Music is a wonderful way to help the development of speech and listening skills. It brings an appreciation of fun and excitement as we sing and share musical activities.

All children attending The Elizabeth Foundation, or enrolled in our Home Learning Programme, are introduced to a wider use of music and movement, as it is our belief that sound awareness and musical experiences need nurturing as soon as possible.

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Our Music Programme provides listening and speech preparation for deaf babies and young children. The Programme was originally sponsored by Ann and Ezra Rachlin of The Beethoven Fund for Deaf Children, who inspired us with their enthusiasm and expertise in the field of music theory. We were very proud to be asked by the Fund's trustees to accept transfer of its name and assets in 2003, as part of The Beethoven Fund's plan to cease as a seperately registered charity, upon Ann's retirement.

From the moment we are born, music brings contact and comfort. It makes life fun and allows even the youngest child to enjoy making sounds, both alone and with others. No wonder music is so important to our deaf children.

Over the years, our experience at The Elizabeth Foundation has shown that music plays a vital part in non-verbal and verbal communication. Developing our children’s musical skills by exploring:

• different tones
• rhythms and tunes
• pitch – high and low

All these help provide deaf children with a basis on which to build their listening and language skills and through our creative musical activities our children are unaware that they are participating in an important learning experience, vital to their ultimate goal: to live a full and meaningful life in the ‘hearing’ world around them.