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How can music-based experiences support children’s self-regulation, attention, and engagement in early childhood settings?

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As Walker and Solvason (2014) explain, a strong research rationale should position the inquiry within a clear context, identify a gap, and justify why the research is worth doing. My supervising teacher also noted that music sessions are an area of challenge for educators in this centre, with limited structured music programming currently offered. This presented me with a valuable opportunity to contribute to the curriculum by trialling a music-based curriculum that could be sustained throughout the internship.

Explore & Develop Parramatta’s philosophy emphasises creating environments that inspire a love of learning and prepare children for life. Music activities, particularly those using rhythmic and pitch variations, align with this philosophy as they nurture children’s attention, emotional regulation, and collaborative participation.

Having learned music theory and piano from a young age, I am passionate about designing engaging music experiences for children and developing my confidence in using music as a teaching tool. I am interested in learning how to embed music intentionally rather than occasionally, building my confidence in curriculum design and aligning with NQS Quality Area 1 (Educational Program and Practice).

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Music can be a powerful tool for supporting children’s emotional regulation and attention. MacNaughton and Hughes (2009) further argue that reviewing existing literature enables practitioners to join the “professional conversation,” discover what others have tried, and design actions that are well informed. Research by Williams et al. (2023), Frischen et al. (2019), and Williams (2018) demonstrates that music, particularly rhythmic and pitch-based activities, can enhance executive functions, attention, and emotional regulation. By integrating these findings into my project, I can plan rhythm- and pitch-based music activities as small, manageable changes to trial. These strategies directly link to EYLF Outcome 3 (children have a strong sense of wellbeing) and Outcome 5 (children are effective communicators) by helping children practise emotional control and respond to auditory cues.

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Rhythm is the pattern of sounds and silences in time, including beat, tempo, and meter (Frischen et al., 2019).

Pitch refers to the perceived highness or lowness of a sound. Pitch contrasts invite children to listen carefully, respond vocally, and engage in musical play (Williams, 2018).

Tempo describes the speed of the beat and can be varied to modulate children’s energy levels and focus, for example using slower tempos to support calming transitions (Williams, 2018).

Self-Regulation – a broad construct that includes emotional regulation, attention regulation, and executive functions (such as inhibitory control and working memory), enabling children to manage emotions, maintain focus, and adapt behaviour to meet goals and environmental demands (Williams et al., 2023).

Emotional regulation – the process by which a child regulates and appropriately expresses their emotions, as part of the broader construct of self-regulation that also includes attentional control and executive function (Williams et al., 2023).

Attention Regulation – the ability to direct and maintain focus on relevant tasks or stimuli, supporting learning by filtering distractions and sustaining engagement; it is a core component of self-regulation alongside emotional regulation and executive function (Williams et al., 2023).

Executive Function (EF) - Higher-order cognitive skills including inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility (Frischen et al., 2019).

Musician Advantage - Regular engagement with rhythm and pitch activities strengthens executive functions such as attention control and emotional regulation (Williams, 2018).

Self-Regulation Through Music - Using music’s inherent structure (tempo, pitch, dynamics) to scaffold children’s regulation of emotions, behaviours, and attention (Williams, 2018).

I am particularly curious whether encouraging synchrony (e.g., drumming or clapping together) strengthens group cohesion and children’s ability to stay on task, as well as whether this effect differs between children with stronger or weaker self-regulation skills (Frischen et al., 2019).

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1. How does introducing rhythmic and pitch changes in musical activities affect children's emotional regulation and attention in the preschool?

2. How does using slow vs. fast tempo music as pack-away cues influence transition duration and children’s independent participation in the preschool room?

3. How does introducing a daily rhythm-based warm-up (clapping or drumming patterns) during group time influence preschool children’s sustained attention and participation?

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1. I will collect baseline data to understand children’s current attention, emotional regulation, and participation. This will include observations and daily plans of group times, transitions, and music sessions, as well as daily educator reflections on group atmosphere and children’s engagement. I will also gather children’s voices through conversations or drawings about how they feel during music or transition times, such as waiting calmly, eye contact, turn-taking, and responding to cues. This will create a clear picture of common challenges, such as difficulty staying focused or stressful transitions, which I can later compare with post-intervention observations.

2. Next, my change will involve introducing short, structured music games focusing on rhythm and pitch. Sessions will include clapping or drumming patterns, pitch-based call-and-response singing, and body percussion games to promote synchrony. Children will also be invited to create and share their own rhythms or melodies. These activities aim to strengthen attention, support emotional regulation, and encourage collaborative participation.

I will collect qualitative data through observations, plans, brief audio samples of key moments, children’s comments about the music, and my daily reflections. These data will help identify patterns such as calmer behaviour, longer focus, and increased voluntary participation over the several-week intervention.

3. At the end of the intervention, I will compare baseline and intervention observations to identify changes in emotional regulation, attention, and participation, looking for patterns such as calmer transitions, more sustained focus, and more cooperative play. I may draw upon children's words and short stories to illustrate pivotal moments of change. Finally, I will reflect on the implications for practice, linking the findings to the EYLF Outcomes (particularly Outcomes 3, 4, and 5) and NQS Quality Area 1, and propose ways music-based strategies can be embedded in the preschool’s daily curriculum and routines.

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1. Williams, K. E., Bentley, L. A., Savage, S., Eager, R., & Nielson, C. (2023). Rhythm and movement delivered by teachers supports self-regulation skills of preschool-aged children in disadvantaged communities: A clustered RCT. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 65, 115–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.05.008

This study supports the idea that rhythmic elements in music activities can directly enhance children’s ability to regulate emotions and maintain attention. Its use of teacher-led rhythmic interventions in everyday preschool settings closely aligns with my project, where I plan to integrate short rhythm- and pitch-based games into daily group times to observe effects on emotional regulation and attention. This supports EYLF Outcome 3 (Children have a strong sense of wellbeing) and Outcome 5 (Children are effective communicators). The program’s emphasis on beat synchronisation and entrainment provides a theoretical rationale for why rhythm and pitch changes may improve children’s focus and group participation.

It used a highly structured program with formal teacher training, which might not fully reflect the resources and time available in every preschool setting. In my PI, I will adapt the concept by trialling shorter, more flexible rhythm and pitch activities to fit within the natural flow of a preschool day.

2. Frischen, U., Schwarzer, G., & Degé, F. (2019). Comparing the Effects of Rhythm-Based Music Training and Pitch-Based Music Training on Executive Functions in Preschoolers. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 13, 41. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2019.00041

This experimental study compared rhythm-based and pitch-based training programs, finding that rhythm training had the strongest effects on executive functions such as inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. These functions underpin children’s attention and emotional regulation. This article is particularly useful for shaping my inquiry focus, as it indicates that rhythm and pitch may have distinct contributions, and including both may provide a richer investigation into children’s regulation skills. It aligns with EYLF Outcome 4 (Children are confident and involved learners) by promoting thinking skills and sustained attention. However, this research was conducted in a controlled experimental setting with a relatively small sample, which may not mirror real-world classroom conditions.

3. Williams, K. E. (2018). Moving to the Beat: Using Music, Rhythm, and Movement to Enhance Self-Regulation in Early Childhood Classrooms. International Journal of Early Childhood, 50(1), 85–100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-018-0215-y

Williams explores how rhythm and movement activities in early childhood classrooms can be used as intentional teaching strategies to promote self-regulation. The paper links theory to practical strategies, such as rhythmic clapping games and musical transitions. It provides concrete ideas I can trial in my classroom and reinforces the idea that music can be embedded into daily routines to support children’s wellbeing and engagement. This directly supports NQS Quality Area 1 (Educational program and practice) by embedding intentional teaching and scaffolding children’s regulation and engagement through music.

However, Williams' article is mainly conceptual and descriptive, providing practical strategies but lacking experimental data. It does not isolate rhythm or pitch as independent variables, making it difficult to draw causal conclusions. I will build on Williams’ suggestions by focusing specifically on rhythmic and pitch elements and measuring observable outcomes like emotional regulation incidents and attention levels.