About me: Maria Croucher

Kia ora! I am a trained classroom and SPELD teacher with additional training in both Orff and Kodály pedagogy. These promote music through voice, movement and hands on music playing using barred instruments (xylophones) and percussion instruments. I have been involved with Sistema Whangarei Toi Akorangi for the past 11 years.

I love making music with kids and know that the educational benefits of involvement in music are multifaceted and proven. There is no singular activity that we can do that lights up the brain more than playing an instrument. Multiple studies worldwide have shown that involvement in playing music boosts student academic performance when compared to students who are not give music tuition.

Program Goal

To develop a joy for participating in a group making music together and a musical ear, while strengthening skills useful in the classroom and beyond through a structured sequential Orff/Kodaly inspired method.

Benefits of Music Education

When playing any instrument, we develop phonological awareness and auditory processing skills which are key for both literacy and numeracy learning, together with executive function skills useful both in the classroom and for life.

Executive function

  • Short-term working memory
  • Inhibitory control
  • Cognitive flexibility
  • Coordination and proprioception skills alongside motor skills

Focus and attention

  • Auditory processing skills to listen and discriminate voices and pitch
  • Listening to others
  • Developing long term memory skills

Self-monitoring

  • Resilience and persistence to keep going when they do not get it right the first time

Planning and organising

  • Developing their predicting skills when listening to the melody

Evidence

There is a wealth of evidence to support playing music develops our brain. Studies have compared the educational improvement between students who take extra music, extra science, military style drills or a control group who do no extra-curricular activities; studies demonstrate that in just 6 months of playing an instrument there is a shift in educational achievement. Longer engagement with music provides sustained benefits. Below are just two examples from academic studies:

Music training supports and enhances the sensitivity to sound and the sounds of language (phonemic awareness) and this predicted student performance in reading letters and single words.

Long, M. (2014, Vol 36(1)). "I can read further and there's more meaning while I read": An exploratory study investigating the impact of rhythm-based music intervention on children's reading. Research Studies in Music Education, 107 - 124.

Length of music training predicted reading comprehension performance even after controlling for age, socioeconomic status, auditory perception, full-scale IQ, the number of hours that children spent reading per week, and word decoding skills.

Corrigal, K.A.,Trainor L.J., (2011) Associations Between Length of Music Training and Reading Skills in Children Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Vol. 29 No. 2, December 2011; (pp. 147-155)

Reviews

Here are some recent reviews from children and parents:

I like going to Music Plus because it is fun making music after school. We get to play instruments and make lots of different beats. P, age 7.
My daughter loves attending Music Plus with Maria. She usually attends independently after school, and I know she is well looked after and enjoys every session. From the lessons I have seen, they are fun, engaging and really well suited to the kids. Maria creates a positive environment where the children enjoy making music together. I would highly recommend Music Plus to any parent looking for a fun and educational after-school activity. T, mum of P7.
We LOVE the classes and my daughter will join next term. I have seen the benefits of your class accompanying my child’s (L age 12) other music lessons and just know that the skills you teach will benefit his sister M. on her musical learning journey as well. I very much admire how you manage and work WITH the children. When the energy is high, you accommodate and when encouragement is needed you spot that and nourish that place. Thank you for always providing such a fun and engaging learning environment. A, mum of L12.
We do the xylophones really well and now we get to do the big ones. Miss Maria is the best teacher ever and she teaches me really good and I keep learning. J, age 5
We are loving music class with Maria! My 5- and 7-year-olds are learning great foundational music skills in such fun, creative ways. Maria is great with teaching kids, and I love seeing how my children have learned and grown in their abilities/understanding throughout this year. T, mum of J5.
I like music class because miss Maria is so nice. I have learned that the thunder drum is loud. I like the instruments that she has. A. age 7

Get in touch

To register your interest please provide the following information:

  • Child's name
  • Child's age
  • School
  • Your name
  • Your email
  • Your phone number
  • Any additional information you would like to provide, e.g. share previous musical experience for the child