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CHILDREN AND MUSIC: BENEFITS OF MUSIC IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT Oct 10, 2018 | News Medical Children’s Group

Singing and music play an important role in our culture. You’ll find music present in many

aspects of our lives: theater, television, movies, worship, holidays, celebrations, and government

and military ceremonies. At home, music can become part of our family culture – a natural part

of our everyday experiences.

From birth, parents instinctively use music to calm and soothe children, to express their love and

joy, and to engage and interact. Parents can build on these natural instincts by learning how

music can impact child development, improve social skills, and benefit kids of all ages.

MUSIC AND THE BRAIN: THE BENEFITS OF MUSIC A 2016 study at the University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute found that

musical experiences in childhood can actually accelerate brain development, particularly in the

areas of language acquisition and reading skills. According to the National Association of Music

Merchants Foundation (NAMM Foundation), learning to play an instrument can improve

mathematical learning and even increase SAT scores.

But academic achievement isn’t the only benefit of music education and exposure. Music ignites

all areas of child development and skills for school readiness: intellectual, social and emotional,

motor, language, and overall literacy. It helps the body and the mind work together. Exposing

children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words.

Dancing to music helps children build motor skills while allowing them to practice self-

expression. For children and adults, music helps strengthen memory skills.

In addition to the developmental benefits of music, why is music important? Simply put, it

provides us with joy. Just think about listening to a good song on the car radio with the window

down on a beautiful day. That’s joy.

MUSIC GAMES FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES Children of all ages express themselves through music. Playing music for infants proves that,

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. Children in elementary school learn to sing together as a group and possibly learn to play a

musical instrument. Older children dance to the music of their favorite bands and use music to

form friendships and share feelings. Try these activities and games with your children to

experience the pleasure and learning that music brings.

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. Quiet, background music can be soothing for infants, especially at sleep time.

Loud background music may overstimulate an infant by raising the noise level of the room. Sing

simple, short songs to infants in a high, soft voice. Try making up one or two lines about bathing,

dressing, or eating to sing to them while you do these activities.

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. Try singing a familiar song and inserting a silly word in the place of the correct

word, like “Mary had a little spider” instead of lamb. Let them reproduce rhythms by clapping or

tapping objects.

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.

School-Age Children and Music. Most young school-age children are intrigued by kids’

singalong songs that involve counting, spelling, or remembering a sequence of events. School-

age children begin expressing their likes and dislikes of different types of music. They may

express an interest in music education, such as music lessons for kids.

Teenagers and Music. Teenagers may use musical experiences to form friendships and to set

themselves apart from parents and younger kids. They often want to hang out and listen to music

after school with a group of friends. Remember those days of basement and garage bands? They

often have a strong interest in taking music lessons or playing in a band.

There is no downside to bringing children and music together through fun activities. We are able

to enjoy the benefits of music from the moment we’re born, as music can soothe infants and

stimulate child development. Although a good dose of Mozart is probably not increasing our

brain power, it’s enjoyable and beautiful. From the pure pleasure of listening to soothing sounds

and rhythmic harmonies, to gaining new language and social skills, whatever the setting – a quiet

room at home with family, a large grassy field filled with people, or a busy classroom – music

can enliven and enrich the lives of children and the people who care for them.