we are foreign and now I can sing English songs to my baby”
“Introduced him to different instruments”
“Helped me interact with my baby”
“Since coming to the group I have found my daughter loves music. So we now sing a lot more at home which means we bond a lot more”
“The class helps my child enjoy music. It lets her interact with the others and learn now sounds”
“Project is really good and helps with child’s development”
“Excellent team and even though my son is only 7 months it is good for him to interact with other babies and he enjoys the music”
“Being a first time mum I didn’t know many songs to sing with my baby. This helped as Jasmine loves music”
“Despite only coming to 1st and last session due to holidays we really enjoyed it. We loved the music, it was brilliant. From Sophie and Chloe Bibby”
“We had a great time learning new lullabies and singing to a beat. Would come and attend in the future. Thanks from Maghna and baby Maya”
“We both had a lovely time and enjoyed lots of new sounds and instruments. Thank you! Paula and Mylah”
“Me and Jenson really enjoyed this experience, something new and exciting. Thank you!”
“Playing together with others. We now love listening to music!”
“Even greater love of music, a really great group”
“Enjoy singing along and much more at home now”
“Made new friends”
Best bits
“Learning all the different songs and actions and interacting with babies and toddlers”
“Being free to make
“All parts of the session were good, and enjoyed”
“Playing hide and seek with the cover”
“Disco lights and the rhymes”
“Movement and sound”
“Singing along with the songs and my child playing with the different instruments”
“The lights on the ceiling at the end of the sessions”
“The friendly approach of everyone”
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“Playing with the props”
“Learning lots of new songs with my mummy every week. Dancing. Playing musical instruments”
“Listening to 3 musicians”
“Receiving a booklet with all the songs in so we could get involved and join in more”
“All of it was fun. The different instruments gets the babies attention and watching their faces is so funny to watch”
“Baby looking at different musical instruments and interested in music”
“The instruments, the scarves, the stars, the bubbles”
“The different instruments learning new songs”
“Playing with the different instruments; experiencing lots of different sounds and songs”
“Singing”
“The instruments were being played live”
“The interactions and various instruments played”
“Different instruments the music and group singing”
“Engaging and very active group leaders”
“Tidy up time playing the big drums learning new songs and actions and I really loved my dinosaur sock puppet”
“Musical instruments that I could play and learn- cause and affect”
“We thoroughly enjoyed the whole session”
“The different instruments especially the contrast is size/shape/sound. Learning new songs we now use at home. Using different props. Watching my baby because more engaged as the weeks passed”
“Interacting with other children”
“Being able to recognise different sounds”
“The feel of music we have learnt a lot here”
“The variety of songs and the friendliness of the group”
“How Peter and Sarah interacted with the babies”
“Having instruments for babies to play”
“Really enjoyed the whole group”
“Join with other children and really look forward to coming back”
“Enjoyable activity and all the sounds music, gestures, were all superb”
“Allowed to explore and play”
“Puppets and percussion instruments”
“The shakers and the leaves”
35
“Learning all the different songs and actions and interacting with babies and toddlers”
“Happy songs with different noises”
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Appendix C:
Comments about Tunes for Tots
Parents commented on what their children enjoyed most. Comments include:
“Using the big drum, Oliver loved it!”
“Playing the big drum, learning new songs and actions. My son really loved the dinosaur sock puppet”
“Hearing live music”
“Playing instruments and the sleeping dinosaur song”
“Playing the shaker”
“Classical music is relaxing and my baby enjoys it too”
“Classical music is very soothing, relaxing and I like it because it puts baby to sleep and relaxes him”
“I really felt the music peace. I learnt a lot today, very useful. My Children enjoyed that”
“Learn about listening and watching”
“Difference in music. The rhythm picked up from here. Used to routine”
“Good- other children sitting out of nursery”
“Encouraging my child to sing more at home and is remembering the songs. Enjoys exploring different musical instruments”
“We really enjoy the music sessions and how they are very interactive”
“Interacting with other children. Different sounds and instruments”
“Been able as a parent to get to play in groups with child to see how they behave”
“Like it- useful in nursery”
“Making sounds and actions”
Changes to my life“More music in my life”
“I can now help my mummy at home to tidy up and I am learning to help myself get ready in the morning”
“Increased appreciation of music”
“More confident”
“Helps with bedtime routines”
“I have gained confidence with my baby”
“Listening to calm music helps me relax”
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“More aware of different sounds. Having rhythm and kicking my legs and feet when I hear it anywhere”
“Explaining different sounds and using different things to make them”
“Mummy knows more songs and rhymes to play and sing”
“Using singing to help settle Charlotte at home”
“I love music- especially classical and listen to it at bedtime”
“Recognise music, learn clapping and using musical instruments”
Comments were provided on what they didn’t enjoy. Comments include:The only negative comments received by parents were regarding the first session which was a craft based prop making session in which parents/carers were making props. Comments were made to staff during the session as parents expected all the sessions to be focused on music.
“The slow songs without instruments”
“Not being contacted for the first 2 weeks”
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Appendix: D
Observation outcome sheets Mini-Mozart:
Evaluation for babies!
Now we are at the end of our time together, we would like to know what things you have enjoyed and if coming to the group has helped you learn new things. We have a few questions and you can get a grown-up to help.
Observation outcome sheets Tunes for Tots:
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Evaluation for children
!Now we are at the end of our time together, we would like to know what things you have enjoyed and if coming to the group has helped you learn new things. We have a few questions and you can get a grown-up to help.
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Appendix E:
Review Meeting July 2011
ChildrenAdvanced ability in using music- helping transition for school/readiness for school.
-attention-concentration levels increased-participation-communication with parents (confidence building)-developed social skills-developed confidence through participation
Appreciation of music
100 children took part in workshops and a professional recording session
Produced and recorded professional CD
Unique experiences
Parents and carers Unique experience/ positive experience
Perspective of music changed
Opportunities to engage through local community events
Relationship with children
Community cohesion
Provided opportunity to gain experience of music
Hit a huge part of the community with the project engaging with extended families
Community events
Making music accessible
Christmas concert helped create community spirit within BME groups
Dadʼs event at Burnley Football Club
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Children’s centre outcomes
Added value to current services
Specialised project that wouldnʼt have been able to be delivered without Sinfonietta.
Value the impact of the project and want to continue the project
Resources/ ideas used in other groups
Chai links with the Little Acorns
Ightenhill embedded music session into their programme
Barriers
Language- not a problem. Bilingual workers/ parents.
Weather
Perceptions of what was going to happen
Ightenhill 2-3 year olds in nursery
Other childrenʼs centres not taking enabled finding to extend the project
Remodel programme
Readiness for school Allen Report
Local sponsorship
Funding for continuation
Commitment to Early Invention
Future Possible BBB
Classical music use with mums to be
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