A framework for considering teacher-child musical interactions in the early childhood classroom

In this article, the authors adapt the Family Musicking Framework (Koops, 2020) for use in exploring teacher-child interactions in early childhood classrooms (birth to age 6). The Family Musicking Framework contextualizes family musical interactions using the paired concepts of musical parenting/parenting musically and practical musicking/relational musicking (Small, 1998). The adapted framework explores teacher-child interaction in teaching children music and using music to teach children in other domains, as well as practical musicking/relational musicking in the classroom. The authors argue that this framework can illuminate current explorations of teacher-child interactions with music in the areas of enhancing teacher responsiveness, facilitating creative expression by teachers and children by expanding awareness of the goals of musicking in the early childhood classroom, and increasing teacher confidence to incorporate musicmaking in the classroom.