Playing to learn and learning to play

Playing to Learn and Learning to Play comes to the Berkshire Music Trust Reading Music Centre on Saturday 31 October, from 9:00 to 17:00. It's the 9th Meeting of the Music Educators and Researchers of Young Children England (MERYC England), a registered charity (no. 1169504) that works on the musical education of children aged 0-5 in England. The day is set up as a forum for connecting and exploring the diverse world of early childhood music, and it's built around how educators work alongside young children and families to encourage musical play and learning.

The whole day is framed by four questions: how to facilitate child-led musical play and creativity; what musical environments help us play and create with young children; how to document and evaluate children's musical creativity; and which approaches to share. It also looks at how musical play connects with other art forms, the role of playfulness in facilitators and adults, and playful research methodologies. The sessions include interactive participation, practical activities, and the dissemination of research, so it's as much about doing as it is about listening.

This is the 9th meeting for MERYC England, which brings together educators and researchers working with the youngest children. The 2024 edition, the 8th Meeting, was held at Newcastle University under the theme Early Childhood Music in the 21st Century: Exploring possibilities in a changing world.

Tickets are on sale now, with an early bird discount running until 15 September, and lunch and refreshments are provided. The day runs from 9:00 to 17:00 at the Berkshire Music Trust Reading Music Centre, 100 Cockney Hill, Tilehurst, RG30 4EZ, Reading.