Music is Essential for Young Children

By Eva Leftenant

Singing and music play an important role in our everyday lives. Music is present in theater, television, movies, holidays, and other celebrations. From birth, parents instinctively use music to calm and soothe children, to express their love and joy, and to engage and interact.
Music for the early child is as important as any other sense. We learn to touch, to taste, to see, and to hear. But what we hear can invoke an expansive amount of internal growth, both in and outside of the classroom. Just as everyone likes food, everyone likes music. It is part of our inner being, and it is essential.

Even at an early age, children sway, bounce, or move their hands in response to music they hear. Many preschoolers make up songs and, with no self-consciousness, sing to themselves as they play.

INFANTS AND MUSIC

Infants recognize the melody of a song long before they understand the words. They often try to mimic sounds and start moving to the music as soon as they are physically able. Making up one or two lines about something that may occur in their everyday lives makes a powerful impact on their mental growth and development.

TODDLERS AND MUSIC

Toddlers love to dance and move to music. The key to toddler music is the repetition of songs, which encourages the use of words and memorization. Silly songs make them laugh. Dynamic changes and silly voices they can imitate are especially successful, as well as Echo songs, which increase language development and, also assist in understanding when to wait for your turn to participate.

PRESCHOOLERS AND MUSIC

Preschoolers enjoy singing just to be singing. They aren’t self-conscious about their ability and most are eager to let their voices roar. They like songs that repeat words and melodies, use rhythms with a definite beat, and ask them to do things. Preschool children enjoy nursery rhymes and songs about familiar things like toys, animals, play activities, and people. They also like finger plays and nonsense rhymes with or without musical accompaniment.

USING MUSIC TO IMPROVE OTHER EARLY SKILLS

Music education carries a myriad of benefits for the young child. Not only does it help with the development of simple aural skills but, music education can also incorporate letters, numbers, patterns, and colors. Through rhythm, finger play songs, holding a mallet and hitting a drum, using shakers, playing a xylophone, and other instruments children increase fine and gross motor skills. Even stomping and clapping helps children to understand the space their body occupies and its capabilities. Group music sessions with young children improve social skills, as well. For example, in these music sessions, young students learn to wait their turn, listen, and properly participate.
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Join us on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays for our Early Childhood music class offerings for children ages 0 - 5. We also offer early movement classes - Creative Movement and African Drumming & Dance.