Classroom set-up offers the “staging” for your “seamless children’s play.”  You need a large, open space that provides room for parents and children to sit on the floor, and plenty of room for everybody to be up and engaged in movement. A table serves to hold whatever you need for the class—lesson plans, recorder, drum, props. A high table serves best, so little children cannot reach what is on the table. Find a way to hide whatever attractive props you might need for the class, as children want whatever is in sight. A box on the table that children cannot reach or even see into can be used to store materials until needed—out of sight, out of mind.

A critical element in staging your play is your own placement. The small child enters your space and everything is new. That can be scary. Many babies and toddlers don’t want to even look at the stranger running this class, let alone interact with you. They need the comfort of being with their parent rather than with you. Your presence may be threatening, but the children will be drawn into the music. Logistically, however, it is wise to position yourself to stay out of the young child’s space, which, in itself, encourages parent/child interaction.

You will be leading the class from both standing and sitting positions. Using a small stool, step ladder, or chair for sitting segments, rather than sitting on the floor with the children, has many advantages. The small stool (next to the table) provides a “stage” for you, giving children the needed psychological space and the comfort of their parent (and parent’s lap). Your being “on stage,” creates a comfort zone for both parent and child, communicating non-verbally to the parent to allow the child to respond however he might respond, and be there to support him, much as they might view a video together. Parents will take their cues from both you and their child and engage with their child in the activities. Your sitting on the floor with activities with props is fine, as you are non-verbally demonstrating delightful interaction with the prop and with the music (not with you).

Sitting on the floor during a class rather than “on stage” can be appropriate for older children in a preschool setting, and desirable for toddlers who have had at least a semester of your beginning class and are therefore ready for musical interactivity. Keeping a distance from children serves immersion. Sitting on the floor with them serves interactivity.

The inexperienced teacher of early childhood music can be anxious to interact with each child musically. That will come as children develop musically. With beginners, it is most important that you be as non-threatening as possible, keeping a comfortable distance from the children’s intimacy with the parent, and not inviting individual response. You are providing “aural toys” for the child and parent to engage with together.  The more you remove yourself and allow children and parents to interact naturally, without expectations for either, the more comfortable and cooperative both children and parents will be, and the more they will spontaneously enact the experience during the week at home—“practicing  music.”  

Classrooms that come with chairs or desks can work if you can move the chairs or desks to the periphery. You can then draw children to your “stage,” encouraging parents to sit on the floor with the children, and offering a large, open area for movement. Chairs or desks around the large open space can define the space while offering a place for coats, diaper bags, and reluctant children who need more space.

Set up your teaching area so that you face the door, and children and parents face you. This insures that children will not be distracted by latecomers or any other in/out activity at the door.

The room you teach in becomes the music place to the children. Define it well with your set up so that children can engage without restrictions, so that you can comfortably lead movement activities, and so that parents are comfortable with their children in the space.