100 Years of Music in NAEYC

Holly Carrell Moore

Ms. Holly sits on the floor, guitarlele in hand, as she teaches a group of 4-year-olds the words to“ Who Fed the Chickens?” by Ella Jenkins( 1995). Ms. Valencia, the classroom teacher, invited Ms. Holly to share about this children’ s music pioneer as a supplement to discussions about Black history. Ms. Holly has brought in several of Ms. Jenkins’ s call-and-response songs as well as a selfie she took with the songwriter during a NAEYC national conference almost 10 years earlier. After sharing the photo, talking about Ms. Jenkins, and teaching the song, Ms. Holly strums the guitarlele( a small guitar the size of a ukulele), and the call and response begins:

Ms. Holly: Who fed the chickens? Children: We did! Ms. Holly: Who stacked the hay? Children: We did! Ms. Holly: Who milked the cow? Children: We did! Ms. Holly: On this fine day...

Ms. Holly observes as the children respond vigorously and eagerly to each call-and-response invitation.

Music plays an important role in young children’ s development and learning. In addition to providing joy, creativity, and meaning making( Salvador 2019), researchers have linked it to self-regulation, social and emotional development, and language and literacy for both

54 Young Children

Spring 2026