In kindergarten and beyond, students gradually develop their musical skills. But music aptitude develops much earlier--and teachers can begin to foster it in preschool. It's clear that, properly nurtured, preschoolers have an amazing ability to learn the fundamentals of singing on pitch and basic rhythm. It's also clear that by kindergarten that receptivity is already activated--or it's greatly diminished. But what public school educators do, faced with the assortment of skill levels they see when children reach kindergarten, is of crucial importance not only to the child, but to their brothers and sisters back home and in preschool as well. Suzanne L. Burton, associate professor of music education at the University of Delaware, said that the majority of kindergarten students have not developed a listening vocabulary, or the musical readiness to engage in musical dialogue. With that in mind, a public school educator needs to assess the student's abilities, keeping in mind two goals--bringing every child to at least roughly the same level, and not squandering whatever previous musical engagement that particular children have already had.