Our primary objectives for this project were as follows: Methodology Development: We aimed to develop and implement a new methodology for teaching Estonian and English to young children through music, utilizing the specialized Musicon instrument and outdoor musical equipment. Enhancing Skills: We sought to improve children's auditory skills, memory, and concentration, which are foundational for effective language acquisition, especially for our 90% international student body. Professional Growth: Through collaboration with our Polish partner, Akademia Smyka, we intended to exchange best practices and modernize the professional competences of our teaching staff. Knowledge Sharing: A major goal was to create ten accessible online sample lessons to share these innovative methods with the local educational community and other teachers from Tallinn, Narva and Poland. Impact: We targeted training 20 teachers and providing 75 children with a significantly improved starting point for language learning through play.
We initiated this project to implement an innovative language learning methodology for Estonian and English through music using the specialized Musicon and other instruments. Our main goal was collaborating with our Polish partner(Akademia Smyka), who has successful Musicon experience, to adopt their knowledge and adapt it for children's speech development. The organization aimed to enhance teachers' qualifications by providing modern tools for working with children in multicultural environments. We also sought to create accessible materials and conduct seminars for exchange with Estonia's educational community. 2) The project addresses language barriers among children, as 90% of TIKI students are foreigners learning Estonian and English as second or third languages. We identified the need for new, playful teaching methods since 2024 Estonian legislation requires municipal kindergartens to conduct educational activities in Estonian. There was a necessity to develop children's musical hearing, memory, and concentration - fundamental skills for successful early language acquisition. The project also filled the gap in specialized equipment and methodological resources for teachers to integrate music into language learning processe